Stiga Celero
Blade description:
Performance Characteristics
The Stiga Celero is an all-wood, 5-ply offensive-minus blade characterized by its high degree of flexibility and excellent ball feedback. It serves as an ideal platform for allround loopers, offering a soft, spin-friendly feel with a medium-high throw angle. While the blade provides a linear response, its speed is gear-dependent: it remains controlled and moderate during touch play or light shots but demonstrates significant acceleration when swinging with high intensity. Due to its flexible nature, players often find it performs best when paired with medium-to-hard rubbers to prevent the setup from feeling too soft.
Construction and Physical Build
The blade features a Limba outer ply, providing a crisp touch that aids in generating heavy spin through brushing contact. It is designed for close-to-mid-range play and is not intended for pure power players looking to end points from long distance. While it features a weight range typically between 84g and 90g, users often recommend selecting weights on the higher end of this spectrum for optimal stability.
Handling and Maintenance
- Ergonomics: The handle requires light sanding on the wings and edges upon arrival to achieve a comfortable, broken-in feel.
- Tactical Application: It is highly effective for looping, flicking, and placement-oriented play. However, it requires active technique during blocking against high-speed topspin, as the blade’s flex can cause the ball to launch at a higher arc.
- Tactical Advice: To maximize speed, players are encouraged to make contact in the top third of the blade head, where the flex allows for a more pronounced “grab” and power release. It is less suited for flat hitting compared to stiffer blade alternatives.
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Recent Reviews
#1 — March 2024
Very nice looking blade that offers superb control but only moderate speed. If you are about control and placement above all else then this would be a great choice.
In my humble opinion (IMHO), not enough speed for offensive players looking to hit winners. I much prefer my Yasaka Goiabao 5 as an attacking weapon, but that’s because I’m an attacking player.
#2 — November 2021
I have tried many allwood blades because I have always believed that they offer a better feeling. This is my current blade, paired with Rakza 7 and Mantra M rubbers. Looping, smashing, blocking, and flicking are all very satisfying shots with this combination. The blade weighs 90 grams, which feels perfect for looping and smashing.
#3 — August 2020
The head size and shape of the Celero blade are similar to the Viscaria. It is easy to switch rubbers between the Celero and Viscaria.
The blade consists of five layers of wood: Limba, an unknown dark wood, and Ayous.
The Celero blade has a crisp feeling, similar to Koto, and is thin and flexible. A flexible blade requires careful blocking against fast topspins. It is easier to counter with a short topspin or drive than a plain block. Due to its flexibility, incoming topspin balls tend to shoot high off the blade, but blocking medium topspin balls is effective.
The Celero blade offers excellent control, allowing for precise spin adjustments, overpowering of strong shots, and slowing down of play. It excels at slow loops, backspin, flicks, and topspins. Flat hitting is not a recommended strength for this blade; consider a stiffer option for better results. The Celero is primarily designed for looping.
The throw angle is slightly above medium. Brushing creates a medium-high arc that lands on the table with a noticeable forward kick. This forward kick is a key element, and aggressive looping increases the likelihood of placing the ball on the table. The Celero requires significant force to perform at its best, and the harder the ball is hit, the more the center area of the blade bends and grips the ball.
The Celero is an OFF- blade, slower than the Korbel, Primorac (5 ply), and Ebenholz V. It is recommended to select a blade weighing 87g or more, with 87-90g being ideal. Hard-hitting shots should be brushed rather than flat-hit. For increased speed, adjust the contact point towards the top third of the blade. This will allow the blade to flex and generate more speed.
The optimal playing distance for the Celero is between 1m and 1.5m from the table. Playing at distances of 2.5-3m can be challenging.
Avoid soft rubbers on the Celero. Hard rubbers complement its flexibility. Unboosted Chinese rubbers may be viable for strong players. Boosted Hurricane 3, 8, NEO, and similar rubbers perform well. STN rubbers also work effectively. Linear rubbers with a lively character can enhance the performance of this blade.
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