Stiga Optimum Plus

Very good blade, great control with good speed. Fair price for incredible quality, if you want to have fun with friends it is ideal, for competing, I recommend somewhat faster blades.

I found the FL handle uncomfortable and had to modify it. On my next Stiga blade, I opted for the Legend handle and loved it. The blade is solid, and the finishing quality is very good.

It responded extremely well to Acuda S2 (FH and BH), but I found Acuda S1 Turbo on FH to be out of control (at least for me). I had a lot of difficulty with this blade landing the push and “softer” shots (I would go far and miss the table).

Blocking felt solid. Full-force committed loops and drives flew and moved fast three feet from the table.

It’s too hard for my taste. It will play well with tacky rubbers, but I wouldn’t advise playing it with regular Euro-Japanese rubbers unless you are an all-out attacker. Even then, you’d be better off using another blade anyway.

The short game is an issue here, but flat game and looping with tacky rubbers are pretty good.

Review:

I highly recommend this blade!

Background: As a 1900 USATT-rated player, I have experience with various blades, including TBS, Ma Lin Hard Carbon, Stiga Offensive, and 7.6 Carbon.

Rubbers: I use Chinese rubber on the forehand and Japanese rubber on the backhand.

Performance: This blade provides exceptional control, surpassing all previous blades I have used. Surprisingly, it boasts a speed comparable to the Ma Lin Hard Carbon while offering superior control. The medium-soft feel enhances the spin on my serves.

Strange feeling for an all-wood blade. The hardened surface makes drop shots longer, and also loops need to be timed a bit earlier.

The construction was supposed to mimic the OC, but it doesn’t…the 2nd ply (power ply) is much thicker than the spruce in the OC. Hence the Optimum plus feels harder to hit through to the middle ply.