Victas Koki Niwa Wood

Review text:

Please share your expert opinion:

Does Victas Wood Koki Niwa Straight handle play well with a combination of Victas 15 Limber 2.3mm + Donic Bluestorm Z1 Turbo 2.3mm on either side of the bat?

Intermediate player looking to advance, serious hobby-leisure, budget <£150 for 1 bat.

Thanks in advance.

Sometimes I refrained from making judgments about blades because they were all of poor quality, lacking control, feel, and any “added value,” despite being expensive but unremarkable. I have occasionally lost to individuals with $30 setups due to my equipment’s excessive speed. I have abandoned evaluating equipment solely based on its price or the reputation of the brand.

After experiencing both highs and lows, I find myself more emotionally invested in selecting equipment based on the brand and caliber of the product, which is an unfortunate aspect of table tennis. You transform into the sport’s final component, the shadowy Equipment Junkie. NOTHING meets your standards. The Dignics is stiff and slow, the Tenergy is excessively bouncy and lacks grip, the DHS H3 National from Estonia is too firm and lacks spin when unboosted, and when overboosted, it becomes uncontrollable while generating excessive spin without proper control. As is customary, increased spin results in diminished control, which leads to frustration and finger-pointing.

You experience similar dissatisfaction with blades. The Apolonia, Viscaria, Harimoto, Zhang Jike, and Revoldia are all incompatible with high-quality rubbers. I despise all-wood blades, but the Koki Niwa Wood (which sounds unusual but his style is distinct) is fast and enhances the grip of rubbers when used with additional motion. The stroke is visually appealing and produces excellent spin on the table.

The blade’s most remarkable feature is its Passive Control with Speed Ratio technology, which allows you to counter your opponent’s violent loops with minimal effort. The top ply is exceptionally dry and bonded with premium wood glue, which enhances the ping-ping sensation for hard rubbers, justifying the high cost. The Koki Niwa-D05-D09c is an ideal setup for players seeking direction.

Made in China, this blade is crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail. Its hard construction pairs exceptionally well with low-throw rubbers, offering precise control with minimal miss-hits. While not boasting extreme speed, it excels in control and consistency.

Compared to the SK7, this blade offers a superior touch and produces more quality balls. Its balanced performance and elegant aesthetic evoke a sense of royalty. With a few minor adjustments, this blade delivers an unparalleled experience for players of various levels.

The Koki Niwa Wood is a blade with amazing touch and feeling. I felt like it was really easy to create spin on my drives and therefore it had good control. Close to the table and mid-distance rallies is where this blade shines, providing amazing control and touch with good consistency over the net.

Where this blade lacks is in open-ups and hard shots. It’s pretty hard to play killer shots with this blade. It’s pretty fast in the receiving and serving game as well, so you need to have a good receiving game if you wanna get this blade.

Blade Review

Speed: Off+ to Off++ Feeling: Medium Hard

Pros: — Easy to counter with — More stable in the mid-distance

Cons: — Hard to drive and block with due to a more direct arc

The Victas Niwa Wood is a 7-ply all-wood blade that resembles the TSP Swat Power with enhanced feel. It is stiffer and firmer than the 9-ply carbon Victas Koki Niwa.

As an off-blade, the Niwa Wood excels at countering, blocking, and counter-topspinning. It is highly effective in close-to-table play, but also performs admirably in rallies farther from the table.

The blade pairs well with rubbers that have limited bounce, such as Fastarc G1, Rakza X, V-15 extra, and MX-S. With bouncy rubbers, it becomes challenging to control serves and return short balls.

Compared to the Stiga Clipper, the Niwa Wood is faster and better suited for countering, but it offers less feel for topspin variations. The Clipper is a versatile blade for close-to-table players, while the Niwa Wood is more aggressive and effective at a distance.

The Niwa Wood is an excellent 7-ply blade, but its high price may be a deterrent.

THREE IN ONE

Control, feel, and speed. It is one of the rare blades that excels in all three aspects.

The Koki Niva Wood is a blade of medium hardness and flexibility. The hardness is almost the same as the Nittaku Acoustic, but the feel is more solid. The speed is close to OFF+, but not too fast. Feedback is very good, hence the level of control is high.

Its head size is 150 * 157, with a square-shaped handle and 23 mm depth. It is 1mm thicker than the Acoustic, which fits well in the hand. I highly recommend it.

This blade is truly exceptional. It combines the playability of a boosted basic blade with the exquisite finish of a premium blade. While the original text was satisfactory, I have made slight adjustments to enhance clarity and flow.

FH-V20; BH V22; Are you lost trying carbon blades such as ALC, ZLC, Super ALC, and Super ZLC? This 7-ply wood blade will disturb you even more! It has wonderful control in BH block, excellent FH counter, enough speed in FH even mid-distance, good FH smash, and a little less power in BH at mid-distance (the only weak point). It is a good combination for close-to-the-table game or mid-distance, and mostly a very safe blade that helps to put the ball on the table, which is the principle to win games! Good spin as well. Large sweet spot. What else!

Good: Feeling, control, top spins, and blocks are great. Speed and smashes are decent.

Bad: The blade feels heavy in hand, although mine is 89 g which is actually normal. Maybe it is balanced more to the upper part. It feels like way more than 90 g.

Conclusion: It feels a little better than Tibhar Drinkhall Power Spin Carbon, but the latter is lighter and faster. Either way, it’s a good attacking blade.

I played with the blade for 3 months before writing this review. Now, I can confidently say that it is an amazing blade.

It feels better than the Nittaku Violin or Acoustic. The feeling is absolutely the best. Depending on the rubber, the feeling is crispy. Flex and spin are amazing. The speed is fast for an all-wood blade. It is at least as fast as my Viscaria.

Choose a heavier blade if you need more speed and are okay with a weight of 90+ grams. The control is absolutely the best. It is a beginner to a pro level blade.

I tried different rubbers, and medium to hard rubbers all play super well. Carbon will never give you the same feel or control. I just played with a Viscaria and the same rubber, and the Viscaria felt dull and less spinny compared to the Koki Niwa.

Overall, this blade is highly effective. Its beginner-friendly design, featuring a comfortable and easy-to-hold handle, makes it an ideal choice for those starting out in table tennis. The durability of the blade is evident from its extended usage without any breakage issues.

The lack of extreme dimensions in the handle’s size ensures a comfortable grip for individuals with smaller hands. Additionally, the non-smooth surface of the handle provides an excellent grip, preventing the racket from slipping out of damp hands.

In terms of speed, the blade offers a balanced performance, neither too fast nor too slow. This characteristic makes it well-suited for beginners who are still developing their technique and control.

The blade is great and pairs well with Hurricane 3 Neo. The main thing I notice is how much control this thing has, without compromising on speed.

I’m uncertain about the validity of these reviews. I own two blades from different suppliers, and they perform identically. Despite being a 7-ply blade, both are notably slow with high flex. They resemble 5-ply wood blades without the characteristic “pop.” I’d categorize these blades as suitable for ALL to possibly ALL+ playing styles. While looping is effective, hitting feels unsatisfactory.

The handle size is a comfortable fit for my small hands (I have a straight handle). Unfortunately, I wish the blades played faster. In competitive environments, I often feel outmatched. I’m currently using a hard sponge rubber; could switching to a softer sponge enhance performance?