Xiom Feel ZX1

This is my first carbon blade, and I had no problems with loss of control or feeling. The blade is beautiful, but the straight handle is a bit short, which was somewhat disappointing. This could be a dealbreaker if you have larger hands.

Xiom has the name right. It is about 5.5mm thick like the Xiom Allround S, but gives a better sensation as soon as you touch the ball. The handle is a little flatter than other Xiom blades, such as HAL, Allround S, and Offensive S.

Very good blade with excellent finish, like in much more expensive blades. It has medium speed off- to off+, enough to finish the point. The strength of this blade is the spin ability and good control. I would recommend this blade for players who are looking to step up from an all-wood blade to composite because it has that wood feeling due to a very thin layer of carbon which is placed in the core, but much bigger sweet spot and a little bit of extra punch. The only downside for me is it has a little bit of flex in it which can translate into uncomfortable feelings on impact (but that is just my preference). Flex also means it is better suited with harder rubber 45+ degrees.