Yasaka Balsa

Good blade for anti-spin and short pips. Ultra-light blade (70g) and slower than Balsa Plus. Good for hitting and blocking, an all-round game close to the table.

Maybe good for some, but for me it was terrible. It was way too slow for my liking.

It is a decent blade with no standout features other than its light weight. It has no major drawbacks, but it is less effective for the mid to long game. Not recommended for beginners.

With proper training, the blade is hard enough for a fast short game. If you equip it with two Donic F2 or F3 rubbers, it becomes an excellent on-table driver/sweeper/smasher. Its light weight makes it a machine gun in the short game, but only with proper training, or you won’t be able to win the point.

It is not a good blocker for power play.

Similar to Dr. Neubauer Bulldog.

The blade is almost perfect for long and short pips.

This blade is slower than the Yasaka Gatien Extra 3D (although the catalog states that it is faster). I consider it to be a very good all+ blade, and it is also very light. However, it is not a speed blade.

This blade is stiff and hard for an all-wood blade. It’s good for hitting and blocking, but it’s not good for spinning the ball, especially loops. It’s also too light to be an excellent hitting blade. The lack of vibration and high speed make it a poor choice for beginners.

On the other hand, the anatomic handle is very comfortable and the blade has a nice construction.