Yasaka Goiabao 5

CPen Review

I tested this blade with Skyline 3 Provincial FH and H3 on BH. It’s a solid 5-ply blade. Compared to the Yasaka Extra Offensive, it has little flex and a stiff, hard surface.

Looping rubber is optimal for this blade because of its low throw and long trajectory. For short game, a light touch is necessary to keep the ball short. Vibrations are minimal.

Blocking, slapping, and looping near and far were all effective. Playing far from the table was impressive for a 5-ply blade. There were no issues encountered.

I purchased this blade due to the hype surrounding it as an upgraded version of the Yasaka Extra Offensive. However, this claim is inaccurate. Despite this, the blade still performs well.

Have tested a fair bit since purchase 6 months ago. The blade has nice feedback. It has a thick middle veneer.

I have noticed in the reviews not many people use Chinese rubbers. I currently use H3 provincial 41* forehand and H3-50 backhand. The feel is hard still; however, it is more stiff than YEO and YEO7.

Power delivery is still good far from the table. But you must close the racket angle when playing near the table. The ball has a low throw and tends to overshoot.

My go-to FH rubbers are the DHS skyline series, but I am yet to use one unboosted for this blade. So I can not comment on a short game because it is not my strength with this FH rubber. Updates will continue in the near future due to my search for the perfect feeling in a blade.

The Goiabao 5 FL blade, when paired with the Rakza Z 2.3mm and Rakza 9 2mm rubbers on either side of the bat, offers a well-balanced combination suitable for intermediate players looking to advance their skills. The Goiabao 5 FL blade provides a solid foundation for both offensive and defensive strokes, while the combination of Rakza Z and Rakza 9 rubbers provides excellent control and power.

For an intermediate player with a budget under £150, this setup offers a great value for money. The Goiabao 5 FL blade retails around £50, while the Rakza Z and Rakza 9 rubbers cost approximately £30 each.

Overall, this combination provides a well-rounded balance of control, power, and durability, making it an excellent choice for intermediate players who want to take their game to the next level.

This blade was a pleasant surprise to me as it had very nice wood for the price. The sweet spot was medium-large. It was fast with very good feel for the ball and some flex. Great for looping at any distance. Made in Sweden, this blade rivals much higher priced blades with the same wood composition. It is slightly head heavy with thick rubbers. A powerful and elegant blade for players seeking a bit more speed. It works well with short pips on BH or inverted. The speed to control ratio is nice on this one as most blades in this speed range can be difficult to control. It is better than Clipper wood in all areas except perhaps blocking. For advanced or seasoned intermediate players who love more speed. Excellent buy.

This blade is not stiff in my opinion (5/10), but rather slightly hard (7/10). It offers good speed (8.5/10), but the rotation is a bit lower (6.5/10). The throw is low (4/10), but the control is excellent (9.5/10).

I used Rasant Grip on the backhand and Rasant on the forehand, but I intend to switch my Rasant to Tenergy. The best aspects of the blade are its stability and feel.

Overall, I would give this blade a rating of 10/10.

Pure perfection.

Low throw but very good quality.

My ST handle weighs 83g and is 6.0mm thick. The handle is hollow, but surprisingly not head-heavy. This blade was designed for the Chinese market, so it is made to be used with Hurricane 3 on the forehand. If you use a different rubber, it will have less dwell time. Soft rubbers (42deg ESN) can add more dwell also.

Speed is solid OFF and very linear. Due to the speed, it’s a little hard to make topspin; best to use H3 with Chinese technique. Control is great on all shots. Overall, this blade is amazing for the price and should be much more popular!

A review from a Cpen user:

Used to have a JTTAA YEO Cpen. After learning the basic strokes, I always thought that YEO is a bit too flimsy for the 40+ plastic ball.

Goiabao 5, compared to YEO is a bit stiffer and faster, which makes playing from a medium distance easier while still maintaining the control and feeling to play the 3rd ball/close to the table thanks to the all-wood plies. The only downside is that it is a bit more bouncy while serving/playing short, but the difference is negligible.

I think of it as a direct upgrade from YEO, kind of similar to STIGA Rosewood 5, to play more comfortably in the 40+ era. If you like the feeling of a 5-ply wooden blade, this blade can never go wrong.

Blade Review

This blade is incredibly cheap. The build quality is surprisingly good for the price. It has a nice balance of speed and control. The handle is comfortable to hold and the blade is lightweight.

Overall, this is a great blade for beginners or recreational players. It is also a good option for players who are looking for a budget-friendly blade.

Pros:

* Incredibly cheap * Good build quality * Nice balance of speed and control * Comfortable handle * Lightweight

Cons:

* May not be durable enough for advanced players * May not be suitable for professional play

Conclusion:

This blade is a great option for beginners or recreational players. It is also a good option for players who are looking for a budget-friendly blade. However, it may not be durable enough for advanced players or suitable for professional play.

I switched to pip rubber on my backhand. I tried several varieties and Spinlord Gipfelsturm became my favorite rubber. However, it didn’t work well with my favorite blade, the Timo Boll ALC. I had a Joola Goiaoa blade for a long time, but I didn’t use it because of its speed. I tried Gipfelsturm on it, and it performed exceptionally well. The rubber (MXS, R7) was fast on my forehand, so I tried the Rakza 7 Soft. I am very happy with this combination!

The Yasaka blade is an excellent choice for table tennis players. It is constructed from five layers of wood, which provides a fast and responsive feel. Compared to the Ma Lin Carbon or Yeo blades, the Yasaka blade has minimal vibration, resulting in a more solid feel. It is also well-balanced and aesthetically pleasing.

The Yasaka blade is versatile and allows players to execute a wide range of strokes with ease. Blocking, hitting, looping, chopping, and driving are all possible without any difficulty. Its relatively low price point makes it an attractive option for players of all levels.

The Yasaka blade pairs best with soft tensor or Chinese tacky rubbers. When paired with Nittaku Hurricane Pro 3 Orange sponge, it generates fast and spinny loops. The blade’s low throw angle allows the ball to travel close to the table, making it ideal for blocking. Additionally, it is not heavily affected by incoming spin, resulting in low and fast returns.

Lovely blade with lots of gears. Crisp attacking shots with lots of power and a pleasing level of woody vibration are possible with this blade. There will certainly be faster blades available, but not by much. This is a thing of beauty that can certainly be held up against far more expensive composite blades in terms of speed and control. For the price of only £23 from tt-store.eu, it’s a no-brainer!

Awesome blade! I changed from Donic Epox PowerAllround. I was a bit scared to change from All to Off+(it’s more like Off, not Off+), but it’s fine. It’s fast, with enough control. I’m using it with Rasander R37 on BH and Rakza 9 on FH. I think I will change the Rakza 9, it’s too fast for me and a bit heavy. The racket weighs 181 grams. However, the blade wasn’t 86 gr, mine is 89. With the rubbers, the weight is more towards the head. I have to try a softer and lighter rubber like Rakza7soft instead of Rakza9.

This is a hard and stiff blade. Initially, I found it unappealing due to its flat feel. However, upon switching from a hard sponge (Nittaku Flyatt Hard) to a softer sponge (Andro Resanter R42), I discovered a significant improvement in my looping ability. While the Flyatt Hard performs exceptionally well, it is not an ideal pairing for this blade.

I have purchased Yasaka Goiabao 5 blade from TTMode and got it delivered within a week to India. I appreciate their service, including packing and lacquering of the blade. All are top-notch.

I have paired it with Yasaka Mark V HPS 2.0mm on both sides. The racket weight is approximately 181 grams. It has a hard outer layer, medium second layer, and a thick/medium inner layer. Perfect mix of hardwood and flex.

Counter-hit engages the hardness. The trajectory is more linear and precise. Looping/topspin engages the flex, giving a beautiful arc loaded with spin. Cut and push are comfortable and purposeful. Blocking has to be done with purpose, especially on the backhand. If done properly, blocking is like kill-block with low bounce and tough to retrieve for the opponent.

You can dictate the pace of the rally, as you have both the hardness and flex at your disposal. Yasaka rates it at Off+, but it is more Off-. Intermediate players can handle it with ease.

Amazing blade, which is very controlled in the short game but comes alive on power loops and hard drives. The throw is on the lower side but with my MX-P and Tinarc 5, I believe I’m playing with my best setup yet. Now I do think the handle is hollow, so take that into account.

Setup: Goiabao 5 + Yasaka Rakza 9 (backhand) + DHS Hurricane 3 Neo (forehand).

This fast all-wood blade offers amazing dwell time. While the throw angle is slightly low, the dwell time compensates for this, allowing for adjustments.

In the short and touch game, the blade performs adequately, although the ball may sometimes bounce unpredictably. However, it excels in counterattacks and counter topspins.

The mid and far distance game is where this blade truly shines. It produces a dense sound on contact, indicating its power and control.

Excellent blade! I was in a war within myself trying to decide between the GOIABAO 5 and the MA Lin EO. Ultimately, I chose the GOIABAO and I wasn’t disappointed! It’s fast with great control, and the look is elegant.

However, I made a mistake when I put DHS Skyline 3-60 rubbers on both the forehand and backhand. While these are good rubbers, they don’t pair well with this blade. Rakza 7 or Rakza 9 would be a better choice, and as a result, I’m planning to order Rakza 9 for both sides.

Overall, the GOIABAO is an excellent blade that’s totally worth the price. I’m very happy with this purchase and I’m sure I’ll be using GOIABAO for a long time to come.

Before this blade, I’d only prefered playing with off- blades like Avalox BT555 (which I love, awesome and underrated blade). However, I wanted to try something really fast and harder kind of blade, so I decided to order Goiabao 5.

Previously, I’ve also tried Clipper Oversize, which I didn’t like. It was too difficult to loop with, although the blocking was great. I was scared that the Goiabao would be similar because of the hard outer ply, but to my surprise, it has been a delight. Looping is easy (Rakza 7 pairs really well with Goiabao), and control is relatively good. The feeling is nice, but I had to adjust my touch because the blade is a bit more bouncy than BT555.

In summary, the Goiabao 5 is fast, easy to loop with (medium low arc), has good blocking, and has a pretty large sweet spot. It’s probably the best blade I’ve played with.

One of the nicest and fastest blades I have purchased so far. I have this racket with Rakza 9 on forehand and Mark V HPS on the backhand and I am very satisfied.

I have had this racket for the last 10 days and even though it is very early to tell, here are some observations:

- The racket was a lot faster than my previous one and the first 2-3 days I was struggling not to keep the ball as I was able to do it but wasn’t able to hold the blade as this time from straight I went to anatomic bell type. - After the 4-5 day I was able to get used to hold it but also to play better. - It would take me a few days or weeks to get used to it but I believe with this blade and with these rubbers I will be able also to move forward faster.

I have owned Nittaku Septear, Yasaka Extra Offensive JTTAA, and Joola Rossi Emotion blades in the past. I’ve played with a couple of others, but this blade is my favorite. Goiabao can be flexible when looping and can turn stiff and hard when hitting or driving. I don’t know why it feels this way, but I love this property of Goiabao.

There is nothing negative about this blade. It is bouncy, so my short game needed adjusting. But after only a day of playing, this started to feel like the most controlled blade I’ve ever come across. It is way superior to YEO. More people should play with this blade.