Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon

I started with a slower Yasaka blade (Sweden Classic) to learn all the strokes. Then, I wanted to speed up my game, so I went for some Butterfly blades. However, they lacked the ball feeling I had with my first blade. So, I turned to Yasaka again and picked this blade.

It has excellent control, and blocking is awesome. The speed is there when you need it. It’s a bit difficult to put spin, but with good technique, it’s manageable. I hope it’s going to be durable, but as far as I know, durability is not a problem with Yasaka blades.

I recommend it for off players looking for control and AR players looking for some more speed.

(The surface is very smooth and soft, so it’s a bit hard to glue the rubbers. You might need two layers of glue.)

Good blade for all-around players. It offers good control and a nice feeling for the ball. It’s not a hard blade and not too fast.

Blade Overview:

This blade is an ideal choice for beginners and intermediate players due to its controlled performance. While it may not offer exceptional speed, it compensates with exceptional stability, providing a secure foundation for developing players. Using this blade, players experience a smooth and controlled feel, fostering confidence and precision. Additionally, it generates decent spin, allowing players to develop fine ball control and impart friction effectively.

Suitability and Limitations:

While this blade excels in control, it may lack the power and explosiveness required for advanced play. It is best suited for training and recreational purposes where control is paramount. For players seeking more aggressive shots and decisive game-winning rallies, a higher-level blade may be necessary.

Material Considerations:

Despite its carbon composition, this blade does not exhibit the typical stiffness and uncontrollability associated with such materials. This unique combination makes it accessible to players who may be apprehensive about using carbon blades. However, its controlled nature limits its suitability for higher-level play where explosive power is essential.

Performance Highlights:

The blade excels in providing control during short table pushing, drives, and loops. Its focus remains firmly on maintaining precision and stability throughout the game. While it may not offer exceptional dynamism or surprise elements, it remains a solid choice for players seeking controlled and consistent performance.

I bought this blade because of its low price and the fame it garnered when used by M. Falck. However, I was disappointed with it. It felt slow and provided little sensation in the blows. I equipped it with DHS Goldarc 8 on the forehand and Joola Dynaryz ACC on the backhand, which are both fast rubbers. Despite this, I still couldn’t get the most out of it.

My coach also used the blade and had a different experience. He found it consistent and controlled, but it lacked the speed he desired.

Ultimately, it’s possible that the blade simply didn’t suit my playing style. It’s important to note that individual preferences and perceptions can vary greatly when it comes to table tennis equipment.

NEO3 Blade

The NEO3 blade is a high-quality table tennis blade with a durable construction and excellent performance. It is made with 7 layers of wood, which gives it a good balance of speed, control, and spin. The blade has a weight of about 85 grams and a thickness of about 5.8 millimeters. It is suitable for players of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced.

The NEO3 blade is equipped with a concave handle that provides a comfortable and secure grip. The handle is also flared, which helps to reduce fatigue during long matches. The blade comes with a protective case, which helps to keep it in good condition when not in use.

Nittaku Acoustic Carbon Blade

The Nittaku Acoustic Carbon Blade is a high-performance table tennis blade with a unique design. It is made with 5 layers of wood and 2 layers of carbon fiber, which gives it a good balance of speed, control, and spin. The blade has a weight of about 89 grams and a thickness of about 5.9 millimeters. It is suitable for players of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced.

The Nittaku Acoustic Carbon Blade has a concave handle that provides a comfortable and secure grip. The handle is also flared, which helps to reduce fatigue during long matches. The blade comes with a protective case, which helps to keep it in good condition when not in use.

Butterfly Timo Boll ALC Blade

The Butterfly Timo Boll ALC Blade is a high-performance table tennis blade with a classic design. It is made with 5 layers of wood and 2 layers of carbon fiber, which gives it a good balance of speed, control, and spin. The blade has a weight of about 85 grams and a thickness of about 5.8 millimeters. It is suitable for players of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced.

The Butterfly Timo Boll ALC Blade has a concave handle that provides a comfortable and secure grip. The handle is also flared, which helps to reduce fatigue during long matches. The blade comes with a protective case, which helps to keep it in good condition when not in use.

I have two Ma Lin Soft Carbon blades with ST and FL handles. I use them with Yasaka Ragza 10 Soft for FH and Yasaka Rigan for BH. This kit gives me maximum control with decent speed. The feeling of the ball is amazing - you literally feel when the ball is on the pad. Drive, topspin, backspin, short game, block - everything is effortless with high precision.

Faster than Korbel, the YMLSC blade has a good feeling and high consistency. With medium hardness and flexibility, it qualifies as Off- (closer to Off). It allows for all shots.

Despite its good quality, it is not expensive and has a medium weight. I have used Korbel, Yeo, Clipper, and PG7, but YMLSC is more consistent in all hits. I recommend it, especially since it’s not slow.

This is mostly for those players who are “advanced beginners” or “early intermediate” players like me (consistency isn’t quite there yet, but I have most of the strokes down and read spin okay). Nittaku Fastarc C-1: FH, Fastarc S-1: BH.

This blade gives you speed that a wooden blade won’t give you. You do sacrifice some control, but this blade has fairly good feedback. Pushing felt difficult when I first got this blade, mostly due to not being used to the stiffness of a carbon blade. However, over 3-4 months of adjusting, pushing consistently is no longer a problem.

Blocking is also a huge plus, as you can feel how much a shot sinks in but is still reactive enough to effectively block when timed well. This comes in handy with its gears. I can go from pushing to an on-table flip to blocking all within the same rally.

It’s got a large sweet spot. ~85% of vibrations aren’t felt unless playing against very powerful stroke. This was a problem with my old wood blade, especially since most players I practice with are better than me.

When looping/counterattacking mid-distance, it’s sometimes hard adding more spin onto the ball, but I chalk that up to lack of training/rubber. It’s a me problem and not a blade problem, as my coach used it once with no problem. For far-distance counterattacking, I can really let this rip and test out my forehand stroke. It definitely offers enough power.

One thing a lot of people get hung up on is about how slow this blade might be. While it’s a valid concern, I’ve found that you don’t want a blade that is too fast for you, especially if you are still learning the game. I find this blade to be a little fast at times, but as I have grown over the years, it has really helped me adapt to ball speed changes and general ball-tracking.

Overall, not a beginner blade, but I think it’s a good blade for someone to take that next step from beginner to intermediate player or for trying out carbon blades. I feel this is a good blade to “grow up” with.

So this was my earlier blade when I started playing after an 8-year hiatus. After researching extensively, I came across fascinating information that Chinese players use high-flex blades and apply polyurethane to the top layers to enhance the stiffness without sacrificing looping ability. To put this knowledge into practice, I used Minwax Fast Dry Oil Polyurethane on this blade with a cotton cloth, applying five coats to each side and rubbing it in thoroughly.

After applying five coats, the surface became noticeably smoother and harder. I sanded it with fine 220 dry-wet sanding paper and attached my H3neo 2.2 on the backhand and Skyline 3 Neo on the forehand. Upon testing it at my club, it sounded remarkably like a professional blade, similar to the sound heard in YouTube videos. I could sense the techniques employed by pros, suggesting that they may also apply polyurethane to their blades. While the blade lost a slight amount of flex, it gained stiffness and hardness, making it ideal for blocking and rebounds. Crucially, the looping ability remained intact, as this blade excels in that aspect.

Update: This technique enhances the ball’s penetration into the hard sponge, generating more spin. The blade’s performance has shifted from off-minus to off, although its springiness has slightly decreased, improving its close-to-net play. The oil-based polyurethane significantly enhances the blade’s hardness and stiffness without compromising its looping ability. It easily penetrates the wood, preventing splintering and water damage, ensuring optimal protection. If necessary, the hardness can be adjusted by sanding with 100-grit sandpaper.

The oil contains VOCs, so allow it to dry adequately before applying rubbers. This application will provide protection for your blade for 5 to 8 years, eliminating the need for additional lacquer during rubber changes. It also prevents water from water-based glue from increasing the blade’s weight.

I bought this blade and I must say that Yasaka is really making high-quality blades. The rubbers I had on it were FH Yasaka Rising Dragon Max and BH Yasaka Rakza 7. My backhand has really improved with this blade. It has the perfect speed and feel for me. This is my first and last carbon blade. It is the best carbon blade I have ever used. I wish I could sponsor Yasaka because of their high-quality products.

I will never switch blades and I want to become a professional player.

My first blade was the Yasaka Sweden Extra. I was afraid to go straight into carbon blades, and my choice proved to be good. It’s a nice blade that is fast in the beginning. However, after a few games, I had very nice control. It was fast enough for my taste.

Not as slow as some people say it is. I used my friend’s Chinese penhold blade, which had H3 on both sides. It was pretty fast, especially for the forehand loop. However, it requires a full swing.

Current Setup:

FH: Xiom Sigma I Euro Max Black BH: Tibhar Norm 1.7 Red

First Impressions:

I purchased this blade due to its discounted price (approximately $50) and its suitability for my playing style (2-wing looper) as an OFF- blade. I was drawn to the carbon fiber construction for its potential to enhance feel and enlarge the sweet spot.

Initial Observations:

The blade’s weight (approximately 85g) feels neither too heavy nor too light. It has a smooth finish on the racket face but a rougher finish on the handle. Upon hitting the ball, I noticed significant vibration when contact is made off-center. In my opinion, the sweet spot is surprisingly small for a carbon fiber blade and even smaller than some wooden blades at a comparable price point. The blade offers decent control, and paired with the Xiom Sigma I Euro, its speed is adequate.

Forehand Play:

The blade provides sufficient dwell time for opening loops near the table and generates impressive spin on low arcs. For killing loops, it has enough speed to end rallies with powerful spin. However, finishing points with long-distance loops requires additional effort.

Forehand Smash/Flick:

This is where the blade’s flexible nature falls short. While it can execute smashes, it lacks the speed necessary for quick kills without significant effort.

Backhand Play:

With my current setup, opening loops against backspin are relatively easy. However, finishing points with backhand loops is challenging (assuming no return errors from the opponent) due to the combination of rubber and blade.

Backhand Smash/Flick:

As I use the reverse penhold backhand grip for opening loops and positioning, I rarely use my backhand to finish games.

Chop/Push:

Despite its occasional vibration, this blade provides good control for short game shots. I find this aspect beneficial for playing low-power shots or shots at the table.

Summary:

Overall, this blade is well-suited for short-range play near the table. It is a respectable OFF- blade with a reasonable price and decent build quality. Minor adjustments to the text may be necessary for clarity or grammar.

A carbon blade with good control.

Hard to add spin to the ball.

I handpicked one with 89 gr weight (ST). A very good controlled offense blade. Glue some of the latest tensors (e.g. Bluefire, Evolution, or even Tenergy) and you get a great looping setup. Handle and balance are also very good, similar to other Yasaka blades.

I don’t understand why some reviewers are so disappointed. It’s rated OFF- and it’s a very good OFF- blade. One can compare it to Korbel, and it is at least as good.

Very disappointed with this blade. It is very slow and has no power. The control is also bad. I would not recommend this blade to anyone.

Here are some specific problems I had with the blade:

It is very slow. The ball does not come off the blade with much speed. This makes it difficult to attack your opponents.

The power is also bad. The blade does not generate much power. This makes it difficult to put away points.

The control is also bad. The blade is not very forgiving. It is easy to make mistakes with this blade.

Overall, I would not recommend this blade to anyone. It is slow, has no power, and the control is bad.

I don’t mind spending money on a blade, but $60 is too much for this one. It’s soft, lacks power, and is slow. If you’re looking for a soft, weak power blade, this one might be okay for you. However, there are better options out there that are both soft and powerful. Why settle for this one? I’m sorry to say, this is a waste of money. Thanks for reading.

This blade is not an off-blade, despite feeling very fast when hit hard. However, it may be too bouncy for close-to-table attacks, making it more suitable for mid-distance defense and looping. To play well with this blade, it is crucial to relax and optimize wrist movements.

What a disappointment this was for me. This was my first new blade in 15 years. My old one was Joola Rosskopf Fire. I tried my mates’ blades and finally decided to invest in some quality equipment. After choosing a carbon blade, but a Soft Carbon one, I thought that Yasaka and Ma Lin were supposed to be signs of a good blade. Alas, it was not the case. At a price of +50 euros, this blade is a very bad buy compared to other options in the market.

The blade has a very poor speed to control ratio. According to Yasaka, the blade is supposed to have an extra-large sweet spot, but it feels to function properly only when you hit the ball pretty much in the middle of the blade. The blade vibrates unpleasantly when the sweet spot is missed and feels sluggish. There is not much dwell-time with this blade, so getting a good spin on the ball is quite difficult unless you have excellent technique and a suitable rubber. Tenergy 64 might be a good forehand choice here, since it adds some dwell time and is fast enough. For backhand, I would have to recommend something very lightweight, otherwise the weight will be too much for comfort. Dawei Inspirit Quattro Ultra Light H35 (SV35) or H40 (UL) 2.0mm or max might work just fine. I tried this rubber also with a soft (H35) attacking pips-out rubber, and it just didn’t work, at least in my case.

Finally, my blade weighed 96 grams, although it was rated at 85 grams. I contacted Yasaka several times in Sweden and in Japan about this anomaly but have got no answer from the emails on their website. Unless I hear back from them pretty soon, I will never ever buy Yasaka products or recommend them to anyone. This blade was supposed to have it all for me, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. I know some top players have used this blade (e.g. Mattias Karlsson, world #361 Dec.2009) but I can’t see that they have been using the same blade as this.

Pros: - Workmanship is fine - Blade comes pre-sealed

Cons: - Extremely heavy, 11g more than rated - Poor speed/control - Not much dwell-time for a “Soft Carbon” - Smaller sweet spot than expected - Handle is too thin (flared) - Poor customer support from Yasaka

Ma Lin Soft Carbon is a very good off-blade that is also comfortable to use for reverse penhold grip (RPB) due to its thin handle. It provides excellent control without being too slow.

However, it lacks consistency, especially in its handle pattern. It vibrates slightly, but despite this, it performs exceptionally well in controlled offensive games.

This is a good thin, light, medium offensive blade. Due to its thin composition, it’s great for on the table looping and blocking heavy loops.

The thin carbon and 7 total plies make it feel medium soft while blocking. It definitely has more control than the Butterfly KLH Special (carbon arylate). I highly recommend it.

The knockback is some inconsistency in manufacturing. This is supposed to be made in Sweden.