Yinhe 985

Composite/carbon3 reviews

Blade description:

The Yinhe 985 is a high-performance table tennis blade designed for aggressive and powerful play. It features a 7-ply construction with carbon layers, resulting in a balance of speed, control, and spin.

The blade's speed rating of 9 makes it suitable for players who prefer fast-paced, attacking play. The carbon layers provide additional stiffness and power, enabling players to generate more spin and speed on their shots. The control rating of 7 ensures that players maintain good control over their shots, even during fast rallies.

The Yinhe 985 is known for its consistency, with a rating of 7.5. This means that players can expect consistent performance from the blade, regardless of the playing conditions or the type of shot they are executing. The blade's stiffness rating of 4.5 and hardness rating of 4.8 indicate that it is a medium-stiff blade that provides a good balance of power and control.

The Yinhe 985 is a popular choice among players who favor an offensive style of play. Its combination of speed, control, and spin makes it an excellent option for players who want to dominate the table with powerful attacks and aggressive shots. The blade's 8.6mm thickness provides a solid feel and stability, making it suitable for players who prefer a more substantial blade.

Overall, the Yinhe 985 is a high-quality table tennis blade that offers excellent performance for attacking players. Its combination of speed, control, and spin, along with its consistent performance and medium-stiff feel, makes it a popular choice among players of all levels.

Recent Reviews

#1February 2020

My needs for a Jpen blade are fulfilled with this blade. It has more flex than Yinhe N8s/N9s, but the feel of the ball is more clearly felt compared to those blades.

The control is amazing. High and slow speeds are easy to control. I paired this wood with some Chinese rubber (999 999T), and I achieved a lot of gears with great speed and power. I enjoy the Yinhe 985 more than the 988, mainly because of its control.

This blade weighs 88.7g, not 78g, and it is wooden (clearly stated in the name).

Update: It is an ALL+/OFF- blade. It works best with medium rubbers for great control and some speed. Try it with medium-hard rubber for more speed and spin.

Update: I bought four more blades, and each weighs 86.3g, 88.5g, 88.9g, and 89.8g.

My skill level is approximately equal to that of a 1900s USATT player.

#2October 2015

Great control and speed. However, there is no carbon in this blade.

#3Long Time Ago...

The wood layers appear to be: Limba - Meranti - Kiri - Meranti - Limba.

This is an excellent JPen blade for a general-purpose, do-it-all playstyle. Unlike single-ply hinoki blades, which I dislike, it exhibits almost no vibrations. The blade feels extremely stiff but not hard, allowing the ball to sink in slightly without the catapult effect of all-hinoki blades. It has a thickness of 8.6mm and weighs between 87-90g. I sanded the blade extensively, particularly the cork on the back handle.

I paired it with a boosted Battle 2 Gold on the forehand (FH) and a Mantra Pro M on the backhand (BH) for Reverse Penhold Backhand (RPB). The serve and short game are incredible. FH topspin is fast but requires proper technique. Allowing the ball to drop slightly before hitting generates insane spin, albeit with a slight reduction in speed. There isn’t a backspin ball I can’t loop. FH blocks offer superb control, sending the ball exactly where I intend after the bounce. RPB blocks lack power but can be effective with good placement. RPB also provides great power, allowing me to hit with a more open blade angle using the Mantra Pro M.

I believe that using tacky or hybrid rubber on the forehand is the optimal approach. Otherwise, the short game may suffer due to the blade’s inherent bounciness. I built another setup for a friend using boosted Loki GTX Pro on the forehand, which felt adequate but not exceptional.

At $20, this blade offers the best price-to-performance ratio I’ve encountered, and it has become my primary setup.

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