Yinhe 985

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.

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

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.