Yinhe Earth E-3 VB

This blade does not feel like ALL+. I thought I was mistaken and obtained two other ALL+ blades. However, this blade still felt really hard and fast. I would rate it up there with a carbon blade.

This blade possesses an ideal balance of control and flex, providing an exceptional playing experience. Its unique combination of qualities makes it a highly recommended choice for players of all levels.

Review:

I purchased this blade from princett.com for $22.50 plus shipping. The build quality is excellent, as is common with all Yinhe/Galaxy blades I’ve obtained. The blade is a 5-ply (no carbon) Allround+ blade with the traditional stack of Limba/Spruce/Large core Vacuum Bake/Spruce/Limba. My blade weighed in at 87g (84g +/- 3g from princett), and the measured frequency without rubbers was 1205Hz before and after varnishing. This indicates a slower / lower frequency compared to the ~1400Hz 7-ply Sanwei Fextra. Limba is a soft wood, so varnishing the blade is recommended. I use WalMart MinWax polyurethane coating (satin) after sanding the wings (first with ~100 then ~400 sandpaper), which enhances the blade’s appearance.

I have several blades with Yinhe Sun medium sponge rubbers (maximum thickness), and I play short pips backhand, so I am using the Yinhe UranusPro soft sponge/maximum thickness. The blade weighs 184g in total. Compared to 7-ply blades (e.g., Sanwei Fextra, Yinhe Purple Dragon 437) or blades with a walnut top layer (Yinhe Pro-5W), this blade is slower and provides greater control for top spin. I believe it is an ideal blade for learning techniques (close to the table) and may use it in competitions due to its excellent control. Since I play close to the table, I achieve the necessary speed with this blade.

Including the rubbers, the racket cost $44.90 plus shipping. Given its exceptional quality, I highly recommend the blade (and the supplier). Be advised that the delivery time from Hong Kong typically falls within the 4-8 week timeframe, so patience is required. This blade appears to be quite rare. The non-vacuum bake version, Earth 3, is available for $18. On the Yinhe website (http://www.yinhe1986.cn/), this blade is no longer listed, while the Earth 3 is still available, indicating that it may no longer be in production.

As a USTTA player with a rating of 1240, I acknowledge that higher-rated players may prefer faster blades.

Review:

The blade is very nice and made by Stiga, who is one of the best brands.

I’ve been playing with the Stiga Clipper for years. I currently use it with Yinhe Moon Speed Soft on the forehand and RITC Focus 3 Snipe 2.1 on the backhand. The total weight is 185 grams.

The Stiga Clipper is an offensive blade, and it’s very fast on drives and deadly on loops. However, it’s not very good at controlling balls, which is probably due to its weight.

Overall, I think the Stiga Clipper is a very good blade, especially for offensive players. It’s fast and powerful but still has some control.

Marked as ALL+, it feels off. I put Donic M1 as FH, M2 as BH, expecting some flex, but none. It turns out to be a very fast combo like a carbon blade, stiff but with good control. Maybe the rubbers are too fast for this blade.

I like the handle, kind of short and slim, but it fits my hand really well. Good quality, decent blade. If it’s slightly softer, it will be an outstanding one. Maybe a 5.9mm version will do the job.