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Timo Boll ALC review |
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Best99
Super Member Joined: 01/08/2010 Status: Offline Points: 399 |
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Posted: 02/18/2010 at 11:49am |
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Well, I just got my Timo Boll ALC a few days ago. Now, I just wanted to review it.
First, some basic things about this awsome blade. Mine weights about 92 gr, which is heavy, but I like heavy blades. I am used to play with them. Before I got this one, I was playing with a 91 gr Primorac Carbon. It is a 7 ply blade. Its composition is: koto, ALC, limba, kiri, limba, ALC, koto. You may call me stupid for writing that, but i've seen so many guys telling others that the ALC has only 5 plies. First impressions: the quality construction is very high. No sharp ends to talk about. Veeery fast, I would rate its speed 9/10. Dwelly, easy to control. Nice flared handle. Now, the complete review of it, step by step. Speed: very fast, as I said before. IMO, it's way underrated by Butterfly, who rates it 8.5. I would rate it 9.5. It is very explosive and easy to control at high speeds. It is maybe a little slower than my PC, but there's not a big difference. Control: I enjoyed its control from the first moment I hit with it. The ball goes exactely where I want it to go. I fount it somewhat more controllable when looping than when hitting (due to its long dwell). IMO, it's easier to control this blade than a TBS. On the passive game it offers a very clear response, helping yourself to hit very accurate and short shots. Throw angle: wow it's high. On 1st and 5th ball attacks, this blade really rocks. Lifting heavy underspins was very simple. I just had to do the movement and my Tenergys did the rest. Dwell: IMO, this blade is soft but almost stiff. However, it offers a great dwell that most players will love. Spin: I was impressed by the amount of spin this blade generates. I've found it muuuuch spinny than my Primorac Carbon and my Photino, too, specially on 3rd ball attacks. On rallies, the spin that this blade is able to generate is kinda high, too. Furthermore, your opponent will sometimes tend to missread the amount of spin you're imparting to the ball, specially when hitting heavy top spins. Sweet spot: very big. Bigger than the sweet spot of my PC and my Photino. I felt that I was always hitting with my ALC's sweet spot. Explosiveness: At first, I've found it a liitle less explosive than my primorac carbon. However, when I finally got used to it, I found out that is very explosive. Vibrations: Well, I think AL really works. No vibrations to talk about. Balance: It's a well-balanced blade. Head heavy of course. More HH than my PC and, obviously, less than my Photino, which is HL hahahah. Maneuverability: easy to maneuver in any situation. I think it's a better blade for loopers than the Timo Boll Spirit, which I think it's stiffer. Nice looping blade. It exels at short and mid distance looping, but this depends of the rubbers you're playing with. I use 2 Tenergys 2.1 mm. Overall: a very high quality looping blade, controllable, maybe dwelly and spinny. I don't think it overpriced, it worth every penny you pay for it. Hope this helps!! |
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Blade: Timo Boll ALC 92 g.
Forehand: Tenergy 05 2.1 mm. (black) Backhand: Tenergy 05 2.1 mm. (red). Perfect loops |
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ING
Beginner Joined: 12/02/2013 Location: Ca Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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I'm apologizing for naïve question but what means DWELL in the blade parameters? Is it delay for response?
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pepinho
Member Joined: 05/16/2013 Location: EU Status: Offline Points: 63 |
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Dwell time is the length of time the ball stays in contact with the rubber when the ball is hit. Longer dwell times are said to be better for producing spin, while shorter dwell times are supposed to be better for producing speed. The hardness of the blade, thickness and hardness of the sponge and topsheet, and tackiness of the topsheet are all considered to be able to affect the length of the dwell time for a particular bat.
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MJ ZLC • D09C • D09C
=== http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=74522&title=feedback-pepinho |
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j-bo
Super Member Joined: 03/23/2012 Location: Louisiana Status: Offline Points: 454 |
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This is on my list of maybe blades, the review is making me lean that way even more.
Want to change from Donic Epox Allround to something a little faster. Was thinking the Donic Epox CarboTech or the Timo Boll ALC... but the price..wowza...plus.. I absolutely love the Donics flared handle and would be disappointed if the ALC's handle wasn't as comfy. Plus I'm using bluefire m2, which is heavy enough and by most accounts, the ALC is another 5g heavier, even though it's listed 1 g lighter at 84g on megaspin. 3x the price of the Donic. .hard to swallow. Even used is over $100. Edited by j-bo - 01/09/2014 at 12:58pm |
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jonyer1980
Gold Member Joined: 07/30/2008 Location: Spain Status: Offline Points: 1600 |
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I dont understand why you think its better than TBS since it shares same plywood construction and thickness. I've own both and can't feel any noticeable difference between them. I also think fiber blades have less dwell time compared to any allwood so they cant bite the ball so well and be as spinnier as allwood.
I believe ALC is a trendy blade and TBS old fashioned, that's all. There's nothing to justify TB ALC over TBS except price tag&colour. |
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Rosewood V FL
Nittaku Fastarc G1-FH Stiga DNA Pro-S MAX BH Avoid any Butterfly stuff... at abusive prices. Raw power without control means nothing |
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Baal
Forum Moderator Joined: 01/21/2010 Location: unknown Status: Offline Points: 14336 |
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One thing that seems different is that the Butterfly does something to the top surface of TB-ALC, and all of the ZJK blades (including the original and the ALC) that they didn't do to TBS or Viscaria that makes it harder and shinier. Maybe it is something like what Stiga does with their CR versions of Clipper, like UV light treatment, or maybe it is some chemical treatment? It is an advantage if you are worried about blade splintering, but I think itcan have a noticeable effect on the way it plays (faster, harder, crisper) and I am not a big fan of it. TB-ALC handle is slightly longer, shape is different, and position of handle with respect to the wings is slightly different. The latest Btfly ALC blades are pretty much all a bit lighter than they were a few years ago, regardless of model, which is another trend I don't personally like. It is true that all of these blades are pretty similar, and for sure one could find one of each that are hard to tell apart, but I can also see why some people have preferences of one over the other. I personally prefer TBS to TB-ALC (most samples anyway), and to the small extent they are different at all, I generally found TBS more controllable. |
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haggisv
Forum Moderator Dark Knight Joined: 06/28/2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 5110 |
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THanks for the great review Best99!
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tabten5
Super Member Joined: 01/30/2012 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 420 |
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...which was written four years ago. |
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T05 2.1 | VISCARIA | T64 1.9
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haggisv
Forum Moderator Dark Knight Joined: 06/28/2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 5110 |
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ROFL! You got me there. |
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Baal
Forum Moderator Joined: 01/21/2010 Location: unknown Status: Offline Points: 14336 |
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Wow. So it was. It was kind of news at the time.
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Rahul_TT
Super Member Joined: 11/06/2012 Status: Offline Points: 281 |
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I find my TBS and TB ALC to be VERY similar. I think ALC has a slightly wider handle at the neck for sure.
Also, TB ALC is very slightly faster. TBS is SIGNIFICANTLY more head heavy with same rubbers. I am told TB ALC was made for heavier tenergy rubbers. TBS with tenergy is head heavy like a damn hammer. Vibration, stiffness, softness, control, sweet spot - All of these are exactly same. Since i play with TB ALC, I have kept my TBS off-sale because they are SO similar, TBS can act like a backup if TB ALC is broken. Thats how similar I find them. |
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Baal
Forum Moderator Joined: 01/21/2010 Location: unknown Status: Offline Points: 14336 |
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True about TBS being head heavy. Was designed for lighter speed glue era rubber. I always had to wrap some grip tape around TBS handle, which compensated some.
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frogger
Premier Member Joined: 08/03/2010 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3062 |
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TBS with 2.1 Tenergy is head heavy. Much better with the Tenergy FX's in the same thickness. Very good with Stiga Boost TS or TC. Since the handle feels short before sanding the wings after it is sanded the balance is improved a little.
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Wood Paddle
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tabten5
Super Member Joined: 01/30/2012 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 420 |
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But then wasn't the Viscaria too? |
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T05 2.1 | VISCARIA | T64 1.9
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Baal
Forum Moderator Joined: 01/21/2010 Location: unknown Status: Offline Points: 14336 |
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Yep, but at some point they did start making them slightly thicker. Also, slightly heavier in the handle than TBS.
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Gordy
Silver Member Joined: 12/04/2011 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 673 |
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Just my two cents...and maybe I just had a different experience, but I found the TB ALC to feel a little "dead." Perhaps I just wasn't accustomed to the ALC, but I didn't find it had the "pop" that a lot of other blades - including my Xiom Stradivarius - have. Keep in mind that I have been using stiffer biades (most recently an Axelo), but it just didn't have that crisp feel that I was looking for -- especially in my passive blocking.
I have since sold my TB ALC in favor of the ZLC - to me, the ZLC has more of the "pop" of the Axelo with less speed and more feel - like the Strad. Again, just my two cents. |
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JOOLA Nobilis / SP (FH)/ Rhyzm Tech (BH)
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Baal
Forum Moderator Joined: 01/21/2010 Location: unknown Status: Offline Points: 14336 |
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It will definitely feel dead compared to Axelo! I thought that thing was a cannon that I was trying to use to shoot sparrows. I probably didn't give it enough time. I have an old Moonbeam that is the same way. Strad is a pretty good blade. I prefer most of my Viscarias to any of them, but it would also feel dead to you. Of course it always depends on which one you get.
Amazing how some of these threads come back to life. |
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Gordy
Silver Member Joined: 12/04/2011 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 673 |
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Ha! Yeah, the Axelo is hard and fast, and I loved the feeling, especially when blocking. I came to the conclusion that it was just too fast for a player at my level, and have been on a search for a slower blade with that solid feeling ever since. I love the Strad as well, and decided to keep that as my back-up blade to the ZLC. I am holding on to the Axelo as well just so I can remind myself at the club what it feels like to block with that beauty!!
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JOOLA Nobilis / SP (FH)/ Rhyzm Tech (BH)
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evilgu
Beginner Joined: 08/17/2021 Location: Shanghai Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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I've switched from boll alc to Viscaria because I think Viscaria has a better backhand and it fits me just right.
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