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Stiga Ebenholz NCT V review. |
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Posted: 03/18/2010 at 7:50pm |
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Specs:
88g Five-ply blade. Inner plies: ??? Outer ply: Ebony wood Legend handle (FL) Stiga speed rating: OFF This blade has been my primary setup for over a month now, mated with hard, tacky Chinese rubbers on my FH (Haifu Whale II or Neo H3) and Donic Coppa Platin on my BH. I purchased this blade from paddlepalace.com. Regarding Paddle Palace: I ordered three blades from them, one of which was the EbV, and all three were the precise weight I asked for. Their service was, and is usually, great; I�d recommend their store to anyone. Regarding the Stiga and the EbV: At first, I was quite disappointed. The blade came out of the box very, very raw. The handle gave me a splinter and there was frayed wood along the edges of the blade�s head. It was as if no effort was put into finishing this blade at all. Normally it wouldn�t matter with a less expensive blade, but for $130 I want near perfection. (Think HK or Tenor--both examples of blades beautifully finished.) However, once touched-up and glued-up with some Hurricane and Platin, my disappointment vanished. This is a visually stunning blade that plays as nicely as it looks, IMO. This may come as a surprise to some, as the EbV�s bigger brother, the Ebenholz NCT VII, has not received a lot of positive reviews. However, I can say that I�ve played with both. Although I won�t go into the EbVII�s attributes here, I will say that the EbV definitely deserves to be evaluated separately from its controversial bigger brother. The Stiga speed rating is incorrect, IMO. Perhaps it�s close, but I would put this blade on the upper end of OFF-, rather than a firm OFF. Certainly, it is fast enough. But even with me, one who has marginally mediocre technique, I found the EbV to be very controllable, both in the short game and off the table. In fact, that�s what immediately attracted me. Yes, this blade has a hollow handle. This is a curious issue, for when asked, Stiga denies that the EbV has a WRB handle. Apparently, the hole in the handle of a blade requires specific parameters to be considered WRB. This hole was put there allegedly to adjust the balance, as suggested by the Chinese National Team (as claimed by Stiga). So, even though the handle is hollow, this is not a WRB blade. (Perhaps it's just a B handle? ) I guess it doesn�t really matter because, personally, I can�t tell the difference between the EbV�s feel and the feel of a blade with a solid handle. But others may be more discriminating. For the haters of hollow handles, be aware. Yet, it should be noted that, even with Chinese rubbers, the EbV is not that head heavy. This blade is a little thicker than other five-plies I�ve used. The slightly increased thickness worked to decrease head vibrations and give the blade a more stable feel, which I very much prefer. However, the increased thickness did not impair my control in the short game. Transitioning to this blade from my previous setup took no time at all. Indeed, I played better with this blade almost immediately. Outside of its aesthetic value, I�d say this blade�s most appealing qualities are its feel and control� and the speed is definitely there when you need it. Considering the hardness of Ebony wood, the EbV still has very nice dwell--not too much for it to be �slow�, but just enough. This is probably due to the thinness of the Ebony ply. It's almost like having a sheet of soft carbon on the outside ply, while still maintaining the wood feel. In terms of speed and control, I�d say the EbV is excellent for those who want to graduate from a five-ply blade but who are still too intimidated by the seven-ply blades. However, in spite of its visually and tactilely appealing attributes, I cannot say that I think this blade is worth $130. It is a great, great five-ply blade. Very, very impressive. But it is obscenely overpriced. Indeed, I think that its price tag is a huge obstacle to people learning just how nice of a blade this is. This is an $80 blade with a �Stiga ego� markup of $50. I�m finding most blades--from any company--that cost much over $100 share the same embedded insult to the consumer. It may be that there is some factor involved in its production that justifies the expense, but I�m doubtful. I truly love this blade, but I won�t be purchasing another one unless they drop the price significantly. I speculate that if Stiga had focused on long-term gains over short-term gains, this blade would become a classic--solely on the merits of its playability. However, I fear it is doomed to the stature of novelty--solely on the merits of its price tag. |
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Neo H3 40D| Offensive S | Tenergy 80
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Sorry about the weird font color. I imported this review from Word and this is how it turned out.
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Neo H3 40D| Offensive S | Tenergy 80
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Reinecke
Gold Member Joined: 10/22/2009 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1054 |
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good review Anton, thanks for the warnings too!
Can you change the color though, it's mind boggling |
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Mizutani Jun ST
Tenergy 64 Tenergy 64 |
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Reinecke
Gold Member Joined: 10/22/2009 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1054 |
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I was going to ask about that... How did you import it? |
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Mizutani Jun ST
Tenergy 64 Tenergy 64 |
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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I'm trying, but can't figure it out. Perhaps one of the other mods can fix it. I just copied and pasted it from Word. I've tried using the "Paste from Word" icon, but it's not working. Crap. |
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Neo H3 40D| Offensive S | Tenergy 80
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tdragon
Platinum Member Joined: 01/26/2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2060 |
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From Anton. I just tried to reformat
****************************************
Specs:
88g Five-ply blade. Inner plies: ??? Outer ply: Ebony wood Legend handle (FL) Stiga speed rating: OFF This blade has been my primary setup for over a month now, mated with hard, tacky Chinese rubbers on my FH (Haifu Whale II or Neo H3) and Donic Coppa Platin on my BH. I purchased this blade from paddlepalace.com. I ordered three blades from Paddle Palace, one of which was the EbV, and all three were the precise weight I asked for. Their service was and is usually great, and I�d recommend their store to anyone. Regarding Stiga and the EbV: At first, I was totally disappointed with Stiga. The blade came out of the box very, very raw. The handle gave me a splinter and there was frayed wood along the edges of the blade�s head. It was as if no effort was put into finishing this blade at all. Normally it wouldn�t matter with a less expensive blade, but for $130 I want near perfection. However, once touched-up and glued-up with some Hurricane and Platin, my disappointment vanished. This is a visually stunning blade that plays as nicely as it looks, IMO. This may come as a surprise to some, as the EbV�s older brother, the Ebenholz NCT VII, has not received a lot of positive reviews. However, I can say that I�ve played with both. Although I won�t go into the EbVII�s attributes here, I will say that the EbV definitely deserves to be evaluated separately from its controversial bigger brother. The Stiga speed rating is incorrect, IMO. Perhaps it�s close, but I would put this blade on the upper end of OFF-, rather than a firm OFF. Certainly, it is fast enough. But even with me, one who has marginally decent technique, I found the EbV to be very controllable, both in the short game and off the table. In fact, that�s what immediately attracted me. Yes, this blade has a hollow handle. This is a curious issue, for when asked, Stiga denies that the EbV has a WRB handle. Apparently, the hole in the handle of a blade requires specific parameters to be considered WRB. This hole was put there allegedly to adjust the balance, as suggested by the Chinese National Team (as claimed by Stiga). So, even though the handle is hollow, this is not a WRB blade. I guess it doesn�t really matter because, personally, I can�t tell the difference between the EbV�s feel and the feel of a blade with a solid handle. But others may be more discriminating. For the haters of hollow handles, be aware. This blade is a little thicker than other five-plies I�ve used. The slightly increased thickness worked to decrease head vibrations and give the blade a more stable feel, which I very much prefer. However, the increased thickness did not impair my control in the short game. In fact, transitioning to this blade from my previous setup took no time at all. Indeed, I played better with this blade almost immediately. Outside of its aesthetic value, I�d say this blade�s most appealing qualities are its feel and control� and the speed is definitely there when you need it. Considering the hardness of Ebony, the EbV still has very nice dwell--not too much for it to be �slow�, but just enough. This is probably due to the thinness of the Ebony ply. In terms of speed and control, I�d say the EbV is excellent for those who want to graduate from a five-ply blade but who are still too intimidated by the seven-ply blades. However, in spite of its visually and tactilely appealing attributes, I cannot say that I think this blade is worth $130. It is a great, great five-ply blade. Very, very impressive. But it is obscenely overpriced. Indeed, I think that its price tag is a huge hindrance to people learning just how nice of a blade this is. This is an $80 blade with a �Stiga ego� markup of $50. I�m finding most blades--from any company--that cost much over $100 share the same embedded insult to the consumer. It may be that there is some factor involved in its production that justifies the expense, but I�m doubtful. I truly love this blade, but I won�t be purchasing another one unless they drop the price significantly. I speculate that if Stiga had focused on long-term gains over short-term gains, this blade would become a classic--solely on the merits of its playability. However, I fear it is doomed to the stature of novelty--solely on the merits of its price tag. |
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ohhgourami
Platinum Member Joined: 08/12/2008 Location: SoCal Status: Offline Points: 2341 |
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Very nice thorough review Anton
I don't think I'll be purchasing an Ebenholz V either |
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Custom Walnut 7-ply
DHS H3 Provincial untuned 40° BTY T64 210g |
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punya
Member Joined: 10/10/2009 Location: Thailand Status: Offline Points: 18 |
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Good review
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Thanks tdragon! I'm going to copy/paste your reformatted version and tinker with it just a little to fix a few points. But I appreciate the help in making my review readable!
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Neo H3 40D| Offensive S | Tenergy 80
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Heimdallalso
Gold Member Joined: 05/02/2008 Status: Offline Points: 1861 |
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Post your review I might bite @ approx $80. US;
as you've noted though 130. ~is~ obscene & I agree, the pricing is a hindrance. I will be very curious which of the ladies in your budding whorehouse will get most of your attention! The Ebenholz? The XIOM V1? one of the other 15 or so lovelies? ;-) ps did you get a scale? |
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NEXY Lissom st 85g
fh/ Andro Impuls Speed max bh/ Palio Flying Dragon 1.8 |
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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I did get a scale, which was supposed to come calibrated. It did not. Now I have to purchase a 200g weight to calibrate the damn thing (because it's currently not working). If the calibration doesn't solve its problems then I'll have to send it back. Anyway, the EbV came weighed from Paddle Palace and I verified it on a buddy's scale; so, at least there's that. I have yet to weigh the V1, but perhaps after I solve my personal scale problems. I think it will be quite a bit lighter. I'm guessing 82g...? Of course, I don't know which blade I'll "finally" settle on, and as I improve my tastes likely will too. Right now I'm actually leaning more toward the V1, but that might simply be due to the "honeymoon" effect. |
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Neo H3 40D| Offensive S | Tenergy 80
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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This is always the case with all new lovers.
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Heimdallalso
Gold Member Joined: 05/02/2008 Status: Offline Points: 1861 |
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For those that are considering purchase;
does it come "sealed" from the factory? I'm gong to go check which one Yogi plays with. later
I guess you could call it "love"! |
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NEXY Lissom st 85g
fh/ Andro Impuls Speed max bh/ Palio Flying Dragon 1.8 |
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Come back! No need to check, Yogi uses the EbVII. Yes, it comes "sealed" with the NCT stuff. I initially thought the NC Technology was a special gluing process but I found out that its the sealant on the blade. (Or at least that's what someone told me. ) I'll try to supply some proof of that, but I'm pretty sure it's true. It's supposed to stiffen the blade a bit and protect the outer ply from water-based glues (from their stickiness, not from the water in them... quick, shhhhh before silverhair comes). |
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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True love is unreachable, my friend.
Anton, did you sand your "tactilely appealing" handle?
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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I did sand it a bit. I won't tell you with what grit, though. Between the sanding and the usage, it's quite comfortable now. |
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peter79
Premier Member Joined: 07/05/2006 Location: Indonesia Status: Offline Points: 3393 |
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Anton, great review from you, I want to add about eben V, the blade
doesn't feel linear, maybe because of the ebony outerply or very thick
middle ply like yeo which is not linear IMO.
Comparing Eben V and Hking 655, I would say I prefer Hking 655, it cost more but better in playing and finishing. The Box really looks like 160 usd blade box, unlike stiga which 40 usd blade box is the same as 130 usd blade box. I'm sure if you write a review about 655, you'll have the same thoughts as me. |
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Andro Wanokiwami AO Offensive 83 gr
H3 National Orange 40 deg 2.2 Baracuda Max 182 Gr |
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rokphish
Gold Member Joined: 11/27/2007 Location: Indonesia Status: Offline Points: 1924 |
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look for the ad for hybrid wood nct and it has explanation of what the nct supposed to be. not the sealant, rather something with the glue or whatnot between the plies... i posted the def a long time ago...
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instagram: rokphishtt
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tdragon
Platinum Member Joined: 01/26/2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2060 |
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I just tried Eben V after purchasing from EJmaster. The blade has the good solid feel, but it does not have the same feel and power as HK 655. Eben V is not worth with the price tag $130.
I have had a chance to try Eben VII yet, but I saw couple club members switching from HK and HK655 to Eben VII. May be it is the next blade for me to try out.
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Anton Chigurh
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I'll be giving the HK655 a look this coming week. Perhaps I should give my EbVII a go the following week? If that's the natural transition, I'll try it out. I had a few hits with my EbVII, but not enough to really get to know it. The only thing that stood out to me was how low throw the blade is. I've always conceived of rubber having a larger effect on throw, but this was the first time I saw a very obvious effect of the blade. |
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peter79
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Tdragon, please compare Eben VII and Hking 655 using H3 I only tried my friend Eben VII with boost TX and TS, which I don't like it. It's fast but can't get the feel of it when looping. |
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Andro Wanokiwami AO Offensive 83 gr
H3 National Orange 40 deg 2.2 Baracuda Max 182 Gr |
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chris.b40
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cant help but notice so many players have the same feeling about Ebenholz V11 . Stiga should listen Also noticed that most players think that these are overpriced blades .I do too.
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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A few added comments about the Ebenholz NCT V here.
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lilactime031
Silver Member Joined: 02/14/2005 Location: Greece Status: Offline Points: 602 |
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Very soon i'll have some Rosewood blades from Stiga.
Price for the V EUR 55 and for the VII EUR 65. Also i'll have the new Stiga CC 5 (Crystal Carbo) White EUR 49, and the new Stiga CC 7 (Crystal Carbo) White EUR 58. I'll have limited number of blades and only in master (flared) handle. Please visit www.e-pingpongshop.com i have too many blades from Stiga and other brands. If you come from countries outside the European Union then you have to didact 19% VAT. |
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e-pingpongshop
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lilactime031
Silver Member Joined: 02/14/2005 Location: Greece Status: Offline Points: 602 |
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As about the new series of Crystal Carbo from Stiga now.
very close to the Optimum feeling, fast blades with decent control and very good speed. Finaly Stiga understands that too many players in the world like to play with carbon blades, especialy nafter the ban of the fresh glue. Until now Stiga has released Hybrid, Offencive Classic NCT and Allround Classic NCT, Ebenholz V and Ebenholz VII all are wooden blades. Rosewood V and Rosewood VII are also wooden so the first Stiga attempt for the modern era are the two Crystal Carbon models. |
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lilactime031
Silver Member Joined: 02/14/2005 Location: Greece Status: Offline Points: 602 |
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i meant the first carbon attempt
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e-pingpongshop
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seguso
Gold Member Joined: 03/24/2010 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 1619 |
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This is my short review of Ebenholz V, after playing with it for 4 days, with m2 fh and bh. (I've also tested it in tournament and there were no suprises :)). In short: this is the perfect blade for loopers both fh and bh. The key feature of this blade is that it it is both fast and high throw. This is very rare. Flexibility: Caution: this is very flexible. you will have problems if you drive on bh! this is for bh loopers. Of course you can compensate for this to some extent with a low throw rubber such as coppa x2. (Notice the flexibility of stiga blades varies a lot with the handle. I am reviewing the master handle (concave small). Straight handle usually makes the blade stiffer.) It has exactly the same thickness as offensive CR: 5.4 mm. (warning: stiga blades are not always consistent in thickness). hardness: ebony is just the right hardness for today's game: softer than koto but harder than limba (also harder than CR-limba). This blade is similar to stiga offensive CR, but is both faster and higher throw. It is also much more consistent / reliable. In short, more control. The higher price is totally justified. The touch of this blade is great. Difficult to describe. The hardness is just right; the consistency is incredible: it seems to send the ball where you want. There are clones of this blade around, such as HRT ebenholz V, but they are very different (much harder and lower throw). speed: almost off+. Faster than clipper wood, offensive cr. Slower than clipper cr. Suggested rubbers: very good with M2 on bh. On Fh, I suggest T05 or evolution MX-P. Even M2 if you like medium hard rubbers on fh. Edited by seguso - 09/23/2013 at 10:27am |
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Loop40mm
Super Member Joined: 11/17/2011 Location: Los Angeles Status: Offline Points: 416 |
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I have black T05 on my forehand. I have also used the red T05 seems to have better control and spinnier. If the quality of the rubbers are consistent, I actually like the red rubber better. I first used red sponge Haifu Shark II on my backhand. Since red sponge Shark II is no longer in production, I am using DHS Tin Arc 3. I am thinking of using T05 FX or Tibhar Grip-S Europe or Grip-S Europe Soft on my backhand. I welcome comments. I use CPen RPB to loop on the backhand and I miss red sponge Haifu Shark II. I like spinny rubber on the backhand. When I first started using Stiga Ebenholz NCT V, a friend mentioned to me that the blade was too fast to some people. I now realize my previous blades were too slow for me. I did not have the power from middle distance before. Often time I was muscling the ball. |
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Stiga Ebenholz NCT V
FH Tenergy 05 BH DHS Tin Arc 3 |
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