Another Innerforce ZLC review

I was using a Yasaka Synergy blade (OFF- GF, 11-ply) with HK1997 and CJ8000. I bought this because I wanted a really nice blade that has it all.

I liked this blade from the start and knew it was going to work for me after one hit. After second practice these are my thoughts:

Black and yellow handle is attractive. All design features best in class, from the box, to the grain, to the look, to the finish. Very good build quality. Not a single imperfection on the blade. 158X152, FL handle, 88.4g, 5.8mm thick

View image here: http://www.tak9.com/upload/mall/2010040815394811.jpg

The wings are a little bit too far down for my comfort. I will sand these even more than my initial light sanding. I do this on all blades so its not because of template. FL handle is comfortable, but I will most likely go over the wood with a ultra fine wet/dry sandpaper to "polish" it and remove some of the newness/roughness. My Yasaka handle is more comfortable, but I will have to finish the wings mod to be sure. Make no mistake, it is very comfortable.

Weight balance is outstanding. With T05 on one side and Sriver (both 2.1mm) the setup weighs in at 189g. Feeling is outstanding. This blades feels so woody, I can not distinguish it from an all wood blade. No ping sound. No massive crack sound. Very subtle and stable feedback. Vibration is just enough so you feel it but not too much that it takes up too many CPU cycles in your brain. Touch is great. This blade has gears so far I can't find any major flaws.

Feels OFF- to OFF
Speed of on-table strokes are controlled. Matched with Tenergy, I think once I dial it in I will have found my new all-time favorite combo.
Speed away from table. Great, no lack of power.
Speed on counters/drives, very measured and response is linear.
Loops are just outstanding, smashing very good, chopping OK, counters and blocks very stable. This blade needs a high performance rubber to fully appreciate the control provided. Amazing off-balance blocks LAND. This blade is  very stable.

The construction provides plenty of dwell and this leads to controlled spin IMO. Flexibility is balanced though so if you are used to a 5ply that is super dwelly, then this will have a bit more stiffness than you are used to, so your loops may suffer, but your blocks will improve. Pushing is fine, no complaints.
Throw is medium I would say and is just fine with T05

It is hard to place merit without a rubber on the blade. So with T05, I have to say this is the best blade I have ever used. BH I had some issues with the contrast of Sriver 2.1 I think I will change the BH rubber to something a little higher throw and softer sponge. We will see. It was fine though. I think Mark V would be OK for a classic rubber BH.

Sound of ball on bare blade medium to high pitch, like a 5ply classic wood blade with limba outers sounds. No ping.

Compared with a limba-limba-ayous-limba-limba this blade is almost identical, but with more speed and stability away from the table with no drawbacks on table. Not a hard feeling IMO even though BTY America says so. It is a medium feel. Hard hits are just right for me.  I am very impressed with this blade. Compared with a limba-spruce-ayous-spruce-limba the blade, very close but less organic feeling. You don't get the springiness and special feeling. That is certainly I slight negative, but it is minor and very subjective.

Do you need it? No. You could have a blade half its price and get 80% or more of the performance. TBS is a little crisper feeling, but not a huge difference. Plus I would say TBS is a bit faster. Maze and TBS very similar but not as woody feeling as IF ZLC. It Plays somewhere between a Donic Dicon and a Primorac with a slight kick away from the table that is very measured and stable.

So: stable, powerful but not over-powering. nice feel, but not too much vibration. medium-hard stiffness, medium-hard feeling, weight and balance very proportionate, accepts T05 readily on FH, nice throw as a result. beautiful finish and product quality, usable and predictable right out of the box, very little adjustment needed. head -size a bit bigger, but larger sweet spot is nice. off-center impacts and strokes LAND. All-in-all an outstanding purchase despite the high price. This is a keeper.

BH rubber is the only thing I am not 100% satisfied with and that is an easy fix: http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=34417&PN=1#422372

How is tenergy 64 on this blade?

dauntless, have you ever played with Amultart?? If you have what is the comparison between these two blades?? A GREAT REVIEW, two thumbs up