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Review: Mizutani Jun ZLC

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h0n1g View Drop Down
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    Posted: 04/23/2017 at 1:21pm
Background: I've been playing TT for about 20 years now. I've had two signficant breaks of ~ 4 years each. My coach is estimating my level at around 1800-1850. I have played with the MJZLC for approximately 30 hours. EL-S 2.0's were used on both forehand and backhand. I've tested the ST version of the blade.

Initial Impressions: The blade is very well made. No sharp edges, no imperfections or paint blur. It looks very sharp and has a good feel to it. When bouncing the ball on the blade without rubbers on, you immediately feel that its very springy, something that I've felt with almost all carbon based blades i've tried. Due to its limba veneers, the MJZLC has a nice, soft feel to it, something that makes you initially wonder if the speed will be there. Loops give you a nice curve and it feels very easy to lift the ball with this blade. Spin is plenty, I would say that this blade generates spin more easily than both the MJSZLC and the Barewell Fleet.

Speed: The MJZLC is rated OFF. I would definitely agree with that rating; perhaps I would even put it between OFF and OFF+. To give a few comparisons of speed: MJSZLC > MJZLC > Barwell Fleet = Waldner89 > Acoustic Carbon > Violin. This is without a doubt a (very) fast blade. However, the build structure of the blade does a good job 'hiding' this.

Control: Always difficult to judge because it is so subjective. I would say this thou: The MJZLC is significantly more controllable than the MJSZLC but it offers substantially less ability to control the ball in comparison to i.e. the Barwell Fleet. The Limba outer veneers make this blade seem very controllable on short touches but I found that mid-distance play does require precision and consistency to be successful. This is definitely not a auto-aim blade. In my opinion, the MJZLC offers good control for it's pace and overall characteristics. Blocking is one thing that i've found very easy with this blade. Both active and passive blocking.

Feeling: The feeling of this blade is excellent. Even thou it obviously has a little muted feedback (compared to i.e. a Violin) due to its ZLC layer, it does offer a surprising amount of response as to where you just hit the ball and you have the impression that the ball "rests" on the blade for a moment before flying off again; the dwell is good for this sort of a blade. What I really liked about the MJZLC is the ability to play fast killer balls without loosing the ability for excellent short-short play. The MJSZLC lacked  significantly in this area - at least for a player of my skill. The MJZLC is one of the best feeling composite blades I've personally played with. 

Conclusion: The MJZLC is a very good blade in my opinion. I do believe that you have to be a decent or even good player to utilize it to its fullest potential. It's great feel in combination with its potential for high speed exchanges that allow you to step away from the table and not feel like you are at a disadvantage. The blocking ability of the MJZLC is the best that I've ever seen in a blade. Its effortless and precise and it seems to "absorb" the energy of the opponents shots. Ultimately, I am not a good enough player to make this my main blade at this point so my search will continue. But if you are playing at a decently high level, I believe there is little not to like about the MJZLC (besides its price).
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SmackDAT View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SmackDAT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/23/2017 at 6:19pm
What blades were you using previously to MJ ZLC? 

What is your playing level and playing style like? I myself was never a fan of limba-composite blades due to the excessive dwell and softness.
Zhang Jike ALC AN (88g)
Tenergy 05 Hard (2.1, B)
Tenergy 19 (2.1, R)
https://goo.gl/bFWoxW
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h0n1g View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote h0n1g Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/23/2017 at 8:46pm
I'd say my style is varied offensive with active blocking, close to mid distance. I like to wait for opportunities and don't go all out attacking. If you want to compare it to pros, it's more Jun Mizutani than Ma Long; obviously not my level of play ;)

I've been using the Barwell Fleet and the Nittaku Acoustic Carbon most recently.
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