OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I'll reserve this thread for my review of this blade, which will come in several parts.

Donic's writeup:
All-round with good feel
DONIC developed with the CAYMAN, an extremely light and relatively fast all round blade with high rigidity and excellent control. This blade is especially suitable for players using pimples. The hard outer plies are particularly effective when using long or short pimples. Blocking and counter attacking become more deadly and more troublesome, especially for long pimpled players. Amazing control, with no lessening of speed, permits the player using this DONIC blade to attack and defend and enjoy his game. This does not only apply to players using pimples.

This blade really is light. The one I picked was only 60g, the others felt similar. Blade thickness is about 7mm, dimension look pretty standard, very close to me Stiga energy so it made it easy to fit my old rubber on. The handle is quite comfortable, but does not flare out as much as the Stiga, but this should not be a problem.

The blade has a thick inner soft balsa layers, which somewhat firmer layers after that, and some thin and hard outer layers. The blade has a very soft but stiff feel. It feels quite slow when you bounch the ball on there softly, but when you bounch a little harder it feel a lot springier and has decent power. It would roughly be around OFF-

The main reason for trying this bat is for the long pimples.... I'm hoping it will block a lot better with better spin reversal, being a stiff balsa blade, but still chop very well due to the soft and slow feel.

I've just glued my usual TSP P-1R 0.6mm LP rubber onto it... Bounching the ball on it, it felt softer and deader than on the Energy, which sounds really promising...

On the FH I will put the LKT Torrent glued up with Falco speed glue. I've only just reviewed this rubber on my Energy wood, and I'm hoping the softer blade and the glue will turn it into a spinning monster with decent speed....

Review will follow...

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

Let us know how it goes

I had a brief hit with it, although it needs more time.

For close to the table play this blade is better in every way compared to my Energy wood!

My soft block were shorter, I double bounched blocked several spinny loops which I could hardly ever do before.

My aggressive blocks were faster and with more spin reversal and better consistancy.

For touch shots the soft feel of the blade is excellent...

Attacking and hitting it felt quite solid, and again the spin reversal was better. It felt more solid and faster, which improved my consistancy.

I need more time to test how well this blade chops, since the person I was playing did not give me that many opportunities... From the few chops against loops I did do, I found the blade faster and more springy.

This blade will certainly improve my close-in game, which I'm keep to improve, so if it still works well for the chopping game, I'm sold...

More to follow...

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

What's the face size of this blade? I've read two conflicting reports.

Thanks.

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Custom Re-Impact OFF
Hexer HD 1.9
Hexer Pips 1.9

Member of Anastasia's Fan Club

Width 152mm, handle-to-tip 160mm

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

I've had another hit with blade, this time more to evaluate the suitability for my FH. I put my trusty old 999 Nat glue up on there, since I know this rubber well.

For looping this blade is definitely a notch faster then my Energy wood. There was not as much dwell time and the balsa seem to kick the ball off a little quicker, so it wasn't as spinny for powerloops. For my slower brush loops it was just as spinny, and coz the weight was so much less, I found I could put more wrist into it, or change the direction at the last moment...My opponent found it noticiably harder to pick where I was going... which puzzled me a bit...

For hitting it feels really nice and solid, it was so much easier to hit through spin. Blocking was also better, again the more solid feel made it easier.

Touch shots felt better too, in fact it felt slower and less bounchy for this...

Chopping against loops was not as consistant as with my Energy wood. It felt noticible faster, so I have to learn to adjust to this. I could however counter-hit some loops even from mid-distance, which I could not do effectively with the Energy wood. The kick of the inner Balsa seemed to give it the extra power needed.

The reduced dwell time for my loops was my main negative for my particular style, as it reduced my spin and consistancy a little...
I will certainly persist with the blade for now, since if I can get used to looping issue with this blade, it feel better than my energy wood in every way.

This blade really is great for pimple players, particularlty the more aggressive ones. The control and feel when blocking and attacking with long pimples was impressive, and I assume short pipmples players will find it good for this as well. The blade felt fairly fast to me, since I'm used to the Stiga Energy wood, which to me feels barely OFF-, which would put the Cayman near the top of OFF- or bottom of OFF. For pure loopers I don't think this is siutable, a more flexible blade would be better.

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

Just an update on this blade, I'm really starting to like this! I feel I've adjusted well in chopping with this blade... I feel like it've got as much control as I did before, but any sort of attack or block are much more effective.

For my FH, a little softer rubber really helps, but after my Globe 999 Nat has been primed and glued a few times, it feels soft enough to still give very good spin. The extra pace that the cayman offer really help when I need to put the ball away...

The much lighter weight of the blade makes up for the heavier 999 nat

So it's a keeper for me, at least till I find a better one...

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

do you get as much reversal on chops?

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Chasse Patate

Yes, perhaps even more, as the little harder surface and firmer blade helps in spin reversal...

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

So...10 years.
Did anyone tried with short pips?

I have not tried it, but expect it would work well as it's a stiff and stable blade. Short pips with soft & bouncy may not work as well, as the balsa is already soft & bouncy.

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

Looks like chineese (like 802/802-40) would?

802 should work well, 802-40 (35deg) is actually quite bouncy, but might be ok with a thinner sponge.

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OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

One more question: is sealin required for cayman?

I would (and did with mine).

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I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
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