OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Like Cyber my preference is for a very slight flare which can be achieved on either a flared or straight handle by removing wood or building up with tape.

What I have not seen mentioned before is the effect of the handle type on feel/stiffness of a blade. As an example I recently bought a Xiom Diva 5 ply off- blade blade with a largish straight handle and it initially played like as if cut from a sheet of plywood - far too stiff and no ball feel. In desperation I cut away wood from the throat and top of handle to make it thinner and the increased flex has now made the blade a real pleasure to play with.

I've always been surprised by the results of this poll. considering sales of blades in OOAK Shop, I would esitmate about 80% of people choose Flared.

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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 suspect many people feel that a flared handle is more secure in the hand. I don't really mind, as I don't really hold the handle anywhere except the closest part to the wings. Especially for serving.

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Other setups:
SDC Custom Blade/Butterfly Dignics 80/Butterfly Glayzer
BTY Viscaria/Tibhar K3/Tibhar K3

The 'niche' of a disproportionate amount of defenders (and EJ defenders!!) on the forum more likely to want a straight handle for twiddling, I guess!

No love for anatomic handle?

From my sample of 1 it is extremely popular.

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

I like AN. But it’s even harder to find than ST. The hard to find means also less selection if it’s available.

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instagram: rokphishtt

I'm sure there is, but the person that started this poll did not add it in as an option. If I add it in now, it will reset the whole poll.

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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

Heh heh heh... 12 year old thread.

For what it's worth - Bernard Hock was ADAMANT about straight handles - he said (in person, to me, at a tournament in Louisville) that flared handles were no good, that you could only get good control with a straight handle, which is why he only sold bats with straight handles. I suppose back in the 1950s and 1960s a lot of people used straight handles...

On the other hand.. Em Rat Thich (find him on YouTube) is just as adamant - says that the CNT uses flared handles for a reason. And pretty much ALL Chinese blades ONLY come with flared handles, with a few exceptions (these being "chopping" blades).

As for me... who am I to opine about this? I guess I've always used flared handles, but that was more by default than anything.

Iskandar

Not all Chinese blades available only in FL.
Here’s one from DHS. DHS has many types available in ST. And only one type designated as defence/chopping blade. And despite being the only defense blade the ST is hard to find here while the FL abounds. I can find many other DHS offensive blades in ST than the “chopping blade in ST”. Also the smaller Chinese brands have many models available in ST as well. Of course pale in comparison to the FL variants.

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instagram: rokphishtt

Here’s one of your favorite, or it’s close sibling. It’s either M6 or M8, I keep forgetting which one it is. [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND SMILING EYES]

One example each of higher price and bottom price non chopping blades from Chinese brands. Many others in between these prices available in ST.

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instagram: rokphishtt

Sorry, can’t resist to post this as well. Yinhe T series. All of them available in ST. From 1 to 11. That’s 11 from just this one series. There’s also N series. None is designated as chopping blades. Although I can still chop fairly well with them.

I only have T1s to T6s (except T3s) and T11s. The pink one is N8s.

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instagram: rokphishtt

It's FL for me. I hold it loosely before I hit the ball. So am afraid it might slipped. Also At AliExpress, the choices sometimes doesn't include St.

Have always liked the anatomic handles on TSP balsa blades.

ST for twiddling, period

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Blade#1: Xiom ICE CREAM AZX
Blade#2: Nittaku Acoustic Carbon Inner
Blade#3: Joo Saehyuk
FH: VICTAS 102 2.0mm
BH#1: Spinlord Gipfelsturm 1.5mm (ALC side)
BH#2: Nittaku DO Knuckle 1.4mm
BH#3: Yasaka Anti Power

When I first played, we had cheap bats at work, you would just pick one that was available. I can't remember whether it was straight or flared, the first bat I purchased was straight. When I started playing competition the handle was straight but when I changed to my current blade only flared was available & I love it. For me it doesn't really matter.
What is important for me is that my blade is lightweight & Balsa.

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Setup 1: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS acid green OX BH
Setup 2: Setup 2: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango PS black 2.00mm FH & Tibhar Grass D.TecS red OX BH
Setup 3: Blade: TSP Trinity Carbon | Joola Golden Tango black 1.8mm FH & Spinlord Gigant anti-spin red BH
See the ball, be the ball...