OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Received a PM looking to know if the BTY SZLC that I received from ta-q was authentic and as to how long it took to receive the 88-89 gram after ordering it.

Thought it would be more useful to share the response...

Blade I received was 100% authentic and that was comparing it and playing with another one received from a club mate who got it in a flared handle from a different supplier paying quite a bit more than I paid.
Got mine in around 10 days - used a courier - back in Feb 2014.
I would have bought another one after about 2 months but I can no longer buy BTY from ta-q given the current BTY supply restrictions.
Blade has gained weight and is now 91 grams. It was 89 grams when I received it.
Now using a Xiom Vega Europe ST and preferring it to the Anatomic handle of the SZLC.
I found that I'm playing better particularly on the backhand with the Xiom blade which may to be do with the lighter weight of 84 grams when it seems easier to flick (could also be to do with the handle).
XVE appears to be using the same SZLC technology as the ZJ SZLC and a price of €70 from tt-japan I reckon it must be the bargain of the year - I got mine second-hand from a club mate who didn't like the straight handle - I think it's fine despite being a tiny bit short. I have now ordered a 2nd XVE from tt11 when it was on discount recently at €75 including P&P.
The Xiom Vega Pro is also getting some really good feedback with a Limba outer pile but it's coming in a little heavy at 92-95 grams looking at the reviews on myTT but I would imagine ta-q or possibly any other reputable supplier would entertain a weight request.
XVP is a little more flexy than the SZLC and catapults better so despite being lighter still has the same power. SZLC being a little stiffer is more precise.
Unsure if I'm going to keep the SZLC.

Since getting another SZLC from orbital I gave it a little blast this evening but since I was about to play in a tournament reverted back to the tried and test Xiom Vega Europe with the 1Q XD & the 05fx.
The original blade that I purchased is now 92 grams (originally 89 grams) whilst Orbital's one is flared & is 84-85 grams. Problem that I experienced with the anatomic handle of the SZLC and a bat weight of 190 grams was wrist tendonitis and that has not re-occurred with the XVE. This was despite playing for at least 2 hours a day for the last 2 weeks on a summer holiday.

Came across this recent youtube from table tennis daily where the SZLC got the thumbs up...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c_rlBzR0nJg

I hope Alex doesn't mind if I resurrect this thread and post another tabletennisdaily video.

Also would like to say again that the SZLCs are a scandalous price and are not worth the money.

This post is sparked from a newbie's thread from Henrywilliam
viewtopic.php?f=43&t=28042

on the mizutani blade and what rubbers should I put on it along with would I be better of with another blade.

Also seeing Darius Knight in action reminded me of the tournament I missed a few months ago which I didn't get to see him play.
http://www.tabletennisireland.ie/news/a ... nster_open

This youtube comparing the SZLCs from Zhang Jike and Jun Mizutani is an exercise of Limba verus Koto. Unsure if one can take anything from it for the 1st generation of ZLCs since the TB ZLC was probably the least popular of that series. And there is no equivalent SZLC in the Innerforce series.

When Xiom first brought out their Xiom Vega Pro they weighed between 90-95 grams. The XVP that I picked up recently in an exchange with a Xiom Vega Europe only weighed 84 grams. Playing the XVP and the XVE back gave me an appreciation of the crispness of the XVE verus the extra dwell time of the XVP which make it a little easier to use. The guy who took my XVE is much happier with it than the XVP saying that it gives him a snappier return and he feels more competitive.

In the comparison video the Mizutani weighs in at 95 grams and that might be a significant factor in its performance. For me personally I prefer the lighter weight of the 2nd SZLC that Orbital sent to me which now weights 86-87 grams. I feel the difference of that 4 grams of the Anatomic handles ZJ SZLC at 90-91grams. Some who have owned a Zhang Jike SZLC have exchanged their blades for a Jun Mizutani SZLC.

Also liked the look of that Bounce TT setup. I'd be interested in giving it a visit if I'm over in the UK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xIPKGAwVhw

i have to disagree...the zhang jike super zlc might come at a hefty pricetag, but it provides a gorgeous feel, enough speed and great control. i found it especially good in combination with lp and slick antis.

_________________
Blade: Der-Materialspezialist Revolution Forehand RITC Friendship 802 2.2 Backhand Der-Materialspezialist Reflection 0.9

Are you disagreeing with my statement of the scandalous price of nearly €400 ?

If you look at the xiom vega pro and xiom vega europe blaðes at a quarter of the price it is hard to justify the price even if it has all those attributes you mentioned.

As mentioned before I would get more enjoyment out of using an innerforce ZLC but get more consistency out of the new breed of larger sweet spot blaðes. On the ZJ SZLC I thought it lacked on feedback so would question the gorgeous feel. I'm now using a rubber to compensate like the omega v tour - the T05 is a little numb with the koto.

well, thats a bit subjective depending on what you prefer/are looking for.

_________________
Blade: Der-Materialspezialist Revolution Forehand RITC Friendship 802 2.2 Backhand Der-Materialspezialist Reflection 0.9

I have been playing with the Zhang Jike Super ZLC for about 4 months. FH & BH Tenergy 05 for 3 months and now i am trying FH & BH Xiom Omega V Tour. Prior to using this blade i played with the Timo Boll ALC with Tenergy 05 both sides. I have used Tenergy 05 for about 18 months so i am familiar with its feel and bounce.

The first thing i noticed with the ZJ SZLC (with Tenergy) in comparison to the TB ALC was that it felt a little harder and faster. The ball came off the blade a little faster but not uncontrollably. It had a good feel and the increased speed was noticeable. The most significant difference was the control. Even though the touch was not as soft as the TB ALC i had better control with blocks and counter hitting. The reviews i read about the bigger sweet spot and increased control seemed to be accurate. It took a couple of sessions to adjust my hits so they didnt go long but the transition was comfortable and didnt pose too much of a problem. Short serves no problem and then fast counter attacks easily controlled. I like the feel of this blade and would not likely go back to the TB ALC - dont get me wrong, i really liked the TB ALC, it played well, and my game improved consistently, the loops were strong, touch was good - but the ZJ SZLC is all that and more. Better control, faster blade and bigger sweet spot. No vibration even if you connect on the outer section of the blade.

A very solid blade

In the last month i have been using XIom Omega V Tour on both sides. No real reason for changing from the Tenergy, just read so much about this rubber that i was keen to try. First thing i noticed was that it had a ton of grip and generated considerable spin, especially on serves. Not sure if it is any more or less than the T05 but it didnt seem as reactive to incoming serves. Dont think you can return a serve any way you like, you cant, you still have to hit it properly but it seems more forgiving. It is not as "bouncy" as the Tenergy 05 but when you attack with the Omega V Tour the ball does seem to "catapult" (as they claim). I am a double winged looper so i rely on lots of topspin and i seem to be able to generate more with this rubber. The throw angle does not seem to be as high as T05 and the ball does arc down considerable finding the end of the table more often than not. In serves the touch is good, i didnt feel the short serves fell too short compared to the T05, i had no adjustment period with this aspect so it comes off the rubber with good feel. Ball stays at a good height and doesnt kick up too much.

The rubber feels a little harder then the T05 and thats not a good or bad thing, doesnt seem to lack "feel". I tend to hit through the ball a little more with this rather than primarily brushing the ball

Good feel away from the table although i tend to play close to mid.

I may stay with the Omega V Tour for another few moths and then try the T05 again for a comparison before deciding which one i will use for a longer period. I dont generally chop and change equipment, i prefer to get used to what i am playing with and know what i can and cant rely on from my equipment. At this stage i am happy with the Xiom rubber, it doesnt seem to be letting me down with my shots.

I know the blade is expensive, i bought mine in the US for $374 less 10% (due to the volume i purchased with rubber and other stuff ) so its an expensive blade but i put all things in perspective. If you buy good equipment and look after it, it will serve you well and then you can break down the cost over a longer period of time and it doesnt hurt as much (rationalising?) I dont regret buying it, i enjoy playing with it, and i am sure i am not reaching the full potential this blade can offer. My game has improved primarily due to the additional control it offers so my attacking game is now more solid and consistent in the rallies.

It would be nice if the price was down in the $250 mark but then again, how many of these do you need to buy?

Enjoy.

_________________
Blade: Zhang Jike Super ZLC
Rubber: FH & BH - Xiom Omega V Tour
Previous Rubber: FH & BH - Tenergy 05

Previous Set up:
Blade: Timo Boll ALC
Rubber: FH & BH Tenergy 05

Out of curiosity - does Zhang Jike actually USE one of these blades (or is he a millionaire because lots of people buy them? ). Last I checked most top Chinese players were using Stiga Rosewoods or Ebonys or similar. I'd heard something about him using the Viscaria (or was that someone else?).

Iskandar

Enjoyed that.
Must try the Tour on the BH and see what it's like to use.



When I got my first ZLC blade - an Innerforce ZLC I was told that none of the top players i.e. pros with a world ranking used blades of that type. I did a search and found that there was a woman in possibly the top 20 using one. Have since discovered that Adrien Mattenet uses one. There are others like Koki Niwa
Wang Zhen (wish to ack mytt) who seem to be using the TB ZLC - unsure if they still are.

Only pro I can think of that uses a blade that they endorse is Jun Mizutani and that's the Mizutani ZLC - he probably hasn't upgraded to a SZLC. But given his all round style where he's a good mile back from the table he probably gets to use it - it's a style that I have unfortunately got accustomed to as well.

I would expect that we'll see a few upcoming stars playing with this technology since pros get used to what they are using and are reluctant to change preferring to stick to what they know best. Using an all wood blade with professional rubbers compensates for the lack of bhp i.e. by using a slow blade with juiced up rubbers => power with the control. Rubbers I use tend to be 3-6 months old - I wouldn't be changing my rubbers on a weekly or daily basis like some of the pros.

If they wanted a juiced up rubber, though, they'd all be using Tenergy 05 on the forehand as well as backhand. Instead they use something very slow (Hurricane 3). I think this "lack of bhp" is deliberate - they want the control over the table and can make up for this "lack of bhp" by using very powerful strokes when they need to close to the table. Note they flip the racket around when forced back or are hitting against lobs, so the Tenergy really does provide "more bhp".

Iskandar

Reason that the T05 isn't used on the FH is they want the tack for the FH. By twiddling using the BH usually with the Tenergy can get more speed since they don't need to wrestle the ball off the tack.

When I was over in China & HK recently I was unable to pick up the coveted blue sponge H3 in a National 'cut or even in a Provincial'. These are supposedly only reserved for the National team. If you listen to some of the matches on Youtube you can hear the juiced up rubbers. I've never managed to get that effect from boosting an old tenergy or a H3. I did get hold of a provincial orange sponged H3 (Winning Table Tennis - hard shop to find) and I sold it on to a guy who warranted it more than me who has a Chinese stroke. The only manufacturer who claim that the rubbers that you buy or the same as the ones given to the professionals are Tibhar. That was at the time of the release of the Evolution series. Although now with the poly ball and in particular given the 'development' of the H8 this appears to have less tack than the H3. A lot of Chinese now appearing to be using Tenergy maybe to make up for their slower blades combined with the differences on the poly ball. For me personally on the SZLC the T05 are a bit too much hence the shift to the V Tour which thankfully are easier to get and just over half the price.

From what I understand the tack is what makes the rubber "slow" at low impact, and is what gives it control over the table.

I have trouble believing this magic "blue sponge" is very, very different from the orange - maybe it's slightly better, and there has to be a reason why there's so little of it - if it weren't hard to make or they're getting low yields they'd be making more sheets of it and making tons of money selling "pro versions" of the rubber. Sheets of pro rubber HAVE "leaked out", I haven't seen any reports saying it's some sort of miracle sponge. People pay a fortune for it, but that's because they EXPECT it to be miraculous - do you see any of the top Euro players trying to get their hands on it?? No, they just buy Tenergy 05!

There apparently IS a lot of "national" H3 out there, but most of it is fake..

Iskandar

can anyone tell me the difference in specs and details (performance, blade composition, stiffness, feel, throw angle, speed, control) btwn the jhang jike superzlc and the jun mizutani super zlc. I heard they perform the same. if that's so then why does one cost 30 more USD than the other?

Here is our german review of the Zhang Jike Super ZLC (with Tenergy 64 and Sauer & Tröger Schmerz ox): https://youtu.be/9a7wrZrCbbI

_________________
GeblockTT - table tennis on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/geblocktt