DHS Hurricane Long 5H

Welcome to part 2 of this three-part series in which I am testing and comparing the newly released Nittaku H301 NXD (H301NXD), the DHS Hurricane Long 5H (HL5H), and the mythical DHS W968. 

In this blog post, I am evaluating the DHS Hurricane Long 5H.

Introduction

According to DHS, the HL5H is an upgraded version of the classic HL5, designed specifically for modern power loopers. It features a 5+2 inner-fiber composition with an ayous core that is 0.1 mm thicker than that of the classic HL5, intended to unlock additional power reserves. The core is surrounded by a newly developed composite material called H Ultra-Dense Fiber, which has a 30% greater weave density than traditional arylate-carbon, resulting in increased rigidity. DHS claims that the HL5H enables powerful, penetrating shots while still offering a crisp and delicate touch, providing excellent control during pushing and flicking.

Packaging

Just like the regular HL5, the HL5H (and W968) comes in a beautiful, sturdy, high-end box with a magnetic closing mechanism and thick black interior foam padding. It is hard to imagine better protection for blades during transport. The red box features a picture of Ma Long on the front. The blade is shrink-wrapped and includes holographic authenticity stickers. The HL5H comes with a certificate listing the blade’s serial number, name, weight, thickness, and other measurements, as well as a cardboard insert detailing Ma Long’s major tournament victories (in Chinese). 

Appearance and Measurements

The HL5H looks essentially identical to the HL5G: the playing surfaces are very light, straw-colored, and free of any print, except for a serial number that is located where the thumb rests on the forehand side. 

The handle is bluish-grey with a golden arc spanning from the middle of the handle to its end. The handle features a simple plastic lens on the FH side (golden font on two-toned grey and black), a silver dragon symbol on the back, and a circular lens with an image of Ma Long on the butt. The blade has smooth playing surfaces and edges, but the wings are not sanded. 

The HL5H appears to share the same basic ply structure as the HL5: limba–ayous–composite–ayous–composite–ayous–limba. The main differences lie in the composite (H Ultra-Dense Fiber and in the thickness of the individual plies. The HL5H has a fairly thick core (which is marginally thicker than W968’s), and a thin composite layer (W968’s composite layer is substantially thicker). The intermediate and, especially, the outer plies are thin.

The playing surface of the HL5H has the following dimensions (height x width x thickness): 158 mm x 150 mm x 5.9 mm (HL5H), while the FL handle has the following dimensions (length x width x height): 99.0 mm, 26.0-35.6 mm, and 22.8-26.2 mm (HL5H). My HL5H sample weighed 90 grams, being the lightest of the three test blades. Bouncing a ball on the naked blades produced a resonancy frequency of ~1348 Hz, which was very similar to that of the H301NXD and W968, placing the blade in the high OFF category. 

Testing procedure

I evaluated the HL5H in the same manner as the H301NXD.  Thus, I tested the HL5H using well-used sheets of DHS Hurricane 3 (H3, black, 2.15 mm, 40 degrees) and Yasaka AntiPower (YAP, red, 1.5 mm) antispin as my FH and BH rubbers, respectively. The rubbers were attached using one layer of the Revolution 3 normal viscosity glue on both the rubber and the blade. I tested the setup over 3-4 sessions, during which I played a mix of regular and match-like drills against my usual high-level practice partner (a two-winged looper). Neottec Neoplast Pro 40+ training balls were used throughout.

Playing impressions

Initial impressions

Immediately upon picking it up, I found the HL5H more comfortable to hold than the H301NXD. It is lighter and nimbler, with a narrower handle and wings, which facilitate a looser grip and fine micro-adjustments between FH and BH grips. The HL5H has a pleasant, slight head-heaviness that adds to its natural feel in hand.

Driving

On FH drives, the HL5H produces a crisp, slightly stiff sensation, allowing the ball impact to be felt far more clearly than with the H301NXD. The blade felt faster (mid-OFF) and produced a higher throw angle (~medium), giving my FH drives medium-long trajectories that cleared the net with a good margin. Power reserves are substantial and can be activated with a snap of the wrist. The crispness is even more noticeable on BH antispin drives, likely due to the softer sponge of the YAP. BH drives had flat trajectories that teetered on being too long but generally dipped right before the endline, creating very uncomfortable returns for my practice partner.

Looping

Warm-up FH loops were fast, with a slightly higher throw angle (~medium) compared to the H301NXD. Surprisingly, despite the HL5H feeling stiffer and more direct, my FH loops seemed slightly spinnier - likely a result of the lighter weight of my HL5H sample, which allowed faster arm swings. Similar to the HL5G, the HL5H’s head-tilted balance gives the impression of generating more power per unit of effort. My practice partner appeared slightly more prone to overshoot blocks, and my third-ball FH attacks against long pushes were clearly more powerful and dangerous than with the H301NXD, allowing me to win more outright points.

The HL5H excels in FH loop-to-loop rallies away from the table. With sufficient physical effort, power reserves are unleashed, and the blade’s stability and throw angle enable strong loops from distance.

BH third-ball antispin attacks required minor adjustments. Initially, several attacks failed to clear the net or sailed long, likely due to lower dwell time reducing the margin for error. However, once I focused on striking the ball near the top of the blade and using wristier mechanics, I could produce very fast, flat shots that were difficult to return. This mirrors my observations with BH short-pip attacks on the HL5G, suggesting a consistent trait in this new generation of HL5-style blades.

Flicking

The HL5H’s stiffness suits pancake-type flicks, but the dwell time remains long enough for controlled mini-loop flicks. Flicks were comparatively fast, and I particularly enjoyed BH antispin pancake flicks, hitting the ball at its highest point. 

Blocking

FH warm-up blocks feel crisp and solid. The blade absorbs incoming energy efficiently, redirecting it into fast blocks that clear the net with sufficient safety while landing before the end line. Consistency was excellent. BH antispin blocks were equally reliable, producing long, flat shots that cleared the net.

During match-like drills, I was able to activate power reserves by tightening my wrist. Several FH active blocks were so fast and well-placed that my practice partner could not return them. Similarly, wristy BH antispin blocks were fast, flat, and uncomfortable for my opponent.

Smashing

The HL5H’s crisp, stiff character is ideal for flat hits and smashes. I could finish any sitting shots from either side with authority. Additional power reserves were evident on more active strokes, producing hard-to-return smashes. 

Pushing

The direct feel and head-tilted balance provide excellent control on long FH pushes. Pushes were long, flat, and surprisingly spinny for a stiff blade. My practice partner struggled to generate strong topspins, and I could often counter them with fast, aggressive blocks. The HL5H remained stable on short pushes, allowing precise, well-controlled shots.

Conclusion

The DHS Hurricane Long 5H is likely my favorite in the HL5 family. Its faster, stiffer, and crisper nature provides clear feedback on ball contact while maintaining excellent control. Modern two-winged loopers, flat hitters, and players using short pips or aggressive antispin rubbers will likely find the HL5H an outstanding blade. It is suitable for all skill levels except beginners.

About the Reviewer

Patrick 'Pong Professor' Hrdlicka is a table tennis enthusiast with a Ph.D. in chemistry who combines his analytical and experimental skills with his love of table tennis in order to test and review a wide range of table tennis equipment.