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Welcome to the third and final part of the three-part series in which I reviewed the Nittaku H301 NXD (H301NXD), the DHS Hurricane Long 5H (HL5H), and the mythical DHS W968. 

In this blog post, I review the W968.

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.

Welcome to part one of a three-part series, in which I review and compare three highly anticipated blades: the newly released Nittaku H301 NXD (H301NXD), the DHS Hurricane Long 5H (HL5H), and the mythical DHS W968. I have previously reviewed the regular Hurricane Long 5 (HL5), the HL5 Golden, and the DHS 301 and 301X blades, which are all well-suited for aggressive two-winged loopers. Naturally, I was excited to add the HL5H, H301NXD, and W968 to my test bank and see how they compare.

Here, I review the Tibhar Alvaro Robles Estoque, a blade that has been developed in collaboration with the 2024 European Mixed Doubles champion from Spain. According to Tibhar, the Estoque – which is named after the long and sharp sword used by bullfighters – is a 5+2 composite blade that offers a direct touch and exceptional energy. According to Tibhar, the blade is especially well-suited for mid-distance play and topspin-topspin rallies. Closer to the table, Tibhar claims the blade delivers excellent feedback and high control.  Tibhar rates the speed/control of the Estoque at 9/7, which is similar to the Tibhar Alexis Lebrun Krypto Carbon (ALKC), Tibhar Felix Lebrun Hyper Carbon (FLHC), and Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition blades at 9/7, 9-/8-, and 9-/7+, respectively. 

I recently tested four types of 3-star 40+ balls used on the World Table Tennis (WTT) tour: the seamed Double Fish V40+ 3*** WTT ITTF (V40+), DHS DJ40+ 3*** WTT ITTF (DJ40+), and Yinhe H40+ 3*** WTT ITTF (H40+) balls, as well as the seamless 729 S40+ 3*** WTT (S40+) balls. I found all these balls to be excellent. Their dimensions and weights fall within narrow distributions. The seamed balls had very similar playing properties and felt harder, heavier, and slower than the seamless S40+, which encouraged a more physical playing style.

This time I am testing the Nittaku GeneXTion V2C rubber (GXTV2), i.e., the successor to the original Nittaku GeneXTion (GXT), which I reviewed earlier.  I found the GXT to play like a bouncy, medium-soft rubber that is very fast on low- and medium-impact strokes such as flicks, drives, and counterloops. However, it exhibits incomplete power transfer on high-impact strokes such as loops and smashes, which limits how much power can ultimately be imparted on the ball. According to Nittaku, the German-made GXTV2 has a grippier topsheet that is less spin-sensitive, leading to excellent control in the short game and on service returns. Nittaku goes on to state that the GXTV2 provides an excellent feeling and is well-suited for off-the-bounce counter-topspins. Nittaku credits this to their newly developed “Dual Sponge”, which has a softer hitting sensation. Nittaku recommends the GXTV2 for ambitious offensive players seeking a controlled short game and explosive and spinny opening shots. 

As a fellow Danish lefty, I have been following Anders Lind’s career for some time now. Lind, who reached the quarterfinals at the World Championships in 2023, is known for his highly creative shots, which require a setup that offers a lot of feeling. Accordingly, I was pleased to have the opportunity to try his eponymous blade, the Donic Anders Lind Hexa Carbon (ALHC). I will be comparing the blade to the recently released Donic Zhang Jike Original Carbon (ZZOC), named after the Chinese GOAT contender and Grand Slam winner (World Championships, World Cup, Olympics), who has partnered with Donic.

So far, I have tested four members of Donic’s BlueGrip rubber family, i.e., the C1, C2, V1, and R1. I was particularly fond of the C1 and C2 rubbers, which were introduced as being hybrid rubbers, i.e., as having sticky topsheets and very hard sponges. In this review, I evaluate the newest member of this family – the Donic BlueGrip J1. The J1 combines the topsheet mixture from the Donic BlueStar A series with the sponge structure and topsheet pimple geometry of the Donic BlueGrip C series. The sponge has a hardness of 55 degrees on the ESN scale, akin to the BlueGrip C2 rubber. The topsheet is described as slightly sticky and extremely grippy. According to Donic, the result is a highly dynamic and extremely spin-friendly rubber that combines power with good touch. Donic recommends the J1 as a rubber for “ambitious, uncompromising attacking players”

This time, I am evaluating the Xiom Ice Cream AZX PRO (AZXP), a 5+2 inner composite blade that was designed for the South Korean star player, Jeoung Young Sik.

Welcome back to another blade review! If you follow this blog regularly, you know that I have reviewed many Xiom blades recently, including the Hayabusa series, the Ice Cream AZX PRO, and several members of the TMX/TMXi series, such as the Hugo TMXi PRO (HTP). I have generally found Xiom blades to be of excellent quality and have therefore been looking forward to testing the Xiom Hugo Calderano Hyper Axylium (HAL), which the “Thrill from Brazil”, Hugo Calderano (2025 World Cup Men’s Singles champion; silver medalist at the 2025 World Championships), is currently using.