Types of Blades

modern defenders, we recommend DEF+ / ALL-

offensive allround players, we recommend ALL+

classical defenders and pushblockers, we recommend DEF blades

hitters, we recommend OFF / OFF+

beginner attackers, we recommend ALL+ / OFF-

intermediate attackers, we recommend OFF- / OFF

advanced attackers, we recommend OFF / OFF+

Offensive blades

designed to put your opponent under pressure. However, there are many ways to attack the opponent and, consequently, many different types of blades for each of these styles.

The 3 main offensive player archetypes are:

1. Loopers (offensive spinners)

2. Complete Offensive Players

3. Hitters

4. Loopers (offensive spinners)

These players like to spin the ball and attack before their opponent. They love doing 3rd ball attacks and hitting powerful shots. If they’re on the back foot, then they try to counter topspin and re-gain the initiative. 

Loopers should look to get flexible blades. Speed depends on the skill level. 

For example, a beginner looper should get an OFF- or even ALL+ flexible blade

They should pair their blades with spinny, controllable rubbers.

An intermediate looper can keep the “beginner looper” blades and upgrade their rubbers.

You can even use them all the way to becoming an advanced player. Just swap the rubbers out for faster ones and you’re good to go.

If they want to change, they should go with an OFF- or OFF blade such as Butterfly Korbel.

If they prefer carbon blades, they can go for the Butterfly Innerforce ALC, the DHS Hurricane 301

Carbon blades are more direct, have bigger sweet spots, and tend to mute vibrations. 

The blades in the last category should be used until advanced level (so essentially forever).

If very advanced players feel they need more speed, they can go for blades such as, Butterfly Viscaria, Butterfly Timo Boll ALC, or the DHS Hurricane Long 5. 

Complete offensive players 

These players often loop more than hit. The difference between them and loopers is that they aren’t afraid of blocking and performing short counters. 

Pure loopers prefer overpowering their opponent and attacking first. Complete offensive players read the situation and mold their game to accommodate. 

They might push long so that their opponent attacks first, then active block, counter, or engage in short distance rallies. They’re a bit more allround in nature than loopers, though still clearly offensive.

They feel comfortable at backhand to backhand rallies and are solid, consistent players, though they tend to have a bit less firepower than pure loopers.

These players should use the same blades as loopers, since they’re controllable, have good spin and hand feeling.

Hitters 

These players often smash the ball on their forehand side and punch it or block it on their backhand side. Lots of them use short pips on one side to help with their flat hits. Currently, the best hitter in the world is Mattias Falck. 

Their strategy mostly consists of serving topspin or no-spin, then smashing the ball afterwards. Most hitters also have a reliable open-up, which they use to set up opportunities to flat hit the following ball.

Hitters should get stiff, stable blades that don’t bend on impact, the Butterfly Primorac Carbon,

For these players, we’re going to assume they’re intermediate and up. We think beginners should try to spin the ball rather than flat hit it. 

Hitters are players who are talented at smashing the ball. They don’t hit it because they don’t know how to topspin, but because they’re very good at it. 

Offensive players are a mix of these categories. Most offensive players are a mix of loopers and complete offensive. There aren’t nearly as many hitters as there are loopers.

Allround blades were designed for players who mix attack with defense. Most of these players use heavy spins and good placement combined with great consistency to beat their opponents.

These blades are medium to medium-slow in speed but have excellent control and hand feeling. 

There are 2 main allround playing styles:

1. Offensive allround players

2. True allround players

3.  

Offensive allround players

Offensively oriented allround blades were designed for players who have a varied playstyle, but attack more than they defend. 

They’re also good for players who only attack, but they value placement and control over speed. 

Lots of beginners also benefit from using these blades before moving to something faster.

These blades are a bit slower than OFF- blades, but they’re still fast enough to attack. With fast rubbers and good technique, these blades can hit winning shots while retaining excellent touch and control.

They’re like offensive blades but slower and more controllable. This gives them an edge over offensive blades on the serve, receive, and blocking shots.

In this category, we can find mostly flexible, ALL+ blades. 

The best offensively-oriented allround blades are the Yasaka Sweden Extra, the Stiga Allround Evolution, the Nittaku Violin, and the Nittaku Septear Lead. 

Defensive blades are for players who defend more than they attack.

These players will try to force mistakes out of their opponents with heavy chops, usually using long pips on their backhand side. 

There are 3 types of defenders: 

1. Modern Defenders

2. Classic Defenders

3. Long Pips Pushblockers

For these styles, there are special blades.

Modern Defenders

Modern defenders defend more than they attack but they have a versatile style. 

The best modern defender of all time is Olympic Silver Medalist Joo Se Hyuk.

The problem with classical defenders (the original defensive style) was that offensive players could get comfortable attacking them and moving them around.

In the 1900s it was effective to play as a classical defender because there wasn’t as much technology in blades and rubbers. Carbon blades didn’t exist, nor did tensor rubbers.

As time progressed and this equipment was invented, it was clear that at the higher levels of play, classical defenders were sitting ducks for offensive players.

Thus, the modern defensive style was invented. If defenders didn’t attack, the attacker would always have the initiative. Modern defenders came to change that.

Modern defenders will, on most points, let their opponent attack first, then set traps (variations in spin, placement, twiddling the racket) to force mistakes and come in for the kill with forehand and backhand attacks.

If they’re having success chopping, then they’ll stick to that. If not, then they will start attacking first. 

Versatility is the strength of modern defenders. 

The best blades for modern defenders are the Butterfly diode V

Classical Defenders

Classical defenders almost don’t attack. They are incredibly good at pushing, chopping, and reaching for hard balls, so that’s what they do. One of the best classical defenders of all time is Koji Matsushita.

They win matches by simply returning the ball more times than their opponent. 

They force mistakes from attackers by variating spins on their chops and pushes, often twiddling their racket to get the maximum backspin possible. 

They are very good at keeping pushes and chops loaded with backspin and low over the net and they’re incredibly consistent, so it’s very difficult to beat them!

Even if this style isn’t viable for the top 0.1%, it is for the rest of us, and, in my personal opinion, this is the most entertaining style to watch! 

It’s also very fun to play like this, and crowds love it when there’s a match between an attacker and a classical defender.

The following blades are perfect for classical defenders:, Butterfly Hadraw Shield, Donic Defplay Classic, Dr. Neubauer Barricade,

Long Pips Pushblockers

These players are great at blocking and pushing with long pips on their backhand side. Most of them play with their backhand covering as much of the table as possible. 

They will use placement and reversal from their long pips to put opponents in difficult situations and force mistakes out of them.

These players are most commonly found in the intermediate levels. 

Pushblockers can use the blades we recommended for classical defenders since the behaviour they’re looking for is the same as classical defenders: the slowest speed possible to absorb incoming attacks.