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:
Loopers (offensive spinners)
Complete Offensive Players
Hitters
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
 
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, YINHE mercury 13, YINHE T1S
 
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.
 
There are 2 main allround playing styles:
Offensive allround players
True allround players
Offensive allround players
Offensively oriented allround blades were designed for players who have a varied playstyle, but attack more than they defend.
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.
 
There are 3 types of defenders:
Modern Defenders
Classic Defenders
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.
 
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.
 
 
The DHS 08X, YINHE T11PRO, YINHE 970XX, is a great option for long pimple setup