Ask The Experts: Jörg Bitzigeio, No. 268 Butterfly Table Tennis Question and Answer
Question: Would like to check with you. I have seen Tiago Apolonia ZLC and Jun Mizutani ZLC. i see the wood used is the same. The one difference i see is Tiago Apolonia ZLC, the carbon layer is set on 3rd layer. While Jun Mizutani ZLC is on the 2nd Layer. Can i know what is the difference in terms of feeling, power? At the same time, could you help me out on the wood setup for my current blade (Primo Vitesse FL). I know the outer ply is Limba, Inner Ply is Ayous. How about the core and also carbon used on my blade? And i would like to know for the core, what would be the best (ayous, kiri or balsa)?
Answer:
This Ask the Experts question was answered by Jörg Bitzigeio. He is the High Performance Director of USATT.Coach Bitzigeio’s response is as follows:
Hi Sze Nan,
Thanks for your email!
It’s very nice to see that you are interested in the details of blades, especially since a blade is the heart of a paddle and plays a very important role. For me personally, the general factor when looking for a blade is that I need to have and feel fun while playing with it. We can always look into details and data to compare equipment, but at first I check if I like to hit the ball with the product.
In regard to your questions about the Apolonia ZLC andMizutani Jun ZLC, you are right, the wood used is the same. The difference between these two blades is that the Mizutani Jun ZLC is a standard construction, meaning the outer ply is followed by the ZLC ply, and the Apolonia ZLC uses the Innerfiber construction, meaning, at first the outer ply is followed by the secondary ply and then the ZLC ply. The picture below shows this in detail.
In my opinion, the Mizutani Jun ZLC is faster than the Tiago Apolonia ZLC. However, Tiago Apolonia ZLC seems to be better for the spin game. In regard to the feeling, this is something that every individual has to figure out because it’s tough to generalize.
About your current blade, the Primo Vitesse FL, the information I have is that Primo Vitesse blades have Ayous inner plies with thin Carbon Fiber layers and Limba outer plies. Together with the Foam Core handle you have the only true Carbon Fiber blade with a softer feel.
Enjoy playing our game!
Best,
Jörg
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