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New Hurricane Long 5 |
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NextLevel
Forum Moderator Joined: 12/15/2011 Location: Somewhere Good Status: Offline Points: 14845 |
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I bought the same blade from Paddle Palace sometime around Thanksgiving last year and had precisely the same issues, but the packaging was exquisite. I didn't doubt it was real, I just realized that I wasn't going to play with it once I put it in my hand. In my head, I was looking for the older version of HL5 and I didn't like the handle of the new version. Traded it for an IF ALC whose handle I preferred and which I already liked from experience. No regrets.
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I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
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t64t64t64
Silver Member Joined: 06/13/2013 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 838 |
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handle is not the best but apart from this i think the blade is real good
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http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=61764&PID=734709
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ashishsharmaait
Silver Member Joined: 02/27/2013 Location: India Status: Offline Points: 914 |
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All is know is.that the shopkeeper had 4 types of HL5. Old version, 730rmb, this one for 750 rmb, a harder wood versipn for 1300 rmb, and the so called PRO version rejected by National team for 1800rmb. |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Thanks for your input NL, so there is a handle difference between the older version and newer version? I'm assuming the newer version has a smaller handle? |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Was there any difference in the size of handle of the older version and this new version which you noticed? |
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ashishsharmaait
Silver Member Joined: 02/27/2013 Location: India Status: Offline Points: 914 |
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The handle seemed the same. I held same weight, 91g for all variants and it seemed the same. The only difference is that of the head size.
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NextLevel
Forum Moderator Joined: 12/15/2011 Location: Somewhere Good Status: Offline Points: 14845 |
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The old version had a slimmer center to its flare shape. The head looked outsized and large.
Edited by NextLevel - 01/22/2017 at 9:12am |
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I like putting heavy topspin on the ball...
Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Yeah I'm told the older version had a larger head size and averaged about 95g. I'll give this one a try tomorrow |
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Stanny
Member Joined: 12/16/2016 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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The handle size can vary. Some people on the Chinese forums say the new one has a more comfortable handle size and some say it's the same. I think it also depends on the thickness of the blade since the thickness can vary from 5.8 to 6.05 for example. I think if people are concerned about handle size, they should just get the HL3 which a lot of people report having a good handle. But keep in mind that the head size shrank as well so there's an old and new design technically speaking. I'm pretty sure the catapult effect is the same but the speed is slightly slower. |
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slevin
Premier Member Joined: 03/15/2012 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 3602 |
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All HL5 users: the limba outers seem hard, but PLEASE, seal the blade. Mine splintered with tearmender (which is a weak glue).
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Trade feedback:
http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=50787 |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Yes somebody already warned me about this so I got the blade sealed from the seller i.e TT11 |
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peter79
Premier Member Joined: 07/05/2006 Location: Indonesia Status: Offline Points: 3393 |
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Unstopabl3, your HL5 is a new version, without printing on the blade surface. The new version has smaller head size than the old version.
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Andro Wanokiwami AO Offensive 83 gr
H3 National Orange 40 deg 2.2 Baracuda Max 182 Gr |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Yes Peter we've concluded that, but can you tell if my blade is authentic or a copy/fake? Thanks |
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MLfan
Super Member Joined: 04/23/2015 Location: China Status: Offline Points: 486 |
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Sorry, I wasn't thinking straight when I commented. The blade's a real HL5 blade, but it's the commercial blade, not custom-made.
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Thank you for that clarification and confirmation, yes true it's a commercial version bought from tabletennis11.com for $150. |
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peter79
Premier Member Joined: 07/05/2006 Location: Indonesia Status: Offline Points: 3393 |
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It's authentic, it's a pity that there's a chip of wood near the lense Make sure to ask TT11 to pick the perfect blade for your next purchase. |
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Andro Wanokiwami AO Offensive 83 gr
H3 National Orange 40 deg 2.2 Baracuda Max 182 Gr |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Hi, it's a pitty and I contacted TT11 and they generously offered me a $21 refund due to the chips in the handle, so I'm somewhat less sad now haha. On the other hand, I played 1 session with the blade and it's quite fast and spiny and has a good high arc over the net. I'm currently using YEO 7 Power blade which has a hard walnut outer layer but it doesn't feel that stiff at all. What's most important for me is to be able to feel the ball dip into the rubber as my stroke is spin oriented. For this reason I'm not liking the feel of HL5, I don't know if you call this being less dwelly maybe? I think I will need to change my stroke and make it a lot quick and snap the ball instead of feeling the ball, otherwise I won't enjoy this blade. Anybody else have a similar experience with this blade? |
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Stanny
Member Joined: 12/16/2016 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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I find dwell time to be a very subjective matter but I think it also depends on the characteristics of the blade you have. It feels quite dwelly on my forehand and I use H3 neo on it. It feels less dwelly when I use tenergy 05. My blade is also on the thin side, being 5.8 compared to the average 5.9. That being said, it has less dwell time compared to my andro treiber z which is all wood. I do have to snap a bit more when I use tenergy 05 and I think this just has to do with the fact that I'm not getting enough penetration into the sponge. I've also read on Chinese forums that there is slightly less force and spin compared to the old HL5. There is less spin because of the reduced flex from the reduced head size but the blade is still considered to be flexy.
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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I don't know why but I felt that HL5 was a bit dull on slower strokes, I felt like I have to drive the ball with a proper stroke to deliver the ball consistently especially against underspin I had to lift the ball more. Banana flicks from BH were a nightmare couldn't land even one, all went into the net, surprising for a high arc blade.
It just might be that I need to get used to this new blade, will try it out for a month or so before giving in more input, but as of now I'm not liking Limba too much. |
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Stanny
Member Joined: 12/16/2016 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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Yeah the new HL5 is a bit dull on low to medium powered strokes and this was mentioned on the Chinese forums. You need to be able to engage the sponge in order for your ball to go over. This dull effect works amazing for touch shots close to the net but it can become a nightmare if you are doing a light stroke close to the net as well. For me, when I hit with the t05 on my backhand with a little power, it doesn't travel far and hits the net. You got to flick it over which works great. It took a bit of adjustment to get the right angle. I find it's easier to flick with the Rakza 7, especially the Backhand flick. It's one of those moments where you are like yeah it's in and it's spinny. This was also due to the fact that the sponge is hard, so it's easy to engage your sponge. But I didn't like Rakza 7 because the short play was a nightmare. Ball was always like 30-40 cm above the net when I tapped it, so I changed to tenergy 05 for my backhand. Now I might change to Rasant grip or Rakza X just to get a bit more grip on the ball and more easy sponge penetration.
The arc for the new HL5 is slightly lower than the old one according to the forums, but the new HL5 still has that catapult effect. I've been using it for about 3 months (would have been 5 months but I took 2 months off to study) and I like it. I might want to change to the old HL5 just to get a bit more power and rotation but still deciding. According to my racket dealer, he said he'll be getting old HL5s next week so I have till then to think about it LOL. Reason why I'm still undecided is because the handle for the old HL5 is more oval vs. the new HL5 handle which is more rectangle and similar to the W968s that the Chinese national team uses. So you got that 3-5 mm in extra circumference to grip your handle. Also I'm afraid that it might be too heavy for me if I get the bigger head size since my current setup is like 184 g and if I'm changing to a rasant grip or Rakza X, it will be heavier for sure. By the way, the old HL5 may be a bit better for low to medium powered shots. This wasn't mentioned on the Chinese forums but I feel like it might be implied. Not sure, I'll see if I can find someone at my club who uses the old HL5 and try it out. |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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High catapult!!! That's the word I was looking for lol Glad that my observations are quite similar to your input. But man I really hate it that there are so many different versions of the same blade out there, kind of kills enjoyment of a new blade when there is always a doubt in your mind that the older version was better or some other version is better Agony for us players and more money making opportunity for the manufacturers! |
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Stanny
Member Joined: 12/16/2016 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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I know . But there are ups and downs with both blades. The old HL5 is more forehand dominant and the transition to the BH is slower especially if you use a heavy setup. Handle size has been mentioned to be a problem from a few players. The reviews are pretty mixed, some people like the old one better and some people like the new one better. The new one has a more stable backhand and is more balanced, but not as stable as the viscaria. It's all a matter of what you want in your play.
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Played with it again today and loving the speed and spin, will take a bit to get used to it but I'm enjoying it. Have you used TB ALC, which one is faster? And which one do you like more as an overall better blade? I didn't enjoy the BH too much, maybe it's the rubber I'm using and my passive strokes. Can you recommend a BH rubber for this blade, I'm currently using EL-P and it's not playing as good as it does on slower blades like YEO or YEO 7 Power. Thanks |
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Stanny
Member Joined: 12/16/2016 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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I have used a TB ALC from someone for like a few minutes. First impressions is it's a very stable blade but has less power than my Viscaria. Other than that, the rest is just from watching other people play with them. HL5 is definitely faster. When I twiddle my racket around to use t05 on my FH, It's slightly faster than my viscaria with t05 on the FH. Overall, I'm leaning towards HL5 being the better blade for now compared to my Viscaria. But honestly, it's very close. Viscaria like I said is better for BH and I find that the control for the HL5 is much better after playing with it for a few months. The BH is quite different from any other blade I've used (well, it's kinda similar to the DHS-WL that I've been using). You gotta put a little bit of power into the blade if you want your ball to travel lightly across. Passive strokes are better for touch play due to the dullness of the blade. I've read some people using EL-P with the blade. May I ask which parts aren't playing that good? BH loops? BH flicks? BH pushes? BH touch play? BH drives? I've used Rakza 7 and Tenergy 05 on my BH. Rakza 7 - BH flicks are really good. You can feel the ball grip the ball and you definitely can tell where it will go. Pushes and touch shots were a bit long and high with the rubber. BH drives are good. BH loops took a while to adjust, but after adjusting with a more closed angle, it's easy to land the loops. BH flat shots weren't that well controlled. I changed to t05 because I prioritized my touch shots and pushes a lot and they were causing me to lose a lot of my points. Tenergy 05 - BH flicks are alright, but not as good as Rakza 7. When I don't get sponge penetration, I honestly don't know where I contact the ball, so there's a bit of anticipation involved if I want to get the shot I want. The rubber doesn't grip the plastic ball as well as I would like. When I tried on celluloid balls, it's easy, but people don't play with those anymore so it's a no-no. Touch play and pushes are much easier. Ball can be kept low and hard to attack but if you make a mistake in reading the spin, it will go high and result in an easy victory for your opponent. BH loops I find I have less control when I'm just right at the table. It takes a lot of focus to make the loop land short or just barely on the table, especially since I don't get much sponge penetration and the fact that I'm literally just brushing the ball and couldn't feel the grip. Mid distance it is so much easier to control and do BH loops and get them in. BH drives are very good. But flat shots are horrible when paired with the HL5 compared to my Viscaria. It's taken me a while to get the control down. I'm going to try out Andro Rasant Grip and Rakza X since they are marketed for control and they grip the ball. I've had a lot of experience with Andro Rasant Grip and I have to say I love it more than tenergy. Not sure how well it will play since I'll get the rubbers sometime next week. On Chinese forums, some BH rubber suggestions for the HL5 are: H3 Neo Provincial 37 degrees 2.1 (don't think most people can obtain this and be confident they have the real thing) Tenergy 05 (People say it can be difficult to control if you don't engage the sponge LOL) Tenergy 05-Fx (Very stable according to a lot of players) Tenergy 64 (Ma long loves doing punch/flat shots close to the table (technically there's a bit of spin as well) and loops with his BH when he's mid distance. Used in his 2013-2014 games. The loops might be a bit weaker now because of the plastic ball though.) Andro Rasant Grip Andro Rasant Powergrip Xiom Omega IV (don't know which version they recommend, asia, europe, etc) Xiom Omega V (I see this a lot as well, but I don't know which version to use) Donic Bluefire M2 Donic Acuda S2 (I've seen this one mentioned in a lot of message boards, so it might be something to worth trying) Palio AK47 - yellow packaging (cheap and stable - don't know what yellow packaging they are referring to though, might be something you can only get in Asia. Found the link: http://www.dpin100.com/goods-5187.html) Tibhar Evolution EL-P (one person said it was stable and had a good time brushing the ball with it) Tibhar Evolution MX-S (recommended by one of the coaches/teachers on the forums who's pretty popular and also said T05-Fx is the best for new HL5)
Rakza X (Based on what a few China National Team members have recently switched to like Fang Bo, Zhou Yu, and Yan An. Fang Bo had really bad BH when I checked his games of when he started using W968 which is like the better version of HL5 and it became better in the Chinese Super League when used Rakza X. Zhou Yu I believe used Tenergy 05 previously and was dominating in mid distance loops, but his close to the table loops and flicks had lower accuracy.) I also recommend getting some coaching. It took me a while to get my BH stabilized on the HL5. It used to be like 80-90% accuracy with my Viscaria and when I changed to the HL5, it was like 30% accuracy. Now it's around 60-70%. Still a lot to work on. I say don't give up on the EL-P yet and try tweaking your angles a bit. |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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Thanks for your long insightful post, I will give the rubber suggestions a try and give it more time to get used to this blade. Will keep in touch with you so that we care share each others experiences and learn from them hopefully :)
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Stanny
Member Joined: 12/16/2016 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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I forgot to mention that DHS Skyline 3-60 37 degrees hardness is also a popular choice. It gives a lot of control. It's a slow rubber but when paired with the HL5, it's speed is pretty good. It's cheap too and is also one of the rubbers I want to try.
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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I think I'm going to stay away from chinese rubbers as they are too stiff and not that useful without booster. I've ordered tenergy 05 and 80 will give that a try soon. Have you tried EL-S on this blade? |
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vispowerspin
Member Joined: 10/25/2016 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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Tenergy 05 and 80 are good choices. I also recommend MXP/MXS and ELS, however, the weight is a turn off. ELS has very good feel, a lot of spin, and good control.
I personally used H3 39 and 37 deg for FH and BH. |
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unstopabl3
Silver Member Joined: 06/16/2011 Status: Offline Points: 685 |
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I'm awaiting on my second HL5 and the order has a sheet of EL-S as well, so will give that a try on my BH soon. I'm currently using MX-P on FH and EL-P on BH and I am really enjoying this setup. |
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vispowerspin
Member Joined: 10/25/2016 Location: Toronto Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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Glad you like the HL5, they're very nice and usually don't need a "break in period". I had an old one before but because of the small handle (constant blistering on the hand) I had to let it go.
I also tried the W968 replica's sold by TTNPP. Perhaps I didn't give them much "break in time" but it vibrated so much it disgusted me. Ended up chucking them away. Right now I'm using 2 "authentic W968", trivial and questionable, but I spent too much to throw them away hahaha. Anyways, initially, it reminded me of the W968 replicas (a lot of vibration). But after the break in period (perhaps due to humidity, moisture absorption, constant gluing... etc. ~ 1-2 weeks) the blade feels better (softer) than the new commercial HL5 (can be subjective, relative and bias of me). Compared to the commercial HL5, the W968 provides higher arc. My fall back weapon is always the viscaria (I have 2, the control is just unsurpassed in my opinion). This is also subjective, but viscaria plateaus on power. HL5/W968 on the other hand are pure attacking beasts.
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