Review: Soulspin Spin Offensive

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   Read the blue for the Cliff notes.

http://www.soulspin.tt/en/technology/roots-hoelzer.html#c540

In the past, I've tried many times, unsuccessfully to go back to all-wood.
I've purchased and tried well-reviewed blades like the Infinity VPS V, Virtuoso, Virtuoso+, Violin and Acoustic but have sold them almost right away.

The Virtuoso blades (and other blades with similar composition, thickness & Ayous inner core) feel hollow and when I hit hard, I don't get as much spin (though they are AWESOME upto 3-4 feet from the table which is, really 90% of the game). I still have the V+ (that anyone that plays close to the table can pry from me if they want).

Acoustic (kiri core) feels like a bad control game to me. It is more repulsive than the Virtuoso. However, it has only marginally more spin than a TB-ALC at the table and less spin than TB-ALC away from table. Worse control as well.

The only one that stuck to me as a possibility was the Nittaku Meister Holz Sieben. But it is expensive as hell.

So, I finally bit the bullet and called Soulspin to discuss the possibility for them to make me a custom Holz Sieben. I wanted a very spinny blade that one can also engage in a at-table counters battle with (if required) and that does not lose power from mid-distance (where I have high standards, given that I play with the MJ-SZLC).

However, for my requirements, they recommended something they called an improved Holz Sieben - the Spin Offensive.

Basically, (if I remember correctly) the Holz Sieben is 6.6g, 7-ply Spruce outer blade with Ayous 2nd core. The Spin Offensive is a 6.95g 5-ply Spruce outer blade with Spruce as 2nd core as well.

Soulspin mentioned that the Spruce 2nd core and also the fact that it is 5-ply help in generating more spin and also slightly more flex (even though it is thicker blade than the Holz Sieben). They rate it as OFF+.

I had a few requirements: the handle has to be very heavy and the blade weight had to be 86g and under (both to accomodate today's heavy rubbers - my 2 sheets tend to add a total of 105g to combo weight when put on blade).

My problem was that the blade I configured was 97g estimated weight according to their website. So, I requested them to use the lightest veneers, especially for the core. And I would not mind if they lopped off a couple of tenths of a mm off the core if required.

So, I finally get a 85g blade! 

This is, quite simply, the best all-wood blade (for me) that I've played with. OFF / OFF+ (faster than TB-ALC). Amazing opening loops. Fantastic power-looping. Amazing feel / feedback (that is like that of the Holz-Sieben). None of those annoying vibrations.

Weaknesses (every blade has some): slightly bouncy in short game (can be ameliorated by purchasing new-age ESN offerings like the Acuda Blue or Xiom Omega V Asia series which are quite slow in short game), pushes not as spinny as the MJ-SZLC (no blade has pushes as spinny as the MJ-SZLC, though). Smashes could be better.

I've tried it with the MX-P on FH and the Xiom Omega V Europe on BH. 190g but so balanced because of the heavy handle that I can't feel any heaviness. Good matches. EL-P on BH was a bad match (too bouncy). I feel that the Acuda Blue P2 would be great on BH as well.

Given that I'm so happy with this blade, I thought that Soulspin deserved a public "Thank you", so here it is: Thanks, Soulspin.

I'll still keep my 2 MJ-SZLC blades but pretty much every thing else (including my TB-ALC blades) go to the for-sale section.

Edited by slevin - 04/21/2016 at 3:37pm