Xiom Feel HX Pro and HX Blade

HX Pro:  7.1mm thick, Kiso Hinoki outer; 89 grams; stiff

HX: 6.8mm thick, Kiso Hinoki outer; 88 grams; medium stiff

 

The Hx Pro blade is the thickest blade in the Xiom Feel Series. It is about 7.1mm thick but it is not the heaviest blade, rather it is the Feel SX blade. The Feel series blades are being marketed by Xiom as their next generation blades. Their previous blades like the Omega or Vega series are not as numerous compared to the Feel series which has 8 blades to choose from! The outer plies of the HX Pro is said to be a high quality Kiso Hinoki that is 200 years old+. Xiom says that they are trying to get higher qualities of their products in the market compared to their past products and also can even compete with Butterfly. The HX version is a thinner version of the HX Pro with the same Kiso Hinoki outer plies. I am assuming that only these 2 blades have the Kiso Hinoki outers because other blades in the Feel series do not have the Kiso Hinoki label in the blade surface. Both blades have a slightly wider wing part compared to older models like the Omega or Vega Series blades. The handles of the 2 blades are thicker by a millimeter. Usually, when I measured the older blades they have, the handle thickness is just 25mm+. With the HX Pro it is 26mm+ and the HX version almost at 26mm. The wing or neck part of the balde needs to be sanded slightly but this is not a big problem. Both blades have thick Kiso Hinoki Outer plies.

 

In terms of speed, the HX Pro is labeled as OFF but it is as good as OFF+. It is fast enough to be OFF+ in speed. The speed is on par with the Xiom Ignito but the HX pro seems to have a harder, more solid feel. The Ignito that I had was 83 grams. If on a powerscale The HX Pro’s power is a solid 9/10 while Ignito is an 8/10. It is probably the extra thickness that gives the solidity of the shots and also the catapult of the ball. Still the HX Pro is slower than the Xiom Axelo. I would put the speed of the HX Pro at the level of Primorac Carbon which is already an off+ blade. Axelo is still the fastest balde of Xiom in my opinion. The HX version is a toned down version of the HX Pro and it has control written all over it. The HX version is thinner and definitely slower than the HX Pro but still plenty fast. I would compare the speed of the HX version as slightly faster than the Stradivarius but slower than the Ignito. For other brands, the HX version is as fast as or slightly faster than the Timo Boll ALC with a more solid feel.

 

In terms of control, both the HX pro and HX blades have a fairly amount of control. It is not hard to control these two blades since they do not seem to be blindingly fast but rather have the acceptable amount of control. The HX Pro is more controllable than the Ignito or Axelo and has a better control than the Primorac Carbon. The HX version can be everybody’s carbon blade because it is that just good of an offensive carbon blade. The one who used it aside from me even commented that it has the same control of a Timo Boll Alc but has a slightly different feel because of the different composite materials used.

 

In terms of looping, the HX Pro can still loop good but it is more specialized in power looping. Near the table it seems to be fitted for loop driving and taking the ball at the peak of the bounce or off the bounce. The HX pro is good in overpowering the opponent’s underspin  return but it is even better doing counter looping or counter spins mid-distance from the table or far from the table. The HX Pro’s speed puts it really at mid-distance to far from the table if you attack the ball with spin. The HX version is good for spinning mostly near and mid-distance from the table. Near the table, it is good to loop with because of the control and not fearing the ball overshooting the table but the HX version is best at middle distance. If you want to play far from the table, you would probably need a faster rubber like the Omega V Pro. The one I used for the test for both blades and other Feel blades is the Xiom Omega Euro DF.

 

Overall, I am greatly satisfied and impressed with both blades with a little bit of inclination with the HX version because I am the type of guy who does not want very fast blades. However, people who look for power in a blade would get the HX Pro version. Also, I would recommend using Medium or medium soft rubbers for the HX Pro because the medium-hard Xiom Omega V Euro seems to feel too hard for this blade. The HX version is fine with any rubber from soft to hard because it does not feel as the stiff and hard as the thicker HX Pro version. Both baldes also have little to minimal amount of vibration. 

Xiom ZX1, ZX2 and ZX3 Blades

ZX1 

ZX2







ZX3

The ZX blades are a major improvement when compared to the older Hayabusha series. The ZX blades are advertised by Xiom as totally different blades when compared to the Hayabusha series. While the Hayabusha blades have this flashy look and design, the ZX Feel series have opted to have the simple yet elegant design for each blade. I would like to point out that in the website of Xiom, the ZX1 has a Hinoki outer ply but in reality the ZX1 has a colored limba outer ply instead which I think is probably heat treated like the Donic Burn blades before but not 100% sure. The ZX2 and ZX3 are indeed hinoki outer ply blades. Though the ZX2 and 3 do not have a Kiso Hinoki mark on their blade surface, the Xiom website indicate that both blades have Kiso Hinoki. As what the handles of the HX blades, the ZX blades also have a bigger

 

So what are their differences in speed? Both the ZX3 and ZX2 are at off+ levels. They are pretty fast. The ZX3 is the fastest among the 3 blades. If I compare it to the HX Pro, they seem to be toe to toe in terms of speed even if the HX Pro is a thicker blade. As what I have compared the HX Pro’s speed before, it is below the speed of Sardius or Amultart and also Schlager Carbon. So I will place the speed of the ZX3 below those Butterfly blades mentioned but faster than Gergely or Primorac Carbon if not equal. The ZX2 is close to the HX’s speed but the HX is slightly faster. The ZX2 is still a powerful blade. If I compare it to blades from other brands, the ZX2 is marginally faster than Viscaria or Timo Boll ALC but lower than a Super Jun Mizutani blade. Xiom Ignito is faster than the ZX2 or 3. The ZX1 however is somewhat slower compared to other blades of Xiom Feel Series. The ZX1 having a limba outerply with innermost Z-Carbon sandwiching the central core (the picture depicted in the Xiom website has hinoki but it has limba in reality), is slower than a viscaria but has an almost equal speed than the Innerforce ALC. It is rated as an OFF blade and not an OFF+ blade. Still, it has plenty of speed.

 

Of the 3 blades, the ZX3 is the one with the least flex, the ZX2 with some flex and with the ZX1 with plenty of flex. The ZX1 loops best among the 3 ZX blades, the ZX2 being balanced on both power and spinning capabilities while the ZX3 is much better for power shots. The ZX3 is particular about the skillset of the person using it to loop the ball. If you have a skill for looping or loop driving, the ZX3 will reward you with great shots and power but it needs somewhat of an advanced level to fully utilize it. The ZX3 has a medium to low arc when looping. The ZX2 is a balanced looping or loop driving blade. At least the ZX2 can be used by players of lower levels like an intermediate level player. It is much more forgiving compared to the ZX3 in terms of shots. While the ZX3 needs a person to have precise set of skills to spin or attack the ball, the ZX2 has better control and is more forgiving if you for example have not executed your stroke full. The ZX2 has medium arc when looping. The ZX1 is sometimes, puzzling because it feels more woody than being a composite blade. This is not a bad thing because this is for people who want a faster blade than just an all wood blade but does not want a sacrifice of the wood feel, the ZX1 is an excellent blade for them. The ZX1 has a medium arc when looping. I have tried both the Xiom Omega V Europe and a Chinese rubber on the blade. Both rubbers can loop really great when using the ZX1.

For smashing, counter driving away from the table and even blocking, I would give the edge to the ZX3 but the ZX2 is slightly better in terms of control. ZX1 is above average for smashing but I can feel its power only up to mid-distance from the table even with fast rubbers. The ZX1 is best close to the table. The ZX2 is again the balanced blade which is good in all 3 distances from the table. The ZX3 is just a wrecking machine when it comes to hard topspins and smashes. People who choose to have speed and power but do not want to lose much control will sure love this blade.

 

All in all, the ZX3 seems to be the flagship blade of the Xiom Feel series. The other 2 are also very good but the ZX3 really stands out among the rest. It is a different blade compared to the old Hayabusha series. The ZX2 and ZX1 blades are also way different blades compared to their older counterparts. 

Xiom Feel SX
95 grams, 6.48mm, OFF+

 

The Xiom Feel SX has Anigre/Anegre top plies. Anegre is an African hardwood. When I compared the Janka hardness of Limba and Anegre, Anigre is substantially harder at around 700+ cmapred to the Janka value of Limba which is around 400+. This gives the SX a bit heavier weight due to having a denser and harder wood. The SX has a weight range of 95-99 grams according to Xiom and I got mine at 95 grams. The blades construction is superb and the Anegre’s surface seems to be semi smooth and not as smooth as Hinoki top plies of other Feel blades.

 

The blade is a heavy blade due to the choice of materials made for the rubber. Xiom said that they really intended the SX to be heavy and for me the 95 gram weight is not that I can handle easily if I use it with both inverted rubbers. With a long pimpled rubber then this set up is good. The blade is a solid attacking blade. It feels woody on impact. Although it is a basically a carbon-zephylium blade, it retains some feel. There are times that the SX can almost be as fast as the HX PRO but they kinda feel different on impact. The SX feels like a classic, hard 7 ply all wood from those old Chinese blades while the HX Pro feels like any modern hard-hitting blade.
If the SX had been lighter and thinner, maybe it would be more playable to a lot of folks. Well, it is either you really like heavy blades or you have a strong arm to play this set up fully. Xiom says their newer rubbers like Omega 7 Pro and Euro are lighter. My pro rubber is 45 grams cut to 150x157 and the euro is 43 grams cut to the same size. If I were to use the blade’s weight at 95 grams plus the 2 rubbers the total set-up weight it about 183 grams which is still on the heavy side. So I would recommend this maybe to attacking long pip players. One inverted on the forehand and one pips out rubber with thin or no sponge at all. I tried the SX with a 755 Long Pips and it worked perfectly fine. It can attack and block well with the LP on the bh side.It can chop block near the table but it cannot chop defensively even outside the table due to its raw power.

 

This is still a high-performance blade but it is heavy for most people unless they are combination racket players.

 

Xiom Feel S7
92-94 grams approx, 6.2mm, OFF, 7 ply all wood

 

The Feel S7 is the only all wood blade in the series. It has a koto outer plies with an unknown 2^nd ply  and has a medium stiff feel. It feels less smooth than the Xiom Solo blade wherein it shares a lot of similarities especially in construction but they are quite different blades in terms of playing characteristics. The Feel S7 feels like a Xiom Solo in steroids. The Solo blade is made in China and this one is made in Japan. The Solo has flex especially when looping but the S7 feels more solid and has less flex. In fact it feels a bit harder than a Clipper wood. I would put it in between Clipper CC’s and Clipper CR’s stiffness and hardness. What the Xiom Solo lacked in power being a 7 ply blade, the Feel S7 has a lot and the difference in speed and power is a lot. The S7 is also a bit on the heavy side. Xiom says they designed this blade at this weight for the polyball. Again, like the SX blade, if you have the strong arm then this blade would be good for hard hitting strokes. The S7 is just a powerful blade that you can unleash your strokes but still maintain a good amount of control. The S7 can still spin very well but it is more suited more for speedy shots with a good amount of spin rather than a pure slow looping style.

 

Xiom Feel AX
84 grams, OFF, 6mm

 I saved the best for last (my personal preference among all Feel blades but ZX3 and  ZX2 are awesome too). This is the cheapest composite blade among the Feel blades and if I am not mistaken this is in the range of the Xiom Quad V1 or Clipper CR. It is made in China but the quality is not inferior, although the Japan-made blades like the HX and ZX blades (with the exception of ZX1) have a better quality finish. Nevertheless, what made me fall in love with this blade is that it is blade with complete package. Yes, it is not as fast as a Viscaria because I would rate it as OFF and not an OFF+ blade but the speed is more than enough. I am biased about the feel but among the composite Feel blades, the AX  is the one that has best feel. It has little to no vibration. It has a thin 7 ply construction and it provides enough flex to loop the ball slowly and with great spin or loop drive the ball. In short, the AX is dynamic blade where you it can give you the spin you wanted in a blade or be a powerful attacking blade but maintains a good amount of control. I really like the Xiom Vega Euro blade even until today. They possess almost the same speed and control but the AX has more flex and the surface of the top plies are not as hard. The AX does not feel too hard but does not feel soft that it decreases your power. Also, a good bonus is the weight. The Blade ranges about 84-87 grams. Mine is 84 grams and when I paired it with a Xiom Omega VII Pro and Euro rubbers, the set up is light. Even with the Globe 999 national and Omega V euro rubbers before, the set up does not feel heavy and not even head heavy compared to other blades I had in the past. I think it is safe to say that the AX is the blade that was really unexpected and surprisingly good despite the cheaper price. This blade made me shift to a controlled composite blade due to me wanting a less physically demanding set up.

 

I would rate the blades objectively basing on performance, balance of speed and control, weight and feel (highest to lowest):

 

1.      ZX3

2.      ZX2

3.      HX Pro

4.      SX (if not for the weight this could have been number 2)

5.      AX

6.      HX

7.      ZX1

8.      S7

And the major improvement is what, exactly?

they do not feel like the old hayabusha series and they play better. some people would say the hayabusha series were mostly on the visual aspects only. the zx series are much better and not just so-so blades.

Do you have any info about it? Are the newer shapes different?

Thanks a lot 

Oh I should have specified that I was actually referring more to the TableTennisDaily "reviews", not yours. It is good to know that you used the blade for 3 weeks, that would be about ample time to come to a conclusion. 

Yeah, my impression is that the website puts the ZX3 as faster.

Though, in the end, what matters is both blades are fast enough. What matters is whether you like Innerforce like construction or the other one (and also what thickness blades you prefer).

How Feel ZX2, ZX3 compare with vega tour, vega pro?

updated with reviews for the sx, ax, s7

I currently play with a Viscaria (double inverted) and a Double Day Terminator ALC/ZLC (with OX pips on BH). 

I have recently purchased a couple of sheets of Rozena to concentrate in practice on my double inverted game. I play with my MX-P/OX pips setup in league matches and now that I have reached the top divisions of the two leagues I play in, my double inverted game isn't up to scratch because of years playing pips on BH. 

I was planning on putting the Rozena on my Viscaria, but have got an itch to potentially try the Vega Euro or Feel AX blades for this setup. 

To help me decide, could you rate them (Viscaria, Vega Euro, Feel AX) out of 10 relative to each other for:

Top Speed:

Catapult on low/medium impact:

Flex:

Size of Sweet Spot:

Feedback:

Handle/Grip Comfort:

Head Heaviness (5 being center balanced): 

I have tried loads of all wood and ZLF blades over the summer, I just can't get on with them now that I have been playing with ALC/ZLC blades for so long (my stroke has shortened to accommodate them). However, I need to retrain my backhand and also relearn serve returns (as with pips I can return anything without having to read the spin - hence buying the Rozena). I would really appreciate your input on the numbers to help me find a blade that has a really great power to control ratio and that will play ok with the somewhat mushy (compared to my usual MX-P) Rozena rubbers.

Thanks.

I read somewhere else that they had the same problem with the new handle design on the Feel series, it's a bit odd how they have done it. To be honest, that's a deal breaker for me as I am not into having to customise a blade. I get that they are designed mainly for a market of small handed players, but it irritates me nonetheless. 

That leaves the Vega Euro vs my Viscaria, which I guess is a question for another thread. I think the 158x152 head size is the deal breaker for me there, too head heavy and I have thin wrists. 

It's a real shame, from everything I have read about Xiom blades over the years people always love the performance, strange head and handle sizes and lack of finishing all of which effect comfort and balance seem to be the most common things people give them up for. That said, if you are willing to do a bit of customising, or go to a straight handle when you are used to flared etc, you can't deny their price/performance ratio is overall very attractive. I mean, the Vega Pro and Euro, similar to JM and JK SZLC, are around £70-£75 shipped to the UK from TT-Japan. 

It's more stable in blocking and I dont feel it lacking flexibility. The overall balance feels a bit better but I find it worse in FH to BH transitions. A better handle would solve the problem.

Good for lifting underspin balls, I didnt miss shots I wouldnt have missed with the Innerforce anyway.

BH

The Acuda P2 - I bought a new sheet for the blade.

I developed a very safe and powerful when needed BH with Innerforce and now on the Xiom blade I dont feel at home with this rubber anymore.

It felt too springy and fast and i couldnt really adapt in passive shots, they were too long, blocks went too long. Either the rubber needs to break in (which I dont remember happening on Innerforce - I played with about 5 sheets of P2 bought new) or it's too soft for the blade.

Can anyone suggest a BH rubber since im very used to acuda p2 on Innerforce Layer ALC?

I want to change the handle and find a good balance to call it a great blade.

Never fully understood what ppl includ the term "flex" of the blade. Maybe someone can explain me...?

On a separate note, tried ZX1 for one session, 2-3 hours, comparing it Hayabusa ZXI (on both blades same setup - Xiom Omega V Tour max FH and Rakza 7Soft 2MM BH). Not a 100% comparison as I put notably older rubbers on ZX1 vs. new set on Hayabusa ZXI but nonetheless.

First impressions were quite positive, enough control speed and spin but different from Hayabusa - I need a few more sessions to confidently compare all metrics but just basics: ZXI is slightly faster but not materially. ZX1 has more feel, on Blocks - for sure.

to be continued...

Just to add a few notes as some asked me to compare with ZXI:

ZX1 is:

-  ~5% slower than ZXI Hayabusa

-  Much more linear than Hayabusa on Drives and Drive-Loops

-  Has about same control in chops.

- Easier to flip than with Hayabusa , especially flat flip with no rotation.

- Banana is easier with Hayabusa since on a short spins it generates higher curve than ZX1

- About same sweet spot.

- Counters are easier with ZX1. 

- Spins on heavy chop are easier to lift with ZXI but harder to control the length vs ZX1

 

@iakovka - Thank you for the commentary.  You're the second person who mentioned ax as being similar to Vega Euro.

Did not play long enough with the two but what vishal said feels correct to me. 

AX has more power and feel in rallies while Vega Euro has a sharper feel on short movements, when the impact with the ball is less pronounced, like on drops/touches close to the table. 

No, i am saying that my blade's top layer (same blade)  looked somewhat different in texture. 

I'm thinking about purchasing one. 

Does anyone know the full composition of plys for the ZX3?

Based on playing with Feel AX for approx 10-12 hours (with the same rubbers I used on Euro) I didn't find them to be very similar.

The AX is meaningfully faster, has considerably harder surface, has less "ball grab" (faster rebound), and feels stiffer than Vega Euro.  AX also has considerably more of sharp carbon feel compared to muted composite feel of Vega Euro.

I'm definitely not trying to trash the AX - It is a really nice and inexpensive composite blade, but I don't find that much similarity between AX and Euro.

I'm curious whether I'm missing something, or others have had similar experience with these two blades.

maybe you have feel ax blade like me. It have fishcale on koto surface and high weight (mine 91gram).

Haha

@cber_613 - What do you mean by "fishcale on koto surface"?  

My AX weighs 89 gr.

Outer plies (top plies) Like this

https://flic.kr/p/26Au1f6" rel="nofollow"> https://flic.kr/p/26Au1f6" rel="nofollow - IMG_20180427_163618 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/78126880@N03/" rel="nofollow - cyber_613 , on Flickr

I just took pictures of both sides and mine looks like this: 

I'm not sure how meaningfully the weight of AX affects its feel and performance.

One thing that I noticed with this blade is that the top ply is very thin, and the aramid-carbon layer is very close to the surface (much closer than in other composite blades I've used before) which probably is the reason for AX's sharp and relatively hard feel, and fast ball rebound ... which makes it very accurate at blocking despite it being rather thin.  My gut tells me that this blade would pair well with grippy/spinny rubbers, and with thicker sponges.

As to which of the Feel blades is best, I think it's quite subjective.   I feel that people who are used composite blades with muted and softer feel might not enjoy Feel AX as much as yogi_bear does.