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yasaka hinoki leo 7 and 11 |
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zain islam 
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Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United Arab Emirates Status: Offline Points: 91 |
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 Topic: yasaka hinoki leo 7 and 11Posted: 02/10/2010 at 2:09pm |
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can someone review this blade or give a link to a review .(please dont give me megaspin.net i have been there) i am looking for a proper review.
anton i noticed your message box . could tell me how hinoki leo 7 plays
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blade: butterfly schalger carbon
forehand rubber: sriver L max backhand rubber: sriver EL max |
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Anton Chigurh
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Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Posted: 02/10/2010 at 3:12pm |
I'm not sure I can give a "proper" review, as I'm not a high-level player. However, I'll do my best.
 I was playing with an Xiom Fuga for a while. It was/is a very nice blade (comparable to a Stiga OC CR, I think), but I started to crave something with a little more speed. Not wanting to go a "traditional" route, i.e., Clipper or TBS, I decided to try blades that seemed less orthodox. So I purchased a Nexy Dexter and a Yasaka Hinoki Leo 7. (Also, a few one-ply blades; but that is an entirely different story.)
The Dexter is significantly faster than the Fuga. Dexter is a very nice 5-ply blade, with an extremely comfortable ST handle. However, as some forum members warned me, Dexter is a one-gear blade. It's stiff enough for great blocking and very stable for driving and smashing. It's good for looping too, IMO; but I usually only loop to open the rally and then try to drive as much as possible (Chinese rubber user
). But, it's too springy for me to control in the short game. Pushes frequently went long and drop shots were frequently too high. Serves were more challenging to control, too. I realize this is a technique issue as well, but I didn't have the same problems with my Fuga when using the exact same rubbers.Anyway, I was going to settle with the Dexter and just try to get my short game under control. But, I had to try the Leo 7 since I had already bought one and it was coming in the mail. As soon as I received it, I held it in my hand and immediately realized that, for my taste, it's the best ST handle I've encountered so far (which is saying a lot since I found Dexter's handle to be so great). I'd heard others say Yasaka makes excellent ST handles, regarding the YEO. They were right.
I slapped some rubbers on it and was almost immediately glad I did. The 7-plies give it the same desirable stiffness for my BH blocking and it has the same stability and speed as Dexter for driving. It is a solid OFF blade, neither + nor -. Yet, in the short game it is much, much more controllable than Dexter. Serves, pushes, and drops are as easy to control as with my Fuga. Looping with Leo 7 is actually easier than with Dexter, IMO. The Leo 7 has a much softer feel than Dexter. Dexter's feel is quite hard and sharp, which I think is due to it's thick Ayous core. I get a better sense of "catching" the ball with the Leo 7 than with Dexter--almost as much as I did with the Fuga, and the Fuga is an ALL+/OFF- blade.
Leo 7 is 7-plies, all Hinoki. Compared to one-ply Hinoki blades, it obviously has less of that amazing feel... but it still retains a surprising amount. I've played with/experimented with approximately ten blades over the course of the last 2.5 years (although I usually had a primary setup). So far, the Yasaka Hinoki Leo 7 is the best combination of feel, speed, and control I've encountered.
Of course, keep in mind that all of this is relative to the type of game I play and my skill level. I'm a FH dominant, aggressive player. In candor, my game is pretty one-dimensional: Open the rally as soon as possible and start trying to cram drives and loop kills down my opponent's throat. For my rubbers, I use Neo Hurricane 2 on my FH and Coppa Platin Soft on my BH.
I know this is lengthy... I hope I've said something of substance.
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Neo H3 40D| Offensive S | Tenergy 80
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zain islam
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Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United Arab Emirates Status: Offline Points: 91 |
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Posted: 02/10/2010 at 3:38pm |
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anton that was great. only one prob, how much does the leo 7 weigh. And yea one more thing could you please post a video ,i want to see how you play. thanks ,of all the people on this forum you have been the most helpfull
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blade: butterfly schalger carbon
forehand rubber: sriver L max backhand rubber: sriver EL max |
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Anton Chigurh
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Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Posted: 02/10/2010 at 3:43pm |
I'm glad it was helpful.
 The website I purchased mine from says the average weight is 86 grams. I don't have access to a scale right now, so I don't know how much mine weighs exactly. But, I'd guess it definitely weighs around 86g. Not too light, not too heavy. I'll try to get an exact weight sometime soon.
Regarding a video, I've been hoping to post one in the near future, simply because my coach went back to Korea and I'd like some feedback. However, I don't have a camera right now. My friend said I could use his, but that's kind of a hassle. So I guess it'll have to wait a while, but I do plan on posting as soon as I can.
P.S. Don't get your hopes up... I'm not very good.
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Neo H3 40D| Offensive S | Tenergy 80
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chris.b40
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Joined: 03/12/2009 Status: Offline Points: 2505 |
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Posted: 02/10/2010 at 3:54pm |
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nice review |
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AVALOX BLUE THUNDER
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LOOPMEISTER
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Joined: 11/13/2008 Location: U.S.A. Status: Offline Points: 2486 |
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Posted: 02/10/2010 at 4:25pm |
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I had the Leo 7.
It definitely plays like a thick 7-ply wood blade... Fast, stiff, and hard. Although the Hinoki makes it a little softer on touch shots and much lighter than other 7-plys like Clipper and SK7. My Leo 7 was 82g. The quality is outstanding. Great ST handle, as Anton pointed out. High quality wood, nice grains, and the construction is flawless. I would put it above the Darker Hinoki ply blades in quality. And it is higher quality than any Hinoki ply shakehand blade that BTY has made. Its a great blade, but if you like to loop, beware. Its stiff and has a low throw angle. (Like most thick 7-ply wood blades.) Consider it a hitter's blade with some flex. Again, it has some decent touch in the short game due to the Hinoki, but its not very flexible for big spinny loops. Definitely a blade for counter-attacking close to the table, right off the bounce. Also, if you use water based glue I would suggest sealing it. The top Hinoki plies are rather thin and they will splinter off if you use Butterfly Free Chack. (I know this from experience.  ) |
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shakepender
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Joined: 11/16/2009 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 204 |
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Posted: 02/11/2010 at 5:44am |
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Has anyone tried the Butterflys Kiso Hinoki V & VII? If so, what are they like?
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Viscaria : Omg IV Pro / Omg IV Euro
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zain islam wrote: