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Review: Nittaku S-series S-5 and S-7

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kindof99 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kindof99 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08/28/2017 at 10:58am
Will get my S-5 today, with Aurus prime and R47. I will report later how I feel with it. 
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kindof99 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kindof99 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08/29/2017 at 12:01am
With R47 on the forehand, S5 feels a little bit bouncy. Short games and short serves are not that good. Blocking is very good with Aurus prime on the backhand. Overall, I prefer Barwell fleet more than S5 so far. But I will give S5 more tries later since the rubbers are still new and might need time to break in. Barwell fleet with R47 is a good combination though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wanchope Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08/29/2017 at 7:38am
It can't be bouncier than the bwf. I have both blades. And t05 is probably bouncier than r47, but it was easy for me. Maybe give it a little break-in time. I wasn't very impressed after the first play either.
Barwell fleet, Omega 7 Pro & Fastarc S1
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p1ngp0ng3r Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08/31/2017 at 9:01am
Originally posted by p1ngp0ng3r p1ngp0ng3r wrote:

Just arrived: S-5 FL 86.25gr, G1 Red 2.0mm and C1 Black 2.0mm
Let's see how this blade compares to my Infinity VPS.

Had 4 sessions (2Hr each) with both blades. I'm comparing the S-5 with my Infinity VPS (84.45gr).
The legend handle of the Infinity is pretty thick and holding the S-5 the top of the handle (neck?) felt definitely thinner. The wings of the S-5 were nicely sanded so no sharp edges. The overall built quality of the S-5 seems very good. The weight is very well balanced. Although the S-5 is 2gr heavier, the S-5 felt much lighter than the Infinity.

Some info about me: I'm a two-wing looper, relying on spin and ball placement, playing 25+ years on a decent region level. 

The S-5 felt too hard for me, especially with the G1 on FH. My shots where not consistent and felt not comfortable. The C1 on the BH , is a very nice combination. It's some sort of a do-it-all rubber.

Mantra M on S-5 felt a lot better, even though the Mantra M is not a soft rubber at all. My shots where more consistent and packed more punch. The amount of spin of Mantra M and G1 are the same. Mantra M generates more spin then the C1. The slimmer handle of the S-5 however, is still a downside for me. 

G1 and C1 on Infinity felt very good. The Infinity has more flex (or a least feels softer) than the S-5. 
The G1 is faster than Mantra M, but because of high level of control of the Infinity, it felt very good. 

Conclusion: although the S-5 is positioned as an ALL+ blade, it's definitely faster then the Infinity VPS. I would say the S-5 is in the lower OFF segment. The S-5 is a hard blade (@Arg0, seems your acoustic theory is correct). The Infinity is a bit slower, feels softer and has more control.

Will do 1-2 more sessions with the S-5, but so far the Infinity is the better blade for me. 

 




Infinity VPS - Hybrid MK - T25 FX
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote arg0 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09/02/2017 at 5:04pm
Originally posted by p1ngp0ng3r p1ngp0ng3r wrote:

Had 4 sessions (2Hr each) with both blades. I'm comparing the S-5 with my Infinity VPS (84.45gr).
The legend handle of the Infinity is pretty thick and holding the S-5 the top of the handle (neck?) felt definitely thinner. The wings of the S-5 were nicely sanded so no sharp edges. The overall built quality of the S-5 seems very good. The weight is very well balanced. Although the S-5 is 2gr heavier, the S-5 felt much lighter than the Infinity.

Some info about me: I'm a two-wing looper, relying on spin and ball placement, playing 25+ years on a decent region level. 

The S-5 felt too hard for me, especially with the G1 on FH. My shots where not consistent and felt not comfortable. The C1 on the BH , is a very nice combination. It's some sort of a do-it-all rubber.

Mantra M on S-5 felt a lot better, even though the Mantra M is not a soft rubber at all. My shots where more consistent and packed more punch. The amount of spin of Mantra M and G1 are the same. Mantra M generates more spin then the C1. The slimmer handle of the S-5 however, is still a downside for me. 

G1 and C1 on Infinity felt very good. The Infinity has more flex (or a least feels softer) than the S-5. 
The G1 is faster than Mantra M, but because of high level of control of the Infinity, it felt very good. 

Conclusion: although the S-5 is positioned as an ALL+ blade, it's definitely faster then the Infinity VPS. I would say the S-5 is in the lower OFF segment. The S-5 is a hard blade (@Arg0, seems your acoustic theory is correct). The Infinity is a bit slower, feels softer and has more control.

Will do 1-2 more sessions with the S-5, but so far the Infinity is the better blade for me. 

Thanks, I appreciated your review and the comparison with the Infinity VPS.
Adding your thoughts to the reviews of players that previously played with blades that are faster than the S-5, I think that this thread now gives a pretty precise idea of what the S-5 feels like.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JoeB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09/03/2017 at 8:50pm
Pingpongr3, thanks for your input.  I would respectfully disagree on two comments in your review.
You say the S5 is positioned as an allround+ blade. Nittaku calls it Off and on their chart it is rated slightly faster than the other two Spruce series blades. I have been playing it now for about 6 months and It is clearly in a solid Off category in my experience. I don't recall anyone rating it All+. It is clearly faster than a Virtuoso which is a great reference point for Off-.   

You call it a "hard" blade. It plays nice and firm on hard swings but has a decidedly soft feel to it. This is I think the "gear" effect of spruce and hinoki woods, but I don't think they are hard.  Hard to me is ebony, rosewood, etc.     I have lived with this blade now quite awhile and feel like I know it pretty well.  I would spend some more time with it...there is more there.   Respectfully,  JoeWink
Joe B   BBC Hinoki/carbon
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p1ngp0ng3r Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09/04/2017 at 2:27am
Hey Joe, I buy most of my TT gear in Germany and the German Nittaku website (and the German webshops) position this blade as ALL/ALL+ (https://nittaku.tt/collections/tischtennis-hoelzer-schlaeger/products/s5-s-serie). I agree with you that this is an OFF blade for sure.

How a blade feels is subjective and for me, it feels hard. Also depends on what kind of blades you have used before perhaps. Coming from mainly all wood blades, the S-5 feels hard. If you are used to carbon blades, then maybe this blade feels soft indeed. 

I will definitely give the S-5 another try, but as the next competition (3rd week Sept to 1st week Dec) starts in 2 weeks, I will stick to my Infinity VPS. (which for me is still one of the best all wood blades for topspin play) 
Infinity VPS - Hybrid MK - T25 FX
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sherwood Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12/02/2017 at 6:22pm
I have been playing with the S-5 for a few weeks now and would not describe it as hard.  Spruce is softer than Limba but harder than hinoki.  The core of the S-5, however, is somewhat firmer than the S-CZ which has a Kiri core.  The S-5 is also moderately stiff (slightly stiffer than the S-CZ) but with a bit of "give", evidently due to a softer Spruce core, which allows the ball to penetrate somewhat before being catapulted out.  I normally like a slightly more flexible blade for looping but the catapult and soft touch of the Spruce make this a very good looping blade.

If you've tried the S-5 and were not impressed, it may be because of the rubber/blade combination.  I initially tried it with Rasant PowerGrip and wanted to return the blade ("this is awful", I said).  But then I tried it with regular Rasant and Tenergy 05fx and was sold ("wow, this is incredible").

The feedback of the blade is exceptional -- the best I've ever felt (better even than Septear, Virtuoso+, Expert All+, V'King).  With the right rubber, it gives a wonderful cracking sound when looping.  Also, with the right rubber, the precision and control are top-notch.

Update: I’m now playing with Tibhar EL-P on this blade and the feedback, feel, sound, and precision are even better than with Rasant and T05fx. It’s delightful to loop with this combination! Now if EL-P had slightly more dwell time in its sponge it would be absolutely perfect!

Edited by sherwood - 02/12/2018 at 1:14am
Nittaku S-5
Dignics 05
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sherwood Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12/05/2017 at 11:56pm
Wrong thread--not sure how to delete this post.


Edited by sherwood - 12/06/2017 at 12:01am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote player87 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12/06/2017 at 12:46am
I was also quite impressed by the feeling of S5 however I like the feeling I have from Virtuoso +

S5 has little bit higher throw that I would like to have. I really like V+ now. maybe later i will give S5 a try again)))
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tox Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08/22/2018 at 3:40pm
Has anyone tried this blade with Hurricane 3 Neo? I'm thinking about buying it as it sounds really good but no one has commented on how it pairs with Chinese rubbers, only Euro 😂😂
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tuot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09/30/2021 at 6:07pm
 is it easier to do topspin on undercut with S-7 or S-5?

Edited by Tuot - 09/30/2021 at 6:08pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tuot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10/01/2021 at 2:50am
Can someone who has tried both of them point out the differences in behavior between S-5 and S-7?  
I am mainly interested in understanding the difference in the shooting angle, the arc of the ball.  
I am undecided I do not know which of the two to buy.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JoeB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10/01/2021 at 2:51pm
It is very easy to do topspin with the S-5     Underspin is also easy but top is the best.

Joe B   BBC Hinoki/carbon
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