Palatinus OSP Expert ALL+ Review

Hello everyone! Yesterday I bought an EXPERT also with OSP ... laughs! it has the following configuration: EXPERT ALL + / RST / Bh Handle I thought this setup because I like to play the base of loops & drives (Appelgren / Rosskopf). When I have to defend I turn away from the table and lift balls, or if you are near or at half distance I try to be cool and objective as J-O Waldner. I usually play with a deeper footprint and with a strong hand wrist as Christophe Legout (but not close completely) than to let loose the racket in my hand ... So I am in doubt as to the type of rubber to use and would like you to give me their opinions. Here in Brazil we like to use rubber 2.2 mm (MAX) and I like soft rubber as COPPA X3 (silver), Cornilleau Pilot Power, BTY Catapult, TIBHAR Genius Optimum Sound. I realized when the game with two rubber match (For example > COPPA X3) I gain strength in BH but lose speed in Fh ... what I gonna do? A Coppa X3 in Bh and COPPA X1 in the FH? and which thickness (2.0mm or MAX?). I am strongly considering using two rubber COPPA X2 (JO platin silver) MAX just like Mikael Appelgren do! Thanks for your help!

Rich215 wrote: OSP Expert has so much feel and life to it!!!   It is like playing with a blade that is ALIVE!  what a great feeling structure of wood.

AndySmith wrote: I've had the good fortune to get hold of a test Expert in the last week.  It is truely a wonderful blade, capable of just about anything.  The only thing I didn't like was the overall weight.  I'm using heavy rubbers, and with the large head size the entire setup is heavy.   So I've ordered one from OSP with the Virtuoso M head size, ELCON-FH.    I had a Virtuoso M for a few months, and that was really, really good.  The Expert is all that and a bit more.

with the mentioned lkt rubbers, the virtuoso was giving me feedback which i disliked second only to the stiga allround classic wrb (). i was on a wild ej tear at the time so i'll never know how i would have liked it with other rubbers

mhnh007 wrote: Would it be fair to say that Expert is more suited for away from the table play, and Virtuosos is better for close to the table play?

Oooh, not sure. I think it's a personal preference, and I would put them the other way around.

Expert is definitely slower in the lower gears. Touch shots are easier. On bigger shots, expert flexes more to bring the speed up to almost the level of the Virtuoso. So expert had the wider dynamic range. It's your call if that suits you.

mhnh007 wrote: AndySmith wrote: mhnh007 wrote: Would it be fair to say that Expert is more suited for away from the table play, and Virtuosos is better for close to the table play? Oooh, not sure. I think it's a personal preference, and I would put them the other way around. Expert is definitely slower in the lower gears. Touch shots are easier. On bigger shots, expert flexes more to bring the speed up to almost the level of the Virtuoso. So expert had the wider dynamic range. It's your call if that suits you. From my experience, flex blade is good for full stroke, but does not play well close to the table.  I am very interested in the Expert for its control and feel (from what I read so far), but not sure if it fits my close to the table play.

imo, there is no disadvantage in the short game with the Expert. I've played with many blades in the ALL+ to OFF+ range (mostly OFF- to OFF+). I used to hate flexible blades.

The Expert is something unique. I would be surprised if you didn't like it in the short game. (unless you like effortless blazing blocks from an OFF+ thick and stiff blade... then you might be a little disappointed, i guess)

my 2 cents

mhnh007 wrote: the_theologian wrote: . imo, there is no disadvantage in the short game with the Expert. I've played with many blades in the ALL+ to OFF+ range (mostly OFF- to OFF+). I used to hate flexible blades. The Expert is something unique. I would be surprised if you didn't like it in the short game. (unless you like effortless blazing blocks from an OFF+ thick and stiff blade... then you might be a little disappointed, i guess) my 2 cents Sound like something I would like as well.  I am now leaning more toward the Expert then the Virtuoso .

I just leaned towards ordering a 2nd Expert, and did so

mhnh007 wrote: the_theologian wrote: . imo, there is no disadvantage in the short game with the Expert. I've played with many blades in the ALL+ to OFF+ range (mostly OFF- to OFF+). I used to hate flexible blades. The Expert is something unique. I would be surprised if you didn't like it in the short game. (unless you like effortless blazing blocks from an OFF+ thick and stiff blade... then you might be a little disappointed, i guess) my 2 cents Sound like something I would like as well.  I am now leaning more toward the Expert then the Virtuoso .

Your in quite the same situation many are in when trying to figure out if they should get the Expert or the Virtuoso- without having used either or only one of them. Let me give you just a little insight as to why i finally choose one over the other after using both. 

I liked the lower throw angle of the Virtuoso as it paired better for my play style and blended more closely to my game all around. I did not find any problems what so ever with short game at all in the Virtuoso.

I could of settled on the Expert if I did not have to change my wrist angle so much. I tended to send too many balls just off the end of the table because of the wrist angle difference needed that I was not used to. But it also may depend on the rubber you are going to use as well. Expert can play off the table very well I found.  It truly does have a very dynamic range of gears and is one of the most fun blades to play with.  

Good luck on your decision.

 

bluebucket wrote: Your blade can and usually does dictate what kind of player you are, if you've been playing with a blade that doesn't perform well from long range, like a balsa or even a thick 7 ply you can find yourself playing from long range almost straight away with a blade than can play the long range game better like a flexy 5 ply.  I'm sure the_theologian is looping balls from further off the table than he ever has over the last few days. I don't think the expert blocks as well as a stiff blade at the table. When you have a ball coming fast at you with enough power behind it to induce some flex into the expert the resulting shot can be a bit off target because of the large amount of dwell the blade makes even on those passive shots. On the other hand you can do more with that ball than just block it back, you have more options to cover the ball and add a little topspin, slow the ball down, add some side spin etc.

this is the first blade i've been comfortable with in getting aggressive with bh loops (finally!). and yes, fh loops are more dynamic than ever and further from the table than ever before

my 9-10-9 blocks better right off the table in some sense, but like you mentioned, with the expert i have the freedom to turn that block into something else


Edited by the_theologian - 03/20/2012 at 10:30am

the_theologian wrote: Rich215 wrote: OSP Expert has so much feel and life to it!!!   It is like playing with a blade that is ALIVE!  what a great feeling structure of wood.    This is exactly how I feel about the OSP Expert

Imago wrote: the_theologian wrote: Rich215 wrote: OSP Expert has so much feel and life to it!!!   It is like playing with a blade that is ALIVE!  what a great feeling structure of wood.    This is exactly how I feel about the OSP Expert   More vivid than Ultimate with H2/H3 on it?! Interesting...

Imago......when I first tried the Expert test blade (SQ/ST normal larger head like 161x152 at 93g), I used 2.0mm Rakza regular on both sides.  That is the only blade that felt good or worked well with the regular 2.0 Rakza rubber on blades that I have ranging from ALL+ to OFF.

This guy plays (black Butterfly dress) with "OSP Expert" FH / BH Tenergy 05 FX

Congrats to your end of EJing. Expert or Virtuoso - that seems to be the question for many OSP mates.

mepper59 wrote: btw, i want to post a foto, but i dont know how Anyone?

Easiest you can upload your image to the forum. Just choose the option "upload image" in post reply mode and choose the file(s) to upload. The forum software inserts the image(s) automatically to your post.

mepper59 wrote: hi ZZZ, thank you. I did upload it, but my foto is  to big(1.2mb) How can i make the file smaller,max 2kb?

Use Paint Brush, resize it to 800x600 (best for viewing), then save as jpg file.

If its working,