If you are an all-round attacker who emphasizes spinny and accurate shots, this blade is perfect for you. The best all-wood controlled offensive (offensive minus = OFF-) I have played so far. It has been my blade for the past six months, and I can personally guarantee its unique performance.
First of all, OSP stands for Old Stiga Palatinus. The advantage of OSP blades compared to standard popular blades from companies like Butterfly, Stiga, Tibhar, etc., is that they are handmade.
The wood veneers are carefully selected and tested by hand. According to the old all wood classic blade standards used by Stiga & Banda, the construction process is also handmade.
Table of Contents
Overall Feeling 10/10
I have played with the most popular 5-ply blades out there, and Virtuoso- is the best. It has an extreme feeling in every shot you make. The two thin limba outer plies provide flexibility, and you can feel the ball/wood interaction in every shot, no matter the power you exert.
Materials Used & Geometry
It is a five-ply blade with a composition of limba-limba-ayous-limba-limba. The thickness is between 5.70 to 5.75mm. You can choose between 3 head sizes. Small (157mm X 150mm), Medium (158mm X 150mm), Large (159mm X 150mm). Small is good for FH oriented players, Large for BH, and Medium for neutral. Using the Large head with Chinese rubbers is not recommended, especially for mid-distance play.
The available handles are Flared(FL), Anatomic(UTCAN), Conic(ELCON), Round STraight (RST), SQuare STraight(SQST), and Chinese Penhold(CPEN).
You can also choose to handle orientation if you want more dynamic shots to your FH, BH, or neutral. Just check the image below.
Feedback 9.8/10
Due to its thickness and thin outer limba plies, the feedback provided is fantastic. You can feel the wood vibrating in your palm, giving you accurate information about the quality of your shot.
The only negative attribute here is that it vibrates a lot mid or far-distance play(using tacky Chinese rubbers), and you need large movements to pass the ball over the net. If you don’t want to change your unique tacky Chinese
When blocking or counter-hitting, you can feel precisely the position of the contact spot on your paddle. When looping or counter-looping, you can feel the ball “kicking” the blade. Looping at close or mid-distance is easy.
Speed 8.2/10
Speed is rewarding enough so you won’t face any problems. If you have good technique, the speed loss %, compared to spin & control provided, is negligible. Performance is excellent close to the table and at mid-distance. Far from the table, you will need that extra backswing to execute a fine speedy loop.
Spin 9.5/10
When spinning, you can feel the ball sinking into the blade and kicking back out with the desired trajectory. You can execute with ease both high and low arc loops with an excellent “catapult effect.”
Control & Accuracy 9.5/10
The center of gravity is head-oriented with a satisfying size sweet spot compared to carbon blades. When executing soft shots, you can “guide” the ball where you want with comfort.
Rubber Combinations
I have tried both hard and soft rubbers on this blade, and I can assure you it plays with almost everything. (I recommend you not play with super hard rubbers like XIOM OMEGA IV ASIA or the Palio blitz47.5-degree version). It matches excellently with semihard/semisoft rubbers.
If you are a Tenergy lover who likes all-wood blades, then you definitely must try it. The synergy between Tenergy type rubbers with the crisp feeling of Virtuoso- is highly effective. You will feel the paddle acting as one body. This fact, after all, is the main target when you are setting up your blade+rubbers combo.
Price/Performance Ratio
For those who need a faster blade to play more offensively on table tennis, this OSP Virtuoso OFF- Blade will fit them well.
It can give you the right balance of speed, spin, and control.
It is a lightweight offensive blade with harder touch and less flexibility. It offers players a more direct touch and feel.
You can buy the blade atย www.ospblades.com, the price might seem a bit expensive at first glance, but if you keep it for years, the payback is more than enough. Besides, you can still sell it to another player for a reasonable price if you don’t like it. OSP blades are becoming more and more popular on the internet, so you won’t have a problem finding a buyer.
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Warren Davies
