Weight
85g
Thickness
5.85mm
Plies
7-ply
Head Size
159.5x150
Handles
FL / ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Oversized
Balance
Head-Heavy
Original No. 1 Senso
Donic Original No. 1 Senso is a premium offensive blade engineered for dynamic, aggressive topspin play. Its seven-ply hybrid construction features two inner layers of premium acrylic-carbon surrounding an ayous core, delivering significant acceleration and penetrating power. The signature Senso-Grip-Technology creates a hollow handle, reducing overall weight and shifting the balance forward for enhanced maneuverability and faster stroke execution. Despite its power, the blade offers a sensational, medium-soft ball feel and a large sweet spot, providing excellent control for serves, returns, and passive play. This combination makes it a top choice for ambitious players seeking high-quality materials and exceptional all-around offensive performance.
This 5+2 construction features an ayous core, two inner layers of premium acrylic-carbon, and outer limba plies. This configuration is designed to provide a blend of speed, spin, and feel, with the inner carbon layers enhancing power and acceleration while the limba outer plies contribute to dwell time and touch.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Donic Original No. 1 Senso delivers significant speed, especially when employing dynamic attacks and topspin strokes. The inner acrylic-carbon layers are key to its acceleration capabilities, providing a noticeable power boost in medium to long-distance play. While not the absolute fastest blade at lower speeds, it offers a readily accessible speed advantage that fuels aggressive offensive play effectively.
Despite its offensive capabilities, this blade offers a high level of control. This is attributed to its relatively soft touch, large sweet spot, and the Senso handle's ability to transmit feedback effectively. Players report it is adept for serve/return, touch play, and maintaining consistency even during the most aggressive exchanges.
This blade provides a surprisingly soft and sensitive touch for a carbon composite construction. This allows for excellent ball feedback, enabling players to better feel the ball upon impact and control their shots with precision, particularly in the short game and during delicate touches.
The blade generally produces a medium-high throw angle, which is beneficial for executing attacking topspin loops with a good arc and reliable net clearance.
The outer limba plies, combined with the strategic placement of the inner carbon layers, create good dwell time. This allows ample contact time to impart heavy spin on the ball, leading to powerful and effective topspin shots with high rotation.
While some descriptions label it as stiff, user experiences often suggest it's more flexible than expected for a carbon blade. This flexibility allows for good bending during powerful strokes, which in turn enhances dwell time and spin generation.
The Senso handle technology is designed to transmit vibrations effectively, providing clear feedback to the player. While some users enjoy this distinct feeling of the ball striking the blade, others might find it more noticeable. It offers informative feedback without being excessively jarring.
The blade is generally regarded as well-built with premium materials. TTSensei experts note the precise manufacture using first-class components. However, a few users have reported minor issues such as rough edges on the wings or slight warping. These appear to be isolated incidents, and the overall build quality is considered good for its class.
Technology
Donic Original No. 1 Senso incorporates Donic's signature Senso-Grip-Technology. This involves a hollow construction within the handle, which reduces overall weight and effectively shifts the blade's balance point towards the head. This design enhances maneuverability and facilitates quicker transitions between forehand and backhand strokes, while also aiding in power generation for attacking shots. The blade's core construction includes two layers of premium acrylic-carbon, strategically placed near the core to amplify offensive capabilities without compromising the desired feel and control.
Pro Players Using This Blade
Dimitrij Ovtcharov
This blade was originally developed and popularized under Dimitrij Ovtcharov's name before being rebranded. Ovtcharov, a former world No. 1 known for his powerful and dynamic offensive game, particularly his devastating topspin shots, used this blade. Its combination of speed, spin, and feel perfectly complemented his aggressive style, enabling him to generate immense power and rotation while maintaining crucial control during matches.
Similar Blades
DHS Hurricane Long 5 (HL5)
Donic Original No. 1 Senso is frequently compared to the DHS Hurricane Long 5. Both blades share a similar inner-ply carbon construction and are designed for offensive play with an emphasis on spin and power. Many players find the Senso version, with its premium acrylic-carbon and Senso handle, offers a slightly different feel—some describe it as positioned between the standard HL5 and other high-end variants—with a distinct weight distribution and tactile experience.
Donic Original No. 1
The Donic Original No. 1 is a close relative, featuring a similar ply construction but lacking the Senso handle technology. This results in a slightly different, more balanced weight distribution. While it shares much of the offensive capability, the absence of the hollow handle means it offers a different tactile experience and feel compared to the Senso version.