Weight
90g
Thickness
6.5mm
Plies
7-ply
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Head-Heavy
Black Widow
Hunter Black Widow combines lethal speed with surprising versatility and touch, making it a formidable weapon for offensive-minded players. Its 7-ply construction, featuring two layers of glass fiber sandwiched between Oregon Pine and Kiri wood plies, provides a powerful foundation for aggressive play. This blade excels in a variety of shots, including loops, counter-drives, and kill shots, while also offering excellent feel for quick exchanges. The attractive black design and comfortable grip further enhance its appeal. For players seeking a blade that devours anything that crosses the net, the Hunter Black Widow offers a potent blend of power and control at a competitive price point.
The 7-ply construction features an outer layer of Oregon Pine, followed by glass fiber and Kiri wood. The inner construction repeats this pattern, with glass fiber sandwiched between wood layers, culminating in a final Oregon Pine outer layer. This hybrid design, incorporating glass fiber, contributes to the blade's speed and stiffness.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Hunter Black Widow is widely recognized for its high speed, consistently rated around 9.0 out of 10. This aggressive speed rating makes it suitable for players who prefer powerful shots and fast-paced rallies. The combination of wood and glass fiber plies contributes to a stiff and fast blade that can generate significant pace on attacks.
While rated as a fast blade, Hunter Black Widow also receives a respectable control rating. This suggests that despite its speed, the blade offers good maneuverability and precision, allowing players to place shots effectively and maintain consistency during exchanges. The inclusion of wood plies likely helps in maintaining a degree of feel and control.
Players report a great feel and outstanding feel for the quick exchange. The inclusion of glass fiber in its construction points towards a stiffer, more direct feel, which is typical of modern composite blades. This medium-hard feel allows for good feedback on ball contact, aiding in shot execution for offensive players.
Given its speed-oriented nature and hybrid construction, Hunter Black Widow likely produces a medium-high to high throw angle. This is beneficial for offensive loops, allowing the ball to clear the net with sufficient trajectory and dip onto the opponent's side of the table, making it difficult to return effectively.
As a hybrid blade designed for speed, the dwell time is likely moderate. The glass fiber layers contribute to a quicker ball rebound, but the wood plies and 7-ply construction might offer enough ball-holding for good spin generation. This balance allows for effective topspin shots without sacrificing the blade's inherent speed.
The presence of glass fiber plies generally results in a stiffer blade. Hunter Black Widow is described as fast and powerful, indicating a lower flexibility rating. This stiffness is advantageous for generating power and speed, especially in aggressive strokes like drives and smashes.
The glass fiber layers in Hunter Black Widow likely contribute to a medium level of vibration. While it's designed for speed, it's not described as excessively harsh or numb. This suggests a vibration level that provides some feedback to the player without being distracting, allowing for sensitive touch shots when needed.
Our experts consistently describe Hunter Black Widow as a quality 7-ply blade, implying good construction and durability for offensive play. Reviewers mention its solid feel and ability to withstand aggressive strokes, suggesting a well-built product suitable for demanding gameplay.
Technology
Hunter Black Widow features a 7-ply construction, a hallmark of many powerful table tennis blades. Its distinctiveness comes from the integration of two layers of glass fiber, strategically placed within the wood core. This hybrid approach aims to enhance the blade's stiffness and speed, providing offensive players with a potent tool for powerful drives and loops. The specific wood plies used, Oregon Pine and Kiri, are chosen for their contribution to the blade's overall characteristics, balancing speed with a degree of feel. The attractive black aesthetic further distinguishes it visually.