Weight
88g
Thickness
7.1mm
Plies
7-ply
Handles
FL
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Accelum Carbon
ITC Accelum Carbon is a high-performance blade built for aggressive, fast attacking play. It combines a Koto outer ply with an inner woven carbon fiber construction, delivering significant speed and a hard feel ideal for powerful smashes and active blocking. The inner fiber placement aims to retain a degree of natural feel and flexibility, making it a potent weapon for players seeking to enhance their offensive game. This blade is positioned as a step-up for players transitioning from thicker 7-ply blades who primarily utilize hard smashes and blocks.
This blade features a 5+2 ply construction, with two layers of 'Power Carbon' placed internally between wood layers. The outer ply is Koto, known for its hardness and responsiveness. This inner-fiber configuration aims to provide speed and stiffness while attempting to mitigate the harshness often associated with outermost carbon layers.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Accelum Carbon delivers exceptional speed, consistently rated as OFF+. The combination of Koto outer plies and inner carbon layers generates a powerful response, enabling players to execute fast attacks, smashes, and active blocks with ease. It's designed for players who want to overwhelm opponents with sheer pace.
While speed is its primary attribute, Accelum Carbon offers a respectable level of control, particularly in managing its speed. Players report it pairs well with various rubbers and allows for precise active blocking. However, the high speed might challenge those seeking extreme control in delicate short-game situations or heavy topspin rallies.
Accelum Carbon has a hard feel due to its Koto outer plies and carbon reinforcement. This contributes to its speed but might reduce dwell time and feedback for some players, especially compared to all-wood blades.
Given its speed-oriented nature and hard composition, Accelum Carbon likely imparts a medium-high to high throw angle on powerful shots, facilitating aggressive attacking play.
The hard nature of the Koto wood and the inner carbon layers suggest a moderately short dwell time. This design favors quick exchanges and hard hits rather than prolonged ball contact for spin generation, though it's noted to have good spin capabilities with appropriate rubbers.
Classified as a hard blade, Accelum Carbon offers minimal flexibility. This characteristic is crucial for its speed and direct power transfer, but limits the blade's ability to bend and 'pocket' the ball for extreme spin generation during slower strokes.
The inner fiber construction is noted to reduce the harshness of carbon, suggesting a medium level of vibration. While not excessively jarring, players sensitive to vibration might still notice it, but it's likely within acceptable limits for an offensive blade of this type.
ITC has maintained a reputation for good quality since taking over some Adidas blade designs. The Accelum Carbon, being a continuation of the Adidas model, is expected to have solid construction and finish. Users generally perceive ITC blades as having good build quality for their price point.
Technology
ITC Accelum Carbon utilizes an 'inner fiber' construction, a technique where carbon layers (referred to as 'Power Carbon' by the manufacturer) are placed between the wood plies rather than directly beneath the outer surface. This method aims to imbue the blade with the characteristic speed and stiffness of carbon while maintaining a more natural wood feel and reducing excessive vibration. The outer plies are made of Koto, a moderately hard wood that contributes to precise feel and a responsive playing surface. This construction is designed to offer a fast, aggressive blade suitable for modern, high-power table tennis.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Viscaria
ITC Accelum Carbon is frequently compared to Butterfly Viscaria. Both blades share a similar construction philosophy, typically featuring an inner carbon layer and an outer ply like Koto, aiming for a fast, offensive playing style with a good balance of speed and control. Players who enjoy the feel and performance of the Viscaria might find Accelum Carbon to be a comparable alternative.
Adidas Accelum Carbon (Discontinued)
ITC Accelum Carbon is stated to be identical to the discontinued Adidas Accelum Carbon. ITC has continued many legacy Adidas blades, and this blade is a direct continuation of that model, sharing the same specifications and performance characteristics.