ENERGY 03

Weight

88.5g

Thickness

6.55mm

Plies

9-ply

Head Size

15.8x15.1

Handles

FL

Material

Hybrid

Head Shape

Standard

Balance

Balanced

Palio

ENERGY 03

China

Palio ENERGY 03 is an offensive hybrid blade engineered for the modern 40+ ball, offering a compelling blend of speed, control, and tactile feel. Its unique 5-ply wood and 4-ply soft carbon fiber construction creates a stiff, responsive platform with a generous sweet spot, ideal for aggressive attacks and consistent play. This design delivers powerful energy transfer for fast drives and counter-attacks while retaining enough dwell for spin generation and precise short-game control. Recognized for its excellent build quality and durability, the ENERGY 03 presents outstanding value for players transitioning to or thriving with a carbon-enhanced, offensive playing style.

9-Ply Construction

The blade features a 5-ply wood and 4-ply soft carbon fiber construction. This hybrid design aims to combine the feel and dwell of wood with the speed and stiffness of carbon, providing a larger sweet spot and direct power transfer. The arrangement of alternating wood and fiber layers contributes to its offensive capabilities while maintaining a degree of control and feel.

TT Sensei Ratings

Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics

Speed
9.0

ENERGY 03 is a fast offensive blade. Its 5+4 carbon construction significantly enhances speed capabilities compared to all-wood blades, making it well-suited for aggressive players who rely on fast attacks, counter-attacks, and powerful drives. The enhanced rebound efficiency from the carbon layers allows for quicker acceleration and flatter ball trajectories.

Control
8.8

Despite its high speed, ENERGY 03 offers a commendable level of control. The combination of wood and carbon layers, along with a good amount of dwell time, allows for precision in strokes and effective play in the short game. This makes it suitable for players who need to balance offensive power with the ability to execute controlled shots like pushes, blocks, and short returns.

Feel
Medium-Hard
SoftMedium-HardHard

The feel is described as medium-hard, offering a good balance between stiffness and responsiveness. The hybrid construction provides a solid feel that transmits power effectively, yet it retains enough dwell to allow players to feel the ball on the racket, which is crucial for developing spin and executing precise shots.

Throw Angle
Medium-High
LowMedium-HighHigh

ENERGY 03 tends to produce a medium-high throw angle. This characteristic is beneficial for generating high, arcing loops that can challenge opponents and land deep on the table. The combination of speed, dwell, and flexibility facilitates a higher trajectory for spin-heavy shots.

Dwell Time
8.0

ENERGY 03 offers a significant amount of dwell time, which contributes to its spin-friendly nature and control. This longer dwell allows players to get more spin on the ball during loops and drives. However, some players might find it has slightly too much dwell for extremely fast blocking, as it can lead to a bit less immediate rebound.

Flexibility
4.0

ENERGY 03 is characterized as a relatively stiff blade, leaning towards the stiffer side of medium flexibility. This stiffness is a direct result of its carbon fiber layers, which enhance power and speed. While not as stiff as some all-carbon blades, it provides a firm base for aggressive play, enabling powerful strokes and quick transitions.

Vibration
6.0

The vibration level is moderate. While the carbon layers contribute to a more direct power transfer, the wood plies help absorb some of the excessive harshness often associated with all-carbon blades. This results in a feeling that is solid but not overly harsh, allowing for a good connection with the ball.

Quality
8.5

ENERGY 03 is noted for its solid construction and durability. Players report good build quality with no issues of warping or splitting, suggesting a reliable and long-lasting blade. This attention to detail in manufacturing is impressive given its affordable price point and contributes to its positive reputation.

Technology

Palio ENERGY 03 utilizes a hybrid construction, integrating five layers of wood with four layers of soft carbon fiber. This 5+4 composite structure is engineered to optimize the interplay between wood's feel and dwell and carbon's stiffness and speed. The strategic placement of the carbon layers aims to enhance the sweet spot and power transfer without creating a completely dead or overly stiff feel, which is often a concern with fully carbon blades. This technology is specifically tailored for the performance characteristics of the modern 40+ plastic ball, providing increased power and spin potential.

Similar Blades

Palio ENERGY 04

Palio ENERGY 04 is mentioned as a stiffer version of the ENERGY 03. It shares a similar hybrid construction but differs in the placement of its fiber plies. While the ENERGY 03 has fiber plies near both the outer and inner layers, the ENERGY 04 reportedly has fiber plies closer to the outer layers and no fiber plies near the core. This suggests the ENERGY 04 would offer increased stiffness and potentially more speed, but perhaps less dwell and feel compared to the ENERGY 03.