Weight
90g
Thickness
6.35mm
Plies
9-ply
Head Size
15.8x15.2
Handles
FL / ST
Material
AllWood
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Subdue
Sword Subdue is a 9-ply all-wood table tennis blade engineered for players using long pips rubbers who prioritize control, precision, and disruptive play. Its asymmetric construction features a hardwood forehand for slightly more speed and a softwood backhand for enhanced control, making it ideal for defensive specialists and choppers. The blade offers exceptional dwell time for significant spin generation and a relatively flat ball bounce. While designed for defense, it provides enough attacking power for counter-attacks and varied play, making it a versatile option for allround players with a defensive focus.
The blade features a 9-ply all-wood construction with an asymmetric design. The forehand side utilizes hardwood for slightly increased speed and attacking capabilities, while the backhand side employs softwood to enhance control and feel, particularly beneficial for long pips rubbers. This construction aims to provide a unique combination of properties for defensive and allround play.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Sword Subdue is generally considered a slower blade optimized for control and defense. However, its hardwood forehand and 9-ply construction provide a surprisingly decent amount of speed for controlled offensive shots and counter-attacks, especially when compared to traditional defensive blades. The speed rating reflects this balanced performance.
Control is the standout feature of Sword Subdue. Its 9-ply construction and softer backhand side contribute to a high dwell time and excellent feel, allowing players to place the ball with extreme precision. This makes it ideal for defensive maneuvers like chopping and blocking, as well as for controlling the pace of rallies.
Sword Subdue has a very soft feeling and exceptional feel. This soft feel enhances control and allows players to impart significant spin on the ball, particularly with long pips.
The blade's emphasis on dwell time and spin generation, coupled with its suitability for long pips, suggests a medium to high throw angle. This allows for looping and chopping with significant arc.
The combination of its soft feel, 9-ply wood construction, and emphasis on control contributes to a long dwell time. This is crucial for defensive players who rely on heavy backspin and for allround players looking to create deceptive spin on their shots.
The 9-ply construction, combined with the different wood types, gives Subdue a good balance of flexibility and rigidity. This allows for effective absorption of pace and spin while retaining enough stiffness for controlled offensive strokes.
While specific data on vibration is limited, its soft feel and all-wood construction generally lead to moderate vibration. The general technologies employed by Sword might contribute to a more dampened feel, aiding in control.
Sword Subdue is positioned as an affordable yet capable blade. The 9-ply wood construction indicates a solid build, and its widespread availability suggests reliable manufacturing processes. While not a premium blade, it offers good value for its intended purpose.
Technology
Sword Subdue blade is constructed using a 9-ply all-wood design, a characteristic that provides a solid foundation for control and feel. While specific patented technologies are not explicitly detailed for this particular model, Sword as a brand emphasizes functional segmentation and material innovation in their blade development. Their general approach involves exploring composite technologies and utilizing advanced glues to enhance bonding strength and vibration dampening, aiming to create blades that cater to specific playing styles and demands, offering a balance of elasticity and control.
Similar Blades
Sanwei Two-Face
Sanwei Two-Face is another combi-blade often mentioned for players who use different rubber types on each side. It is known for offering distinct characteristics on its forehand and backhand, similar to Sword Subdue's asymmetric design, aiming to cater to players who want to optimize their offensive and defensive capabilities on different sides of the blade.
Dr. Neubauer Combination Effect
Dr. Neubauer Combination Effect is a specialized combi-blade designed for players using long pips on one side and inverted rubber on the other. It shares Sword Subdue's focus on providing different playing characteristics for each side, aiming to offer enhanced control and disruption for defensive and tactical players.