Weight
88g
Thickness
6.3mm
Plies
7-ply
Head Size
155x150
Handles
FL / ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Head-Heavy
Fortino Pro
Tibhar Fortino Pro is engineered for aggressive offensive players seeking uncompromising speed and power. This 7-ply blade masterfully blends wood with Dyneema Carbon fibers, strategically placed beneath the outer Limba veneer to enhance stability and expand the sweet spot. Its construction delivers a hard, direct feel with exceptional catapult effect, translating into high speeds and penetrating shots. While optimized for dynamic topspins, powerful blocks, and aggressive counters, the Fortino Pro also offers surprisingly good ball feedback, making it a versatile weapon for players who demand the utmost from their equipment. Made in Germany, this blade represents Tibhar's commitment to high-end performance for discerning players.
The 5+2 ply construction features Dyneema Carbon layers positioned directly beneath the outer Limba veneers. This 'outer fiber' construction contributes to the blade's exceptional stiffness, speed, and enlarged sweet spot. The combination of wood and high-tech fibers provides a direct feel with significant power.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Fortino Pro is consistently described as the fastest blade in Tibhar's Super Strong Series. Its Dyneema Carbon construction delivers a powerful catapult effect, resulting in very high speeds, especially on strong impacts. This makes it ideal for offensive players who need to generate significant pace on their shots.
Despite its high speed and stiffness, Fortino Pro offers a respectable level of control, particularly on softer impacts. Players report good ball feedback, allowing for effective ball management, though its high speed necessitates precise technique for optimal consistency.
Fortino Pro is characterized by a hard and stiff feel due to its Dyneema Carbon composition and outer-fiber placement. This results in a very direct response upon ball impact, with minimal vibration transmitted to the hand. Many players find this directness provides a clean, powerful connection.
The combination of speed, stiffness, and the Dyneema Carbon fibers contributes to a medium-high throw angle, facilitating powerful topspin shots with good clearance over the net. This characteristic is beneficial for offensive players who like to loop aggressively.
While the blade is stiff and fast, it offers a decent dwell time, especially when compared to other stiff composite blades. This allows for adequate spin generation, particularly when paired with suitable rubbers that complement its inherent speed.
Fortino Pro is decidedly stiff and inflexible. This characteristic is central to its high speed and power output, making it less forgiving for players who rely on blade flex for spin generation or control in certain strokes.
The Dyneema Carbon construction is noted for reducing vibrations significantly, contributing to a cleaner feel and a larger sweet spot. While not entirely vibration-free, the transmitted vibrations are generally considered low to medium, allowing for better ball feedback without discomfort.
The 'Made in Germany' label and use of premium materials like Dyneema Carbon contribute to the high perceived quality of this blade. TTSensei experts note its superior build quality, smooth finish, and overall durability, reinforcing its status as a premium offensive blade.
Technology
Fortino Pro features an innovative 5+2 ply construction, integrating Dyneema Carbon fibers directly beneath its outer Limba veneers. Dyneema, touted as 'the world's strongest fiber™,' is combined with carbon to create a composite layer that significantly enhances the blade's stability, bend-resistance, and hardness. This construction minimizes vibrations, dramatically increases the sweet spot, and provides a pronounced catapult effect. The 'outer fiber' placement is key to its exceptionally fast and direct playing characteristics, making it a cutting-edge offensive tool designed for the demands of modern table tennis.
Pro Players Using This Blade
Vladimir Samsonov
Vladimir Samsonov, a legendary European table tennis player, has been associated with the Tibhar Fortino Pro. He was reportedly using prototypes and was involved in its development. The blade's blend of speed, power, and controlled feedback aligns with Samsonov's versatile yet aggressive playing style, allowing him to execute powerful attacks while maintaining tactical control, especially from mid-distance.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Viscaria
Butterfly Viscaria is a highly popular 5-ply wood + 2-ply Arylate Carbon blade known for its speed, control, and feel, often used by top professional players. Like Fortino Pro, it employs an outer fiber construction to enhance speed and stability. Both blades offer a direct feel and are favored by offensive players, though Fortino Pro's Dyneema Carbon may offer a slightly stiffer and more powerful profile compared to Viscaria's ALC.
Tibhar Fortino Force
Tibhar Fortino Force shares the same series and Dyneema Carbon technology as the Fortino Pro but features an 'inner-fiber' construction. This results in a slightly less stiff and more controlled feel compared to the Fortino Pro's 'outer-fiber' design, while still providing significant speed and power suitable for offensive play.