Weight
80g
Thickness
10.5mm
Plies
7-ply
Head Size
156x152
Handles
FL / ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Balsa 8.5 Top Speed
TSP Balsa 8.5 Top Speed is an offensive blade built for aggressive, high-pressure play. Its defining feature is a substantial 8.5mm balsa wood core, delivering a powerful and springy foundation for explosive shots. Reinforced with fiberglass layers, this hybrid construction enhances stability and power transfer, earning its OFF+ classification. Designed for players who rely on speed and direct attacking, it offers a unique blend of raw power and a surprisingly large sweet spot, resulting in a direct feel and consistent ball rebound. Despite its immense speed, it maintains a manageable level of control for offensive maneuvers, making it a formidable weapon for dedicated attackers.
This 7-ply construction features a substantial 8.5mm balsa wood core flanked by fiberglass and wood layers, designed to maximize speed and power. The balsa core provides a unique spring-like effect and lightness, while the fiberglass layers add stiffness, stability, and enhanced power transfer. The specific arrangement of vertically lined wood fibers within the core structure likely contributes to a more uniform bounce and reduced vibration.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
TSP Balsa 8.5 Top Speed is renowned for exceptional speed, consistently rated at the higher end of the spectrum. The thick balsa core and fiberglass reinforcement create a potent combination that generates significant power for aggressive attacking shots. This makes it ideal for players who prioritize a fast, direct game where explosive power is the primary weapon.
While primarily a speed-oriented blade, the Balsa 8.5 offers a surprisingly good level of control for its speed class. The large sweet spot, attributed to the balsa core and fiberglass, contributes to a more forgiving feel and consistent ball contact, allowing for controlled offensive shots and blocks. However, some players note that control can be challenging to master due to the blade's raw power and lower consistency on off-center hits.
Despite its high speed, the balsa core imparts a softer, more forgiving feel to the blade. Players describe a soft touch with a sharp, direct hit sensation, often summarized as a 'point and shoot' experience. The fiberglass layers contribute to a more consistent feel across the entire blade face.
The combination of a thick balsa core and fiberglass layers typically produces a medium-high throw angle. This characteristic helps players generate powerful topspin shots with a pronounced arc, which can be very effective in creating difficult balls for opponents to return.
The balsa core provides a medium dwell time. While the blade is very fast, the soft nature of balsa allows for a reasonable ball-rubber interaction, enabling decent spin generation when paired with appropriate rubbers. Some players find the dwell time to be on the lower end of medium for a blade of this type.
This blade is designed to be stiff, prioritizing power and directness over flexibility. The thick balsa core and fiberglass reinforcement create a rigid structure that is crucial for achieving high speeds and a flat, penetrating trajectory on drives and smashes.
The fiberglass layers are engineered to reduce vibration, contributing to a more stable and less jarring feel upon impact. While balsa can sometimes feel overly sensitive, this construction aims to provide a relatively dampened and controlled sensation for a blade with such high speed.
TSP blades, including the Balsa series, are generally known for their quality construction. The combination of balsa wood, fiberglass, and wood plies suggests a well-engineered blade designed for performance and longevity. Our testing shows good build quality and durability, though the softness of the balsa core can make it more susceptible to denting compared to harder woods.
Technology
The TSP Balsa 8.5 Top Speed features a unique Balsa-Fiberglass System. The core of this technology is its substantial 8.5mm balsa wood center ply, known for its exceptional lightness and spring-like elasticity. This core is strategically reinforced with two layers of fiberglass. This specific construction is engineered to create a large sweet spot, reduce unwanted vibration, and enhance power transfer, resulting in an exceptionally fast blade with a direct, responsive feel. The arrangement of wood fibers, some vertically aligned within the core structure, further refines the blade's playing characteristics for consistency.
Similar Blades
Yinhe Galaxy T-1s
Players report the Yinhe Galaxy T-1s as a direct alternative, offering similar high-speed performance. The key difference noted is that the T-1s provides a more direct and controlled feel, making it a compelling option for attackers who want comparable power but with improved precision and consistency in their shots.