Balsa Plus

Weight

75g

Plies

5-ply

Handles

FL / ST

Material

AllWood

Head Shape

Standard

Balance

Balanced

Yasaka

Balsa Plus

Sweden

Yasaka Balsa Plus is a lightweight 5-ply all-wood blade that masterfully blends speed with exceptional control and feel. Its unique construction pairs a balsa core with Scandinavian pine, creating a distinct 'self-playing' sensation prized for its sensitive touch and feedback. This design offers enough pace for offensive shots while remaining remarkably forgiving, making it an excellent choice for developing players and intermediates who value precision, placement, and spin generation in their all-around or controlled attacking style.

5-Ply Construction

This symmetrical 5-ply construction uses balsa wood in the inner layers for its signature lightness and unique feel. These are bookended and reinforced by layers of Scandinavian pine, which adds speed and structural integrity to the blade, creating a faster alternative to pure balsa designs while maintaining excellent touch.

TT Sensei Ratings

Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics

Speed
8.5

Players report the Balsa Plus as an offensive blade with good pace. While balsa is often associated with slower play, the integration of Scandinavian pine in this design provides a noticeable boost, resulting in speed suitable for controlled attacking and quick counter-play.

Control
8.1

Control is a major strength of this blade. The soft balsa core contributes to an excellent touch and feel, making ball management intuitive, especially in the short game and for precise placements. This high level of control makes it forgiving and accessible for a wide range of players.

Feel
Medium-Soft
SoftMedium-SoftHard

The blade delivers a soft, sensitive feel primarily due to its balsa core. This creates a unique tactile connection with the ball, enhancing the sense of control and aiding in delicate placement shots.

Throw Angle
Medium-High
LowMedium-HighHigh

Balsa constructions often produce a comfortable, medium-high throw angle, which is advantageous for generating topspin and looping. The pine layers may moderate this slightly, but the trajectory remains well-suited for spin-oriented attacks.

Dwell Time
7.0

The soft balsa nature typically promotes good dwell time, allowing the ball to sink in for enhanced spin. The pine layers may slightly reduce this compared to a pure balsa blade, but it remains in the medium-high range, favoring spin-oriented play.

Flexibility
7.0

The blend of soft balsa and responsive pine creates a blade with medium flexibility. This provides a good feeling on the ball and enough flex to generate spin on loops, while retaining sufficient stiffness for direct attacking strokes.

Vibration
6.0

The combination of woods likely results in a medium level of vibration. While balsa can sometimes transmit more feedback, the overall construction provides noticeable but not excessive vibration, offering players sensory input on their shots.

Quality
7.0

Yasaka blades, particularly those made in Sweden, are known for their solid craftsmanship. While specific detailed ratings are scarce, the Balsa Plus enjoys a reputation for good build quality and a consistent, reliable playing feel that players appreciate.

Technology

Yasaka Balsa Plus leverages the unique properties of balsa wood, known for its exceptionally low density and soft feel, to form the core of its playing character. This is synergistically combined with layers of Scandinavian pine, a wood prized for its responsiveness and speed. The construction aims to create a lightweight blade that delivers a distinct, sensitive tactile sensation and excellent control, while still providing enough inherent pace for offensive play. The manufacturing benefits from Yasaka's established tradition, emphasizing consistent quality and a reliable playing experience.

Similar Blades

Yasaka Battle Balsa

The Yasaka Battle Balsa is a very similar direct counterpart, also featuring a balsa core and Scandinavian pine in a five-ply construction. It shares the lightweight offensive character, focus on speed and control, and the distinctive 'self-playing' feel, with a comparable weight around 75 grams.

Yasaka Balsa

The original Yasaka Balsa blade, a predecessor to the Balsa Plus, also utilizes balsa wood for its core philosophy of lightness and sensitive feel. While it may play slower, it offers a similarly lightweight and controlled playing experience centered on exceptional touch.