Gatien OVERDRIVE Metal

Gatien OVERDRIVE Metal delivers impressive offensive pace, making it highly effective for aggressive drives and fast attacks. The 7-ply wood construction provides a solid foundation for powerful shots, allowing players to dictate rallies with speed. While not the absolute fastest blade available, its velocity is more than sufficient for most attacking styles, offering a great balance between raw power and manageable control.

Despite its offensive nature, this blade maintains excellent control thanks to its all-wood composition and expansive sweet spot. Players find it easy to execute precise blocks, place shots accurately, and maintain consistency during fast exchanges. The feedback is clear and direct, giving you confidence in touch shots and short game play, which is somewhat rare for a blade with this much inherent speed.

Gatien OVERDRIVE Metal provides a responsive, solid feel upon ball contact. The 7-ply build imparts a noticeable stiffness that translates to crisp feedback, ideal for direct blocks and fast counter-hits. While firm, it retains enough subtlety to communicate spin and touch, avoiding the completely hard, dead sensation of some ultra-stiff blades.

It produces a medium-high throw angle, which is perfect for aggressive topspin play. The arc helps you consistently clear the net and land shots deep on the table, making it highly effective for looping against backspin and initiating powerful rallies.

The all-wood layers create a satisfying dwell time, allowing the ball to sink into the blade for enhanced spin generation on loops and serves. This characteristic, combined with the large sweet spot, makes it forgiving and effective for players who rely on topspin techniques to build pressure.

The blade sits in a medium flexibility range. It has enough stiffness for powerful drives and smashes, yet possesses a slight give that contributes to its dwell time and compatibility with softer rubbers. This balance makes it a versatile partner for various playing styles and rubber combinations.

Vibration feedback is moderate, providing a clear sense of impact without being harsh or numbing. You get enough information to judge the quality of your shot, which aids in control and adjustment, but it's not so pronounced that it becomes distracting during prolonged play.

Yasaka's Swedish manufacturing ensures top-tier craftsmanship, with players consistently praising the blade's excellent build quality, comfortable handle, and refined finish. The materials feel premium and the construction is reliably consistent. It delivers a polished playing experience that justifies its position in the market, living up to the brand's reputation for durable, well-made equipment.