Stiga Company has produced many classics. We have introduced the Stiga carbon pro and the Stiga evolution in our previous blog. Today we bring you the Stiga Rosewood NCT V, which is also the star product of Stiga. Especially after entering the era of inorganic glue, it is widely welcomed among many professional players and fans.
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Star Player of Rosewood NCT V
Xu Xin is one of the most famous Chinese table tennis players. This guy plays all day and still wins world championships. He is the main player of the national team and he is also called Cloud by foreign netizens. Xu Xin used Stiga Rosewood NCT V in 2012 and 2013.
Overview of Stiga Rosewood NCT V
2010 is the beginning year of the era of inorganic glue. As a world-renowned table tennis brand, STIGA’s every move has brought changes to the table tennis community. Later the company signed with two of China’s biggest stars, Guo Yue and Xu Xin, who are the new leaders of the Chinese team, demonstrating the new style of a major international brand.
Following the success of the two high-end Ebenholz NCT V and Ebenholz NCT VII blades launched in 2009, STIGA has launched two new masterpieces – Rosewood NCT V and Rosewood NCT VII. Both two blades inherit the classic style of the Ebenholz series, but with a softer and more delicate feel.
The Rosewood 5 ply is similar in structure to the Ebenholz, but due to the difference in wood selection, it is much faster but also softer.
Features of Rosewood NCT V
Appearance
The Rosewood NCT V has a simple and antique look, with a slight reddish-brown handle that adds to its nobility, and a logo that stands out in gold, full of vintage and elegance. The blade made by Stiga Company has always felt good in the hand.
Data and structure
The thickness of Rosewood V is 5.89mm, which is quite normal. The weight is about 91 grams which is neither too heavy nor too light. Like other blades, it can satisfy the need of most players. The Rosewood NCT V is a classic 5-ply pure wood blade with a rosewood surface, spruce wood, and ayous core, or what players call a 5-ply, with no carbon fiber.
By looking at its physical structure, we can probably tell that the surface of Rosewood V is very hard, even harder than walnut wood. What’s more, spruce wood itself is hard enough, so we can judge that the blade should be super bouncy.
Speed 4.0/5.0
In the playtest we use the rubber of DHS Hurricane 3 and Donic F1 as forehand and backhand respectively. The speed of Rosewood is really awesome especially when it comes to the attack in the short court. When I lift the backspin with the forehand, the ball has great power and speed.
When I loop constantly in middle court, as the DHS hurricane can “bite“ the ball very well, the arc is low and can have a long trajectory. When I use the backhand, the ball can be more stable and with an even lower and flatter arc. The blade is really designed for offensive games.
On the other hand, when we flick in the net zone, the ball can become rather fast and seems to have the same speed of those blades with carbon.
Spin 4.2/5.0
When I loop the backspin with the forehand in short court, the arc is low and lacks enough friction, so it’s likely to make more mistakes. So it is advised to loop higher and generate more spin in the first stroke.
In the middle or back court, I couldn’t gain the feeling of penetrating the blade with only 60% or 70% of the strength so I have to use more power to experience the top power of the blade.
With the gradual increase of power, the deformation of the blade gets more obvious, the sound of hitting the ball becomes louder and the ball is also faster. Of course, the rotation is also stronger.
To some degree, the Rosewood V is like a car in terms of speed, the different gears are clearly defined and the speed, as well as the spin, is very reasonable.
Control 3.6/5.0
The control is not so good when doing drop shots or pushing shortly. The blade requires players have great control ability and hit the ball at a particularly good time.
It is suggested that hit the ball when it is in its rising time with proper power, otherwise, the ball may become tall or become longer that your opponent can directly loop or smash.
However, the feeling is quite good when I am willing to push it long to the backhand or forehand area of the opponent. And it’s so precise that it seems that the ball has been installed with a navigator that we can control the placement extremely precisely.
Defense 3.9/5.0
Personally speaking, I feel that the blade is kind of jarring when blocking the ball and seems that the blade is not thick enough. But it doesn’t affect the control too much as the blade can absorb the impact and spin well of the incoming ball. However, the defense is still inferior to Stiga Rosewood NCT VII.
Who is it for?
The blade is not friendly to beginners. It serves as a nice blade for the powerful offensive player with an intermediate to a high level.
Recommended match
Version 1:
Forehand: DHS Hurricane 3
Backhand: Donic F1
Version 2:
Forehand: DHS Hurricane 8
Backhand: Butterfly T64, Donic F1 Plus
In both two versions, we choose a relatively hard rubber for the forehand so the speed can be extremely fast and the playstyle can be quite offensive. But for the backhand we could choose some soft rubbers like Donic F1 Plus, which has great speed and control. Or we can also try T64 which has great speed and spin.
Conclusion
Overall, short games are the strength of this blade, the ball can become high in some drop shots or short pushes. With sufficient power, this blade will have excellent deformation, so the spin and speed will be very strong.
In this aspect, it has performance not lost to the carbon blade. The defensive performance is not bad as it can absorb the power well and block the balls relatively stable.
If you are an offensive player who is crazy about loops or drives, you can give it a try to this blade. But notes that you should have great control ability so take a pinch of salt before purchasing it!
