JOOLA USA

Equipment Review
JOOLA Fever Blade
By Larry Hodges, Non-Equipment Junkie but Fever Blade User

When I first became a JOOLA coach, I had to choose which blade and sponge to use. Like any other player, this can be a mind-numbing experience. Fortunately, I had the foresight to ask Tom Nguyen, JOOLA USA's resident equipment junkie, which blades and sponge he'd recommend. He grilled me on my playing style (all-around hitter, looper, third-ball attacker, counter-driver, blocker, topspin defender, sometimes chopper, and pretty much everything else), and then he chose several options. I tried them out, and quickly found the perfect equipment for me: the JOOLA Fever blade with a straight handle, with JOOLA Energy X-tra 2.0 on the forehand, JOOLA Mambo GP 2.0 on the backhand. The two sponges have been reviewed by Tom; I'll focus on the Fever blade.

It is a fast carbon blade with a very large sweet spot, which minimizes mishits. It gives a great feel for the ball and great control, far more than you'd expect with a fast blade. It is good for all types of steady play - looping, hitting, blocking, at the table or off the table.

My decision to go with a straight handle was a more difficult decision. I believe something like 70% of players use flared blades, 20% straight, and 10% anatomic. I'd been using a flared blade since I started playing in the 1970s. Flared generally gives the best feel in the hand. However, a straight blade tends to give a bit more power on the backhand side (especially for hitting), and I tend to play my backhand too soft. So I tried out the straight handle, and loved it - I could feel the extra oomph in my backhand. (Is there a corresponding drop in forehand play? Perhaps, but I didn't notice it.) 

The wood in the Fever blade is a composite of Ayous and Kiri wood, with Meliorate Carbo (the carbon part). It is used by U.S. Team Member Sean Lonergan and U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Famer Larry Hodges (hey, that's me!). It comes in flared, straight or anatomic handle, and in penhold style.