Very good blade for beginner, nice touch and you definitely can learn how to play with this blade. After that you will probably want something with more speed.
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→ Offensive Blades → Tibhar Samsonov Alpha
→ Tibhar Blades → Tibhar Samsonov Alpha
Tibhar Samsonov Alpha
by Tibhar
The Tibhar Samsonov Alpha is The Champion's Weapon. Vladimir Samsonov plays with this offensive blade developed himself using his gifted intuition. The combination of precious wood outer plies with its extra strong middle layer guarantees a better ball resilience with more control. Ideal for controlled, spin oriented attacking game with a lot of pressure. Class: OFF-
Material: All Wood
Ply: 5w
Blade Thickness: 5.9mm
Speed: 86
Control: 69
Weight: 85g
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Blade Weight Variations - Actual blade weight may vary by up to 8g.
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Reviews of Tibhar Samsonov Alpha (12)
Medium feel, decent dwell time and good for blocking and mid distance shots. I read people saying its slow. It is not. You put the effort in and it has serious zip. It is not an ALL+ blade as some say, that is ridiculous, but i wouldn't say off either. Def an off-. I have a Grubba ALL+ , which is fast for an ALL+ and this is considerably faster and a little harder. It is slightky faster than Primorac off- as well. Slightly small blade head and flared handle a little small. Not good for a beginners if you want to learn stroke technique as far too fast. For advanced beginner, intermediate and advanced players only.
The stated thickness on here is I think wrong and should be 5.5
stiffer than other blades of this thickness and more power than some thicker blades i.e Primorac.and flexes on harder srokes with a noticeable catapult.Long handle which moves the balance towards the handle which explains the good defensive qualities.
Very good for lp blocking with the control of an allround blade,Icouldn`t get as much spin,arc when looping as with my normal high flex Defplay and have just shaved the throat to add more flex,to try shortly
stiffer than other blades of this thickness and more power than some thicker blades i.e Primorac.and flexes on harder srokes with a noticeable catapult.Long handle which moves the balance towards the handle which explains the good defensive qualities.
Very good for lp blocking with the control of an allround blade,Icouldn`t get as much spin,arc when looping as with my normal high flex Defplay and have just shaved the throat to add more flex,to try shortly
Using this combined with Nimbus Sound (really soft) on FH and Primus on BH.
Blade offers a lot of control and feeling, especially in blocking heavy topspin shots near table. Speed is decent, but you have to work hard when playing topspin far away from the table.
Overall a nice blade for overall to offensive players.
Would rate it as ALL+.
Blade offers a lot of control and feeling, especially in blocking heavy topspin shots near table. Speed is decent, but you have to work hard when playing topspin far away from the table.
Overall a nice blade for overall to offensive players.
Would rate it as ALL+.
This is an updated review, after several weeks of playing with the Alpha. Overall a good experience, 9/10:
Power-- I find the Alpha has good feel, works beautifully for controlled looping, pushing, and brings enough power to stay in rallies with 2100 USTTA players.
Varnish-- While I can't speak with the voice of an expert, I *think* my blade is varnished with a light polyurethane finish. I like it. That way, I don't worry about pulling splinters out of the veneer when I take the rubber off.
Control-- I find the blade very easy to control. It's a bit faster than my Avalox 550 was (an ALL+), and I feel a lot of touch but with less vibration than the Avalox had. The catalogs list the Alpha as an OFF- blade, and that seems accurate to me.
Head size-- I have heard that the new Alphas manufactured starting this year have a normal sized head. If this is true, mine is clearly not one of these. The head is a few millimeters shorter on every side than my Avalox. It's even smaller than the Timo Boll ALC head. I prefer this head size, though others may not like it. The smaller head size means less weight, and the balance feels magical to me. I have good hand/eye coordination, so hitting with a smaller surface area is not problematic.
Grip-- I am a grown man and have big hands, and I bought the FL Alpha. Yes, the FL handle is big, but it is a flat oval, narrow when you look at the blade from the edge side. I'm a lefty, and like many sinisters, I hold a pronounced palm-on-top SH grip (Google any picture of Mizutani Jun, Timo Boll, or Michael Maze hitting a forehand and look at their grips to see what I'm talking about; the butt of the handle sits in the bottom inside of their hands, less toward the center of the palm, and they hold the bat more with their fingers, less curled into the palm). Also, the handle is LONG, I'd say a half inch longer than most others. I suggest you hold the Alpha before buying. The handle works well for my hands and grip, but others may find it awkward.
Durability-- The only issue I've noticed is that my blade seems to be fragile. I've bumped it on the table twice in the last two weeks or so. I'm careful with my equipment and didn't hit it hard, but the first time the spot I bumped just disintegrated, leaving a small divot in the side. The second time, it took a chip the size of a nickel out of the top veneer, which I was able to repair with carpenter wood glue and clamps. This blade seems less sturdy than any I've owned. If you are hard on your equipment, this blade may not last you long.
In sum, a great blade for me and one I prefer above others three times as expensive. But I suggest you try out the handle before buying and consider that, if yours is anything like mine, you must treat it with care.
Power-- I find the Alpha has good feel, works beautifully for controlled looping, pushing, and brings enough power to stay in rallies with 2100 USTTA players.
Varnish-- While I can't speak with the voice of an expert, I *think* my blade is varnished with a light polyurethane finish. I like it. That way, I don't worry about pulling splinters out of the veneer when I take the rubber off.
Control-- I find the blade very easy to control. It's a bit faster than my Avalox 550 was (an ALL+), and I feel a lot of touch but with less vibration than the Avalox had. The catalogs list the Alpha as an OFF- blade, and that seems accurate to me.
Head size-- I have heard that the new Alphas manufactured starting this year have a normal sized head. If this is true, mine is clearly not one of these. The head is a few millimeters shorter on every side than my Avalox. It's even smaller than the Timo Boll ALC head. I prefer this head size, though others may not like it. The smaller head size means less weight, and the balance feels magical to me. I have good hand/eye coordination, so hitting with a smaller surface area is not problematic.
Grip-- I am a grown man and have big hands, and I bought the FL Alpha. Yes, the FL handle is big, but it is a flat oval, narrow when you look at the blade from the edge side. I'm a lefty, and like many sinisters, I hold a pronounced palm-on-top SH grip (Google any picture of Mizutani Jun, Timo Boll, or Michael Maze hitting a forehand and look at their grips to see what I'm talking about; the butt of the handle sits in the bottom inside of their hands, less toward the center of the palm, and they hold the bat more with their fingers, less curled into the palm). Also, the handle is LONG, I'd say a half inch longer than most others. I suggest you hold the Alpha before buying. The handle works well for my hands and grip, but others may find it awkward.
Durability-- The only issue I've noticed is that my blade seems to be fragile. I've bumped it on the table twice in the last two weeks or so. I'm careful with my equipment and didn't hit it hard, but the first time the spot I bumped just disintegrated, leaving a small divot in the side. The second time, it took a chip the size of a nickel out of the top veneer, which I was able to repair with carpenter wood glue and clamps. This blade seems less sturdy than any I've owned. If you are hard on your equipment, this blade may not last you long.
In sum, a great blade for me and one I prefer above others three times as expensive. But I suggest you try out the handle before buying and consider that, if yours is anything like mine, you must treat it with care.
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