ALBA [Discontinued]

Everyone's rating [Hardness] Medium hardness
[Performance] Control and Speed are excellent.
ALBA

(Click to show big size)

Averages reviews points

  • Evaluation: 9.2 / 10
  • Number of review: 15
    • Speed: 8.93
    • Spin: 8.87
    • Control: 9.2

    Reviews of ALBA. Players who use Racket evaluate various points such as hardness, momentum, weight, item by item to worry, and feel at impact thoroughly.

    • FL
    • ST

    Specifications

    Price
    15,000 Yen(Include tax 16,500 Yen)
    Producer
    DARKER
    Product code
    SK-390
    Size
    157 × 150
    Material
    Seven wood (Wood, 7 ply wood)
    Thickness
    6.2mm

    Players use ALBA

    AZUSA Ichikawa
    AZUSA Ichikawa

    Load more
    Customer Reviews SummaryAI Summary
    The paddle is highly praised for balancing the soft hitting feel of hinoki wood with the elasticity from the 23 processing, with users especially commending its stability in close-to-table techniques and ease of spin generation. However, some players need time to adapt when transitioning from other rackets like Swat.
    ■ Frequently Mentioned Points
    • Soft and elegant hitting feel characteristic of hinoki wood
    • Well-balanced bounce and stability from 23 processing
    • Easy spin generation compatible with various rubber types
    • Combines wood-specific flex with flight distance
    • Suitable for beginners through advanced players
    ■ Representative Voices
    ▲ PositiveThe hitting feel offers an embracing softness with excellent hand feedback. It features superior bounce from the processing and exceptional spin playability and control inherent to wood rackets. For beginners to intermediate players, it delivers both wonderful operability and sufficient power.
    ▽ CriticalWhen transitioning from Swat, it may not feel as easy to use as expected. Topspin drive and close-to-table control can be difficult, and players who prefer looping attacks may find it less suitable.

    User reviews

    All Monthly
    • Potchii

      Potchii (Experience: More than ２０ years) Nothing to complain about.

      Player reviews

      This blade isn't for everyone.

      - People looking for that stiff, rock-hard feel that's typical of 7-ply blades
      - People looking for the kind of "flex" you get from a 5-ply blade

      That's it.


      For everyone else, this is a blade I can recommend without reservation.


      Despite having the flight and snap you'd expect from a 7-ply, it still holds the ball, so it's easy to put spin on.

      If you're used to 5-ply blades, you'll probably feel the "flex" is a lot smaller.

      But there's a sense of the ball "sticking" to the blade, almost like it clings to the wood, and thanks to that it's outstanding at generating spin and gives you a real sense of stability.


      Of course, being a 7-ply, it still flies out solidly, and since the flex is small it snaps the ball out easily too.


      Hinoki-based plywood blades tend to feel good to hit with, but they haven't been all that popular because they don't get much distance and the ball leaves the blade too fast —
      this one is a highly refined blade that solves both the distance and the fast ball-leave problem.

      See original review

      2017/04/07
      Overall
      9/10
      Speed
      9
      Spin
      8
      Control
      7
      Touch
      10
      Hardness Little soft

      Recommended rubber (Forehand) TARGET PRO GT-H47

      Recommended rubber (Backhand) Spectrum · 21 sponge

      Was this review helpful to you? Like!
    • visitor

      Tapitaro (Experience: １１〜２０ years) Not as good as I expected

      Player reviews

      This is a review of the Alba 23, which has the "23 processing" treatment.
      I switched over from the Swat, but I didn't find it as easy to use as everyone else seems to say.

      This is probably totally on me and my skill level, but the feel is like the ball just pops off the blade with a bang, and it was really hard to control for topspin drives and the short game.
      That said, the ball releases quickly, so I felt strong flicks over the table were easy to pull off.

      I think this would suit a player whose main scoring tools are punch shots like smashes and flicks, using drives just to connect points, but it might not suit a type like me who grinds it out with loop drives.

      I think if you like the feel of hinoki (Japanese cypress), you'll be fine with this one, haha.

      See original review

      2020/07/28
      Overall
      7/10
      Speed
      9
      Spin
      7
      Control
      7
      Touch
      9
      Hardness Little soft

      Recommended rubber (Forehand) TENERGY 05

      Recommended rubber (Backhand) Q5

      Was this review helpful to you? Like!
    • MR-01

      MR-01 (Experience: More than ２０ years) A clever racket with free pace control

      Player reviews

      I saw a video from a certain shop and wanted to try Darker's "23 processing," so I bought it. It looked like an interesting blade for short pips, so I put short pips on my forehand.
      Hitting some light forehand strokes, my impression was that the bounce is noticeably toned down. But when I hit hard, the ball flies off with real force. Then I tried blocking... the ball dies in a way that's almost fun to watch! And of course, stops land dead on the spot!
      Once I got into game practice, this blade really showed its true colors! It's amazing how easily you can push your opponent back and forth. When I flipped the blade over and hit a topspin drive, it drew a really high arcing trajectory and then dropped sharply after the bounce. When I smashed, the power was ridiculous! Maybe even faster than an inner blade?
      People looking for more "carry" on their drives might find it lacking, but everything else about the performance was impressive. I feel like a powerful unorthodox-style attacking player putting Chinese rubber on this could create some amazing chemistry...!
      As for the feel, well, of course it's great — it's a Darker blade.

      See original review

      2020/05/24
      Overall
      9/10
      Speed
      8
      Spin
      9
      Control
      10
      Touch
      10
      Hardness Little soft

      Recommended rubber (Forehand) Spectol

      Recommended rubber (Backhand) Bluestorm Z1

      Was this review helpful to you? Like!
    • visitor

      Moonlight mask (Experience: ６〜１０ years) Using the Alva 23

      Player reviews

      My impressions after using the Alba 23.
      Honestly, among blades currently out there, this is hands-down the No. 1 for "feel, hitting sensation, and that refreshing quality."
      It's different from wood, and it's not a special-material blade either. It's basically a one-of-a-kind feel. You can't really understand it without using it yourself.
      Darker doesn't really advertise or promote itself much, so it's not that well known, but it's seriously high quality, top-notch stuff.
      You hear the phrase "for blades, it's Darker," and honestly, that's exactly right...
      The Alba 23 is seriously amazing!!

      See original review

      2019/12/02
      Overall
      10/10
      Speed
      10
      Spin
      10
      Control
      10
      Touch
      10
      Hardness little hard
      Was this review helpful to you? Like!
    • Shuntarou

      Shuntarou (Experience: ４〜５ years) A curious feel

      Player reviews

      It grips the ball more than a 7-ply, but
      has more pop than a 5-ply - that's the feel of this blade.

      I think it pairs well with any rubber,
      and there's no particular technique that's hard to pull off with it.
      It has good power too, and I think both men and women can use it.

      See original review

      2019/04/24
      Overall
      8/10
      Speed
      6
      Spin
      8
      Control
      9
      Touch
      7
      Hardness Little soft

      Recommended rubber (Forehand) TENERGY 05 HARD

      Recommended rubber (Backhand) Ventus Speed

      Was this review helpful to you? Like!
    • visitor

      Sun (Experience: ６〜１０ years) A racket maker Japan can be proud of. Darker.

      Player reviews

      I'm using the Alba 23. I've never had a blade like this before. The feel when hitting is wonderful, the sound is great, and the ball travels beautifully.
      This is what a truly great blade looks like. Darker is genuinely a great maker. I really feel Japanese table tennis players should know more about how good Darker is. In my opinion, if Darker is a 10, other makers can barely manage a 5 even at their best. This is truly an amazing blade.

      See original review

      2019/02/28
      Overall
      10/10
      Speed
      10
      Spin
      10
      Control
      10
      Touch
      10
      Hardness little hard
      Was this review helpful to you? Like!
    • visitor

      Bali Bali (Experience: １１〜２０ years) Alba 23

      Player reviews

      I bought a custom-order Alba 23 - what an amazing blade! In terms of performance, this is definitely the No. 1 among domestic makers. As expected from Darker. Really, there's no other maker that builds better quality blades than Darker... This is seriously an amazing blade!

      See original review

      2019/01/28
      Overall
      10/10
      Speed
      10
      Spin
      10
      Control
      10
      Touch
      10
      Hardness little hard
      Was this review helpful to you? Like!
    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. 3

    Top Players

    Country

    Style