AZAREA Offensive [Discontinued]
| Everyone's rating |
[Hardness] Little hard [Performance] Control and Speed are excellent. |
(Click to show big size)
Averages reviews points
- Speed: 8
- Spin: 7.86
- Control: 8.43
-
The Azalea blades draw from the culture and history of Japanese Table Tennis. Developed in close collaboration with Japanese female players in search for the perfectly balanced Offensive blade, the focus is on light weight and outstanding feeling and control. Like all STIGA blades, The Azalea Offensive is built with a harder second layer compared to the Azalea Allround, which increases the power and speed of the blade.
- FL
- ST
- Chinese pen
Specifications
- Producer
- STIGA
- Product code
- 1035
- Speed
- 90
- Control
- 76
- Material
- Wood, 5 ply wood
- Thickness
- 5.8mm
- Exceptional stability and reliability, fortress-like blocking
- Outstanding compatibility with penhold and shakehands styles
- Distinctive feel: soft top blade with hard core wood
- Moderate rebound with good flex for technique control
- Develops fundamentals, ideal for intermediate players
User reviews
-
-
AFTER (Experience: １１〜２０ years) Flies when you need it to, and stays controlled in the short game — an excellent racket! Verified Purchase
-
2022/07/27
I'm using the 77g PAC.
Just tapping the ball, it felt like a somewhat hard blade, but once I put rubber on and actually hit with it, oddly enough it didn't feel hard at all.
The top ply is soft, so the short game and blocks settle in nicely, and when you meet the ball with more power, the harder part of the blade comes through and you get speed you wouldn't expect from a 5-ply! It also holds the ball, and lets it fly when you want it to, so it pairs excellently with short pips and tacky tension rubber!
After the ball changed to the antibacterial type, the Marin Extra Offensive I'd been using didn't match well anymore (the top ply was too hard and didn't hold the ball enough)
After switching to this Azalea Offensive, people told me my play felt more stable. I've started being able to beat higher-ranked players in matches, and I think it's a really well-balanced blade!
It's not a very well-known blade, but it's a hidden gem from STIGA! If you like a harder blade for a Chinese-penhold style, I definitely want you to try this one!
The grip is a bit rounded, so I've sanded it down slightly flatter.Overall Speed Spin Control Touch Hardness hard
-
-
-
Gento (10 years blank) (Experience: ６〜１０ years) A racket to rediscover yourself
-
2019/04/14
I used the Pen Ace at 75g. The looks are absurdly beautiful and it gets me hyped just holding it.
When you hit light shots, it makes a fun little "kakon" sound. When you hit a topspin drive, it flexes nicely and you can really feel the softness. And yet when you meet the ball flat, you get this distinctive feel like there's real hardness at the core. Being a 5-ply blade, it also resonates a lot in your hand.
Overall, I'd say this racket really makes you feel how much you still have to improve. When you hit the ball cleanly, both control and speed are great, but if your stroke is even a bit sloppy, the ball either flies long or goes straight into the net. You have to really flex the blade on your drives and meet the ball dead center for a flat hit - it drives home just how important those fundamentals are.
From the looks and the description, it comes across as a beginner racket, but I think it's actually a racket that intermediate players will find much more satisfying than expected. That said, the bounce is fairly subdued, so I think you'll need the rubber to make up the difference.Overall Speed Spin Control Touch Hardness Little soft
Recommended rubber (Forehand) GENESIS II M
Recommended rubber (Backhand) VJ>07 REGULAR
-
-
-
abc soup (Experience: ６〜１０ years) You can swing with full power
-
2023/12/14
I'm using the penhold version at 87g. First off, the stability is just insane. You get the confidence that a full swing will still land, rock-solid blocks, and a feel plus ease of spin that you only get from pure wood. Use this blade and you're guaranteed to fall in love with STIGA. I'd recommend it to anyone currently using a carbon blade who wants to rebuild their fundamentals, anyone who wants stability over raw power, and anyone looking for something similar to the Carbonado 45. It's also supposed to work well with short pips, so I'd love for penhold short-pips players to give it a try too.
Overall Speed Spin Control Touch Hardness Little soft
-
-
-
Chabby (Experience: ６〜１０ years) A 5-ply, after a long while
-
2022/10/22
I use short pips on the forehand, and the hardness of the blade really comes through in your hand. You can hit the ball with a simple combination of the rubber's bounce plus the blade's bounce.
I haven't tried inverted on both sides, but I feel like this blade is a better match for short pips.Overall Speed Spin Control Touch Hardness hard
Recommended rubber (Forehand) SYMMETRY
Recommended rubber (Backhand) DNA DRAGON GRIP〈55°〉
-
-
-
Morumofu (Experience: ４〜５ years) Great for penhold with short pips
-
2022/10/10
This one's got a hard top ply and it really matches short pips. Hexer Pips-type rubbers work great with it. I honestly can't figure out why this hasn't caught on more lol
Overall Speed Spin Control Touch Hardness hard
-
-
-
Dedenmushi (Experience: １１〜２０ years) Penhold with short pips
-
2022/01/01
This is a review for penhold pips-out play.
It's a 5-ply wood blade, and the material and thickness are its distinguishing features. The core and the plies next to it are thicker than the same brand's Legacy Carbon, which uses the same wood, so even though it's a thin blade, it has relatively good bounce. It's marketed as a blade for women, but it doesn't come across as a mild, tame blade at all. I felt the balance was excellent at a high level, and I think it would shine at close to mid-distance. As a penhold pips-out blade, it makes a satisfying sound and flies well when you punch the ball, and it flexes nicely when you want to graze it, so I'd definitely recommend it. Personally, since the blade is light, I'm a bit concerned that putting rubber on both sides, or a heavy rubber, shifts the balance point away from the grip. It's meant for pips-out play, but the bounce is strong close to the table and in the short game, so I think this is a blade to try once you've built a solid foundation with pips and locked in your technique and tactics.Overall Speed Spin Control Touch Hardness little hard
Recommended rubber (Forehand) Booster SA
Recommended rubber (Backhand) Fastarc S-1
-
-
-
Show_Leee (Experience: ４〜５ years)
-
2020/03/21
Switched over from STIGA's Offensive CR WRB. I used it with the Penace.
The Offensive was a thin, flexible blade that didn't have much bounce, so with this one I felt a real snap on power shots like fast drives and smashes.
That said, it doesn't bounce too much, and you can consistently pull off grazing-type strokes like loop drives and serves.
Compared to 7-ply or carbon blades it might feel a bit lacking, but if you're currently using a low-bounce 5-ply and want a bit more speed and distance, I'd recommend this one.
Since it doesn't bounce too much and flexes just the right amount, I think it also pairs well with Chinese rubber.Overall Speed Spin Control Touch Hardness Little soft
Recommended rubber (Forehand) HURRICANE PRO Ⅲ TURBO ORANGE
Recommended rubber (Backhand) RIGAN SPIN
-
Related racket
Racket
Producer
Grip
Review Ranking
Rubber
Producer
Type
-
Get the Amazon gift card at a Review!
20 points are added in the post. You can replace it by Amazon Gift Card worth $5.00 with 1000 points.