What are the pros and cons of a 5-ply and 7-ply table tennis blade? What happens when you decrease or increase the number of layers of wood?
Assuming everything else is the same (inner and outer wood material, thickness of wood, etc.), the 7-ply blade is naturally faster due to its stiffness, whereas the 5-ply wood offers more control and dwell time.
In offensive play, the 7-ply wood is better for power shots, while the 5-ply wood excels in looping. For defensive strategies, the 7-ply provides faster reactions for blocking, whereas the 5-ply allows for more controlled blocks.
Jean Michell Saive played with Stiga Clipper / Stiga Clipper CR a 7 ply wood blade. I've used the same and it is great for blocking but I struggled with looping.
Stiga Clipper is Stigas most sold blade over 2 million sold.
Here is a fun game with Jean Michell Saive
Here are the TTD guys review of Stiga Clipper.
Do note that most 7 ply wood blades, Korbl SK7, Darko J7 and Stiga Clipper are to fast blades for most players. Don't get fooled by reviews like this when two very skilled players who are used to carbon blades talk about 'tons of control'.
A normal 5 ply wood has more control and suit 90%+ of all table tennis players better. But if your skill level is on par with Jean Michell Saive then sure, trade your 5 ply for a Stiga Clipper. 😉Â
