Cybershape is a table tennis blade that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen
before. Not only does it boast a unique and impressive shape, it also has an
optimised hitting area. Our studies have shown that, for the majority of
players, the optimal hitting area lies on the top half of the blade. That’s why
we’ve optimised the hitting area to be 11% larger for the shakehand grip and 9%
larger for the penhold grip compared to a traditional blade. One of the special
features of Cybershape is that, during returns, the hitting area is as much as
6.5 cm closer to the table compared with 2.5 cm for a round blade. Since the
majority of strokes of a professional player (both backhand and forehand) are
made on the top half of the racket, it is precisely here that Cybershape excels.
The larger hitting area provides an improved sweet spot, thus making it easier
for the player to control their short serves and returns, for example. As the
hitting area on the top part has been expanded, the bottom part has been reduced
by 2% in order to not make the blade too heavy and cause an imbalance.
Cybershape is a 5+2-ply blade based on CCF (Close Core Fibre) technology, which
means that the carbon layer sits directly on top of the wood core. The result is
more control and speed in your game. By means of the lightweight and
technologically advanced, German-made carbon fibre composite, we were able to
offset its weight, so although Cyberspace has a larger surface area than a
regular blade, it is not heavier. Cybershape’s unique shape also makes it easier
for the player to see the hitting area when serving. Thanks to its different
angles, the player has six corners to choose from, depending on the type and
amount of spin they want. In collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of
Technology, we also tested the vibration properties of Cybershape, i.e. how the
blade responds when it meets the ball. The tests showed that Cybershape has a
larger sweet spot that lies further out on the blade when compared with a
regular-shaped blade. The frequency response is also more linear, which means
that the vibrations are transported differently to the handle and hand. For the
player, this means a completely new and unique feel during play compared with a
traditional blade.
