Style and Gear: Choosing Between Tradition and Trend

Plastic-ball eras push harder sponges; younger topspin systems push stiffer inners; celebrities swing between classical ALC and Super ALC. You still have to pick a lane that matches how you score.

Modern Fiber blades on the table

1. Butterfly’s hard-sheet signal

Butterfly has been retiring softer inverted lines and some pimple variants (volume-dependent). Notable soft classics on the way out include Sriver FX and Bryce HighSpeed—organic-era BH icons and microlayer easy-speed tools. Roundell Soft is also in that softer bucket. Market demand keeps drifting hard.

Even amateurs who once swore BH D09c was “too hard” are now often putting it on. Parallel blade retirements include favorites like Yoshida Kaii for some penholders, plus multiple AN (and some ST) grip SKUs across Harimoto full lines, Mizutani pairs, Super Lin Yun-Ju, Boll ZLC, Apollonia / Franca ZLC, etc. Pro AN users are vanishing; FL is winning.

2. Underspin systems vs topspin systems

Younger high-level play (pro and strong amateur) skews topspin exchange identity. Older players more often still built from underspin first. Gear biases differ:

System	Inner-blade lean	Typical scoring idea
Underspin-first	Softer holds (W968, Innerforce Layer ALC/ZLC…)	Half-long kill, or high-spin loop → next-ball finish
Topspin-rally	Firmer / thicker “刚柔并济” inners (S968, Ovtcharov ALC, Yinhe Max KLC, Harimoto ALC…)	Closer to outer-blade usage: stable exchanges, speed + placement

Two construction philosophies side by side

Classical inner focus: extreme spin and single-shot mass—you must drive it.
Classical outer focus: easier stable rallies—pair with rubber that can still hold and spin.

Match tactics reverse the strengths:

Vs topspin-first opponents: win more from short underspin and tempo/spin variety
Vs underspin-first opponents: open angles, move them, raise pace
Academy juniors vs veterans: juniors should avoid endless short-ball spin traps—play big topspin windows; veterans should force variation early and cash the first three balls

3. Fan Zhendong ALC vs SALC

Two hot blanks, different eras of “正确”:

	Fan Zhendong ALC	Fan Zhendong SALC
Character	More classical / traditional	Super ALC trend
Incoming spin	Easier to handle simply	More sensitive / can “eat” spin more
Self-drive	Needs more of your power (less free spring)	Better mid-force spin–speed blend

Fan Zhendong Super ALC era blanks

!!! tip "Tradition vs trend" Neither style nor gear has a universal winner. Pick the bias that matches how you already win points—then upgrade along that line instead of chasing every celebrity blank.