STIGA Pro Carbon + Raptor Performance-Level Table Tennis Rackets with Carbon Technology for Tournament Play - 7-ply Blade with Flared Handles - 2mm Sponge for Enhanced Control and Speed

This is probably the best table tennis racket I have. some sacrifice power to spin and some does the opossite. Thsi racket does not compromise in either. It is durable, I have it for quite sometimes. just keep it clean and it will preserve its efficiency.

The STIGA Pro Carbon Table Tennis Racket has taken my game to the next level. The paddle is lightweight yet powerful, offering incredible speed and spin control. The carbon layers make a noticeable difference in responsiveness, and the ergonomic handle provides a comfortable grip for long matches. The build quality is top-notch, and it feels like a professional-grade racket. It’s a bit pricier than beginner paddles, but for serious players, it’s worth every penny. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to elevate their table tennis game!

Review first, then a bit about my experience with the paddle (day 1) and a bit about competitively priced paddles because I bought another paddle along with this one to compare. This paddle is an AMAZING improvement over the cheap paddle I picked up in the grocery store in the "sports - clearance" section lol go figure. I mean it's SO night and day it feels like cheating. This is a great paddle and at the end of this review I compared it to the JOOLA overdrive which is priced the same as this one and I think this is much better. I played for a couple years when I was 18 till about 21 and I'd say I was intermediate at the sport but I'm 35 now and just recently found out a friend of mine likes to play so I immediately got back into it but I've been using this terrible store non-name brand clearance paddle. I have played probably 50 games to 21 with him and I've never scored more than 11 points against him in 50 games, and he had to go easy on me... when he was trying I would struggle to get 3 points against him. When I got this paddle my FIRST game against him I beat him 21 to 19! It's night and day the difference a good paddle makes. I also want to mention I ended up ALSO buying a JOOLA infinity overdrive paddle at the same time and I tested both paddles. I don't think it's close - I think this raptor is better by a not insignificant amount. It's not as great as the difference between my clearance paddle of course, and I don't think anyone who has an overdrive should be disappointed - it's great but this raptor is so nice. I think I'm going to return the JOOLA and buy a 2nd raptor so I can invite more friends to play with me and we can each have a great paddle. That's how good this is :) EDIT couple days later: Yep. I was so satisfied with this raptor I did end up returning the JOOLA overdrive and bought a 2nd raptor so I can have a spare and can invite my friends to play against me and they can have an equally good paddle.

I have used Stiga products for a long time (since 1970s) and they make some wonderful equipment.I purchased this blade for a friend who is in a position to step up from basic prefab paddles which come bundled with the table . I was advising a custom racket-but got tempted to try this prefab paddle. A mistake ! I believe the blade is a 7 ply carbon and should be good offensive blade but the rubber (S5) isnearly useless as there is hardly any speed or topspin. The paddle came with a deep groove on the Red rubber. I tried to remove the S5 rubber with the idea that I would stick a new pair of decent rubbers(Stiga Calibra LT Spin) . But it is virtually impossible to remove the S5 rubber without damaging it or the blade surface !!! so those of you who will be tempted to utilize the blade as salvage are hereby warned that the S5 rubber is fixed very deeply with something other than the water based glues I am used to (Butterfly Free chack). If you are a recreational player-this is too much money to spend on a prefab blade. If you are a serious player-you can do much better by spending a little more and buying a decent blade with a pair of good rubbers. Needless to say I am disappointed with this purchase. I presently use a Butterfly IF ZLF blade with Tenergy 64 on FH and Tenergy 5 FX on BH. Update :03.19.16 The S5 rubber removed. Residue of rubber stuck to blade and the hard glue removed with multiple scrubbing with solvent (Gasoline). Blade looks very good ,light and fast (bouncing ball on naked blade). Stiga Calibra LT spin-rubbers attached with free chack glue. Amazing improvement in performance now. Speed 9/10,spin 9/10, Control 7/10. Excellent on table/mid distance play with powerful looping for opening up. Still a bit hard for my taste but a very fast usable combo now.. Happy Camper now !!

Overall Short Comment: Very good for its price($50 at the time of purchase) Fairly spinny. Can feel too powerful if you're not used to playing with 2.0 mm sponge. Lightweight for its speed -- still heavier than most premade bats at 165grams. Medium Rubber - Forgiving for beginners, but the maximum spin and speed is limited once you become good at the sport. The rubber can be replaced though. Good for: - Beginners who can do fh/bh drives - Recreational players with tennis background. - Anyone who doesn't want to invest in a custom setup Bad for: - Absolute beginners (Might be a bit too fast. Get Stiga Titan/Evolution for slower setup). - Choppers (Why would you be looking for an offensive paddle?) - If you already know how to loop, this is too beginner-oriented for you. Get a custom setup Long-detailed comments: The Blade: The blade is a little heavier than most premade bats. However, this blade is considerably lighter when compared to other offensive blades. I would say that the weight of this bat is just right for people who are starting to develop offensive playstyle. The blade can be pretty fast despite its light weight and it doesn't vibrate too much. The Rubber: The rubber is Stiga S5, which is a beginner rubber with very little speed and spin. (Very good control) The topsheet is not very grippy and so while table tennis basics can be performed relatively well, the rubber doesn't quite allow you to do advanced strokes. The rubber doesn't really react to spin and so it is good at blocking/driving/flat hitting. Durability: The rubber does lose its tackiness quickly. Since it comes with a not-so-tacky rubber, it will be very hard to generate spin after some period of playing. I've been using this paddle for two months. I play in a college club 4 hours a week + a few more hours with a friend. Right now it's time I change the rubber. I will keep the blade though, it is pretty good. If you are a complete beginner(You can't do forehand drive & backhand top spins comfortably), consider Stiga Titan or Stiga Evolution. Most other premade bat comes with 1.5-1.7 mm. sponge thickness. This paddle comes with 2.0 mm thickness and it is faster than your average paddle! If you play a lot you probably will be fine though. If you are not used to playing with thick sponges, it will take some time to adjust. Once you are familiar with it, this paddle is pretty good for its price. You can upgrade the rubber (or purchase a custom racket) when you are better at offensive shots and you start to feel that this paddle is too slow(At first, this paddle was too fast for me but when your skill improves you will feel that it is very easy to control.) If you are a beginner who can already do spin-intensive shots(i.e. loop) or an intermediate player, don't get a pre-assembled bat. The Stiga S5 rubber is insanely good at flat hitting/smashing but it is designed for beginners. Comments on each shot: Smash/Flat hit: This paddle is insanely good. The rubber is not sensitive to incoming spin. You can smash a chop/lob comfortably since the non-grippy top-sheet is not very reactive to the opponent's spin. Drive: The paddle is good at driving. The spin is ok. Loop: You can loop strongly with proper technique and a lot of energy. You should change the rubber to something better if you want to play the looping game. Push: The paddle can push okay. The S5 rubber offers a lot of control, but it will be hard to load up backspin on long pushes. Lob/fish: The speed of the blade allows you to lob comfortably without putting in a lot of effort. Block: The lightweight blade allows you to quickly block. The rubber offers a lot of control. Pretty good at blocking for an offensive blade. Serve: The rubber can do most serves comfortably, especially long serves. Some spinny short serves(Ghost serve, backspin reverse pendulum) is still hard to perform with the non-tacky top sheet. Chop: As typical of an offensive blade, the 2.0 mm is a little too thick for chopping. It can be hard but still doable.

Very good palette, has wow control.

I've played ping pong for years and always just used the paddles laying around. We actually play very frequently at work and one day one of my co-workers show up with a very pricy butterfly that he let me use. It was amazing how much it changed my game, all of those slams that use to go long caught the edge of the table, all of my blocks were completely under control. At any rate I immediately decided I needed to get a decent paddle of my own and could quite have the budget for his $200 butterfly. I did some research and found this to be a rather popular yet affordable paddle that fit my play style. I've used it for several months now and its wonderful. There was a very real adjustment period where I struggled to use this, but after I adjusted my game improved significantly. My serves carry a whole lot more spin, my slams are much more powerful and under control, and in general this paddle does a great job keeping my shot on table no matter what I do. I'm sure there are plenty of better paddles out there, but I think for the money it stands up to the $200 butterfly I tried originally very well.

Great bat with good grip and the spin the bat generates is incredible. I am an average Table Tennis Player but in the hands of a seasoned player, this bat can be devastating for the opponent.

Great rackets. Will buy again in the future. Top quality blades and rubber 👌

The name Stiga has been around table tennis for donkey's years and came , I think, from Sweden. This bat came from China with Chinese rubbers. I am wondering if it is just too light because that is my feeling after a two hour session. The carbon bit may improve speed but the 'feel' is lacking. OK, those are first thoughts and I promise i will come back if it grows on me with time. As promised I'm back after more hours. Happier now but this bat is not all that fast and lacks feel of the ball. So overall, it's good but not wonderful. And I bought it for £62! More news: I contacted Stiga who assure me that while this bat is made in China it is a genuine Stiga bat made with their approval mainly for the American market.

Chegou rápido, bem embalado, e como sou iniciante, já fiquei muito satisfeito em relação às outras raquetes que já tive.

Seit Jahren meine Lieblingskelle. Hoher Spin, hohe Kontrolle, hoher Speed.

Very good quality rubber & exceptional at spinning the ball.