Table of Contents1. Overview
2. Performance Indices
3. Comparison by Performance Indices
……. 3-1. Elasticity Indices
……. 3-2. Vibration Indices
4. Summary

Xiom ‘36.5’ series is a product line using the special material ‘Axylium Carbon (ALX = ALC)’ and consists of ‘36.5 ALX’ with an outer-fiber consturciton and ‘36.5 ALXi’ with an inner-fiber construction. ‘Axylium’ is Xiom’s unique name for LCP fiber (= polyarylate fiber). (Because Butterfly has registered ‘Arylate’ and ‘ALC’ as trademarks, other manufacturers’ products using these names cannot be sold in the international market. Therefore, to avoid trademark issues, other manufacturers use their own names. For example Crypto Carbon or Voltema Carbon.) The Axylium (= Arylate) fiber and Carbon fiber are woven together to become ‘Axylium Carbon (ALX)’. (Generally, it is the same as the material called ALC, but there may be differences between manufacturers in terms of bundle spacing, number of fibers in the bundle, etc., so it cannot be said to be 100% the same.) ‘36.5’ means that these blade are produced using the ‘cold press’ method. Xiom explains that it preserves the natural feel of wood by manufacturing it using the special production method. The two products in the ‘36.5’ series Xiom’s core products that play very important roles as standard outer ALC and standard inner ALC blades, respectively. In this article, both of those two will be analyzed through Performance Indices and will be compared with some existing blades.

1.  Overview

Fig.01 ‘36.5 ALX’ (left) and ‘36.5 ALXi'(right)

Above picture shows two models of ‘36.5’ series. Left is ‘36.5 ALX’ which is the outer fiber version, and right is ‘36.5 ALXi’ which is the inner fiber version’. The ‘i’ in the second name of Xiom blade means ‘inner-fiber construction’. And, the model which doesn’t include ‘I’ in its second name is an outer-fiber blade.

Fig.02 ‘36.5 ALX’ (left) and ‘36.5 ALXi'(right)

Same design concept is being applied to both models of this series. Two models can be distinguished by the difference of theme color. The theme color of ‘36.5 ALX’ which is the outer-fiber version is dark blue, and the theme color of ‘36.5 ALXi’ which is the inner-fiber version is red. Theme color is also applied to the aluminum nameplates at both sides of handle and the aluminum logo plate at the end of handle.

Fig.03 ‘36.5 ALX’ (above) and ‘36.5 ALXi'(below)

The artificial material of ‘36.5’ series is ALX (= Axylium Carbon) which is woven from Axylium fiber (= Arylate fiber) and carbon fiber. So ALX is considered as a kind of ALC. ‘36.5 ALC’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ can be considered as Xiom’s standard outer ALC blade and inner ALC blade respectively.

Fig.04 ‘36.5 ALX’ (left) and ‘36.5 ALXi'(right)

Aluminum nameplate is applied for both of foreside and backside. Therefore it is difficult to distinguish between foreside and backside at a glance.

1-1.  36.5 ALX (outer fiber version)

Fig.05 ‘36.5 ALX’ (outer fiber version)

‘36.5 ALX’ is a standard outer-ALC (outer-ALX) blade in Xiom blade range, and it actually takes over the role of Xiom ‘Stradivarius’.

Fig.06 The construction of ‘36.5 ALX’ (outer fiber version)

Axylium Carbon (= ALC) is placed directly under the top layer. The top layer is Koto, the middle layer is Limba and the center layer is Kiri. Overall thickness is around 5.8mm. This construction is similar to that of ‘Viscaria’ but a bit different.

Fig.07 The FL handle of ‘36.5 ALX’

The FL (flared) handle of ‘36.5 ALX’ is similar to those of Butterfly ‘Viscaria’ and ‘Fan Zhendong’ series. Its width is around 25mm ~ 28mm (at bulge) ~ 26mm (at narrowest point) ~ 34mm (at the end). And, its thickness is around 23mm at thumb and 25mm at the end.

The ST (straight) handle whose picture isn’t shown has rounded cross section. Its width is around 28mm, and its thickness is around 23mm.

Fig.08 ‘36.5 ALX’

The head size of ‘36.5 ALX’ is around 157mm x 150mm. (Actually measure width is around 151mm.)

1-2.  36.5 ALXi (inner fiber version)

Fig.09 ‘36.5 ALXi’ (inner fiber version)

‘36.5 ALXi’ is a standard inner-ALC (inner-ALX) blade in Xiom blade range. In Xiom blade range the sign ‘i’ expresses inner-fiber version.

Fig.10 The construction of ‘36.5 ALXi’ (inner fiber version)

Axylium Carbon (= ALC) is placed between the middle layer and the center layer. The top layer is Limba, the middle layer is also Limba, and the center layer is also Ayous. Overall thickness is around 5.8mm. This construction is similar to that of ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’, but a bit different.

Fig.11 The FL handle of ‘36.5 ALXi’

The FL (flared) handle of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is different from that of ‘36.5 ALX’ which is the outer-fiber model in the same blade family. It isn’t similar to the FL handle of Butterfly ‘Viscaria’ but to that of Butterfly ‘InnerForce’ series. Its width is around 26mm ~ 27mm (at bulge) ~ 25.6mm (at narrowest point) ~ 34mm (at the end). Its thickness is around 23.8mm at thumb and 25.5mm at the end. Another recent blade family of Xiom – ‘An Jaehyun’ series – also shows this kind of difference. The cross section of the FL handle of Xiom inner-fiber blade is narrower and taller than that of Xiom outer-fiber blade.

There isn’t any explanation about the reason why the FL for inner-fiber model is different from that for outer-fiber model in the same blade family. But, probably it is because of the comparable Butterfly blades. In general, the outer-fiber blades should compete with ‘Fan Zhendong’ series or ‘Viscaria’, while the inner-fiber models should compete with Butterfly ‘InnerForce Layer’ series.

The ST handle (not shown) of ‘36.5 ALXi’ isn’t different from that of ‘36.5 ALX’. Its width is around 28mm, and its thickness is around 23mm.

Fig.12 ‘36.5 ALXi’

The head size is 157mm x 150mm, which is same as that of outer-fiber version – ‘36.5 ALX’.

Fig.13 ‘36.5 ALX’ (left) and ‘36.5 ALXi'(right)

Then let’s check the characteristics of ‘36.5 ALX’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ by Performance Indices and then compare with some existing blades.

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2.  Performance Indices

Performance Indices are measured objective values to represent the characteristics of table tennis gears. Concerning the detail of four performance indices, please refer to following articles in ‘About TTGearLab’ section :

The performance indices of ‘36.5 ALX’and ‘36.5 ALXi’ are as follows:

Xiom 36.5 ALX (average weight = 86.2g)

                    Ep = 1.92

                    Ec = 1.77 (Ec/Ep = 0.92)

                    Vp = 1.28

                    Vl = 1.39 (Vl/Vp = 1.08)

Xiom 36.5 ALXi (average weight = 87.1g)

                    Ep = 1.68

                    Ec = 1.42 (Ec/Ep = 0.85)

                    Vp = 1.18

                    Vl = 1.30 (Vl/Vp = 1.10)

Fig.14 ‘36.5 ALX’ (outer fiber version)

‘36.5 ALX’ is the outer-fiber version of this series, and it Ep (= 1.92) is quite high. But, the Ep is lower than 2.0 which can be considered as the criteria of fast blade. And, its Ec (= 1.77) is lower than its Ep, but not significantly. The ration – Ec/Ep is 0.92 which is in the ‘Mild Hold’ range (0.9 < Ec/Ep < 1.0). It is expected that ‘36.5 ALX’ hugs the ball moderately when the player hits the ball very strongly.

Regarding Vibration Indices, the Vp of ‘36.5 ALX’ is 1.28. The Vp around 1.30 is what we can expect from standard outer ALC blade with Koto surface (for example ‘Viscaria’.). The Vl of ‘36.5 ALX’ (= 1.39) is close to those of the other standard outer ALC blades. The Vl/Vp of ‘36.5 ALX’ is moderately high (= 1.08). So, the feeling transferred to the player’s index finger is sharper than the primary feeling, but not extremely sharper.

Fig.15 ‘36.5 ALXi’ (inner fiber version)

‘36.5 ALXi’ is the inner-fiber version of this series. Its Ep (= 1.68) is what we can expect from standard inner-ALC blade whose thickness is around 5.8mm. Its Ec (= 1.42) is much lower than its Ep, and as a result its Ec/Ep (= 0.85) is under 0.9. It is expected that ‘36.5 ALXi’ holds ball very deeply when the player hits the ball very strongly.

Regarding Vibration Indices, the Vp of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is 1.18. It is the value that can be expected from the blade with standard inner-ALC construction. Because it is much lower than the Vp of ‘36.5 ALX’, ‘36.5 ALXi’ is much softer than ‘36.5 ALX’ in primary feeling. The Vl of ‘36.5 ALXi’ (= 1.30) is quite high as the value of inner-ALC blade, but not as high as that of the outer fiber version – ‘36.5 ALX’. The Vl/Vp of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is moderately high (= 1.10). So, the feeling transferred to the player’s index finger is sharper than the primary feeling, but not extremely sharper.

Fig.16 ‘36.5 ALX’ (left) and ‘36.5 ALXi'(right)

Although its Ep is somewhat lower, ‘36.5 ALX’ shows the characteristics we can expect from standard outer-ALC blade with Koto top layer. And, ‘36.5 ALXi’ also shows the characteristics we can expect from standard inner-ALC blade with Limba top layer. It is expected that ‘36.5 ALX’ fits for more aggressive offensive style and ‘36.5 ALXi’ fits for the offensive styles those lays emphasis on safety and stability. The characteristics of ‘36.5 ALX’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ will be compared by graphs with those of some known blades in next chapter.

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3.  Comparison by Performance Indices

Then we can compare ‘36.5 ALX’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ with some other blades. For the comparison some well-known outer-fiber blades and inner-fiber blades have been selected. From this article, the explanation will be shown as more summarized form.

Following is the list of the blades to be compared :

Outer ALC blades with Koto top layer

  • Butterfly ‘Viscaria’ (avg. weight = 87.1g) : Reference of all outer ALC blade. Current version.
  • DHS ‘506X’ (avg. weight = 85.2g) : Outer ALC blade of DHS.
  • Tibhar ‘MK Carbon’ (avg. weight = 85.4g) : The blade of Kenta Matsudaira.
  • KTS ‘Fury KC’ (avg. weight = 89.0g) : ‘Viscaria type’ blade with a bit different characteristics

Other Outer Fiber blades

  • Victas ZX-Gear Out (avg. weight = 87.1g) : Limba top layer + Zxion Carbon. Center layer is harder than ordinary outer fiber blades.
  • Nittaku Acoustic Carbon (avg. weight = 90.8g) : Limba top layer + FE Carbon.
  • Xiom An Jaehyun TMX (avg. weight = 87.0g) : Koto top layer + Trimetrix (Carbon + Zylon + Arylate)

Inner ALC blades with Limba top layer

  • Butterfly ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ (avg. weight = 91.2g) : The standard of inner-ALC blades. Current version measured in 2023. Thicker and more elastic than former ones measured in 2018.
  • DHS ‘Hurricane Long 5’ (avg. weight = 88.1g) : Current representative of inner-ALC blades. 2022 version.
  • KTS ‘Core ALC’ (avg. weight = 89.9g) : The top model of KTS (Kim Taek Soo). Standard inner-ALC construction.
  • Victas ‘ZX-Gear In’ (avg. weight = 88.0g) : Fiber is Zxion Carbon which is a bit different from Vectran Carbon (ALC of Butterfly).

Other Inner Fiber blades

  • DHS ‘Hurricane 301Z’ (avg. weight = 88.2) : Koto top layer + reinforced ALC. Center layer is softer than ordinary inner fiber blades.
  • Yasaka ‘Ma Lin Carbon’ (avg. weight = 88.6g) : Limba top layer + fleece carbon.
  • Tibhar ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon’ (avg. weight = 88.7g) : Limba top layer + Aramid Carbon. Center layer is softer than ordinary inner fiber baldes.

5-ply Wood

  • Butterfly ‘Korbel’ (avg. weight = 88.7g) : The standard of 5-ply wood offensive blades

3-1. Elasticity Indices

Fig.17 Comparison by Elasticity Indices

Fig.17 shows the comparison graph of Elasticity Indices.

Ep (Primary Elasticity Index) is directly concerned with the rebound speed of blade. Ec (Central Elasticity Index) is concerned with additional ‘kick’ when player hits ball very strongly.

[Outer ALC with Koto top layer]

‘36.5 ALX’ is an outer ALC blade with typical ‘Viscaria’ type construction whose top layer is Koto. Therefore, the blades of this group can be directly compared with ‘36.5 ALX’. The result of comparison can be summarized as follows :

  • ‘36.5 ALX’ is somewhat less elastic than all blades in this group.
  • The Ep of ‘36.5 ALX’ is noticeably lower than those of other blades in this group. On the contrary, the Ec of ‘36.5 ALX’ is not much different from those of ‘506X’ and ‘MK Carbon’. But, it is much less than those of ‘Viscaria’ and ‘Fury KC’.
  • Although ‘36.5 ALX’ is very similar to ‘Viscaria’ in many aspects, it is noticeably different from ‘Viscaria. ‘36.5 ALX’ is slower than ‘Viscaria’. But instead, it is expected that ‘36.5 ALX’ will provide more controllability than ‘Viscaria’.

[Other Outer Fiber]

We can also compare various types of outer fiber blades with ‘36.5 ALX’. The result of comparison can be summarized as follows :

  • ‘ZX-Gear Out’ is a bit more elastic than ‘36.5 ALX’ in primary elasticity. But, in central elasticity, ‘ZX-Gear Out’ is significantly less elastic than ‘36.5 ALX’.
  • ‘Acoustic Carbon’ is noticeably more elastic than ‘36.5 ALX’.
  • ‘An Jaehyun TMX’ is much more elastic in primary elasticity. But, in central elasticity, there isn’t meaningful difference between ‘36.5 ALX’ and ‘An Jaehyun TMX’.

[Inner ALC with Limba top layer]

‘36.5 ALXi’ is a typical inner ALC blade with Limba top layer. Therefore, the blades of this group can be directly compared with ‘36.5 ALXi’. The result of comparison can be summarized as follows :

  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ looks similar to ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ in construction. But, it is much less elastic than current version of ‘Inner Force Layer ALC’. That is just because current ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ is more elastic than older version which can be still considered as the standard of inner ALC blade with Limba top layer.
  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ is as elastic as ‘Hurricane Long 5’ (current version) and ‘Core ALC’ in primary elasticity. So we can understand that it is also a kind of ‘standard’ inner ALC blade. But, the Ec of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is noticeably lower than those of ‘Hurricane Long 5’ (current version) and ‘Core ALC’. It means that ‘36.5 ALXi’ hugs the ball deeper than other inner ALC blades when the player hits the ball very strongly.
  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ is much less elastic than ‘ZX-Gear In’ in primary elasticity. But, it is as elastic as ‘ZX-Gear In’ in central elasticity.

[Other Inner Fiber]

We can also compare various types of inner fiber blades with ‘36.5 ALXi’. The result of comparison can be summarized as follows :

  • ‘301Z’ is a bit less elastic than ‘36.5 ALXi’. But, the difference is small. And, the graph shape of ‘301Z’ looks similar to that of ‘36.5 ALXi’. Although the constructions of those two blades are different from each other, it is expected that those two blades will provide very similar playing characteristics.
  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ is much more elastic than ‘Ma Lin Carbon’ and ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon’.

[5-ply wood]

We can also compare ‘36.5 ALX’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ with ‘Korbel’ which is the representative of 5-ply wood offensive blade.

  • ‘Korbel’ is less elastic than ‘36.5 ALXi. And, the graph shape of ‘Korbel’ looks similar to that of ‘36.5 ALXi’.
  • The graph shape of ‘Korbel’ looks different from that of ‘36.5 ALX’.

Examining Ec/Ep is also a easier way to understand the characteristics of blade concerned with elasticity. Fig.18 shows the relationship between Ec/Ep and Ep.

Fig.18 Ec/Ep vs. Ep

Ec/Ep expresses the ‘tendency’ of the elasticity of blade. By examining Ec/Ep and Ep at the same time, we can easily understand the behavior of blades.

On the graph, all blades in this comparison (except for reference blade whose Ec/Ep = 1.00) are in ‘Hold’ range (Ec/Ep < 1.0). But, the blades are widely distributed up, down, left and right within that range. The result of the comparison can be summarized as follows :

[‘36.5 ALX’ in ‘Outer ALC with Koto top layer’ group]

  • ‘Outer ALC with Koto top layer’ group including ‘36.5 ALX’ is placed to upper right of ‘Inner ALC with Limba top layer’ group including ‘36.5 ALXi’. It means that the outer ALC blades with Koto top layer are more elastic and give more kick than the inner ALC blades with Limba top layer. (Regarding the features of hold/kick, there are some exceptions.) ‘36.5 ALX’ is faster than ‘36.5 ALXi’, and gives more kick when the player hits the ball very strongly.
  • ‘36.5 ALX’ is in ‘Mild Hold’ range. And, most of outer ALC blades with Koto top layer in this comparison are also in that range. It means that those blades moderately hug the ball when the player hits the ball very strongly.
  • In ‘Outer ALC with Koto top layer’ group, ‘36.5 ALX’ is located at the left end of the group. It means that ‘36.5 ALX’ is slower than the other blades in the group.
  • The location of ‘36.5 ALX’ is closer to that of ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ which is an inner ALC blade with Limba top layer. Because ‘36.5 ALX’ is close to ‘Inner ALC with Limba top layer’ group, the players will be able to select ‘36.5 ALX’ in case they want to change their blade from inner ALC blade to outer ALC blade but want to minimize the increase of elasticity.
  • ‘36.5 ALX’ will be less powerful than ‘Viscaria’. But, it will be able to be a good entry blade for the players who want to start using the blade of ‘Viscaria’ type.

[‘36.5 ALXi’ in ‘Inner ALC with Limba top layer’ group]

  • Inner ALC with Limba top layer’ group including ‘36.5 ALXi’ is placed to lower left of ‘Outer ALC with Koto top layer’ group including ‘365 ALX’. It means that the inner ALC blades with Limba top layer are less elastic and give more ability of hugging the ball than the outer ALC blades with Koto top layer. (Regarding the features of hold/kick, there are some exceptions.) ‘36.5 ALXi’ is slower than ‘36.5 ALX’, and hugs the ball more deeply when the player hits the ball very strongly.
  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ is in ‘Deep Hold’ range. And, most of inner ALC blades with Limba top layer in this comparison are also in that range. It means that those blades hugs the ball very deeply when the player hits the ball very strongly.
  • In ‘Inner ALC with Limba top layer’ group, ‘36.5 ALXi’ is located at the left end of the group. It means that ‘36.5 ALXi’ is slower than the other blades in the group.
  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ hugs the ball even more deeply than ‘Hurricane Long 5’ and ‘Core ALC’ when the player hits the ball very strongly. Therefore, the player may feel that ‘36.5 ALXi’ is slower than other inner ALC blades. But instead, it is expected that ‘36.5 ALXi’ will provide higher safety for aggressive offensive play.
  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ is located very close to ‘301Z’. Both of ‘301Z’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ are expected to provide very good stability for aggressive topspin that aims that the rising of ball.
  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ is close to ‘Korbel’, and its ‘Ec/Ep is also close to that of ‘Korbel’. So it is expected that ‘36.5 ALXi’ can be good replacement of 5-ply wood offensive blade such as ‘Korbel’ in case the player want to increase speed of ball by just one step.

Then next, let’s compare Vibration Indices.

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3-2. Vibration Indices

Fig.19 Comparison by Vibration Indices

Fig.19 shows the comparison graph of Vibration Indices. Vibration Indices are concerned with feeling. Vp indicates primary feeling which is transferred to player’s palm. And, Vl is the feeling at the edge of the wing – the lower side of blade head. It is felt by player’s index finger or middle finger.

[Outer ALC with Koto top layer]

‘36.5 ALX’ is an outer ALC blade with typical ‘Viscaria’ type construction whose top layer is Koto. Therefore, the blades of this group can be directly compared with ‘36.5 ALX’. The result of comparison can be summarized as follows :

  • ‘36.5 ALX’ shows higher Vp and lower Vl when compared with ‘Viscaria’. Although it is a blade whose construction is very similar to that of ‘Viscaria’, its feeling is significant different from that of ‘Viscaria’. ‘36.5 ALX’ is softer than ‘Viscaria’ in primary feeling. But, ‘36.5 ALX’ transmits sharper feeling to the index finger when compared with ‘Viscaria’. That difference will be much more noticeable when we observe relative values – Vl/Vp’s – in next section, because the graph shape of ‘36.5 ALX’ is much different from that of ‘Viscaria’.
  • ‘506X’ is a bit harder than ‘36.5 ALX’ in primary feeling. But, its Vl is same as that of ‘36.5 ALX’.
  • The overall feeling of ‘MK Carbon’ is harder than that of ‘36.5 ALX’. But, the graph shape of ‘MK Carbon’ is similar to that of ‘36.5 ALX’.
  • The feeling of ‘Fury KC’ is totally different from that of ‘36.5 ALX’. Its Vp is noticeably higher and its Vl is somewhat lower than those of ‘36.5 ALX’ respectively.

[Other Outer Fiber]

We can also compare various types of outer fiber blades with ‘36.5 ALX’. The result of comparison can be summarized as follows :

  • The Vp of ‘ZX-Gear Out’ is noticeably lower than that of ‘36.5 ALX’, but its Vl is very close to the Vl of ‘36.5 ALX’. In actual use the players will feel that ‘ZX-Gear Out’ is much sharper because its primary feeling is much softer.
  • ‘Acoustic Carbon’ is a bit harder than ‘36.5 ALX’ in primary feeling, but a bit softer in lateral feeling.
  • The primary feeling of ‘An Jaehyun TMX’ isn’t meaningfully different from that of ‘36.5 ALX’. However, its lateral feeling is much sharper than that of ‘36.5 ALX’. Probably that is because of the similarity of vertical fibers and the difference in lateral fibers.

[Inner ALC with Limba top layer]

‘36.5 ALXi’ is a typical inner ALC blade with Limba top layer. Therefore, the blades of this group can be directly compared with ‘36.5 ALXi’. The result of comparison can be summarized as follows :

  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ looks similar to ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ in construction. But, its graph shape is much different from that of ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’. There isn’t significant difference in Vp, but the Vl of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is much higher than that of ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’. Although ‘36.5 ALXi’ is a bit softer than ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ in primary feeling, players will feel that it is harder or sharper than ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ because in many cases players first feel Vl or Vl/Vp rather than Vp.
  • ‘Hurricane Long 5’ is a bit softer than ‘36.5 ALXi’, but the difference isn’t significant.
  • ‘Core ALC’ is a bit softer than ‘36.5 ALXi’ in primary feeling while it is much softer in lateral feeling.
  • ‘ZX-Gear In’ is somewhat softer than ‘36.5 ALXi’ in primary feeling, but its lateral feeling isn’t meaningfully different from that of ‘36.5 ALXi’.

[Other Inner Fiber]

We can also compare various types of inner fiber blades with ‘36.5 ALXi’. The result of comparison can be summarized as follows :

  • ‘301Z’ and ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon’ are softer than ‘36.5 ALXi’. But, the graph shapes of those two blades look similar to that of ‘36.5 ALXi’.
  • ‘Ma Lin Carbon’ is even softer than ‘301Z’ and ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon’. And, its vibration characteristics are significantly different from those of ‘36.5 ALXi’.

[5-ply wood]

We can also compare ‘36.5 ALX’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ with ‘Korbel’ which is the representative of 5-ply wood offensive blade.

  • ‘Korbel’ is softer than ‘36.5 ALXi’, and it is even softer than ‘301Z’ and ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon’. But, the difference aren’t that significant. It is expected that the players who have used ‘Korbel’ will easily adapts to ‘36.5 ALXi’, ‘301Z’ and ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon’.

Examining Vl/Vp is easier way for the comparison of the tendency of feeling. Fig.20 shows the relationship between Vl/Vp and Vp for easier comparison.

Fig.20 Vl/Vp vs. Vp

On the graph, most of blade in this comparison are placed in upper part of the graph – ‘Relatively sharper at finger’ range. And, one is in lower part – ‘Relatively more comfortable at finger’, and two including reference blade are on ‘Uniform’ line.

[‘36.5 ALX’ in ‘Outer ALC with Koto top layer’ group]

  • ‘Outer ALC with Koto top layer’ group including ‘36.5 ALX’ is placed to right of ‘Inner ALC with Limba top layer’ group including ‘36.5 ALXi’. It means that the outer ALC blades with Koto top layer are harder than the inner ALC blades with Limba top layer.
  • ‘36.5 ALX’ is located in the upper left corner of the group. The Vp of ‘36.5 ALX’ is smaller than 1.3 while the Vp’s of all other blades in the group are bigger than 1.3. It means that ‘36.5 ALX’ is softer than the other blades in the group. But, its relative feeling transmitted to index finger is sharper than those of other blades except for ‘MK Carbon’. So we can summarize the characteristics of ‘36.5 ALX’ when compared with other ‘Viscaria type’ blades as ‘softer and sharper feeling’.
  • Although ‘36.5 ALX’ gives sharper feeling than the other blades in the group, its Vl/Vp is still in ‘Near Uniform’ range. It means that the feeling transferred to index finger is just ‘moderately’ sharper than the primary feeling. Outside the group, there are the outer fiber blades whose Vl/Vp’s are much higher than that of ‘36.5 ALX’, such as ‘ZX-Gear Out’ and ‘An Jaehyun TMX’.

[‘36.5 ALXi’ in ‘Inner ALC with Limba top layer’ group]

  • Inner ALC with Limba top layer’ group including ‘36.5 ALXi’ is placed to left of ‘Outer ALC with Koto top layer’ group including ‘36.5 ALX’. It means that the inner ALC blades with Limba top layer are softer than the outer ALC blades with Koto top layer.
  • In primary feeling, ‘36.5 ALXi’ is softer than ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’, but is harder than ‘Hurricane Long 5’ and ‘Core ALC’.
  • The Vl/Vp of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is higher than those of ‘Hurricane Long 5’, ‘Core ALC’ and ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’. It means that ‘36.5 ALXi’ transmits sharper relative feeling than the other blades in this group except for ‘ZX-Gear In’. ‘ZX-Gear In’ shows much higher Vl/Vp than ‘36.5 ALXi’ while its Vp is noticeably smaller than that of ‘36.5 ALXi’.
  • ‘Hurricane Long 5’ is located very close to ‘36.5 ALXi’. It means that there isn’t much difference between the feelings of those two blades.
  • The three inner fiber blades outside this group are softer than the blades in this group. Among those three ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon’ and ‘Hurricane 301Z’ show a bit higher values of Vl/Vp when compared with ‘36.5 ALXi’. Although their lateral feeling itself of those two is softer than that of ‘36.5 ALXi’, some players will feel that those two transmits sharper feeling than ‘36.5 ALXi’ to the index finger. But, almost all player will feel that ‘Ma Lin Carbon’ is softer than ‘36.5 ALXi’ because it is located to lower left of ‘36.5 ALXi’.

‘36.5 ALX’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ are located to upper left of comparable Butterfly blades – ‘Viscaria’ and ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ respectively. It means that ‘36.5 ALX’ and ‘36.5 ALXi’ are ‘basically softer but sharper at index finger’ than comparable Butterfly blades, which can be the important characteristic that distinguishes ‘36.5’ series. Some players will prefer it and the other players not. And, if the player hopes the ‘basically softer but sharper at index finger’ character to be even more extreme, ‘ZX-Gear’ series will be the solution.

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4.  Summary

Xiom ‘36.5’ series is the blade family whose artificial fiber is Axylium Carbon (= ALX) that is the woven of Axylium fiber (= Arylate fiber) and Carbon fiber. So it can be considered as the product family of ALC blades. ‘36.5’ series consists of two models – ‘36.5 ALX’ which is the standard outer ALC blade with Koto top layer and ‘36.5 ALXi’ which is the standard inner ALC blade with Limba top layer.

4-1.  36.5 ALX (outer fiber version)

Fig.21 ‘36.5 ALX’ (outer fiber version)

‘36.5 ALX’ is the outer-fiber version of Xiom ‘36.5’ series. Its characteristics can be summarized as follows:

  • ‘36.5 ALX’ is the standard outer ALC blade whose top layer is Koto and ALX (= ALC) is placed directly under the top layer. It can be categorized as a blade of ‘Viscaria type’. Even its handle shape is similar to that of ‘Viscaria’.
  • The overall elasticity of ‘36.5 ALX’ is high as we can expect from its construction. But, it is lower than those of ‘Viscaria’ and the other blades with similar constructions.
  • The Ec and the Ec/Ep of ‘36.5 ALX’ are lower than those of ‘Viscaria’. So ‘36.5 ALX’ hugs the ball more deeply than ‘Viscaria’ when the player hits the ball very strongly. But, not as deeply as the blades in ‘Deep Hold’ range such as ‘36.5 ALXi’ in the same family.
  • The overall feeling of ‘36.5 ALX’ is different from that of ‘Viscaria’. ‘36.5 ALX’ is softer than ‘Viscaria’ in primary feeling, and sharper in lateral feeling.
  • Because ‘36.5 ALX’ is slower and softer than most of other outer ALC blades, it is expected that it fits for the player who first uses outer fiber blade. ‘36.5 ALX’ also fits for the players who play with very aggressive topspin at close to table area but fist uses outer fiber blade, because it hugs the ball more deeply than most of other outer fiber blades while giving softer but sharper feeling.

4-2.  36.5 ALXi (inner fiber version)

Fig.22 ‘36.5 ALXi’ (inner fiber version)

‘36.5 ALXi’ is the inner-fiber version of Xiom ‘36.5’ series. Its characteristics can be summarized as follows:

  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ is the standard inner ALC blade whose top layer is Limba and ALX (= ALC) is placed between the middle layer and the center layer. Its construction is very similar to that of ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’. Even the handle shape of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is similar to that of ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’.
  • ‘36.5 ALXi’ is much less elastic than current version of ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’, and hugs ball more deeply. For that reason players may feel that ‘36.5 ALXi’ is slower. But instead, it is expected that ‘36.5 ALXi’ provides higher level of stability and safety when compared with ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’.
  • The primary feeling of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is a bit softer than that of ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’, but ‘36.5 ALXi’ transmits much sharper feeling to the index finger when compared with ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ or the inner ALC blades with similar constructions. Overall feeling of ‘36.5 ALXi’ is close to that of current ‘Hurricane Long 5’.
  • Like ‘Hurricane Long 5’, ‘36.5 ALXi’ is also recommended for the player who has used the 5-ply wood offensive blade such as ‘Korbel’ but want to replace the blade with fiber blade.
  • It is expected that ‘36.5 ALXi’ also fits for very aggressive topspin that aims at very early timing of rising thanks to its moderate elasticity, ‘Deep Hold’ characteristics and sharper feeling at index finger.

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