CYBERSHAPE CARBON CWT

Cybershape – a completely new type of blade with a unique shape and larger hitting area! 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.

Layers: 5+2

Speed by Stiga: 145

Control by Stiga: 45

With STIGA Custom Weight Technology you can adjust and adapt the balance and weight of the blade quickly and easily with the help of small magnetic weights of 3, 6, and 9 grams that you easily attach on the inside at the bottom of the handle.

When you can adjust the weight of the blade, you can also control the blade’s mass, which together with the size of the blade and the force in the stroke create kinetic energy. This means that a heavier blade generates more force and kinetic energy at a given speed. This gives players the ability to change the nature of the blade depending on your individual preference and other external factors. A wide variety of factors influence whether play in a certain facility feels fast or slow. For example, choose a weight of 9 grams when playing in a large arena, a playing environment which tends to be perceived as slow, or a weight of 3 grams when playing in a small training facility or other playing environment where the play feels quicker. STIGA CWT allows you to already start fine-tuning your racket for a specific facility during warm-up. Depending on your individual preference and playing style, you can now adjust your blade to perfection. This also makes it perfect for players during development, as you can easily adjust the weight when you’re looking for more power and speed instead of switching to a brand-new blade.

Extensive research and several studies in our laboratory and test center have been conducted in collaboration with professional table tennis players that represent STIGA.

Customize the balance according to your personal preferences

Depending on where the center of gravity of the blade is located, one speaks of a high-center of gravity, low-center of gravity, or a neutral balanced blade. If the center of gravity is towards the top of the blade, it is called high-center of gravity – if, on the other hand, it’s at the bottom, it’s low-center of gravity. What different players prefer is highly individual and depends on their playing style, previous experience, and the weight of the rubber. The weight of different rubbers also varies, so being able to adjust the weight of the blade gives you the opportunity to adjust and find just the perfect balance for you.

• A lower overall weight is suitable for players who stay close to the table and prefer a fast-paced game.

• Increased weight generates greater kinetic energy, resulting in more powerful strokes.

The revolutionary STIGA CWT – Custom Weight Technology is patent-pending.

Optimized hitting area and larger sweet spot

Our research has shown that for the majority of players their optimal hitting area is on the top half of the blade. So we’ve optimized the hitting area so that it is larger in comparison to the traditional shape of the blade’s upper half and slightly smaller on the lower half to maintain the blade’s balance.

In collaboration with the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), we have also tested the vibration properties of Cybershape, i.e. how the blade moves. The tests have shown that Cybershape has a larger sweet spot placed higher up on the blade than a standard shape which gives more power in your strokes without losing control of the ball.

Customized hitting area for cross court play 

Since the ball usually strikes the top half of the racket (both backhand and forehand), that’s exactly where Cybershape really stands out. One of the distinctive features of the Cybershape design is that in your return and short game you get closer to the surface of the table by all of 6.5 cm of the hitting area, compared to 2.5 cm for a round blade. This gives you more of a chance of getting to short serves and returns.

With Cybershape’s unique shape, it is also easier to get the ball placement on the hitting area you desire while serving. Thanks to Cybershape’s angles, you automatically have six corners as a basis to aim for, depending on how much and what type of spin you want.