Customer review for Sanwei V5 Pro

Review by themaker (Verified Customer) for Sanwei V5 Pro on January 3, 2017

To give a little context, I'm a USATT 2000+ rated 2 wing controlled looping oriented player. I play using Chinese rubber on forehand and Tibhar MX-P on backhand.
The blade finish is superb; minimal sanding was necessary on the wings. The flared handle is a little small for me, but I have big hands. This blade is fast for a wood blade; 7 plies ensure enough power from close to the table to mid distance. With tensor rubbers it could be good from far away. I was amazed at the amount of control this blade offers, not just juxtaposed to its power but in general. In a pinch, out of position recoveries, or with reflexive blocks the Pro V5 unexpectedly got the ball back on the table most of the time.
The blade has some flex so looping is good but it excels at loop drives as the blade's stiffness decreases dwell time. This also makes the Pro V5 excel in passive and active blocking, though active is much better. Giving a little bit of a forward motion during blocking was incredibly consistent, regardless of the amount of incoming topspin. This was a great benefit. Short game was very controllable and the medium throw made pushing and flicks fairly easy.
The Pro V5 has a high pitched, almost carbon ping on impact and feels a little (noticeable but not bad) hollow feeling. Despite this, it still feels fairly solid and you get good feedback with every hit. Lastly, the Pro V5 demands good technique to be most effective and it is marginally-at-best forgiving of imprecise strokes. It's definitely not a blade for beginners. Given that, the Pro V5 is one of the best wood blades I've ever played with (I'm an EJ with 13 year's experience). Bottom line: it's got 5 ply control with almost composite power. The Sanwei Pro V5 is a quality blade that plays like more expensive counterparts from Europe or Japan. Especially at less than $50, it's definitely worth a go.

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