STIGA Pro Carbon Review

The STIGA Pro Carbon Table tennis racket is a hard paddle that a caters to intermediate/advanced players with a more offensive style of play. The Pro Carbon has a blade with 2 carbon plies inside it that add rigidity and response for increased speed and power. It’s a top-tier racket from STIGA and is a great option for players who play farther back from the table and want maximum power and speed for loops, loop kills or smashes.

It goes without saying that this paddle is ITTF approved so you can definitely use it for tournament play.

Specifications

• Performance-Level Table Tennis Racket
• ITTF Approved Rubber for Tournament Play
• Features Carbon Technology for Power and Speed
• Performance Ratings- Speed: 99 Spin: 100 Control: 80
• 7-Ply Extra Light Blade, S5 Rubber, and 2mm Sponge

Balance and Overall Feel

The Pro Carbon has 7 plies, 2 of which are carbon, which give the blade of the racket significantly more rigidity and greater flex response. This increase in rigidity and response results in significantly increased speed and power. This is reflected in STIGA’s own performance ratings of 99, 100 and 80 for speed, spin and control respectively. While these ratings may be a bit overblown, the Pro Carbon does offer noticeably more spin and most definitely more speed which is perfect for aggressive players who rely on their forehand and backhand loop stroke.

Many players who transition to using this paddle talk about the long adjustment period. It can take some time to get used the feel of this paddle and the way the ball comes off of it. It’s definitely not a paddle for beginners. Due to it’s rigidity, making finesse shots like backpin chops can be more difficult with it.

The Blade and Rubber

The carbon layers give the paddle a larger “sweet spot”, which is the ideal area on the paddle that can generate the most spin and deliver the most power through the ball. Unlike standard wood ply paddles, the carbon layers give the Pro Carbon not only more spin and power but a wider area to generate it. This might not be immediately noticeable, but after adjusting to the paddle many players notice the increased sweet spot and are able to generate more power and spin on their returns.

For players with an aggressive playing style that consists of loop strokes with lots of topspin, the STIGA Pro Carbon may just be the perfect paddle. The carbon plies are also lighter than wood allowing the Pro Carbon blade to have more layers without adding significant weight to the paddle.

STIGA features their Premium rubber on the Pro Carbon that is very good and is the same that is offered on the STIGA Evolution. Also, the handle is very similar to the Evolution and other STIGA paddles. This good for players coming from other STIGA paddles; they should feel right at home holding the Pro Carbon.

About STIGA

Like we’ve said before, STIGA is a Swedish company that has been making table tennis products since 1944. They are a high-integrity company that stands behind their products and I would not hesitate to buy products from them.

Pros

• Very rigid blade, great for aggressive play and topspin strokes
• Fantastic rubber
• Comfortable handle

Cons

• May offer less control for chops and backspin

Summary

The STIGA Pro Carbon is great for aggressive players that want more spin and power from their racket. It has an extremely rigid blade, great stickiness and very comfortable handle. It’s an obvious choice for players that like to play farther back from the table, making hard topspin shots. Players that play closer to the table may want to consider the lower-priced STIGA Evolution instead.