Blade Review 8: The Underrated Stiga Inspira Carbon Is Really Good

Originally published 2023-11-17 · Translated & republished with permission

This installment of the Blade Review / Mushroom Field Guide covers an underrated gem: the Stiga Inspira Carbon. Really good.

Test setup: forehand NEO Provincial Hurricane, backhand GEWO Grape 450

Background

1. A splash of green in a sea of black; life always has to carry on somehow. Over time, the Stiga Inspira Carbon blade has been forgotten by the entire market and become quite niche. A blade goes niche for one of a few reasons: (1) it isn’t good; (2) no star endorses it; (3) it’s poor value, with no standout feature.
2. I happen to like that splash of green, so I just bought one to try, to see which of the above reasons left the Inspira Carbon with no users.

One: Structure Analysis

1. Why is it called “Inspira”? I think it’s because Stiga changed its usual design approach and pioneered a combination very rare for the brand: a koto face over a large kiri (paulownia) core, with a 6.2mm thickness to guarantee support.
2. Otherwise, the inner carbon and the traditional power-wood plies offer nothing remarkable.

Two: Don’t Judge It Too Soon

My first impression of the Inspira Carbon was “unremarkable, no character at all.” I couldn’t figure out why such a middle-of-the-road blade would be called “Inspira” Carbon. But after 8 sessions over 2 weeks, my view of it was completely refreshed and it became my new main blade.

Three: Actual Performance

1. Feel: The feel is extremely clear and transparent. The feedback to the hand on contact is very readable, wrapping and comfortable but not sluggish, with feel rivaling the CL. Despite a completely different design and materials, it’s somehow 80 percent similar to the CL, which is genuinely amazing.
2. Arc: Fairly linear, with a moderate landing depth and moderate height. It lands on the table reliably.
3. Spin: Much better than I expected, a perfect match with Hurricane. It grabs the ball very deeply, and the spin is no worse than all-wood.
4. Defense: The Inspira Carbon uses inner carbon and a large kiri core, with enough overall thickness, so it dampens vibration and absorbs force noticeably. Combined with the nearly perfect feel feedback, defense is a pleasure.
5. Power: The kiri core differs from the fierce ayous, so the Inspira Carbon doesn’t give an amplified feeling on offense, and actually feels a touch weaker. But the blade is thick, so overall support is never lacking.
6. Speed: Neither fast nor slow, fairly middle-of-the-road, but faster than all-wood.

Four: Usage Suggestions

1. I think the Stiga Inspira Carbon is an underrated, good blade. It combines all the strengths of both all-wood and carbon blades, delivering the “crisp, springy clarity” of a koto face and inner carbon, without giving the user any of the koto-and-carbon “stiffness.” Instead, it has dreamy feel rivaling a CL blade.
2. In summary, the reasons the blade went unnoticed are, first, that no famous player uses or endorses it, and second, that its price exceeds the buyer’s market expectations (though 700-plus yuan isn’t really expensive).
3. I’d suggest the Inspira Carbon suits all male and female amateur players under 1900 points, across every playing style (including pips), with Hurricane on the forehand and whatever you like on the backhand.
4. If I could, I’d give it two nicknames: the Stiga “Inspira CL” or “Carbon CL.”

PS: Everything in the Mushroom Field Guide is my own subjective impression. Rubbers vary from sheet to sheet, and blade pairing changes things too. Comments and corrections welcome.