This Business of Handles
1
A handle’s arc and grip feel are very personal. For example, most feel the 968’s FL handle is on the thin side, hollow during forehand-backhand transitions. But if you interview Wang Chuqin, he would say this handle is more comfortable than the Vis’s, with more convenient transitions. See — does this not overturn the general view? Generally, the Viscaria’s handle grip is more comfortable, especially in transitions, with more settledness. Back then, I gave up the 968 because of the handle. Last year, I gave up the 520X also because of the handle. So when making the Heima-tuned, I strongly demanded a Vis-ified handle. But before making it, Yinhe told me using this handle might change the performance a lot.
2
When the handle is thinner, it pushes the blade’s balance point further toward the head. When the balance point leans toward the head, the attacking sense of power is stronger — of course, you also feel it heavier. Whether the FL 968 or the medium-thin straight-handle Xu Xin Blue Label (versus the official-import pen Blue Label), both have this feel. When the handle is moderate or thicker, like the Viscaria, you feel the balance point more centered, even close to the handle. Generally, the backhand is more comfortable to control this way. And because the balance point is moderate, you handle over-the-table short balls more composedly.
3
Handle perception’s personal nature also shows in: generally, an FL handle with a larger butt is thought to favor the forehand; an ST handle favors the backhand. But now some national-level players feel ST has more punch on the forehand, like Jun Mizutani. Some think FL’s backhand has more settledness. But relatively, this is a minority view. The simplest selection method: see which is comfortable to grip. Also, see whether you easily fling the bat gripping an ST handle.
4
For the same bat and handle, why might different people have different views of the blade’s balance point? Because this has quality-control variation. First, the blade’s flatness — the thickness at various face points may differ. Second, the maker’s issue. For example, my long-held understanding is that the Boll ALC is hollow-handle and the Viscaria solid-handle. But from the S-code, I saw many Boll ALC with solid handles. So the Boll A’s balance point surely differs from before. Plus, when your forehand rubber is clearly heavy, much heavier than the backhand, the balance point clearly leans more toward the head when swinging forehand. Because everyone glues different rubber, they naturally have a different feel of the post-gluing balance point.
5
Even for the same batch of blades, the handle thickness, as you grip it, has quality-control variation. Some a bit fuller, some a touch thinner. Wood things inherently vary. Though handles are mostly machine-cut, they also need a final manual sanding step. So you see this year’s Zhang A, the handle maybe a touch thicker than last year’s. Originally, Butterfly planned the Fan A handle by the Zhang A’s size, but the made ones also differ — very normal. Do not fixate on these small details. As long as performance is unaffected.