World Top 30 Women's Equipment Setups, March 2026

Originally published 2026-03-23 · Translated & republished with permission

From a history-review angle, this article should be meaningful. Updated monthly. Beyond the current world top 30, I also add a few notable players when appropriate, and try to include photos of more players’ bats. Any discrepancies are purely discrepancies. Men’s and women’s gear is very convergent now, from blade to rubber. Just relatively, on blades, some women lean toward better-pace-borrowing ones. Because in most cases their single-ball quality is less than men’s, and they emphasize quick-exchange more. Out of respect, although Chen Meng has withdrawn from the world ranking, I still place this back-to-back Olympic singles champion at the front, until she announces retirement.

Chen Meng: Fan Zhendong SALC, NEO blue national Hurricane, Hurricane 8 (20# sponge). Because it has higher ball quality than ALC, outer SALC is fairly popular now. This Fan Zhendong SA’s Chinese national representatives include Chen Meng, Wang Xiaotong, Shi Xunyao, Huang Youzheng.

1. Sun Yingsha: S968, NEO blue national Hurricane, Hurricane 8 (20# sponge). As said, women prefer slightly better pace-borrowing. So the thicker-cored S968 and the custom 968-8/968-6 became women’s choices. They are firmer, more suited to ramping up speed under compact strokes. Men, relatively, have more sweeping strokes, emphasizing absolute striking quality more, so the softer, more overall-deforming W968 has more male devotees.

2. Wang Manyu: Fan Zhendong ALC, NEO blue national Hurricane, Dignics 09c. The retail Fan A, for both amateurs and pros, is a fairly easy-to-use choice. So I call it a “sugar-water blade.” Now the soft-blade-plus-hard-rubber trend is very obvious, and outer blades are becoming ever more ball-holding. Even designing my own Heima-tuned ALC/PLC, I first emphasize not explosive speed, but ball-holding arc and spin ability. Because this era needs “fewer-weakness” blades. Only all-around performance gives more choices in tactical deployment.

3. Chen Xingtong: W968, NEO blue national Hurricane, Dignics 09c. It looks like a W968, but is essentially the S968 type with a thickened core. Forehand blue national, backhand D09c — simply became one of the national team’s main formulas.

4. Zhu Yuling: Inn ZLC custom, T05 Hard, D09c. Switching from Viscaria to the inner Inn ZLC custom — did she realize spin variation is her biggest advantage? One point needs dialectical viewing. Although for aging pros or amateurs, outer is more effortless, inner really is richer in spin variation, and after backing off more easily produces absolute kill quality (the ayous core’s help).

5. Miwa Harimoto: Tomokazu Harimoto SALC, D09c, D05. The Harimoto SALC’s endless-attack structure is interesting. High error-tolerance, relying on yourself to fire, place and accelerate. For beginner-to-intermediate players, many realize stability’s importance, so in 2025, the Donic Lind, my “Miao” and such sold well, with high recognition. Miwa Harimoto used D09c on the forehand before, maybe finding it unsuitable then. But now she re-chose it. Maybe, for top players, it is the same — their tactics develop and change, and their gear understanding and use change too. For example, for me, over a decade ago when I first used T05, I felt its sense of speed and error-tolerance were not as good as the Tibhar 1Q I used. Years later, with my power level raised, I found that under a higher-level brush-hit combination, T05’s after-power and spin value are beyond the 1Q’s.

6. Kuai Man: gold-label Viscaria, NEO blue national Hurricane, D09c. For many national players, they really like the gold-label Vis’s softness and toughness. Softness is common; toughness is often because they picked a heavy one.

7. Chen Yi: W968, NEO blue national Hurricane, D09c. Poached by DHS, her blade went from the Yinhe Blue-Gold Workshop Pro-05x Max to the W968.

8. Wang Yidi: W968, NEO blue national Hurricane, D09c. This 968 is actually thick-cored too. For amateurs, the choice is simple — to align with the women’s team, just choose the S968. Backhand from K3 Pro back to D09c.

9. Nina Hayata: Nina Hayata H2 custom, NEO blue national Hurricane, ZYRE-03. The retail H2 is easy and steady, but its bottom power is mediocre — still too thin, only about 5.6mm. I played the custom version; it really is more solid.

10. Mima Ito: Mima Ito Carbon, G-1, Moristo SP raw rubber. G-1, a budget T05 substitute; both have good wrapping.

11. Satsuki Odo: Tomokazu Harimoto SZLC, ZYRE-03, D09c. Forehand from D09c to Z03, ramping up speed better, beating Wang Manyu and Chen Yi.

12. Sabine Winter: Andro Novacore OFF/S, NUZN 55, Dr. Neubauer ABS 3 Pro.

13. Honoka Hashimoto: Gangli, Nittaku blue national Hurricane, DO Knuckle.

14. Shin Yu-bin: S968 (Shin Yu-bin custom), NEO blue national Hurricane, NEO orange national Hurricane. Shin Yu-bin’s rose-red-handle 968 is style-wise close to the S968. The player uses a custom, but the Shin Yu-bin sold in Korea is just the same tier as the retail Hurricane Sa.

15. Shi Xunyao: Fan Zhendong SALC, NEO blue national Hurricane, D09c. Using the Fan SA to replace the gold-label Vis raised ball speed and sense of power.

16. Miyu Nagasaki: Tomokazu Harimoto SALC, T05 Hard, D05. The blade is steady enough, ball-gripping enough; just pair it with punchy enough rubber. She switched from the Innerforce Layer ALC to the Harimoto SA. Miyu Nagasaki has always been backhand-dominant but likes inner blades’ ball-holding.

17. Zhu Qianxi: W968, NEO blue national Hurricane, NEO orange national Hurricane.

18. Diaz: outer SALC custom, D05, D05. Butterfly also made her a G-FLESS anti-slip handle.

19. Cheng I-Ching: Super Viscaria, Z03, Z03. Probably Lin Yun-Ju’s successful blade-switch also influenced her, going from inner to outer, first choosing the easy-ball-holding SALC.

20. Han Ying: Victas Koji Matsushita (brown pine), orange-sponge Hurricane 3, Spectol S1.

21. Bruna Takahashi: Synteliac VCI Off, NUZN 55 on both sides. Under Victas, she used the ordinary, cheap seven-ply all-wood Dyna Seven. After moving to Andro, she uses the same VCI as Simon Gauzy and Yuya Oshima, an inner green-aramid-carbon structure. Switching from all-wood to aramid carbon, inner blades really are easier to choose.

22. Hitomi Sato: Diode V (Butterfly’s Diode, an attacking chop blade), D09c, Curl P1V. No longer choosing the Gangli line.

23. Miyu Kihara: Tibhar Miyu Kihara BINGO, K3 Pro, Speedy Soft D.TecS (2.0mm). Inner green-aramid-carbon structure. On this, I also have a Moyu, also using Japanese-imported green fiber.

24. Yuan Jianan: gold-label Viscaria, VO>103 raw rubber, D09c. The Viscaria line is still a pips god-blade. Yuan Jianan abandoned the discontinued Spectol, using the 103 raw rubber on the forehand.

25. Szocs: Tibhar Szocs, K3, Quantum X PRO pink. From setup to style, Szocs is worth us amateurs referencing. Winning need not be brutal.

26. Hana Goda: Cybershape 6, DNA Platinum, DNA Platinum.

27. Kim Na-yeong: W968, NEO blue national Hurricane, NEO orange national Hurricane.

28. Sakura Yokoi: Fan Zhendong ALC, D09c, D09c.

29. Pavade: unknown. A GEWO-signed star; the handle nameplate was pried off.

30. Lee Eun-hye: CL CR, T05 Hard, T05. Recall when Miu Hirano won the World Cup women’s singles — it was a CL with T05 and T64. I tried it then; very well-matched, you know? Two tensors raised the sense of speed, and combined, the wrapping was quite nice.

The above are the top 30; below are some notable players.

Samara: Super Jun Mizutani, D05, D05.

Polcanova: Innerforce Layer ZLC, D05, D05.

He Zhuojia: Ebony 7, DNA Golden Dragon, Feint Soft. Switched from the Rose CL to the Ebony 7. In face-ply hardness, ebony is harder than rose. Sun Mingyang, who uses backhand short pips, also uses the Ebony 7. All-wood blades for pips play still have unique value, and control really is more comfortable.

Qian Tianyi: gold-label Viscaria, MK Pro, Dignics 09c. Already left the national team, about to vanish from this list.

Miu Hirano: Viscaria, D09c, D05. Hirano tried D80 on the backhand before. By comparison, D80’s explosiveness even surpasses D05. But D05’s ball-grip is stronger, with better spin. But for us amateurs, it tests finger-wrist firing more. On the forehand, she glued T05 Hard too. Later she probably realized she still scores mainly on the backhand, the forehand just for stability, not demanding strong killing power, so she chose the easier-to-control D09c over T05 Hard.

Zhang An: Joola Nobilis, Hurricane AGR, D05.

Bhatra: Viscaria, V>15 Extra, Yinhe Huang Jianjiang Pips Master VVIP. This backhand long pips is interesting.

Akula: Inspiration Carbon King, DNA, Zongheng long pips.

Wong Yi-Wah: Fan Zhendong ALC, D09c, Z03.

Zhu Chengzhu: Viscaria, NEO blue national Hurricane, D05. Switched from Lin A to Viscaria. Maybe shows the Lin A’s limited stock ran out, so just use the Viscaria. Players consume blades faster than we imagine. And the Vis-Lin A gap is small — just pick out softness and hardness. A lighter, more transparent Vis is closer to the Lin A.

Chen Szu-Yu: inner SZLC custom, Z03, Z03. From T05 Hard on both sides to Z03 on both sides.

Ni Xialian: Victas Ni Xialian, VO>102 short pips rubber, Curl P1V long pips single sheet. The Victas Ni Xialian’s difference from the also-seven-ply-all-wood Swat is more in the carbonization position.

Mukherjee: Dr. Neubauer World Champion Carbon, Impartial XS, Dr. Neubauer Gorilla anti-loop. Per a local long-pips expert’s feedback, this anti-loop’s performance is weirder, but really hard to control. He would rather choose a more obedient anti-loop type, like Yasaka’s Anti Power.

Shan Xiaona: Sweden Power Pro, Moristo SP AX, Rakza PO.

Yang Xiaoxin: GEWO Aruna Hinoki Carbon, Jiemi 53, Yinhe Qing long pips.

Suthasini: Fan Zhendong SALC, D05, T05.

Kaufmann: Nuytinck ZC, MK Pro, MK. Structure similar to the Jun Mizutani ZLC and Heima PLC.

Yang Yiyun: Yinhe 980 ULTRA, NEO blue national Hurricane, Curl P4V. Yang Yiyun’s P4V is 1.0mm thick.

Kim Kum-yong: Nuli 70th Anniversary, T05/T64, Curl P1V. The P1V has become the long pips used by the most pros.

Pyon Song-gyong: Yinhe Pyon Song-gyong imperial-issue, NEO orange national Hurricane, D05.

Zeng Jian: Hurricane King acB, NEO blue national Hurricane, K3 Pro.

Zong Geman: W968, NEO blue national Hurricane, NEO orange national Hurricane.

Fan Siqi: gold-label Viscaria, NEO blue national Hurricane, D09c.