CAKRA

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Launching CAKRA!

Nexy is moving forward with its 5th generation blades, and CAKRA is the first to be released.

This new generation will utilize all the data Nexy has accumulated over the past 10-years, making this new collection a blend of good features from previous generations, combined with added consideration for the unique character of the poly ball.

Nexy does not want to copy well-known blades and simply release them with different names. Nexy strives to be new and creative with each release. Therefore, all new 5th generation blades will share some good qualities of past generations, but they will also be different.

CAKRA is a 9-ply wooden blade, designed for the traditional defensive player. It’s a combination blade that adopts a different surface wood for the forehand and backhand side to give better performance for defensive players, who sometimes need a strong attack for their forehand and stable control for their backhand. CAKRA is basically borrowing the composition of AKTIUM, which Nexy made under the Tibhar brand, but with some modifications. CAKRA is a little bit heavier than AKTIUM, taking into consideration that most defensive players use long pimple rubbers with little or no sponge, which are lighter than inverted rubbers. Defensive blades are also slightly larger than attacking blades to enhance the stability of chopping away from the table. As a 5th generation blade, CAKRA is using 3rd generation blade AKTIUM's basic composition along with 4th generation blade RUBICON’s forehand side surface wood.

Let us check more features of CAKRA, one-by-one:

9-ply Structure

The most common structure for table tennis blades is 5-ply. This is extremely reasonable in several ways, but we have good reasons for making CAKRA a 9-ply racket.

(1) Why we don’t prefer one-ply blades?

Natural wood ply usually gets bent as time goes by. To reduce this tendency, we glue several plies together. If we construct a blade with one wooden panel, we must be careful to select a specific type of wood, and we usually need to dry them for a long time. However, in the natural environment, wood becomes bent over time because it is affected by humidity. It absorbs the moisture in the wet season (Summer), and releases it during the dry season (Winter). The texture can be affected by this process; therefore, we usually use several plies for constructing blades.

There is another consideration. In most cases, a thin one-ply blade is not strong enough to provide good power on the ball. When we use many plies together for blade structure, glue is used, and this glue layer enhances the power of the blade. So, we prefer to bond several plies together to create a thin, powerful blade.

(2) Why are 5-plies considered the standard composition for blades?

To prevent the blade from bending over time, we usually use several layers woven in different directions. Placing the center layer in the vertical direction helps deliver the impact of the wood directly to the hand. The surface wood will also look nicer if it is located vertically, because the blade is usually long from the handle to the end of the head. Therefore, 3-ply blades are not generally good for blade composition because the center wood needs to be located in the horizontal position. Thus, 5-ply blades are standard.

The main role for each ply is as follows:

a. Center-ply:  Controls the blade weight, and decides the speed and power.

b. Surface wood layer: Affects the spin generation and the general feeling on the impacting moment.

c. Second ply beneath the surface wood layer:  Helps the center wood function. If we use hard wood, the ball jumps off the blade and goes faster. If we use a soft layer, it helps absorb the impact of the ball and embraces the ball longer to generate additional spin.

(3) Exceptions:  One-ply Hinoki J-pen blade / 7-ply, 9-ply, and 3-ply blades

In Asian countries, especially in Korea and Japan, many players use a one-ply Hinoki J-pen. The blade must be thick, and the material requires a long drying time to minimize the bending rate. With Hinoki, this is possible because the wood is light and moisture resistant.

There are many 7-ply blades. Their structure is usually like 5-ply blades, only we use the second and the third ply like the second ply of a 5-ply blade. In some cases, we cross the second ply and the third ply in different directions, one as vertical and the other as horizontal. In other cases, we use both plies in one direction together, normally horizontal. However, the basic role for each ply is similar to that of 5-ply models.

For 9-ply blades, the surface wood is mainly related to the spin and feeling, and the other plies can be divided. In some cases, we use the second ply to support the function of the surface wood, and we use the third and fourth plies to support the center wood layer. In other cases, we use the second and third plies to support the surface wood, and the third ply to support the center wood. For all occasions, each design has its own purpose. However, I don't think we need to make 11 or 13-ply blades. If we use too many plies, it would just add more glue, which adds weight and decreases spin and control.

(4) CAKRA is a 9-ply blade
For CAKRA, I adopted a 5-ply blades’ basic role for each ply. The surface wood is mainly responsible for spin generation and feeling. The center layer is related to the balance of weight and power and helps deliver the impact of the ball to the hand. Between these layers, I use the second ply to support the function of the top ply, while the third and forth layers support the center layer.

Forehand Side

CAKRA's forehand side uses the same wood as RUBICON. So, we can assume that CAKRA is related to the 4th generation on its forehand side. RUBICON’s surface wood has a good functional feature for looping the ball with a high arc. It's arc is generally higher than other surface materials, and it allows easy access to the low angle looping away from the table. This feature helps players make powerful loop drives and chops from a distance. This surface wood also has a good embracing ability, which allows players to make stable long-range shots with ease. Moreover, the big head size provides excellent control for the ball placement. You can aim at any corner and place your shot there with less difficulty.

Backhand Side 

CAKRA's backhand side uses the same surface material as AKTIUM. It has superior control and absorbs the ball deeply. This surface wood is white ash, a little slow and dull for fast play. However, Nexy discovered a good way to use it. When we cut the white ash layer thin, it becomes more spinnier and provides pinpoint control for ball placement. So, the basic role for this backhand side material is to help players to exert spinny backhand chops away from the table and make attacking shots close to the net, allowing a deep impact and exact control.

CAKRA & AKTIUM

AKTIUM was released under the Tibhar brand name, but designed by Nexy. When I made AKTIUM, I gave the two sides different features. For the forehand side, I tried to provide a long, powerful flight trajectory. For the backhand side, I tried to provide more stability and accuracy, as well as good spin for easy, powerful chopping from all locations. So, when I adopted AKTIUM's general character for CAKRA, I used the good features from the 3rd generation. However, AKTIUM was a little lighter than the ideal weight for a defensive blade, so I made CAKRA a little heavier. I also tried to raise the arc to enhance looping and chopping for the forehand side. So, you can expect similar functions from both blades, but CAKRA will be a little heavier and will be make a higher arc than AKTIUM. I cannot say which one is better, because some players will prefer a lower, more aggressive ball movement, and other players will prefer a lighter weight blade. You can decide which you prefer.

The Meaning of CAKRA

CAKRA means "wheel." In ancient India, Greece, or Rome, one nation could win a war against an enemy who did not have wheels, So, CAKRA gave victory to the people who could design and use them to make an effective weapon, the chariot! It is my hope that CAKRA blade can give victories to players who realize the power of CAKRA.

With CAKRA, the defensive player can make a big, sweeping circle when generating under-spin away from the table. This blade illustrates the movement of the choppers. Therefore, I think this blade's name gives good spirit for defensive players. Moreover, when we see the wheel, it appears stationary, attached to the axle of the wheel, but when we look more carefully we notice the wheel is steadily progressing.

CAKRA promises to help you progress forward with your defensive play.

Thank you for reading this article.