Last Updated on November 10, 2023 by Sorin Petroj
If you prefer to defend, you may be looking for the best defensive table tennis blade.
This article covers the seven best modern defensive table tennis blades. These are the most preferred choices among professionals and are also recommended by coaches.
At a Glance – Best Defensive Table Tennis Blade
Blade | Image | Price | Rating |
 | Best OVERALL $87.99 | ||
 | Best Control $170.99 | ||
 | Best Budget $57.919 | ||
 | Best for attack and chop $84.95 | ||
 | Best 7-ply for Tournament $77.43 |
What is a defensive table tennis blade?
Table tennis modern defense requires blades mainly designed for the playstyle, like the above blades we listed. A defensive table tennis blade is very different than an offensive blade.
Defensive blades usually have a larger head designed to be used when the player wants to keep the ball close to their body and out of danger. The defensive player will use this blade to block and deflect incoming offensive shots, which can be difficult for opponents to handle.
It is designed to keep the ball in play and block or hit it back over the net. This type of blade is generally a little bit heavier than an offensive blade and has a larger head, making it easier to chop and block.
1. Victas Koji Matsushita Defensive
The Victas Koji Matsushita is one of the best defensive ping pong paddles. The paddle/blade was designed by a four-time Olympic competitor and one of the most fierce defenders, Koji Matsushita. The blade is made out of five piles of fine mahogany.
Victas Koji Matsushita is one of the top-of-the-line modern ping pong blades hand-made in Victas Japanese workshop. The Koji Matsushita has been designed to be a highly effective defensive blade.
The blade’s 5-ply wooden structure provides excellent control in away-from-the-table defensive action. This defensive-style blade also helps you execute passive shots.
Other Victas table tennis blades are reviewed in detail here.
Victas Koji Matsushita Blade Features
- Style: Defensive type.
- Plywood: five-ply hard and soft veneer.
- Shape: round, with a large head.
- Soft sensation.
- Weight: 83g
- Speed: 52.5.
- Control: 94.5.
- Price: $87.99.
The Victas koji Matsushita gives your strokes enough power to attack successfully and the flexibility to defend almost any server. The Koji Matsushita blade helps you block attacks and fluently serve your won attack.
That said, this blade is currently priced at $87.99 and comes with 4.5/5 star ratings on Megaspin and 9.4/10 on the Revspin website.
You can choose either a flared or straight grip. Most reviews are about the blade’s quality workmanship, outstanding balance, and excellent control. The Koji Matsushita blade pairs well with offensive rubbers on both sides.
2. Butterfly Innershield Layer ZLF
The Innershield layer ZLF is one of the best of the Butterfly defensive blades. It is a high-tech 7-ply blade designed for modern defensive gameplay.
This revolutionary defensive ping pong blade uses ZL fibers which professional players love. The Butterfly ZLF blade is the first defensive ping pong blade manufactured by Butterfly, which is also one of the best. Currently, it is taking the scene by storm.
The ZL fibers used to make the Innershield defensive blade allow it to be a sizeable lightweight blade and help players chop and serve countertops. It is different from other blades, especially if you like to play with long pimples.
The reason it’s different is that it not only helps you to defend amazingly, but it also gives you perfect control to serve a counter loop.
Butterfly Innershield Table Tennis Blade Features
- Style: DEF class.
- Plies: 7 (5 Wood + 2 ZLF composite)
- Thickness: 5.1mm.
- Manufactured in Japan.
- Size of the head: 166x155mm.
- Size of the flared handle: 100x24mm.
- Straight Handle Dimensions: 100x23mm.
- 84g in weight
- 49 vibrations.
- Price: $170.99.
Butterfly Innershield Layer ZLF is priced at $170.99 and comes with 4.5/5 on Megaspin and 8.6/10 on the Revspin website. It comes in flared and straight handles, and needless to say, it is one of the best defensive penhold blades.
According to most of the reviews on this blade, it pairs well with Mark V HPS and Tibhar Grass D Tecs rubbers for chopping.
Butterfly suggests using the Dignics 09C rubber with it if you want the blade to generate more spin or rubber with a tacky top sheet like the Spring Sponge X.
3. Yasaka Sweden Classic Defensive Table Tennis Blade
Yasaka’s Sweden Classic is one of the best modern defensive table tennis blades and is super affordable. It is an amazing ping pong blade manufactured in Sweden’s Tranas table tennis factory.
It has all the characteristics you would want in a modern defensive table tennis blade. It’s stiff (flexible with longer dwell time), lightweight, durable, and consistent. This makes it ideal for playing against a faster opponent. The result is that you can keep your focus on the game and not worry about the blade.
Most defensive ping pong players look for the best soft touch of the ball and good control and feeling. The Sweden defensive blade is softer and has a slightly larger head than other defensive blades.
Yasaka Sweden Classic Blade Features
- Style: Defensive.
- Speed: 68.
- Control: 92.
- Weight: 82g.
- Ply 5.
- Made in Sweden.
- Price: $42.95.
The Yasaka Sweden blade’s superior feeling and control make it perfect for players who use both technical attacks. It is the best blade to play near short spin shots at short distances from the table.
Moreover, the Yasaka Sweden Classic blade is appropriate for all players and styles. The blade is suitable for both beginners and professional defensive players. It has a large ST grip, which makes it feel amazing to hold and gives it control.
This defensive blade helps perform inverted combinations that are useful for close-to-the-table plays. The blade also has excellent build quality, is ideal for mid-range games, and is suitable for both beginners and intermediate players.
Yasaka Sweden Classic is priced at $42.95 and has 4.5/5 star ratings on Megaspin and 8.7/10 on Revspin. It comes with performance ratings of 68 for speed and 92 for 100.
It is a super lightweight blade weighing only 82 grams.
4. Stiga Defensive Pro Table Tennis Blade
Stiga Defensive Pro is a seven-ply defensive ping-pong blade with offensive capabilities. The blade also provides the user with significantly more control.
Stiga Defensive table tennis blade is best for players looking to attack, chop, and serve attacking strokes. This defensive-style blade has a slightly larger head than other traditional blades.
This particular blade was made in collaboration with the master defensive player, Masato Shiono.
Stiga Defensive Pro Blade Features
- Style: Defensive type.
- Speed: 80.
- Control: 77.
- Plies: 7
- Swedish design.
- Weight: 80g.
- Price: $84.95.
Almost all the reviewers report that Stiga Defensive Pro is the best choice for counterattacking and defensive players. It is compared most to the Koji Matsushita blade, but it is lighter in weight and feels easier to swing.
Also, the carbon layer of this blade is similar to the Matsushita blade. The larger head of Stiga and the two carbon layers give the players a sweet spot to hit the ball.
The Stiga Defensive Pro modern defensive table tennis blade is suitable for all players, whether a beginner or a professional.
Like Butterfly Innershield ZLF, Stiga Defensive Pro pairs will use Dignic 09C rubber and Tenergy 05 FX on the forehand.
As for the backhand, Feint Long III is the most recommended rubber for Stiga Defensive Pro.
5. Donic Defplay Senso V3
The Donic Defplay Senso V3 ping pong blade is made for all-around performance for players of all styles. The blade is best for players who like to switch between offensive and defensive game plays.
This modern defensive table tennis blade is made from a five-ply construction, with two outer dampening plies of Gabon elastic and Anegre wood. The dampening effect is facilitated by the unique sensor technology and the V3’s following engineering.
The head of the blade is 3 mm bigger than regular blades.
Donic Defplay Senso V3 Blade Features
- Defensive kind.
- Wood: 5 plies.
- Thickness: 5.5.
- Speed: 63.
- Control rate: 94.
- Weight: 74 lbs.
- Price: $49.95.
The Donic Defplay Senso V3 blade is perfect for the modern player who likes to switch techniques when they play. The blade has the world’s best five-ply all-around veneer and two dampening elastic outer piles.
It is suitable for defensive choppers and those looking for quality hard bat paddles. The speed and the vibration of the Donic blade are lessened by increasing the size of the blade.
Donic Deflay Senso V3, defensive style blade, is priced at $49.95 and comes with 4.5/5 star ratings on Megaspin and 8.9/10 on Revspin.
Weighing only 74 lbs, it is the most lightweight defensive blade offering great flexibility for swinging and pure playing excitement. Also, it is the most budget-friendly defensive table tennis blade.
6. Joola Chen Defender
The Joola Chen Defender is a modern defensive blade designed by the world-class defensive player – Chen Weixing. It is a 7-ply blade featuring a huge sweet spot for superior control and playing aggressively.
It offers excellent ball control and a slim profile that’s also comfortable to hold.
The Joola Chen Defender also comes with an excellent balance point, so you can feel confident in your ability to play defense with this blade. The blade is constructed with two Samba veneers and an Enzo layer.
The Enzo layer between the two Samba veneers provides a fantastic feel of the ball.
Joola Chen Defender Blade Features
- Type: Defensive and All-round
- Plies: 7 Plies
- Head size: 165 mm x 159 mm
- Thickness: 7.7 mm
- Weight: 90 g
- Speed: 55
- Control: 104
- Price: $54.95
The Chen Defender is the most sold defensive blade. It is priced at $54.95 and has a 4.7/5 star rating on Megaspin. If you want more feel and longer dwell time, consider using softer rubber, and if you want more control, we recommend using hard rubbers.
However, Joola recommends pairing the blade with Golden Tango rubbers for All-rounders and CWX rubbers for defenders.
7. Der-Materialspezialist Defensor
If you want a modern carbon defensive blade, look no further than the Der Materialspezialist Defensor. The Defensor is a great option for those looking for an easy-to-use defensive blade with a proven anti-loop design.
It features incredible speed and stability, and its long pips allow it to handle offensive attacks as well. It is a modern defensive blade with a huge sweet spot equipped with 2 carbon fiber layers.
With the carbon layer, the 7-ply blade feels hard and stiff. It is designed to offer extreme backspin and create effective counterattacks.
Der-Materialspezialist Defensor Blade Features
- Type: Defense
- Plies: 7 (5 Wood + 2 Carbon)
- Speed: 68
- Control: 99
- Weight: 79 g
- Blade thickness: 6.3 mm
- Price: $77.43
Der Materialspezialist Defensor is priced at $77.43 and comes with 4.8/5 star ratings on Megaspin and 8.8/10 on Revspin. It is one kind of defensive blade made particularly to disrupt offensive shots.
The downside to the Defensor is its somewhat slow handle, which may be a bit too long for some players.
However, players with larger grip sizes will likely find that this helps them achieve a reasonable balance on their forehand. That said, the Defensor is an underrated blade that is worth considering if you are looking for a defensive option.
Best Modern Defensive Table Tennis Blade – Summary
There are many ping pong blades for you to choose from. Whether new to the sport or a professional, picking the suitable blades to suit your style can be confusing.
To make choosing the right blades easier, we have prepared this list of the best defensive style ping pong blades just for you.
The blades we reviewed here are top-of-the-line blades manufactured by the best ping-pong blade manufacturers in the world. Brands such as Stiga Defensive Pro, Butterfly, and Victas Koji Matsushita Blades are created in collaboration with the world’s best table tennis players.
These blades are made to suit all players and give them the flexibility to play defensively and offensively simultaneously.
These blades are also very cost-effective and won’t cost a fortune. You can use these blades to practice or even play in professional tournaments.
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Thanks a lot.