STIGA Sports AB is one of the global leaders in the manufacture and distribution of table tennis equipment. The company started out way back in 1944, and has since established itself as a brand loved and patronized by table tennis players from all over the globe - including professionals.
Today, STIGA Sports has hundreds of table tennis rackets under its belt, and many of these have been used in official games not only because they’re designed to meet ITTF standards, but also because they’re specifically developed with optimal performance in mind. For instance, the STIGA Pro Carbon Table Tennis Racket is one of their five premiere paddles, designed for performance-level play. It’s fast, it’s cutting-edge, but is it too unpredictable for consistent, confident play?
If you’re thinking of copping the STIGA Pro Carbon to bump up your game, take some time to read through our review so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting when you decide to make that purchase.
The STIGA Pro Carbon - A Rugged Budget Racket
STIGA boasts a line-up of 5 different pre-made table tennis rackets that are designed to meet ITTF standards, and the Pro Carbon is the most affordable one in the line-up. At just under $50 USD, this premium STIGA table tennis racket has become increasingly popular throughout the years. This is because it appeals to serious beginners and intermediate level players who want to improve their game with a worthy racket, but don’t necessarily want to spend too much either.
There’s a lot to love about the STIGA Pro Carbon, as with any other rackets from the brand. The all-around bat is a clean, fast, and efficient performer, allowing just the right level of difficulty to challenge players without the frustration or confusion.
The Pro Carbon’s Anatomy
The make and material of a table tennis racket will determine how well it performs on the playing surface. The Pro Carbon makes use of some of the most efficient materials on the market, making it an intuitive paddle that moves with you and works with your skill level to maximize the returns of each rally.
First off, the rubbers on the Pro Carbon are designed to satisfy ITTF standards. Made from premium, dense, responsive rubber, these covers offer professional performance that supports aggressive, offensive play. They’re also replaceable, so there’s no need to buy a brand new paddle when they wear out. Under the rubber, the paddle features a thin sponge material that helps cushion the ball slightly to focus energy and increase speed upon impact.
The Pro Carbon’s handle features the standard flared out silhouette, allowing optimal grip for high speed games. A slight recess on the handles base also helps improve ball feel and feedback, allowing users to fine-tune their strike for more consistent play.
Finally, the blade on the Pro Carbon is made from high-quality basla wood, one of the most common materials used for ping pong paddles. This thin wood is stiff yet responsive, lightweight and easy to swing, so players can maximize offensive strategies without their paddle weighing them down.
Premium STIGA Technology
While it isn’t the fastest pre-made STIGA racket, the Pro Carbon isn’t too shabby in the speed department. Offering a satisfyingly crisp striking feel, the racket employs WRB Weight Balance technology which basically focuses the weight of the racket where it hits the ball. This maximizes energy transfer and helps increase the speed of the ball.
Crystal Technology is another trick up the STIGA Pro Carbon’s sleeve. This unique process hardens the blade material to reduce flex. Ultimately, the stiffer racket becomes much better at transferring momentum during impact so as to highlight the benefits of the WRB Weight Balance tech.
Getting Down to the Specifics
As you probably already know, table tennis rackets are rated based on their speed, control, and spin. These three factors determine how a racket performs in game, and lets you know whether or not it would work well for your specific play style.
Speed rating: ★★★★☆
For speed, we’re giving the Pro Carbon 9 out of 10 stars. Most of its features are designed to increase speed, which makes it one of the best performers if you’re looking for an advanced racket that can help you maximize your offensive play style. The blade is lightweight, and the rubbers and sponge are thin and sleek, offering maximum rebound upon impact.
Is it the fastest STIGA pre-built professional racket out there? Being that it does fall within the budget-friendly range of rackets, it’s not necessarily the fastest one that STIGA offers. We put it up against the Titan, and that STIGA paddle was obviously a cut above the rest in terms of speed. In the battle of the STIGA Pro Carbon vs Evolution, the latter also came out as the faster design.
Nonetheless, the Pro Carbon does provide some pretty impressive speed, despite being an affordable racket. This makes it a great choice if you were looking for a racket that will challenge your skills coming from an intermediate level of play.
Spin rating: ★★★★☆
The rigid construction on the STIGA Pro Carbon helps generate superb power, and consequently, impressive spin as well. Stiff rackets are much better at imparting spin, so we do appreciate that about the Pro Carbon. Forward spin, side spin, and a combination of both are the Pro Carbon’s strongest spin capabilities, so if you’re an aggressive player that likes looping and smashing, this racket can easily accommodate your style.
The only reason why we couldn’t give the Pro Carbon a higher rating for spin is that it doesn’t really produce the best backspin. While rigidity does work wonders for forward spins, it doesn’t seem to work so great for imparting backspin. Nonetheless, the paddle does offer average backspin capabilities, but don’t expect anything like what the Stiga Evolution might bring to the table.
Control rating: ★★★☆☆
If there’s anything that we think the Pro Carbon could improve on, it’s control. Such a rigid paddle makes it difficult to control the behavior of the ball. To make up for it though, it’s important to remember that the paddle uses WRB Weight Balance tech. This helps widen the sweet spot on your racket’s face, so even off center hits produce relatively similar outcomes and reasonable shots.
Even then, there’s only so much that the tech can do. If you’re really not used to a high speed play and you’re only starting to get more competitive with your style, you might find that the challenging control on the Pro Carbon might get you feeling a flustered on the playing surface. So if you were looking for something a little easier to control, we might suggest the Killerspin JET 800 instead.
Time and time again, these two paddles have been put up against each other because they fall within a similar price range. And what every STIGA Pro Carbon vs Killerspin JET 800 review has proven is that the JET 800 sacrifices speed and power in favor of control. So while it might not be as aggressive, it works better for slow paced players who prefer defensive play styles.
Who Could Use the Pro Carbon from STIGA?
What you need to consider is the fact that the STIGA Carbon Pro is made for speed. With that, this racket would be best utilized by advanced players and professionals who have slightly more skill to be able to maximize the features of the paddle. It’s also important to remember that it’s not the easiest racket to control, so in the hands of a beginner, it might end up being frustrating and unpredictable.
If you’re in search of an affordable racket for intermediate or advanced players, and you’re ready to face a few challenges in order to learn new skills, then the Pro Carbon might be a great choice for you. The design pushes limits just enough to help you improve, and thus makes a great transition paddle for players who want to serious up and join the higher ranks.
Pros of the STIGA Pro Carbon
l Slim and lightweight, letting you maximize your movement with minimal fatigue and maximum speed.
l Stiff construction imparts impressive forward and side spin, and helps maximize energy transfer for explosive speed.
l Replaceable rubbers prevent the need to keep repurchasing a brand new blade each time they wear out.
l Incredible ball sensitivity increases feedback so you can easily fine-tune your movements and achieve a more consistent play style and strike outcomes.
l Comfortable feel in the hand so you can play for longer with more confidence.
l Large sweet spot produces reasonable outcomes even if you don’t hit the ball dead center.
l Affordable, at just under $50 USD.
Cons of the STIGA Pro Carbon
l Somewhat lacking in control, resulting to erratic outcomes when in the hands of a beginner.
l Doesn’t produce the best backspin.
l Might feel too rigid for players who want to achieve a more defensive, slow paced tempo.
Overall rating: ★★★★☆
There really is a lot to like about the STIGA Pro Carbon. This includes its impeccable speed and lightweight construction that promise to minimize fatigue and bump up your offensive play. Of course, it’s not the perfect paddle. A lack of control, unimpressive backspin, and a feel that might be slightly too rigid for some players might cause a few issues with your overall satisfaction.
Do we think these downsides are deal breakers? Absolutely not. Despite having its fair share of flaws, the design promises intuitive performance for the right player. Plus the fact that it’s unbelievably affordable, there really is no such thing as buyer’s remorse with the Pro Carbon from STIGA.