DHS
Hurricane Long 5X.

DHS's Hurricane Long family is one of the attacking platforms most closely associated with elite Chinese table tennis, tied for years to the figure of Ma Long. Within that range, the Hurricane Long 5X occupies a particular place: it is not simply an "improved" version of the well-known Hurricane Long 5, but a blade built on a different philosophy. Where the classic Long 5 places the fibre under the outer plies — outer carbon — the 5X shifts it towards the inside of the structure, closer to the core. That apparently minor change alters the feel and the way the ball is worked completely.

This review looks at what it actually offers on the table, which player it is meant for, and how it stands against its most direct alternatives, starting with its own sister in the range.

Putting the product in context

To understand the Hurricane Long 5X it has to be placed within its range. DHS keeps the Hurricane Long 5 in the catalogue, a carbon blade with the fibre set under the outer plies — what is known as an outer carbon build. That approach tends to give a more direct, fast and firm response on impact, because the fibre comes into play very early, almost from the first contact.

The 5X starts from the same family but changes that premise. Here the two Aryl-Carbon fibre layers sit in the inner position, closer to the core and separated by ayous plies. This architecture — conceptually related to the "inner carbon" idea that other brands popularised — pursues a clear aim: to keep the feel and sensitivity of an all-wood blade on soft and touch strokes, and to let the fibre wake up only when the impact is full and the structure really flexes. The result is a blade that behaves in two different ways depending on how hard the stroke is.

Structurally, the 5X combines outer plies of limba — a medium-hardness wood, pleasant and communicative — with intermediate layers of ayous and a core, also ayous, that is notably thick. That wide core is the other key to the design. DHS does not chase speed through stiffness but through elasticity: the greater the distance between the two fibre layers, the greater the catapult effect when the blade bends under a powerful stroke. Much of its character comes from there.

It is worth pinning down the variant from the outset, because the name lends itself to confusion. This review is about the Hurricane Long 5X, the inner-fibre one. It should not be mistaken for the original Hurricane Long 5 nor for the Hurricane Long 3, related blades that behave differently.

Specifications that matter to the player

Beyond the spec sheet, the numbers are worth translating into what is felt with the bat in hand.

The thickness of close to 6.0 millimetres is considerable, slightly above that of the standard Hurricane Long 5. Those extra couple of tenths are not incidental: they come in large part from the widened ayous core, which is precisely what gives the blade its springy, progressive response. This is not thickness for raw speed, but for behaviour.

The weight usually sits between 87 and 89 grams, with the natural variation of any blade cut from natural plies. As always, the difference has real consequences: a lighter unit is more agile in fast play and in the block, while a heavier one gains stability and punch on the full stroke at the cost of some manoeuvrability. Since this blade is usually paired with a tacky Chinese rubber on the forehand — which is not exactly light — the weight of the finished bat is worth watching if a manageable assembly is the goal.

The outer limba plies define much of the 5X's personality. Against the drier, more direct response of an outer-carbon blade, limba offers a softer, more communicative surface on the first contact, which translates into a more "wooden" feel and a longer dwell — the time the ball stays on the blade. That is exactly what the player who wants to build spin safely before the fibre accelerates the ball away is after.

Behaviour in play

This is where the 5X justifies its approach. Its virtue is not any single figure but its dual character according to the intensity of the stroke, something that clearly sets it apart from the outer-carbon blades of its own house.

The first thing a player coming from an outer carbon notices is that the 5X does not "jump" on the soft touch. In control play, the push and the passive block, the fibre stays in the background and what dominates is the feel of the limba and the ayous: a soft, communicative response, surprisingly sensitive for a blade with fibre. That is its great advantage from the start: it offers a margin of forgiveness in delicate touch play that is unusual in its category.

It is in the topspin that its character is best explained. At medium intensity the ball lingers an instant on the blade — that dwell that lets the player build the spin — and leaves at a medium or medium-high angle, comfortable for clearing the net over a chopped ball. This is a blade that goes along with the building of the spin before accelerating, which makes it especially well suited to tacky Chinese rubbers, whose strong point is spin rather than speed. The combination of a springy core and a tacky rubber on the forehand is, in fact, this blade's reason for existing.

When the stroke becomes full and powerful, the 5X changes register. The thick core flexes, the inner fibre layers come into action and a clear catapult effect appears: the ball leaves with notably more speed and penetration than the soft feel of the light touch would suggest. That transition — soft on the touch, explosive on the stroke — is its most characteristic trait and, well used, very effective for the player who alternates building and finishing.

The block and the counter-hit benefit from that limba sensitivity: the passive block is comfortable and controllable, and the active counter has the power of the core available when intent is put into it. In exchange, the liveliness of the rebound demands attention: in the close block the blade returns more energy than a pure all-wood would, and the angle has to be closed properly.

Its limits are worth being honest about. The thick, springy core demands formed technique. In the short game and on the serve, even though the feel helps, the liveliness of the blade punishes imprecise touches: a badly metered push goes long easily. This is not a blade that indulges the player still consolidating control, and its "two-faced" behaviour needs a degree of calibration until one internalises when the fibre wakes up. Nor is it the fastest in absolute terms: its charm lies in the feel-and-punch combination, not in maximum terminal speed.