NOVUS Axelo

Hinoki three-ply with Energy Carbon on the outside, at 7.6mm — the thickest of the 96 blades covered here.

Strato (7.1mm) and Ignito (6.2mm) in the same line share its exact construction. Thickness is the only variable separating the three, which makes them an unusually clean set for seeing what thickness alone does. A thicker blade flexes less, and less flex means pushing the ball away rather than wrapping around it.

Hinoki is a light wood, so even at 7.6mm this comes in at 87g: the design takes the return that thickness provides while holding the weight down. The trade is that thick blades send less information back to the fingertips, so this suits players who adjust by feel less well.

XIOM publishes no performance figures for blades. We cannot tell you in numbers how fast this is; everything above comes from construction and dimensions.