Sanwei Nova Carbon vs Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon: Which Should You Buy?
| Sanwei Nova Carbon | Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 7.8/10 | 8.1/10 |
| feel | stiff, linear, direct | medium-soft and flexible for a carbon blade, with clear feedback and a large sweet spot |
| handle | FL/ST/AN | FL/ST/AN |
| plies | 5-ply: Hinoki + carbon + Kiri core | 7-ply (5 wood plus 2 very thin carbon layers) — same outer veneer as the Yasaka Extra |
| speed | OFF | OFF- |
| thickness_mm | 6.2 | 5.8 |
| weight_g | 90 (plus or minus 5g) | 87 |
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The Nova Carbon is a stiff, direct intermediate carbon. Its Hinoki character feels refined, and linear feedback suits mid-distance offense. Trade-off: stiffness punishes brushy spin and reduces dwell-dependent control.
The Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon is a medium-soft, flexible carbon option for improving control-oriented offensives transitioning from all-wood. Its outstanding short game and excellent blocking deliver clear ball feel for a carbon blade. Large sweet spot and flexibility make it forgiving and controllable, and it is a natural upgrade from premade bats. Drawback: short dwell makes heavy spin harder without good technique, vibrates and feels sluggish off-center, weight varies, and far-table attackers may want more raw pace. Both suit intermediates, but Soft Carbon is forgiving and control-friendly; Nova is stiff and attack-linear. Choose Nova for attacking precision; pick Soft Carbon for forgiving short-game control.
FAQ
Which suits looping better?
Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon. Its flexibility and forgiving dwell are loop-friendly; Nova’s stiffness punishes brushy technique.
Which has better short game?
Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon. Its soft, forgiving character and excellent blocking suit passive touch and control.
Which is faster?
Nova rated OFF; Soft Carbon rated OFF-. Nova slightly faster but Soft Carbon rewards technique better.
Which sweet spot is larger?
Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon. Its large, forgiving sweet spot is one of its defining strengths.
Best transition from all-wood?
Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon. Its soft, forgiving character and excellent short game ease the carbon transition.