>>11488847
>>11488930
The silver plastic part that the ratchet connects to has slight mold variations ranging from A1 to A8, with A8 being the newest version. On the A8's, the six little nubs on the connector are the thickest and longest. It grips the ratchet tighter and gives it a stronger lock. There's a noticeable difference in feel between an A8 and earlier molds.

The Japanese players have been talking about it for a couple of months now because they minmax everything they possibly can for tournaments, that's how I learned about it.