A bunch of questions about getting a new racket?

[Opalescent]

I'm a beginner/recreational level player. I use a R.I.T.C Friendship 729-2 rubber on both side and the blade i'm not sure what it's called. It's a premade bat from China - I don't think it's any good at all. At the club i visit, many have told me that my rubber feels weird/too old/too basic and i should get an upgrade.

I'm unfamiliar with the equipment game so i was going to ask about it here.

Firstly, 1) At a recreational level like myself, is it a bad idea to get equipment that is on the middle to upper tier of play, can it actually hurt my progress?

2) In terms of blade, If i choose a decent one like from Butterfly is that a bad idea because i am still quite low level? Because i was thinking that since a blade can last a very long time and i would rarely need to change it, i might as well get a pretty good one. However, The saying goes don't learn to drive in a Ferrari, is that true for table tennis?

2) In terms of rubber, what's the difference from a decent rubber like Tenergy/Yasaka/Hurricane/other good rubbers to the one i am using? Why are there so many variations in the market?

3) i hear people say a racket being "too fast". What does that mean, is it the rubber or blade being too "fast"?

4) what website is well known and good for purchasing equipment (including table tennis glue)?

thanks~...

 

[Der_Echte]

Two easy Aussie based places to buy are OOAK Shop tabletennisshop.com.au and Affordable TT www.affordablett.com.au

I would say go for middle of the zone for blade and rubbers to start out.

Blade: Yinhe 896 or N10 or W6
Rubbers: Dawei Inspirit Quattro Ultra Light 40 for FH and XP2008 Super Power for BH (Get both in Max sponge, ranges 2.2 to 2.3 mm)

Such a setup is about the minimum price you can build an acceptable, playable bat, unless you have materials. Players starting out usually want to spend next to no money, but then quickly discover inexpensive sources, then buy buy buy. Later, they are diagnosed with EJ syndrome.

Start out with middle of the road stuff like this, then 6 months later, you will gain enough experience and advice to buy stuff more suited to whatever you will become. This is easy and tried and true method. Fight vs the EJ virus, it is tough.

 

[Opalescent]

had to google what that was, EJ syndrome (Equipment Junkie syndrome). Good advice. Haha

 

[countrybread]

To maximize your potential you should get a setup that suits your level and playing style. Upsidedowncarl has some great posts that gives suggestions. Here is a nice video that gives some basic concepts about equipment. He has a few more on the same topic that are worth looking at for reference purposes.

 

[yoass]

3) i hear people say a racket being "too fast". What does that mean, is it the rubber or blade being too "fast"?

Speed requires highly developed feeling and stable technique. Barring that, a high level of inconsistency is prone to occur.

Speed without feeling/technique == lack of control with a very narrow margin of error. Typical symptoms: many unforced errors, including easy ones.

 

[Raylazyfo]

If you are a beginner you should use a soft rubber on a soft blade. You should probably just limit yourself to one brand otherwise you'll just get overwhelmed by all the different choices
So if you chose Donic I would recommend something like:

Blade: Donic Waldner Allplay
Forehand: Donic Coppa X2 Platin soft 2.0 mm
Backhand: Donic Acuda Blue P2 1.8 mm

99% of people, myself included, hinder their development as a beginner by choosing an uncontrollable set-up. Break the cycle

 

[ttmonster]

This should have ended this thread ... take the advise of the meister !

Two easy Aussie based places to buy are OOAK Shop tabletennisshop.com.au and Affordable TT www.affordablett.com.au

I would say go for middle of the zone for blade and rubbers to start out.

Blade: Yinhe 896 or N10 or W6
Rubbers: Dawei Inspirit Quattro Ultra Light 40 for FH and XP2008 Super Power for BH (Get both in Max sponge, ranges 2.2 to 2.3 mm)

Such a setup is about the minimum price you can build an acceptable, playable bat, unless you have materials. Players starting out usually want to spend next to no money, but then quickly discover inexpensive sources, then buy buy buy. Later, they are diagnosed with EJ syndrome.

Start out with middle of the road stuff like this, then 6 months later, you will gain enough experience and advice to buy stuff more suited to whatever you will become. This is easy and tried and true method. Fight vs the EJ virus, it is tough.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

This should have ended this thread ... take the advise of the meister !

In a way, I agree with this. Der_Echte's post is awesome. And I agree with it. But I think there were some other good posts as well. And then I think I have some info to fill in a few blanks.

.....coming soon. [emoji2]


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[countrybread]

This should have ended this thread ... take the advise of the meister !

Your reply is very Dir_ect.

 

[ttmonster]

LOLOL on me ... OSPH please send me your account number and routing code ...

Your reply is very Dir_ect.

 

[Der_Echte]

I don't know many NZ based outfits, but OOAK and MyTT member Rodderz has a shop.

MaTT Hetherington is also is from NZ and could let you know more local online shops.

 

[Jabugo]

I'm a beginner/recreational level player. I use a R.I.T.C Friendship 729-2 rubber on both side and the blade i'm not sure what it's called. It's a premade bat from China - I don't think it's any good at all. At the club i visit, many have told me that my rubber feels weird/too old/too basic and i should get an upgrade.

I'm unfamiliar with the equipment game so i was going to ask about it here.

Firstly, 1) At a recreational level like myself, is it a bad idea to get equipment that is on the middle to upper tier of play, can it actually hurt my progress?

2) In terms of blade, If i choose a decent one like from Butterfly is that a bad idea because i am still quite low level? Because i was thinking that since a blade can last a very long time and i would rarely need to change it, i might as well get a pretty good one. However, The saying goes don't learn to drive in a Ferrari, is that true for table tennis?

2) In terms of rubber, what's the difference from a decent rubber like Tenergy/Yasaka/Hurricane/other good rubbers to the one i am using? Why are there so many variations in the market?

3) i hear people say a racket being "too fast". What does that mean, is it the rubber or blade being too "fast"?

4) what website is well known and good for purchasing equipment (including table tennis glue)?

thanks~...

EJing is one of the fun aspects of the game, and is not necessarily something negative, so it's something to consider....but later on. To properly enjoy it, you need to first develop a proper skill foundation. You need to develop proper strokes, movement, and feeling. For equipment I recommend a good, solid standard for your blade and rubber. Some proven solid standards that will not necessarily need replacing later are: an all-wood blade, H3/H3Neo rubber (or any substitute for H3), or Tenergy 05 (or T05 type substitute). Why are there so many variations in the market? They are all vying to replace or get a market share from the standard "good feel" wood blade or composite blade, H3, or T05.

A top standard composite blade is the Timo Boll Spirit. You can read about Sam Priestley from The Expert in a Year Challenge who used it and T05 or MX-P type rubber. It is a very popular setup that can last you the rest of your life should you decide not to EJ.

The other route is to go Chinese. In the book, the Metaphysics of Ping Pong, the author embarks on a journey to get seriously better at table tennis. One of his heroes is Wang Hao, and he uses the name-sake blade with DHS TG3 rubber. It is a fun and inspiring page turner (rare for table tennis books) which shows that you can develop equally well using a Chinese blade and rubber.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

So, in basic, I agree with TTMonster that you should just get what Der_Echte recommended. It will be a great setup for you. And it will cost far less than most anything else that anyone will recommend and it will be just as good.

So, what else could I say:

Well, I don't need to say much about specific blades or rubbers that would be good. That actually is covered well enough with just that one post.

But I will say why a low to mid-level player wants certain things and why, with this scenario, usually less is more and more is less.

So, often the way newer players think about equipment is, the more expensive and the faster, the better. But that is generally not what a beginner wants.

Like some of those expensive blades from Butterfly, no matter how good they actually are, are NOT GOOD for a beginner and they would harm a beginner to intermediate level player's development.

Improving technique in table tennis generally revolves around developing the touch, timing, feel and coordination to accelerate racket speed that would result in increasing amounts of spin.

The more expensive equipment in table tennis is excellent for someone who really has those skills developed and really bad for someone who needs to develop them.

The more expensive stuff is harder, stiffer, feels great on every shot EVEN on the shots WHERE YOU MESSED UP.

A blade that is good for a beginner has these qualities:

1) preferably 5 ply all wood so the blade has some flex
2) help you feel the ball more easily (good feeling)
3) help you be able hold the ball on racket for longer (good dwell time): flex helps this and so does certain ply constructions
4) moderate speed All, All+ and Off- are all good choices

What you want from a rubber is simple and sensible. A rubber that is easy to control, that helps you learn to generate spin but is not crazy fast or crazy spinny. Rubbers like Tenergy, Evolution, Bluefire or any of the other top of the line tensor type rubbers WOULD NOT be a good choice.

Classic rubbers or older generation tensor rubbers that are easier to control would be. But so would many of the inexpensive Chinese rubbers like the ones Der_Echte recommended.

The main attributes you are looking for from the rubbers are:

1) that they are easy to control
2) that you can make any kind of stroke, offensive or defensive topspin or backspin
3) they should not be too fast or too reactive to spin

Now what Der_Echte did is, he presented you with a few blades and rubbers that check all the boxes and are pretty darn good but very inexpensive.

If you got one of those blades and a set of one of the rubbers he recommended, it would be a very good setup and much mess money than most people could hope to spend otherwise.




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[ttmonster]

We really should have a FAQ section / thread with all this information .... and we can pin that thread on the top of the regular threads .... just a thought ...

So, in basic, I agree with TTMonster that you should just get what Der_Echte recommended. It will be a great setup for you. And it will cost far less than most anything else that anyone will recommend and it will be just as good.

So, what else could I say:

Well, I don't need to say much about specific blades or rubbers that would be good. That actually is covered well enough with just that one post.

But I will say why a low to mid-level player wants certain things and why, with this scenario, usually less is more and more is less.

So, often the way newer players think about equipment is, the more expensive and the faster, the better. But that is generally not what a beginner wants.

Like some of those expensive blades from Butterfly, no matter how good they actually are, are NOT GOOD for a beginner and they would harm a beginner to intermediate level player's development.

Improving technique in table tennis generally revolves around developing the touch, timing, feel and coordination to accelerate racket speed that would result in increasing amounts of spin.

The more expensive equipment in table tennis is excellent for someone who really has those skills developed and really bad for someone who needs to develop them.

The more expensive stuff is harder, stiffer, feels great on every shot EVEN on the shots WHERE YOU MESSED UP.

A blade that is good for a beginner has these qualities:

1) preferably 5 ply all wood so the blade has some flex
2) help you feel the ball more easily (good feeling)
3) help you be able hold the ball on racket for longer (good dwell time): flex helps this and so does certain ply constructions
4) moderate speed All, All+ and Off- are all good choices

What you want from a rubber is simple and sensible. A rubber that is easy to control, that helps you learn to generate spin but is not crazy fast or crazy spinny. Rubbers like Tenergy, Evolution, Bluefire or any of the other top of the line tensor type rubbers WOULD NOT be a good choice.

Classic rubbers or older generation tensor rubbers that are easier to control would be. But so would many of the inexpensive Chinese rubbers like the ones Der_Echte recommended.

The main attributes you are looking for from the rubbers are:

1) that they are easy to control
2) that you can make any kind of stroke, offensive or defensive topspin or backspin
3) they should not be too fast or too reactive to spin

Now what Der_Echte did is, he presented you with a few blades and rubbers that check all the boxes and are pretty darn good but very inexpensive.

If you got one of those blades and a set of one of the rubbers he recommended, it would be a very good setup and much mess money than most people could hope to spend otherwise.




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[Der_Echte]

Usually, Der_Echte is the story teller with long technical detailed explaination... Haha Carl took my title on this one, but is needed insight.

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[Giangt]

We really should have a FAQ section / thread with all this information .... and we can pin that thread on the top of the regular threads .... just a thought ...

TTM, I have thought about having a newbie section for equipment on TTD. It will be set up soon for new members to find instead of the question being asked again an again...

 

[BeGo]

TTM, I have thought about having a newbie section for equipment on TTD. It will be set up soon for new members to find instead of the question being asked again an again...

Sticky it then [emoji6]

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[BeGo]

Another vote for Der Echte methods [emoji28] [emoji28] [emoji28]

I add some tips for your questions [emoji6]

I'm a beginner/recreational level player. I use a R.I.T.C Friendship 729-2 rubber on both side and the blade i'm not sure what it's called. It's a premade bat from China - I don't think it's any good at all. At the club i visit, many have told me that my rubber feels weird/too old/too basic and i should get an upgrade.

I'm unfamiliar with the equipment game so i was going to ask about it here.

Firstly, 1) At a recreational level like myself, is it a bad idea to get equipment that is on the middle to upper tier of play, can it actually hurt my progress?

In TT, no difference between Pro and Beginner equipment [emoji6]

2) In terms of blade, If i choose a decent one like from Butterfly is that a bad idea because i am still quite low level? Because i was thinking that since a blade can last a very long time and i would rarely need to change it, i might as well get a pretty good one. However, The saying goes don't learn to drive in a Ferrari, is that true for table tennis?

The same answer with #1

2) In terms of rubber, what's the difference from a decent rubber like Tenergy/Yasaka/Hurricane/other good rubbers to the one i am using? Why are there so many variations in the market?

Different rubber suit different play style

3) i hear people say a racket being "too fast". What does that mean, is it the rubber or blade being too "fast"?

In layman terms, if you try to loop with your fastest strokes, and the ball did not land on the table, then the combi was too fast for you.

4) what website is well known and good for purchasing equipment (including table tennis glue)

Other answer better

thanks~...

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[UpSideDownCarl]

We really should have a FAQ section / thread with all this information .... and we can pin that thread on the top of the regular threads .... just a thought ...

TTM, I have thought about having a newbie section for equipment on TTD. It will be set up soon for new members to find instead of the question being asked again an again...

Sticky it then [emoji6]

Wait, you mean you don't like how I answer the same question over and over and when I answer it I answer basically the same, yet somehow it is still different? I am confused.

Hahahahaha.

I actually think it is okay when the same body of info is applied to the specific circumstance of how the inquirer asks the questions. [emoji2]


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[ttmonster]

I agree , after all we are part of a community table tennis nerds who like to hit same balls back and forth millions of times from the same spot and claim it increases our skill set because every ball is slightly different

Wait, you mean you don't like how I answer the same question over and over and when I answer it I answer basically the same, yet somehow it is still different? I am confused.

Hahahahaha.

I actually think it is okay when the same body of info is applied to the specific circumstance of how the inquirer asks the questions. [emoji2]


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