New gear

Sine · May 21, 2015

Hi folks!
I played tt long time ago and now I want to start to play again and start to train in a club etc.
I've looked around for different blades and rubbers and I have a little problem deciding what to buy.

I play similar to Timo Boll. I'm somewhere between all/off So I think I would go something like this
Blade: Timo boll ZLF,ZLC,ALC
Rubber (FH) Butterfly 05FX
Rubber (BH) Butterfly 05FX or Butterfly 64FX.

Now my questions are: I cant decide between ZLF,ZLC and ALC and the BH rubber, 64fx or 05fx. What do you think?
And also, is there any cheaper option that is similar to Timo boll blades(above) and 05fx and 64fx rubbers?

Help me decide I'm going crazy

mahomedy13 · May 21, 2015

If you can,try borrowing someone elses equipment that are what you looking for,and test it out.

That might narrow down your search

Tony's Table Tennis · May 21, 2015

If you play similar to Timo Boll, then I would say, any equipment should be fine for you

eduardo1995filipe · May 22, 2015

I play with Timo Boll ALC with Tenergy 05(forehand and backhand). Already tried ZLC, but i think its not so faster and stiffer than ALC, but maybe because That ZLC had SH on backhand ahahah Try timo Boll ALC. With two 05 its perfect, you have control, speed, spin. With 05-FX its better then for control and spin. When you'll see that they're too soft for you, change to 05(I recommend boosting them, makes 05 even better spinnier and bouncier, but a bit more difficult to control

D)

Sine · May 23, 2015

I would like the control of 64fx and 05fx, and little more control and feeling than speed. So maybe JiKe ALC, or TB alc, also zlc or ZLF. I really dont know how to chose,Dont know anyone that has one I could try out. Or i could test. first the alc, TB or JiKe then Zlf and Zlc. Which one of ZLF and ZLC is more controll and less speed? everyone says different and sites also dont give to much info. I hope i could get som tips from guys here!

AndyCouchman · May 23, 2015

Welcome back to the best sport in the world!
I've come back to TT after a 40 year break !

Sine · May 23, 2015

Thanks Andy! I Love to be back. Now its all workout and so on. I hope you're doing well also!

TT_Rogue · May 23, 2015

@shine perhaps first you should tell us what league you played or what level you're at. Like this you also could be some random guy who thinks he will be good by buying expensive blade and rubbers.. And honestly i actually doubt that you are playing similar to Timo Boll.. a sentence like that is already ridiculous if you are not close to the top 50 in the world

UpSideDownCarl · May 24, 2015

Well TB ZLF is much more control and feel than TB ZLC. TB ZLF is a small amount slower than TB ALC but more feeling. TB ALC is very noticeably slower than TB ZLC. TB ZLC is very fast.

If you are just coming back and want more control TB ZLF is the best of those blades but Innerforce ZLF is a bit more control and more feeling than TB ZLF. They both are decently fast Off rated blades. Nobody really needs a blade that is faster than either of those.

But that question of what your level is, is a pretty useful one in terms of people helping you with what equipment would be useful for you.

What makes you interested in composite blades rather than all wood blades?

Sine · May 24, 2015

We have to make something clear here

1: I don't play like Timo Boll and never will probably! But I play more of the same style like him, and not aggressive offensive like some other players. I played between years 12 and 16,17. And I played in some minor leagues and nothing advanced.
Now I want back to the clubs and maybe smaller tournaments. I looked through the whole internet and liked what I read about 05fx and 64fx, And a blade with more control than speed fx the TB blades. BUT I'm not an expert at all, If you think that I'm going to play fx at amateur lvl should i buy something else? I have the money,that is not the problem, Would something else suite me? I think I want the composite because the higher lvl of speed than in all wood. I want more control, spin, speed in that order. I could buy a DHS,friendship also Just want to buy 1 racket and train my game with that. I want to start somewhere, so please do help

I'm all ears.

UpSideDownCarl · May 24, 2015

How long of a layoff from the sport did you have?

To be honest, your best bet to figure out what you really want would be to hit with a bunch of setups from people at the club you are going to. If you can get 5-10 different people to let you try their blade for 5 min, you will probably find something you really want. That would be much more useful than finding it in writing off the internet.

But based on what you are looking for a result from your existing method of search would be that the TB ZLF would be fine for you and so would T05FX for Both sides.

My bet would be that the Innerforce ZLF would be one step better for you and it would work with those same rubbers.

A Stiga Rosewood or Stiga Clipper would also be better for you and either would work with those same rubbers. These two are both all wood and are made in Sweden and, traditionally, Sweden is famous for the being the best makers of table tennis blades.

An OSP Virtuoso + would be even better than any of the previous suggestions for you and it would work well with any of those rubbers as well. That one would take a week of play to break in but it would have better feedback, feel and control than the others and the speed would be about the same.

raazzz · May 24, 2015

Tony's Table Tennis said:
If you play similar to Timo Boll, then I would say, any equipment should be fine for you

Haha thats a good one! My advice is to try out some friends equipment and try to find something you like and then go with that.

duongbh · May 24, 2015

The combo of Timo Boll blade and Tenergy rubbers is always everyone's dream, just go ahead with a Butterfly blade. I've tried several blades and lead to conclusion that the stability of Butterfly cannot be found in any other brands.

TareqPhoto · May 24, 2015

Today i was in our city club, and i just watch, there is a good player who swears by Timo Boll ZLC blade and Tenergy 80 rubbers [not sure if it is 80 or 80FX], i have 05 and 05FX and 80FX, they all are great, 80 is somehow the overall performance between speed and spin and control, also i was using 64 for my BH on Jun Mizutani and somehow i felt i didn't like it or i couldn't match it, and out of those all i liked 05FX the most.

TareqPhoto · May 24, 2015

duongbh said:
The combo of Timo Boll blade and Tenergy rubbers is always everyone's dream, just go ahead with a Butterfly blade. I've tried several blades and lead to conclusion that the stability of Butterfly cannot be found in any other brands.

I am surprised that i still didn't buy any Timo Boll blade version, sure there are few very good, but i have something better or almost as good so that i didn't buy any TB blade yet, i tested by others and didn't like 2 of them.

I agree about the Tenergy though, in any club or place i go in my country there are Tenergy players even beginners, so this rubber will be strong for a while until something can surpass the Tenergy performance, i bought different rubbers even not many yet but some that are top quality and names but still i found out that Tenergy is the standard one to use, Butterfly rubbers stability is really awesome, but blades it is like not all are great, once you choose the right one then you will never look back, but Butterfly is not the only one in blades though, i have Carbonado and DHS HH3 and both are better than my Jun Mizutani or Primorac EX or ZJK blue dragon, and i don't think any Timo Boll blade will make it for me too.

Sine · May 25, 2015

I think that I will start of with TB ZLF, the ratings and score sounds good with the speed control etc and could suite me.
I at least have to try. Regarding rubbers I will go with 05fx on both side, to start of with.

One question is, if TB ZLF have 7,5 in speed and 8,3 control(just example), And JiKe super ZLC have 9,4 speed and 9,5 control. Dont you lose some control with that large amount of speed? It sounds perfect to have super zlc and some fx rubbers, just go out there and have max speed and max control. It sounds a little bit crazy, don't you think? Please enlighten me. And thanks all for great info.
BTW I looked at some STIGA blades, Carbonado 145 sounds interesting, The others with only wood and so on gives me an inpresseion of a slower blade with little less control than the butterfly blades mentioned above!

Killerspintt · May 25, 2015

An all wood blade will hardly have less control than any butterfly composite blade.

UpSideDownCarl · May 25, 2015

Yeah, the numbers that the companies rate their equipment for speed, spin and control can't be taken seriously.

There are many wood blades with a lot of control and good spin. All wood blades allow you to feel the ball better than carbon blades. So generally a player's technique will improve faster with an all wood blade.

A good wood blade will usually have better control than a carbon blade.

The idea of a blade with 9.5 (out of 10) speed with 9.5 (out of 10) control is a bit fanciful.

Until recently almost all of the top Chinese players used all wood blades that were of a moderate speed. Wang Liqin used a Clipper with a DHS handle. Ma Lin used a Ma Lin Extra Offensive. Xu Xin is still using an all wood blade (Stiga Intensity).

But you should get what you want.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

vvk1 · May 25, 2015

Sine said:
We have to make something clear here
1: I don't play like Timo Boll and never will probably! But I play more of the same style like him, and not aggressive offensive like some other players. I played between years 12 and 16,17. And I played in some minor leagues and nothing advanced.
Now I want back to the clubs and maybe smaller tournaments. I looked through the whole internet and liked what I read about 05fx and 64fx, And a blade with more control than speed fx the TB blades. BUT I'm not an expert at all, If you think that I'm going to play fx at amateur lvl should i buy something else? I have the money,that is not the problem, Would something else suite me? I think I want the composite because the higher lvl of speed than in all wood. I want more control, spin, speed in that order. I could buy a DHS,friendship also Just want to buy 1 racket and train my game with that. I want to start somewhere, so please do help I'm all ears.

Sounds like you're just returning to the game after many years of not playing. If you truly value control and spin over speed, then don't waste megabucks on BTY or Stiga fast/composite blades. Get yourself a reasonably priced allwood allround blade (like Stiga Allround Classic or BTY Maze t-tec all+ or Xiom Allround S), and put T05FX in 1.9 or even 1.7 thickness on both sides, and play with it for a year while you get back in shape.

TareqPhoto · May 26, 2015

Or, if you really want BTY, then go with something that is all wood and not expensive, such as Primorac OFF- or TB all wood ones, one coach in the club i play at is using Primorac OFF- and he is beating others and teaching by this blade and he swears by it, he tested many and he decided on this one, i bought Primorac EX and it has same feeling and the coach tested it and liked it, but i didn't like that feeling actually, and i play with DHS HH3 as my best favorite blade now even it is not all wood.

Also, why not trying one of those Yinhe Galaxy N series? N-9 sounds most recommended or more popular, give it a try as it is cheap.

I have one blade that is not assembled yet, all wood, i would give this a try in near future, it is Stiga Extra [not Max or 3D, just Extra plain], bought it because was very cheap and somewhere it was written that it has good enough control, we will see if that is true.

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