How to Find a Good Rubber (BH)

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Hi all. I have been looking for a new backhand rubber for a while, and I have started some threads and read reviews, but I realized the most important thing is what my priorities are. So I'm not sure. I don't know if I want more speed, spin, control, throw, whether I want a harder rubber or a softer one, or anything. I know this is an odd question, but how do I know what I really want? Right now, I have a blocking rubber on my backhand. I know I want something more spinny, but do I want something as spinny as Sriver? I don't know. I want some speed, but do I want Tenergy 64? I don't know. You get the idea. I am wondering how to find out. Do I analyze my game now to see my strengths? I'm not sure. I know I would like to flick on the backhand and be able to play far away from the table, so maybe Tenergy 80 is good for me, but that's too expensive. I would really like your help.

More info: I will use H3 neo for FH and either Petr Korbel blade or Andro Core Cell OFF-, depending on the hardness of the rubber. I will go up to $50 and a LITTLE higher.

Thanks!!!
 
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H3 really isn't a bad BH rubber, I have it on one of my backup bats, and it is a 2-3 yr old sheet!

Try a mid-firm control rubber for 4-6 months and see how it goes. There are a million of them out there, every company makes a medium speed control rubber.

Save money and go for the Der_Echte battle tested Dawei XP 2008 Super Power, I use it on every bat I test and almost every main bat I use. So what if you discover you want something else, you can give it to a new player for free and you were not out of a lot of money.

I would say get a control rubber, slap it on BH, train/learn the game some more and see where you are at. A control rubber will give you a better ability to learn more strokes than if you find a rubber that does some things well and not others as great.
 
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If it comes to Pros, decision of rubbers always depend on really really simple points like control, speed or just personal preferences. FZD for example plays only T05 on his backhand because he prefers hard rubbers on bh. Yan An for example played T05fx and T64 and really liked it, but he missed some control in his game so his coach and his father recommended him to play more controllable T05.

What does it mean for your bh?

Play the rubbers you think suits you. There will be a lot of rubbers which youre going to like or maybe there will be just the one, but the most important thing is you have a good feeling while playing this rubber. Im playing a Hurrciane 3 like you on my forehand and my coach recommended me to play something easier and more low throw but I still play H3 because i feel very very comfortable with it.
On my bh im playing a Vega Pro, its the same stuff here. Its a hard rubber so it doesnt let you make a lot of mistakes especially not on the bh, but you have to feel good with it thats why im playing it.

My personal advice to you (and this is really personal):

Harder rubbers are in general easier to play if you more kind of chinese style. Chinese style means very simple, long movements with your arm and playing really hard and powerful. For this you can go with any medium to hard rubber.

If youre playing with more flicks and try to make more spin than speed with short movements, if you like the self power and the bounce of the rubbers, go for medium to soft rubbers.

In general dont take to much high throw rubbers on all wood blades. But maybe youre having problems with backspin and high throw would be helpful to you?
You see its very personal, so there are just kind of stupid advices.

T64 is really really fast, to extreme. Butterfly Sriver very slow without speed glue. They are a lot of rubbers in between. Just look some up ;)
 
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I have seen coaches tell their new students to get some of the most ridiculous fast setups and some of them are above average club players after a few years of lessons.

Having said that, it is not impossible to get the "wrong" or "too fast" equipment and still learn to a good level. You just need effectively supervised instruction and lots of correction/practice/failure/adjustment/overcoming. It is part of our sport.

As much of an anti-pundit dude I am... on this one I would side towards the side of pundits.

The reason why you select a control rubber is you want to be able to use that rubber and do most strokes well. Such a rubber will not be outstanding for any, (except for control, which is more important now) but it will be able to do all things well enough. There is not a rubber made that does everything superior outstanding.
 
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Having said all that, how about G3?

Possible. Could work. I would term that rubber a firmer, faster control rubber. Thing I got against it is that is VERY EXPENSIVE. I would have to be sponsored to use that thing. I don't like paying $45+ for a rubber, unless it is T05, I would buy a new sheet of T05 2.1 at that price, but even at that... the is about the extreme limit I would pay. That is why I do NOT use T05 anymoars.

Regardless, whatever rubber you choose, you still have to be in position, impact the ball in time and in impact zone on balance with recovery and a plan to construct and win the point. A rubber doesn't help those things, but if you got those things right, certain rubbers do better in certain situations and you learn this as you get better and use them if have a mind to.
 
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I have seen coaches tell their new students to get some of the most ridiculous fast setups and some of them are above average club players after a few years of lessons.

Having said that, it is not impossible to get the "wrong" or "too fast" equipment and still learn to a good level. You just need effectively supervised instruction and lots of correction/practice/failure/adjustment/overcoming. It is part of our sport.

As much of an anti-pundit dude I am... on this one I would side towards the side of pundits.

The reason why you select a control rubber is you want to be able to use that rubber and do most strokes well. Such a rubber will not be outstanding for any, (except for control, which is more important now) but it will be able to do all things well enough. There is not a rubber made that does everything superior outstanding.

there you go again sir der_echte and i really love it :) when you make comments/recommendations...what if you spare me some of your XP 2008 hehehehehe...:):)

i'm kinda afraid purchasing from ebay for that sheet fearing that there are lots of fake out there...if from colestt, it would be too expensive purchasing one and paying much for the shipment than the actual price of the rubber...is there any stores here in SEAsia with Dawei XP 2008 that you know? maybe it'll save me from shipment fee coz its just around the region...ttnpp doesn't have it..
 
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I have to go with Butt Stallion on this one.. It's really about preference! I would personally recommend Andro Rasant Powersponge (or the regular Rasant if you want a medium hard rubber) in 1,9mm thickness if you are still learning backhand, or if you feel you have a decent backhand you could go for the 2.1 mm. It's a really fast rubber, but it's not like a catapult, so you can really use it for what ever you want, it all depends on the blade with this rubber :)
 
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Hi everyone. Thanks for this help. Der Echte, I am saving up for a rubber. Because of my age I don't have a job :). So I find ways to make money for rubbers, but I can't go much more than 150 USD in all, because that takes like a month to get. Of course, my position is different than yours because I'm not paying for food or shelter :). Andro, would you recommend a harder or softer blade with Rasant powersponge? I would be more eager to settle with Petr Korbel than with the Andro Core Cell, because not many people have tried it, but maybe I'll go with it if you think that is better with rasant. Thanks everyone!
 
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Hi everyone. Thanks for this help. Der Echte, I am saving up for a rubber. Because of my age I don't have a job :). So I find ways to make money for rubbers, but I can't go much more than 150 USD in all, because that takes like a month to get. Of course, my position is different than yours because I'm not paying for food or shelter :). Andro, would you recommend a harder or softer blade with Rasant powersponge? I would be more eager to settle with Petr Korbel than with the Andro Core Cell, because not many people have tried it, but maybe I'll go with it if you think that is better with rasant. Thanks everyone!

So people are starting to call me Andro now haha :p

But honestly, it's about preference.. If you feel like you want more speed you could go with a harder blade, but if you are still learning basics you should go with a softer blade.. Both blades should fit this rubber good :)
 
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To make this all simple what shots do you prefer to use or want to learn? I would say if you're considering Sriver then go with it because it's a great spin/control rubber. If you're using an OFF- blade speed shouldn't be an issue. It's better to have control in the game if you don't know what you want yet. Speed comes later from practice and confidence in shots. I wouldn't recommend Tenergy to anyone who doesn't have their full shots within a game. It's one thing to play in practice and make flips, loops, drives, punches, chops, and blocks, but if you can't capitalize in a match then you still need the practice.

I would recommend on the JOOLA side xplode sensitive as it's the top rubber I recommend to players who want something extra, but doesn't lack the control or spin they still need. It's got power if you want it and it's throw angle is average.

I would recommend you try practicing that technique and if you're capable of flipping, pushing (short chops), and blocking then you will want something for your loop. If you can't do those 3 things consistently in a match (5+ times per point) then you need to keep working on your technique.

On the JOOLA side perhaps Mambo is best compared to Sriver. I've got a student who enjoys playing multiple styles, but I switched him back down to Mambo and he's improved more in the past week than he had the past few months of regular practice / open play. So I highly recommend getting a higher level player or coach to go over you technique and give you an honest opinion of how well your shots are improving.
 
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bishop, echeng.net from China sells it too (xp 2008 Super Power), but anybody's international shipping will not be cheap. I think for just one rubber, shipping is not so uber-expensive with Colestt, but you gotta ask him. If you are in USA, a sheet or two will be $1 USD shipping. I think a couple sheets of rubber will be not so much shipping but ask cole. I doubt if anyone is faking XP2008 Super Power, it is such an inexpensive rubber. The reputation of the seller is more important when buying from ebay anyway.

agold, You got a budget of $150. For that price I could make 4 battle ready bats. Before I left Korea, I made a bat on the cheep with old sheets of Sigma II, a nearly 3 yr old sheet of H3, and the famous $16 896 blade.

I tried to order one of my Der-Echte specials to make for a first place in an upcoming tourney I am trying to support with prizes. Cole was totally sold out of the 896 since the forums members have been trying it out haha and for $40 I had to settle for Cole to make me a KTL Instinct+ with XP 2008 boths sides.

I also got another Instinct+ just to test it and with an old sheet of Aurus and Bryce, it was a can't miss rally machine. That blade is also around $16.

You can play a mean control game with some choice inexpensive equipment, I do it a lot, but I still favor my more expensive equipment. I use the more inexpensive stuff where I have to go in the Army where there will be little financial risk bringing it and breaking it.

Sometimes though, you just gotta try stuff for yourself.

Speaking of yourself, get whatever country's control rubber and call it a day, it is what will be a bridge to your future game.
 
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bishop, echeng.net from China sells it too (xp 2008 Super Power), but anybody's international shipping will not be cheap. I think for just one rubber, shipping is not so uber-expensive with Colestt, but you gotta ask him. If you are in USA, a sheet or two will be $1 USD shipping. I think a couple sheets of rubber will be not so much shipping but ask cole. I doubt if anyone is faking XP2008 Super Power, it is such an inexpensive rubber. The reputation of the seller is more important when buying from ebay anyway.

thanks a lot...i'll try to email cole about that and also try to take a tour on eacheng.net since eacheng only uses internet explorer for their transactions.i only use chrome because of bad experience with iexplorer since i learned how to use the net, lots of bugs...anyways, i'll consider the reputation of the sellers in ebay though some seller ask for too much...

again thanks a lot!!!:):):)
 
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You would like an even faster blade? Or faster Rubber? Perhaps try softer versions of Xplode, Rhyzm, or Maxxx from the JOOLA side. As far as other rubbers Sriver G3, Mark V, Xiom Vega Pro, and Stiga Calibra Sound, are all faster, but still controllable rubbers.
What do you think about the maxxx 500? how does it compare to t05 or mx-p, is it better for fh or bh.... hard sponge?
 
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