Hello everyone,
I'm a 25-year-old table tennis enthusiast who transitioned from a competitive volleyball background (age 4-19) to functional training, crossfit, and gym work. In May, I took up table tennis seriously for the first time, joining a club where I now train for about 4 hours a week in group sessions and have an additional hour of coaching focused on proper technique.
I started with a second-hand JOOLA Allround blade fitted with Donic Quattro (FH) and Tenergy 05FX (BH) rubbers. My aim is to improve rapidly while learning clean technique, as I aspire to compete at higher levels in the coming years. My coach is quite impressed with my learning curve; I've become consistent with forehand loops and topspins and am working on my backhand. Additionally, I've started playing in the lower regional league to gain match experience.
In October, feeling that my racket was too slow, I switched to a more advanced setup: an ALC Fan Zhendong blade with DHS Hurricane 3 (41 degrees) on my forehand and Dignics 09C (39 degrees) on my backhand. This change seemed to improve my game, as I started winning more. However, my short game suffered, and some experienced club members suggested that my new racket might be too fast and could hinder my learning.
I'm considering whether I should switch back to an all-wood all-round blade while keeping the same rubbers. What do you think? Would this be beneficial for my development, or should I stick with my current setup and adapt to it? I'd greatly appreciate any recommendations or experiences you could share, especially from those who have transitioned to faster equipment and how it impacted your learning curve.
Thanks for your insights!
I'm a 25-year-old table tennis enthusiast who transitioned from a competitive volleyball background (age 4-19) to functional training, crossfit, and gym work. In May, I took up table tennis seriously for the first time, joining a club where I now train for about 4 hours a week in group sessions and have an additional hour of coaching focused on proper technique.
I started with a second-hand JOOLA Allround blade fitted with Donic Quattro (FH) and Tenergy 05FX (BH) rubbers. My aim is to improve rapidly while learning clean technique, as I aspire to compete at higher levels in the coming years. My coach is quite impressed with my learning curve; I've become consistent with forehand loops and topspins and am working on my backhand. Additionally, I've started playing in the lower regional league to gain match experience.
In October, feeling that my racket was too slow, I switched to a more advanced setup: an ALC Fan Zhendong blade with DHS Hurricane 3 (41 degrees) on my forehand and Dignics 09C (39 degrees) on my backhand. This change seemed to improve my game, as I started winning more. However, my short game suffered, and some experienced club members suggested that my new racket might be too fast and could hinder my learning.
I'm considering whether I should switch back to an all-wood all-round blade while keeping the same rubbers. What do you think? Would this be beneficial for my development, or should I stick with my current setup and adapt to it? I'd greatly appreciate any recommendations or experiences you could share, especially from those who have transitioned to faster equipment and how it impacted your learning curve.
Thanks for your insights!