Advice for a new bat

Pingu · Feb 1, 2016

Hi,

Been reading through the forums here, lots of information!

I used to play table tennis to a fairly good standard back in my school days. I'm now in my 30s and have started playing again with the people from work. I may also be joining a local league. I've been using one the generic bats that you get in those sets but wanted to get myself something nicer without breaking the bank as this is only a casual hobby (for now!).

I guess I'm quite defensive on my backhand, pushing the ball back a lot, some backspin slices with the occasional faster topspin shot. Forehand is a lot more aggressive with every shot with top spin and fast with a lot of looping if required. Forgive me if my terminology is wrong, its been a few years.

Thanks in advance for any help given.

Chris

Suga D · Feb 1, 2016

Welcome to the forum, Pingu.
Hopefully upsidedowncarl, Andysmith or NextLevel see this thread. They know quite well about allround set-ups and can give you some recommendations that fit and won't break your wallet.
Hope you enjoy yourself here.

AndySmith · Feb 1, 2016

Best advice is to try as many setups as you can at your local club and try to build a picture up of what types of rubber you like or dislike. If you have a lot of players to watch and speak to, try to pick out those players with styles you feel are similar to your own (even if their level is higher - think "I'd like to play like that guy/gal").

At this point, given what you've said, it sounds like you need a fairly fast/spinny FH rubber, a slower control BH rubber, and a safe, middle-of-the-road blade. If you're using a premade bat now then it's best not to go all-in with a Butterfly ALC blade and Tenergy rubber (as someone will probably suggest) unless you're happy to work hard in training (preferably with a decent coach to guide you) in order to master it. As a first stab, I'd recommend:

Blades: Xiom Allround S / Butterfly Primorac / Yasaka Sweden Extra
FH Rubbers : Donic Baracuda / Xiom Musa / Yasaka Mark V
BH Rubbers : Andro Backside C / Joola Zack / Tibhar Vari Spin

I've tried to stay away from anything too fast, too spinny, too hard, too soft, too flexible and discounted tacky and pips out rubbers for now. This is playing it very safe, which may be doing you a disservice but there are many things I just don't know about your level and your goals. Again, if possible try some bats out at your club and report back with your findings.

bobpuls · Feb 1, 2016

I sugest this one.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00ECDLPP0/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1454337062&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=palio+table+tennis+bat&dpPl=1&dpID=51ZrP7asrDL&ref=plSrch
It is pre made rocket .. But you can change the rubbers after you get better.
Thisbis all around blade with medium fast sponges with sticky topsheet but euro japan sponge.
Perfect for control. I think for refreshing is the best option ...
I have started refreshing exactli this way you are describing.
Have fun.

thekleifheit13 · Feb 1, 2016

Colestt.com has a premade buster combo with Dawei 2008XP rubber and a Dawei DW2 blade. I've had mine for a little over a month now and it beats my $70 DHS Hurricane setup easily. I play an all-round game such as yourself and I think it suits me perfectly - it should do the same for you. If you like to be more defensive/conservative with backhand and aggressive with forehand you may want 1.8 mm or 2.0 mm for backhand and 2.2 mm for forehand. The combo is $32 and comes assembled with case, rubber protectors, and edge tape. It's helped me develop all my shots better and a lot of the more knowledgeable guys on here (USDCarl, NL, etc) recommend it for developing players.

UpSideDownCarl · Feb 1, 2016

Some great advice already.

If you want real budget savings some of the stuff from colestt.com can really save you a lot of money and will be much better than the price-tag implies.

If you got the exact setup thekleifheight13 suggests, it will be good. You also could get a Galaxy 896 blade with 2008XP on BH and Air Illunina, Dawei Inspirit or even something like Big Dipper on FH and that will give the FH more pop but still be quite reasonable in price.

The information AndySmith gave about blades and rubbers would also be top-notch if you wanted something a little higher end while still staying within a budget.

I will add some blades in that class to what AndySmith has already suggested so you have a little more to choose from without it being too much.

Tibhar Stratus Power Wood
Stiga Allround Evolution

The ones Andy suggested are excellent though. There was really no reason for me to add these except that they are also great and very similar.

Then, one question: are you hoping to develop the skill of your BH to be able to be more offensive with it. Or do you like keeping it more allround/defensive? In other words, do you want to progress to pips at some point or do you want to to progress to an allround/offensive style?

Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

thekleifheit13 · Feb 1, 2016

USDCarl, is there any significant difference between the Galaxy blade and the Dawei blade, or is your recommendation mostly due to personal preference? A lot of forum posts seem to lump the budget ALL blades together almost.

UpSideDownCarl · Feb 1, 2016

thekleifheit13 said:
USDCarl, is there any significant difference between the Galaxy blade and the Dawei blade, or is your recommendation mostly due to personal preference? A lot of forum posts seem to lump the budget ALL blades together almost.

The Galaxy 896 is the one I have. So I know how it plays and that it has a Limba top ply and has decent dwell time, okay feeling and isn't too fast or too slow. But the Dawei blade is probably fine as well. Having more options is a good thing as long as it isn't too many options. There are a bunch of blades at Cole's in the same basic price range that are all quite good. This one is just the one I have used the most since I have two of them.

Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

thekleifheit13 · Feb 1, 2016

Thank you for the explanation, that makes perfect sense and it does sound very similar to the Dawei blade.

Pingu · Feb 2, 2016

AndySmith said:
Best advice is to try as many setups as you can at your local club and try to build a picture up of what types of rubber you like or dislike. If you have a lot of players to watch and speak to, try to pick out those players with styles you feel are similar to your own (even if their level is higher - think "I'd like to play like that guy/gal").

At this point, given what you've said, it sounds like you need a fairly fast/spinny FH rubber, a slower control BH rubber, and a safe, middle-of-the-road blade. If you're using a premade bat now then it's best not to go all-in with a Butterfly ALC blade and Tenergy rubber (as someone will probably suggest) unless you're happy to work hard in training (preferably with a decent coach to guide you) in order to master it. As a first stab, I'd recommend:

Blades: Xiom Allround S / Butterfly Primorac / Yasaka Sweden Extra
FH Rubbers : Donic Baracuda / Xiom Musa / Yasaka Mark V
BH Rubbers : Andro Backside C / Joola Zack / Tibhar Vari Spin

I've tried to stay away from anything too fast, too spinny, too hard, too soft, too flexible and discounted tacky and pips out rubbers for now. This is playing it very safe, which may be doing you a disservice but there are many things I just don't know about your level and your goals. Again, if possible try some bats out at your club and report back with your findings.

Unfortunately, I don't have a club where I can go and test out different bats yet so that is not currently an option. I'm at bit concerned when you say that 'This is playing it very safe' as my worry is that I get something that is too safe and will hinder my progress. Even though it was been about 15 years since I last played competitively, I don't think I really need to start at the beginning again as when I used to play, it was at county level and could hold my own against the players that were trying out for the national team.

Let it be clear that I am not ignoring your advice, I am very grateful to you for taking the time to respond. I just want to make sure that I am getting the right thing for my needs.

One question for you. Where are good places to buy TT blades/rubbers from in the UK? I've only really been looking on tabletennis11

bobpuls said:
I sugest this one.
It is pre made rocket .. But you can change the rubbers after you get better.
Thisbis all around blade with medium fast sponges with sticky topsheet but euro japan sponge.
Perfect for control. I think for refreshing is the best option ...
I have started refreshing exactli this way you are describing.
Have fun.

Someone I play with at the moment has this and although I do enjoy playing with it, the feeling for me is slightly 'dull' if that makes sense.

thekleifheit13 said:
Colestt has a premade buster combo with Dawei 2008XP rubber and a Dawei DW2 blade. I've had mine for a little over a month now and it beats my $70 DHS Hurricane setup easily. I play an all-round game such as yourself and I think it suits me perfectly - it should do the same for you. If you like to be more defensive/conservative with backhand and aggressive with forehand you may want 1.8 mm or 2.0 mm for backhand and 2.2 mm for forehand. The combo is $32 and comes assembled with case, rubber protectors, and edge tape. It's helped me develop all my shots better and a lot of the more knowledgeable guys on here (USDCarl, NL, etc) recommend it for developing players.

Some of the combos on colestt do look great although I'm not sure the $25 shipping to the UK would make it worth my while. Some advice in here I will take though is that I should have lower thickness on my defensive backhand and thicker for my more attacking forehand?

UpSideDownCarl said:
Some great advice already.

If you want real budget savings some of the stuff from colestt can really save you a lot of money and will be much better than the price-tag implies.

If you got the exact setup thekleifheight13 suggests, it will be good. You also could get a Galaxy 896 blade with 2008XP on BH and Air Illunina, Dawei Inspirit or even something like Big Dipper on FH and that will give the FH more pop but still be quite reasonable in price.

The information AndySmith gave about blades and rubbers would also be top-notch if you wanted something a little higher end while still staying within a budget.

I will add some blades in that class to what AndySmith has already suggested so you have a little more to choose from without it being too much.

Tibhar Stratus Power Wood
Stiga Allround Evolution

The ones Andy suggested are excellent though. There was really no reason for me to add these except that they are also great and very similar.

Then, one question: are you hoping to develop the skill of your BH to be able to be more offensive with it. Or do you like keeping it more allround/defensive? In other words, do you want to progress to pips at some point or do you want to to progress to an allround/offensive style?

Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

Thanks for the suggestions. To answer your question, I think at the moment I would want to progress to an allround/offensive style.

AndySmith · Feb 2, 2016

Pingu said:
Unfortunately, I don't have a club where I can go and test out different bats yet so that is not currently an option. I'm at bit concerned when you say that 'This is playing it very safe' as my worry is that I get something that is too safe and will hinder my progress. Even though it was been about 15 years since I last played competitively, I don't think I really need to start at the beginning again as when I used to play, it was at county level and could hold my own against the players that were trying out for the national team.

Let it be clear that I am not ignoring your advice, I am very grateful to you for taking the time to respond. I just want to make sure that I am getting the right thing for my needs.

One question for you. Where are good places to buy TT blades/rubbers from in the UK? I've only really been looking on tabletennis11

Wow - county level and pushing for nationals is a very high standard, even when at a school stage. I didn't get that impression from your initial post at all. You're certainly no beginner so I'm surprised that you can even stand to use a premade!

When I mentioned playing it safe, I've avoided anything which is at the extreme ends of any spectrum. So nothing too defensive, no long pips, nothing really fast. I doubt that anything on the list will really hold you back, but you can probably discount anything in the allround speed bracket (unless you are really more defensive on the BH side), so that's Musa, Mark V out for sure on the FH side at least. If your local league is anything like mine, you'll find a lot of tenergy being used, but also plenty of tensors too, with Donic Baracuda, Donic Bluefire, Joola Rhyzm, Tibhar Evolution and Xiom Vega Pro being very popular. These are used right up to senior national level, so they won't hold you back at all. Of those, Baracuda is a solid starting point because it's very spinny without being overly fast IMO. If you want to save some cash on a pair of Donic rubbers then there is a good, reliable contact over at the myTT forum.

The suggestion about cole's setups is a good one. Very cheap way of getting started.

TT11 are excellent and have a good range to pick from, and I use them a lot. You can pick up some great stuff in their weekly offers. Here in the UK I tend to use TeesSport (expensive though) and Bribar (wider selection of brands, some good chinese options there).

Pingu · Feb 2, 2016

AndySmith said:
Wow - county level and pushing for nationals is a very high standard, even when at a school stage. I didn't get that impression from your initial post at all. You're certainly no beginner so I'm surprised that you can even stand to use a premade!

I was concerned that it may have come across that i was a true beginner when i originally posted. I went to a private school where sports were very high on the agenda so we spent a lot of time playing and had some of the best coaches around. There were a lot of players that were truly gifted. When i'm playing again now with the premade i just find my self pushing it back a lot and it just feels weird to play with the lasck of speed and spin even though it was so long ago i played with a decent bat.

AndySmith said:
When I mentioned playing it safe, I've avoided anything which is at the extreme ends of any spectrum. So nothing too defensive, no long pips, nothing really fast. I doubt that anything on the list will really hold you back, but you can probably discount anything in the allround speed bracket (unless you are really more defensive on the BH side), so that's Musa, Mark V out for sure on the FH side at least. If your local league is anything like mine, you'll find a lot of tenergy being used, but also plenty of tensors too, with Donic Baracuda, Donic Bluefire, Joola Rhyzm, Tibhar Evolution and Xiom Vega Pro being very popular. These are used right up to senior national level, so they won't hold you back at all. Of those, Baracuda is a solid starting point because it's very spinny without being overly fast IMO. If you want to save some cash on a pair of Donic rubbers then there is a good, reliable contact over at the myTT forum.

OK, i was actually looking at some of the Donic rubbers, the barracuda in particular so will do more investigating and see what would suit best. Tell me more about this contact at the myTT forum.

The thing i'm struggling with the most is the blade. Would the suggestions above still be suitable with the updated rubber suggestions?

AndySmith said:
The suggestion about cole's setups is a good one. Very cheap way of getting started.

TT11 are excellent and have a good range to pick from, and I use them a lot. You can pick up some great stuff in their weekly offers. Here in the UK I tend to use TeesSport (expensive though) and Bribar (wider selection of brands, some good chinese options there).

Anything in their weekly offers that is standing out at the moment that would be suitable? I'll check out those other sites.

Thanks again for the quick response and all your help.

AndySmith · Feb 2, 2016

Pingu said:
OK, i was actually looking at some of the Donic rubbers, the barracuda in particular so will do more investigating and see what would suit best. Tell me more about this contact at the myTT forum.

The thing i'm struggling with the most is the blade. Would the suggestions above still be suitable with the updated rubber suggestions?

Anything in their weekly offers that is standing out at the moment that would be suitable? I'll check out those other sites.

Thanks again for the quick response and all your help.

I'll send you a PM with a link to the myTT contact.

Yeah, I'd say that most of the blade suggestions made so far are good, solid choices. A lot of blade selection is very personal though, which is why trying things out is usually the way. Shame that isn't an option. Choosing between all wood/carbon, 5-ply/7-ply, stiff/flexible, hollow feel/solid feel etc is very subjective. In TT11's specials this week is the Samsonov Force Pro - a great 7-ply all-wood.

UpSideDownCarl · Feb 2, 2016

Okay, I got that you played before and we're coming back. But not that you were at one point decently high level. I am assuming that back then your backhand was able to be offensive so I actually think you might just get a good rubber that has decent control for your backhand. With good equipment that actually grabs the ball decently your old form should come back, and, sooner than you might think.

Based on the updated information provided, the rackets from colestt.com could be useful for a goof around racket or for something to have a friend use who didn't have one. But you are on a budget so you shouldn't waste your time with something like that. You should get something a little better, still, without breaking the bank.

For blades the Tibhar Stratus Power Wood should still be good. You could also add these to the list:

Stiga Offensive Classic
Butterfly Petr Korbel
Xiom Offensive 5

A blade with good feeling and in the Off- speed class or on the low end of Off speed would probably be fine. If you weren't on a budget there are loads of blades I would add.

On the top of that list would be:

Tibhar Kim Jung Hoon
OSP Virtuoso Plus

But both of those cost too much more.

I also have a feeling that if you get an older generation tensor rubber that has good control, something like:

Xiom Vega Europe
Tibhar Aurus Soft

It might be just right for getting your backhand back in gear. Once it is, you will probably be able to go with any top of the line rubbers.

On FH I would think Baracuda should really be perfect for you to start. Fairly soon you will want to be using something like Tenergy 05, Evolution MX-P or Xiom Omega V Pro or Vega Japan.

Keep us updated on what you choose and how you like it.

Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

Pingu · Feb 2, 2016

AndySmith said:
I'll send you a PM with a link to the myTT contact.

Yeah, I'd say that most of the blade suggestions made so far are good, solid choices. A lot of blade selection is very personal though, which is why trying things out is usually the way. Shame that isn't an option. Choosing between all wood/carbon, 5-ply/7-ply, stiff/flexible, hollow feel/solid feel etc is very subjective. In TT11's specials this week is the Samsonov Force Pro - a great 7-ply all-wood.

Thanks for the PM Andy.

That Samsonov Force Pro does look nice but i'd want the flared handle which they don't have

Jaru · Feb 3, 2016

Went to a tournament in the UK and went around asking this question to a variety of coaches present as i am just starting after playing as a hobby for years.

Overwhelming advice was the Butterfly Primorac OFF- with Sriver FX 1.9-2.1 on each side.

Less specifically, Blade= / medium stiffness / 5 ply / all wood.
Rubber= / soft / medium speed / Japanese/Euro.

Took the stated Primorac option and it is a great setup to lear/further all the strokes

Hope this helps

Inkognito · Feb 4, 2016

AndySmith said:
Best advice is to try as many setups as you can at your local club and try to build a picture up of what types of rubber you like or dislike. If you have a lot of players to watch and speak to, try to pick out those players with styles you feel are similar to your own (even if their level is higher - think "I'd like to play like that guy/gal").

At this point, given what you've said, it sounds like you need a fairly fast/spinny FH rubber, a slower control BH rubber, and a safe, middle-of-the-road blade. If you're using a premade bat now then it's best not to go all-in with a Butterfly ALC blade and Tenergy rubber (as someone will probably suggest) unless you're happy to work hard in training (preferably with a decent coach to guide you) in order to master it. As a first stab, I'd recommend:

Blades: Xiom Allround S / Butterfly Primorac / Yasaka Sweden Extra
FH Rubbers : Donic Baracuda / Xiom Musa / Yasaka Mark V
BH Rubbers : Andro Backside C / Joola Zack / Tibhar Vari Spin

I've tried to stay away from anything too fast, too spinny, too hard, too soft, too flexible and discounted tacky and pips out rubbers for now. This is playing it very safe, which may be doing you a disservice but there are many things I just don't know about your level and your goals. Again, if possible try some bats out at your club and report back with your findings.

When I was headtrainer for a club in Denmark, we had 2 setups to choose between for the ones in development. Stiga Allround classic + thin Stiga Mendo and Butterfly Grubba Allround + thin Sriver. Made the progress with the technique of the players a bit easier. I have always promoted a slower setup in the early stages of the table tennis career for a better foundation that later on had a bigger chance to evolve at a faster pace

Pingu · Feb 16, 2016

Hi,

Going to revisit this again after chatting to some friendly players at a local(ish) club I found. Just after a tiny bit more help.

FH: Donic Baracuda 2.0mm
BH: Donic Acuda S2 (Not sure if i should go for 1.8mm or 2.0mm, some advice is appreciated)
Blade: Would any of the suggestions above still be OK or should I look to be paring these rubbers with a Donic blade?

Thanks,

Pingu · Feb 22, 2016

Any thoughts on my latest comment?

Thanks,

thekleifheit13 · Feb 22, 2016

I would go with the 2.0 on your backhand as well (personally, I would go max on both sponges, but that's a matter of preference). And as far as blades go, there's no need to match the brand of the rubber. Just pick one in the weight range and speed range you want and let it rip. Are you wanting to progress your backhand to be more offensive as you get back into the game?

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