About all equipment issues..

Hi guys TT_Rogue here,

lately im reading quite a lot threads with topics like: Hey my forehand is not working.. í defently need a new racket.
Thats why i want to give here some generall advice regarding equipment change and equipment choice. This is my highly personal opinion about this
matter so please dont feel offended.

Firstly what burns in my soul is that on going rubber crazyness.
Be aware there are basicly 3 different kind of rubbers, namely:

Pips-In
Pips-Out
Anti-Top.

That's all. Everyhing else is a shade of that. Some are more important than other shades.
Like the difference between long and short pips is a quite important shade. Bluefire M2 to Bluefire M2 JP not that much.
So please always consider bordeaux is still fcking red, dont pay more attention to it than necessary. Use that energy what you would invest into searching for the "perfect" (not existing) rubber to train your technique.
It is the most important thing in table tennis and if you master it you also can play with a cooking pan.

The 3 important shades of Pips-In are shades of the sponge, the topsheet is actually not that important, because now a days every topsheet has the so called "tensor technique" in it, what was introduced after the period of glueing the rubbers fresh. It causes more tension in the rubber what allows the today known catapult and spin.

Sponge shades:
Hard
Semi
Soft

These 3 categories should be all for you to worry about if you're not playing already a higher level and you got a solid technique.

Short-Pips:
Basicly they are all the same. ( But ok they are not.) The only thing to worry about is the thickness of the sponge what controlls the speed.
But actually there 2 kinds of short-pips:

Useless trash
Useable
.
Im sorry but it is like this, dont know how to say it else. There are some kind of pips they are really just unplayable. They are making everything much more difficult than it has to be and the gain of effect is too small. So choose a basic useable one from a well known producer what is in their catalogue since 10 years and you are fine to go.

Long-Pips:
Well i think here it is possible to discuss the very most. Even i see here more points to take in consideration.

Sponge-Thickness (maybe no sponge at all)
Stiffness of the Pips
Grip

These are already to much points than that i could say here any generall about it, i think it is quite individual what to do here. My advice is
buy a standart long pip like the Tibhar Grass, buy i with no sponge or a rather thin sponge, get a proper technique afterwards guess out what supports the best your style of play.

Anti-Top:
My opinion? Just dont play it, i have no idea why this kind of rubbers are still on the market. Anti-Tops are Long-Pips with less effect.
It is always possible to find a Long-Pip what is more comfortable and to play in the same way than the corresponding anti-top (with a plus on effect).


Well ok that are my thoughts about rubbers. Let's go on to blades.
Generally there are again just 3 different kinds of blades

Stiff
Semi
Elastic

Stiff:
It is fast and has none till really less vibration due to ball contact what means less feedback ot the hand. It also causes that the dwell time is crazy short.

Elastic:
Slower and a fcking lot of vibration what on the other hand meens good feedback and a long dwell time

Semi:
It's the meeting point of Stiff and Elastic most likely your blade will be in this area. Choose from a hear a nice rounded blade to start with.

There are tons of composites like fibreglass, carbon, teflar or even paper with different characteristics. For example Carbon is enhancing the sweet spot of your racket. You should inform yourself about the material before buying a blade. But stay normal about it..

- For rubbers and blades: Please dont pay too much attention what the companies are writing about their products. The material is NOT playing for you. The material is NOT the main reason if you are good or not. You always have to test for yourself is a product is fitting for you or not.

- ALWAYS when you want to test new equipment just change one piece at a time. Else you are not able to compare anything.

- Spin is done 100% by your technique. But with regards to material a rule of thumb is that spin comes 70% percent from rubber and 30% from the blade. Speed of the ball comes 100% from how fast you the fck want to play it and how hard you are hitting the ball. But with regards to material you can say 60% blade 40% sponge.

- 2.0 mm forehand , 1.8 mm backhand will do it most of the time.

- If you have problems with your game, let's say you cannot loop well on backspin what ever NEVEREVER change to a faster equipment JUST DONT. The best is to stay with your equipment, or when it is worn out buy the same in new. If you really really really cannot take it anymore change NOT to a faster equipment -.- .

- Too fast equipment is destroying your technique. PERIOD!!

- If you have problems with your backhand technique change to a thin ~1.5 harder rubber to get your technique straight, then change back to more spinnierrubber.

- your hand is very very sensitive. The grip of the racket and your hand have to be in touch to synergize well never put a tape or something around it. I know I know a lot of pros are doing that... they would be even better if they would not do that

- changing equipment is usually not good. Your blade is a nature product what means EVERY blade is unique in this world. Every change is a tragedy because your hand has to get used to something completely new --> Not good in a world that is dominated by automatisms. In the time what you are glueing thinking about if the new equipment is suited for you or not you are wasting time what you could invest in training --> not good . --> JUST CHANGE EQUIPMENT IF REALLY REALLYY REALLY NECESSARY
-

SquareBall said:

Interesting insights on equipment TT rogue, I have two questions,
Can you give some suggestions of those semi blades that you can stick with ?
I seem to overshoot backhands often. Do you think I should close the angle more or could it be a sponge thickness problem ?

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That is fairly hard to say without knowing you. I dont even know what equipment you are using. Solid Semi stiff blades are usually All - All+ blades. The classic Senso series from Donic is always a solid start-up if you have trouble. I also can recommend the Stiga Class Pro Off what what im playing. It was designed long time ago and is more like a Allround played, solid charactersitics overall.
But basicly i would say if you overshoot the ball hit it softer

Yes i mean i hope dwell time is the right word for it in english. The harder the wood the fast the ball goes away from the racket. Haha right it's under the flag but sorry i dont know any of your material personally so i cant say anything for it sorry

vossi39 said:

I believe we could argue years about the "right" equipment. I work as a couch and get this type of question, over and over.

I disagree with the oversimplification in the first post.

If I only take the rubber "category" PIPS IN/ HARD sponge, there are noticable differences, even for beginners.
Take a DHS H3 on one end and Cornilleau Target Ultra on the other (all hard rubber), if you can't feel the difference in a simple
bounce test, your better of investing your time into a different sport.

Let alone not mentioning the different sponge thickness as a criteria.

Table tennis is about very very fine differentiation and precision. If your are not sensible to slight differencies, you will have a hard time getting better.

So I usually look at the ability to adjust, when trying to recommend a rubber/blade combination and not at the number of years someone is playing. I have novice players that can (could) easily handle OFF blades, while I have others that play for years and still struggle to adjust their stroke force and timing regardless of the blade/sponge they play with.

The only thing where I agree with the original poster, is that material won't substitute training.

But for every decent player there is a combination of rubber/blade that fits their prefered style of playing and therefore you have to try and find your combination.

And while we are at it...Playing different material once in a while in training sessions, actually helps training your ability to adjust. So don't be afraid to take a new blade/rubber combination into your hand an play for an hour.

BTW...The times playing 1.5mm rubber on the backhand are a long gone (if you are not a developed defender already and do this on purpose)... Even for beginner blade 1.8mm is the minimum (at least this was the official couch guideline until last year).

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This is ment for people who are struggeling and dont have the possibility to ask a coach for help. Of course there are young players who can handle immediatly off blades and 2.1 rubbers. And when you are advanced on a certain level material choice is a matter. I wanted this to be somewhat of a straight guideline how you can prevent people of destroying their technique by choosing wrong material, spening tons of money and getting frustrated. Of course there is all the time a difference between different rubbres, what im saying is that when you have the right technique you are able to do every shot with every rubber. Do you think that Boll just can loop with a Tenergy? I assure you he spins the same with a frkn Speedy Spin. What concerns the 1.5 BH rubber, seems that you dont understand the sense of it. A 1.5 rubber just forces you to play the right movement, without the right technique your not generating speed and spin. What has 2 effect for players having problems with their backhand, firstly they are forced to adapt and learn right technique from what they will participate when they change rubbers back second they will have less frustration in games because at least their passive game will be immediatly safer. Guideline 1.8 minimum for straters huh? What drunken football player wrote that guideline? But yes im giving my beginners usually always 1.8 rubbers on the backhand. 2.0 ,1,8 is just doing it well

vossi39 said:

We won't get agreement on this. The only thing you will achieve with a 1.5mm rubber (btw there is only a limited number of brands providing such a rubber thickness) is that your movements will be longer and use more force. At the end you will be struggeling getting any offensive play on the backend and stick with the "save choice" playing passive on the backhand.
This is why the official guidelines are 1.8mm minimum for beginners. And the "drunken .... players" who wrote these guidelines are the A- and B- licensed coaches gathered in the VDTT. But nevermind....

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Most of the time the too short movements are the problems not the long movement, of course it will prolong the movement that's the sense of it and that's not bad to correct the technique. If you go then for the faster and spinier rubber it is totaly easy to adapt. But the other way around is much harder. The too thick sponges are the reason why you are seeing a lot of players whit the crippeled movements and as soon as some old fellow chops with a bit more backspin they are starting to cry. I didnt say at all put a 1.5 rubber on the backhand of all beginners. But anyway i would like to see that part where that with the minimun 1.8mm on the backhand is written