best equipment for european style loop

The troublesome thing about a question like this one is, it is asked in a way that appears the be presenting that there is a best blade and rubber combination for a "European" style loop. This means the question does not take into account that different players play better with different kinds of equipment. Personal style and personal preference cause this not to be the case. A blade and rubber combination that might be great for one person who plays with a Euro loop and might really be not good at all for another player. We are each unique. And so much of equipment choice is personal preference.

While I agree to an extent that everyone should have a rubber that suits them I disagree with the statement regarding this question. I believe that there are set few rubber combinations that work well for the Euro styles and a set combinations that work well with the Chinese Styles. In this regard you should never find a rubber combination that helps you play better because that will cost you the proper technique of each style. I think that there are certain rubbers that everyone should use when developing their strokes typically they are controlled and hard at first and then you would transition into softer or medium rubbers.

You'd want a harder rubber for both styles because they are the best at feeling the ball and the sweet spot of the blade. Whether you prefer softer or medium rubbers is a preference, but by this time you should have developed the technique required to choose a combination appropriate for your respective styles.

Focusing on what the best rubbers are easy ways to diminish your progress in developing the skill. Not to mention that by doing so you have to figure out what shots are the easiest to do with each rubber and which shots are the hardest to do with each rubber when in reality if you have the proper technique you should be able to do any shot at any given moment regardless of what end result equipment you choose.

I think there is a perfect combination for each player^^. So i dont think its any combination thats suits everyone. Cause even if you are offensiv and loop a lot, everyone wants different speed in the blade and rubber.

Euro loop get its power from cocking the elbow, therefore the spin imparted is from the dwell time (mechanical) not topsheet spin.
This way a slightly tacky surface rubber and generally softer (doesn't mean soft tho) sponge will do.

Mr. RicharD said:

While I agree to an extent that everyone should have a rubber that suits them I disagree with the statement regarding this question. I believe that there are set few rubber combinations that work well for the Euro styles and a set combinations that work well with the Chinese Styles. In this regard you should never find a rubber combination that helps you play better because that will cost you the proper technique of each style. I think that there are certain rubbers that everyone should use when developing their strokes typically they are controlled and hard at first and then you would transition into softer or medium rubbers.

You'd want a harder rubber for both styles because they are the best at feeling the ball and the sweet spot of the blade. Whether you prefer softer or medium rubbers is a preference, but by this time you should have developed the technique required to choose a combination appropriate for your respective styles.

Focusing on what the best rubbers are easy ways to diminish your progress in developing the skill. Not to mention that by doing so you have to figure out what shots are the easiest to do with each rubber and which shots are the hardest to do with each rubber when in reality if you have the proper technique you should be able to do any shot at any given moment regardless of what end result equipment you choose.

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Richard has some good points, but not everyone will get eth gear to match the style they want, not often do people have enough $$$ to get their target gear.

Equipemnt is over-rated too much by TT forumers. That is the most under-rated statement of FY 2011 as it comes to a close real soon.

At early, early amature levels, like say under USATT 1800 or lower (Seoul mid div 4 or under) you can have a piece of wood, two rubberz, pay coach/TT club owner $120-$140 USD a month and in 2 years, if you applied yourself, you have already surpassed this level. I have seen a boatload of new players starting out with OFF+ outfits like Schlager Carbon with a tensor or tensioned rubber. TT coaching pundits would pull their hair out hearing this, but it is good to match gear with your desired style and train from the get-go. Pundits would say Schlager Carbon and tensors would cause anyone short of a pro to hit out long. I disagree. I see it all the time here. Joker really starts learning the strokes at end of year two and hitting long isn't caused by his gear, but by being out of position or reaching. I see ex J-Pen players convert to Shakehand and go with Primorac Carbon, TBS, Schlager Carbon and other fast or OFF+ fast blades. I see Korean grannies use a BTY GERGELY, BTY SCHLAGER CARBON, ETC for blade and pair it with a softish OFF control rubber like Yasaka Extend HS (A German made Tensor, yes, this is a control rubber, not a rocket) (EDIT) with LP OX rubber on BH, like Tibhar Grass D-Techs and play in men's div 2 or 3, 'cause the women's divisions are too weak. Some of these grannies would be rated over 2000 USATT in USA.

A slower racket is not necessarily a more controlled racket. (Although a controlled looper would do way better using a galaxy W6 instead of a Galaxy T-4 !!) (not becuase of speed, but because the T-4 has next to ZERO dwell) Given a certain looping style, a blade with good enough dwell and a rubber with enough spin capabilities to go with enough speed equate the control on the offensive shots, provided the player got all the other stuff right like positioning, balance/recovery/footwork, read the spin correct, has racket at right height, uses the correct swing plane and uses teh body as a whole in good timing, ETC. Amatures mess up these fundementals a LOT and failing in one or more of these cost 10X more points than a blade that is too fast or slow.

Time and $$$ spent on correcting the fundementals and how to apply them in points along with strategy/tactics has a lot more value to an amature than fussing over which blade/rubber he or she should use.

@ Yosua, Power comes from the legs. Cocking the Elbow doesn't help you gain power as we see from the Chinese. The power comes from the leg and the spin comes from the rubber. What cocking your elbow does is provide great accuracy and control, hence why a drive is easiest when cocking the elbow.

@others - When you learn your respective techniques properly the rubber you use has little to do with preference, but more to do with your technique. That is what everyone should strive for. When you get a rubber out of preference you are saying I will keep my bad habits while trying to increase the level of my good habits. This in reality hurts your game rather than helps it. By decreasing your bad habits you will improve stroke production, footwork, and most importantly tactics. When you can do this all with a lot of confidence you will be able to adjust your gear to some combo that the pros use.

I'm not saying you shouldn't find rubbers that really suit you. What I'm saying is rather than spend $$ on newer rubbers and the next big thing focus on your stroke production keep using the cheaper rubbers for control and stroke production and then save up and buy the combination of choice to help increase your good habits while decreasing your bad ones.

Thats why it is called euro loop sire