Choosing a second bat.

This user has no status.
Hey there.

I'm new in this website, so first of all hi everione. Second of all, i would like to ask for advices from you guys.
I want to buy my second Custom bat, i've used my previous bat for ~1 year, and i would like to get something which i can develop my style from.
Here are my attributes:


  • [*=1]Modern attacking playstyle
    [*=1]Love looping with lots of power
    [*=1]Love winning points by changing up the spin and speed of the ball
    [*=1]Backhand dominant

My current setup is the following :



  • [*=1]Blade from a premade bat called Joola Carbon Pro
    [*=1]Forehand rubber : Joola Rhyzm-P
    [*=1]Backhand rubber : Joola Rhyzm-P
​I want to buy the following setup, that i think suits my style. I would like to ask you guys, that is the following setup good in your opinions, and what would you recommend me if you think its not good/correct for me/my style.



  • [*=1]Blade : Stiga Clipper (ST Handle)
    [*=1]Forehand rubber : DHS Hurricane 3
    [*=1]Backhand rubber : Joola Rhyzm (37.5°)
​Thanks, Kristof
 
Last edited:

JST

This user has no status.

JST

This user has no status.
Member
Nov 2017
280
191
1,259
Clipper is pretty fast and specific all-wood blade. Are you sure you don't want to try (e.g. in your club from your team mates) some more all-round things around OFF- rating? If you aren't playing 5+ years and you are not somewhere in regional top 100 in HU there might be still a lot of room to learn with things like Bfly Primo OFF-, Yasaka Sweden Extra, Stiga Allround or Offensive Classic...
 
This user has no status.
Clipper is pretty fast and specific all-wood blade. Are you sure you don't want to try (e.g. in your club from your team mates) some more all-round things around OFF- rating? If you aren't playing 5+ years and you are not somewhere in regional top 100 in HU there might be still a lot of room to learn with things like Bfly Primo OFF-, Yasaka Sweden Extra, Stiga Allround or Offensive Classic...

Thanks for the advice, i didn't know that the clipper is fast, i thought that as an all-wood blade ts is something that is easy to develop my style with. i'll look up the blades that you listed. What do you think about the rubbers that i've listed. are they good for my style?
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Aug 2017
318
254
1,051
There are tons of setups that would fit your play style. You'd have to say more about what you are looking for from your setup and how you play.

Also, it's usually a good idea to avoid changing both the blade and the rubbers at the same time: otherwise you won't be able to distinguish the contribution of the new blade and the new rubbers, which makes making further adjustments much more difficult.

What makes you want to try the H3n on your FH? It's a great rubber, but getting the benefits from it while looping and attacking requires full, very fast strokes. Given that you consider yourself backhand dominant, it might be worth keeping in mind that the H3n might weaken your forehand even more in comparison with your backhand..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jimbob MacInbred
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Aug 2017
318
254
1,051
Thanks for the advice, i didn't know that the clipper is fast, i thought that as an all-wood blade ts is something that is easy to develop my style with. i'll look up the blades that you listed. What do you think about the rubbers that i've listed. are they good for my style?

Oh, yeah. The clipper is fast, and quite stiff. A lot of people prefer slower blades with a lot more flex to develop their looping technique.

JST's recommendations would be a much better starting point for most players. In a similar vein to the Primorac, I also highly recommend the Xiom Offensive S. At the price it's a steal: great control, fantastic feel, not too fast, but when you need the speed to finish a point it usually has more than enough. With a higher budget, I'd be very tempted to go for an OSP blade like the Virtuoso (Off- or +.)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jimbob MacInbred
This user has no status.
I would like to try out the H3 becouse i'm not very experienced in terms of equipment, and it would be my first chinese rubber, so i'M excited to see how it performs. Also, if i don't like it/ harmes my technique too much, i can change it becouse that the H3 is not expensive, unlike the european style rubbers. I heared that with chinese style rubbers its essencial to have a good technique, and i thought it would help me learn the strokes. It may be a longer time to learn than with tensor rubbers, but maybe it teachesme the strokes better. Thanks for your advice btw :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Suga D
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Aug 2017
318
254
1,051
I would like to try out the H3 becouse i'm not very experienced in terms of equipment, and it would be my first chinese rubber, so i'M excited to see how it performs. Also, if i don't like it/ harmes my technique too much, i can change it becouse that the H3 is not expensive, unlike the european style rubbers. I heared that with chinese style rubbers its essencial to have a good technique, and i thought it would help me learn the strokes. It may be a longer time to learn than with tensor rubbers, but maybe it teachesme the strokes better. Thanks for your advice btw :)

I think that's a great reason to try the H3n! If you're thinking about long term results, and how it might help develop your FH stroke, you have little to lose, and a lot to gain! :)

For the BH, I don't know the Rhyzm, but 37.5 is quite soft: that should make it easier to generate spin at low speed, but for the sake of your game's development, IMO it's worth going for something harder. E.g. For the money and your playstyle, the Xiom Vega Pro is hard to beat. It's not slow, but has great control. The medium hard sponge and grippy topsheet reward full looping strokes in spades: it's one of those rubbers that doesn't seem all that spinny until you engage the sponge while maintaining a thin contact; and then you'll want to do it again and again and again..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jimbob MacInbred

JST

This user has no status.

JST

This user has no status.
Member
Nov 2017
280
191
1,259
Let me share my experience with TT equipment and how I deal with Equipment Junkie virus (which I guess you face the attack right now;). I started playing in mid 90s and now restarted after 15-year hiatus. I was always keen into equipment and never really could effort it in my teens so I have only 3 blades through all my career. Now I'm back and reading all the stuff and finally having budget to experiment I arrived to sad reality: there are literally millions of combinations of blades and rubbers and each of them will be slightly (or more different). To make it even worse there are millions of players and hundreds of styles end each of these goes differently with each rubber/blade combo. So all the reviews are slihtly off with my own experience and feelings. Sure, there are some similarities so you can characterize rubbers by sponge hardness and tackiness etc. But unless you want to spend hours and hours of reading and pre-selecting on forums like this and then spending several thousands of EUR and hours of time in at a table to test various combinations just stop it where you are. There is no nice way through the TT equipment wood, just countless tries, excitements after few minutes or hours (so called "new blade syndrom") and then sobering after few weeks and going for another round with new combo.

Now to your choice: I would definitely keep changing just one variable. If you are happy with your current rubbers just keep them and try another blade. If you are really unhappy then go with some well known set-up like Stiga Allround Classic and Stiga Innova or other kind of "beginners" rubber (w.g. Rozena in lower thickness seems to work in my club). Don't be ashamed to play with basic things even if you have money for 200EUR+ blades, because the game and results are what matters (unless you are a collector like some others here;). I started after my long hiatus and just took my 20-y-o Bfly Primorac OFF-, ripped off completely destroyed Srivers (yes, these things had >60% players in the world at that time;) and bought one Rosena and one normal DHS H3neo. It wasn't bad and H3Neo actually went well with my serve (which seems to be still big asset after these years when I go to local club playing low regional league) but I felt like needing to get some even more controlled and sensitive combination. When I got the 30% deal on Yasaka equipment I took the combo I have in my bio (Sweden Extra + Rising Dragon + Rakza 7 Soft) and after 4 months and losing only single match in that low regional competition I can only recommend it. I would like more speed but I need to say to myslef like 10 times a day "yes, you have money for new blade but you should make first your footwork and hand flawless and then you can spend hundreds of EUR on experimenting". So I have my EJ virus under control for now but it gets big effort;)

Conclusion: try few things around just for 20-30 minutes if you have friends who are willing to share and time on the table. Try Bfly Korbel OFF, Primo OFF-, some all-wood Allround and Offensive Stigas, some Yasaka Extra or Classic if you have a chance. Look into all-wood things which have control rating in 8.5-10 out of 10 range (I used tabletennisdb.com but that's indeed based on uneven subjective reviews of users so you can see blades which are 9+ speed and 9+ control which is nonsense). If you don't feel immediate love with the whole combo of blade and rubber you are trying then stay with what you have right now. Stay and play. For every thought "I need to buy something" go back and play one hour more to get the virus out of your mind. Once you start some competitions and start to win then - after the season! - maybe buy new blade and new sheets of rubbers you use now and try to train 1-2 months with it. If you feel some positive development then keep it for entire next season and just play and play. I guess not the answer you were looking for but maybe it will save some time and money for other things in your life while still you will feel maximum joy while playing TT;)
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Aug 2017
318
254
1,051
Let me share my experience with TT equipment and how I deal with Equipment Junkie virus (which I guess you face the attack right now;).

...

Now to your choice: I would definitely keep changing just one variable.

Great tips on how to avoid EJ. I must say though, the OP spent a year on his last setup. He seems to know a thing or two about avoiding the EJ equipment changing frenzy.. ;)

I agree about changing just 1 variable at a time. If they are a year old, it’s unlikely that the rubbers are in great shape. So that seems like the first thing to swap. If the OP’s current blade has standard dimensions (around 150-1 to 157-8) there shouldn’t be a problem trying different rubbers on the blade.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jimbob MacInbred

JST

This user has no status.

JST

This user has no status.
Member
Nov 2017
280
191
1,259
Hmmm, then it looks like Xiom solved the mission impossible and we all should use it soon as well as all the pros;) No seriously, this is probably not the right thread to discuss. What all-wood from Xiom (or other "exotic" brands how I call it) you tried and would recommend to decent starting ALL+/OFF- blade to develop good technique and help Kristof in his search?

Yes, good tips.
The only thing I would like to mention is that speed 9 and control 9 is not a nonsence regarding Xiom blades.
Xiom Offensive S and Xiom Solo are definitely s9-c9
and Xiom Vega is s9.8-c9.8
:)
 

JST

This user has no status.

JST

This user has no status.
Member
Nov 2017
280
191
1,259
OK, +-8 speed and +-9 control from 10+ reviews are still pretty high and indicate very happy users but definitely more down to Earth then 9.8/9.8:)

http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blade/xiom-solo.html
http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blade/xiom-offensive-s.html

But what Vega Tour has on ttdb is insane, if really more then 20 reviewers are thrilled to see it 9+/9+ it is probably exceptional blade in certain aspects, still I would be very careful with on-line reviews.

http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blade/xiom-vega-tour.html

Which brings me back to the topic: whatever people like me tell you here is really just advice from some random folk on the internet and I wouldn't take it too seriously. Maybe you would beat us all in 3 sets and our experience with equipment cannot meet your level. Or in opposite you might not be able to get to the table more than one of my four serves (not speaking about blocking my loops) and whatever I tell you is irrelevant because you need to develop basics first...
 
Ok, I really don't care about ttdb reviews and I share my own experience.
Xiom blades and rubbers are not exotic and are very underrated.
If OP is looking for a little bit slower blade with even better control, I would recomend Xiom Diva or Aigis, and if he is looking for faster one - Xiom Omega Tour, it's much better and has much more control than Stiga Clipper, or Tibhar Powerwood.
About Xiom Vega - its really a unique blade, of cource depending on personal synergy feeling.
About playing - I don't know, maybe you will beat me 4:0, maybe not, I'm an old man and my son /my trainee/ already starts to beat me, but blades don't care about that at all.
:)
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Aug 2017
318
254
1,051
Which brings me back to the topic: whatever people like me tell you here is really just advice from some random folk on the internet and I wouldn't take it too seriously. Maybe you would beat us all in 3 sets and our experience with equipment cannot meet your level. Or in opposite you might not be able to get to the table more than one of my four serves (not speaking about blocking my loops) and whatever I tell you is irrelevant because you need to develop basics first...


The thing is, at the end of the day the blade characteristics that we are usually discussing are comparative: e.g. blades are only fast/slow in comparison with other blades. Short of relying on elaborate strategies for ensuring consistency in what different people (like for trained wine experts), expert or not, call fast, flexy, large sweet spot, etc, we will always need to do work to get dependable info from any source’s evaluations.

Long story short: get to know the sources you rely on, what a same knowledgeable source considers very fast, stiff, good control, good feel, etc, and how that relates to how you yourself evaluate these same characteristics. It’s not like reading a map, but we can all do it with a little work.

With TTDB too few products are evaluated by the very same people. The comments are usually more useful than the numbers.

With Xiom’s own ratings, the system seems to shift from series to series. It’s not useless, but since they don’t give any further info on how they conduct those evaluations it shouldn’t be treated like a caesium atomic clock. (To make things worse, they provides inaccurate info on some of their blades. (Eg they claim their new Feel SX is 5+2 ply when it is actually 7+2. Still, they make quite a few good blades and rubbers..))

I guess we are getting side tracked..
 
Top