Spend big on rubbers or blades?

You don't need to change blade or rubbers. Is there anything wrong with your primorac?

But answering the question I'm all for spending more money on the blade and getting cheap rubbers. But you already have good blade and rubbers. Change the rubbers when they are worn out.

You could ask yourself another question aswel : why spend big on either one?
There is plenty of stuff out there, that perform just as good or only slightly worse in the hands of a wide variety of players, compared to the expensive stuff.

I would start by finding a blade you really like. This does not have to be an expensive one, just something you feel very comfortable with. The blade is often the part you hold on to longest and will cost only a fraction of the total price (over a period of some years). A good blade can last many years.

The rubbers will be more expensive and you will have to change these over a period of time. Something to take into consideration with rubbers is their durability. A more expensive rubber can last longer than a cheap one. But some cheap ones last longer than expensive ones, so this takes some time to figure out what rubber works for you and lasts long enough. I'm quite pleased with the xiom vega series if you look at properties/durability/price.

Silver smasher said:

I am currently using Rozena on both sides and aim to upgrade to Tenergy when my timing is better. However it seems that my blade - an old Primorac - may not allow these rubbers to work to their best.

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While the Primorac may not be the fastest or most fashionable blade available, it still is a very good one. The fact you can give it to beginners does not exclude it from being played by better players. It pairs well with almost any rubber and supports almost any playing concept.

So as long as it is not broken or you really feel you need something else, stick with it.

I would however advise you to get off the Butterfly path. Rozena is an average rubber of the kind that other brands produce a lot cheaper, and while t05 is a superior rubber, only top players can realize ist full potential, so you won´t need to spend big on that either.

If Money is of no concern, then go ahaead.

But be assured that Primorac will work with either Rozena or tenergy (if properly glued), so if you have a feeling there´s something missing it might not be the racket´s fault.

Whether your equipment is fast or slow is a combination of both your blade and rubbers. If you buy an extremely fast blade, there is only so much you can do to reduce the speed by changing rubbers. Similarly if you buy a very slow blade, the fastest rubbers will only take it so far. Blades are rubbers are much more than just fast or slow. Blades can be stiff or flexible, hard or soft, fast or slow, and this effects different aspects of the game. Same for rubbers then can be grippy or tacky or not so much, and they can be fast or slow, high throw or low throw.

As you said, you are a developing player. That development happens on two fronts. One is the basics of the game that improve as you go on. The other growth happens as you become attuned to your equipment and gain the confidence to push your limits. For example more topspin and power on your loops as you gain control, more power on your chops, more spin on your serves as you are able to exert more force (hand speed, etc) while you serve, etc.

So, your growth will be a combination of both, you becoming more perfect in your technique and also becoming comfortable with your equipment.
It is good to upgrade equipment as your game develops but not so much that you are always playing catch up to it. In your case, the rubbers are pretty good, and by no means slow. Slower than Tenergy but still fast, attacking rubbers. So as you develop, and if it is more speed and power you are looking for, I would opt for a faster blade, and keep the same rubbers and go from there.

Spend on rubbers and use a cheap blade. Unless you get serious coaching and have great control and footspeed, a more expensive blade could make you play worse.

Try a sheet of t05 on your primorac and see how it feels. It will be spinnier and bouncier than rozena, but not a drastic change and easy to adapt.

MDP said:

You could ask yourself another question aswel : why spend big on either one?
There is plenty of stuff out there, that perform just as good or only slightly worse in the hands of a wide variety of players, compared to the expensive stuff.

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+1

I think the OP's post points to a belief that a lot of us have but I'm tellin you, isn't necessarily true.

More $$ = Higher quality product. SMH

Don't buy into the hype. The pros play with what they like and companies in turn are allowed to charge more for those times because people want to be like the pros.

Personally speaking, my previously best blade I ever had as the famous Stiga Clipper. An $80 blade. Actually pretty affordable. But by most accounts, it's fantastic. And I agreed. Then a little over a year ago or so, I picked up a Gambler Fire Dragon Touch from zeropong for $40. I like that blade just as much if not more.

I've tried the Evolution series and some other tensor in the past. Rubbers that cost twice the price of what I usually play with. Meh in all those cases. I've been back to Chinese tacky non-tuned rubbers for some time and I hit just as well as my mates at club who have Tenergy.

So to the OP I'd suggest erase $ from the equation and try out different stuff. When you've found that perfect setup, just stick with it. There's your rubber & blade combo.

There are blades that have very good quality but are not too expensive. As a developing player, focus on training first.

+1 to yogi_bear and keep calm...Rozena is even used by top chinese players.

There have been some good posts already. And I love how suds identified that false notion that people seem to think that better equipment costs more.

So I am going to try and come at this from a perspective that I think is worthwhile and a little different.

First, when you say a word like "BEST" you have to answer "best for what?" or "best for whom?"

If you are a developing player, the Primorac is one of the best blades ever made for someone developing their skills. It is also a great blade for higher level players. In the European Championships a few years ago, someone got ahold of the list of equipment for all the players from the officials who did the racket inspections.

Several top European players in that tournament were using the Primorac Off- blade. So, the Primorac is a blade that is good for a pro. But it is one of the best blades for helping a player learn to improve their skill at developing more spin on their loops, for developing MASSIVE spin on their loops.

So, a Primorac is a blade you will never really outgrow and it is probably one of the best blades out there for a player of any level. But without question, one of the best blades for a player developing the skills for looping.

So, definitely use the best blade for you which you already have.

And feel free to use whatever rubbers on it you want.

I also would rather lots of other rubbers over Rozena. But that would be because of Butterfly's price point. Rozena is a good rubber for how you described your level. It will help you improve.

But, since, so many players like to EJ, feel free to get whatever you want (as long as you can afford to do that). But what you have right now is a setup that is great for you. And you will not outgrow the blade even if you outgrow the rubbers. And even if you wanted a blade that seems sexier or something. But what you have is one of the best blades out there for many people of all levels. Not as flashy as some blades. But there is no blade that is truly and objectively better than what you already have.

I'd say spend some money on a good pair of shoes and a uniform. At least you will look and feel like a pro-looking player. The money in those gears lasts WAY longer than new rubbers.

ajtatosmano2 said:

+1 to yogi_bear and keep calm...Rozena is even used by top chinese players.

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Like who?

At the risk of being annoying - stick with your existing Rozena & Primorac, and spend big on coaching? Your equipment is not the limiting factor at this stage.

Lai kar yam said:

Like who?

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Zhu Yuling, for one.

The reverse argument of the OP can also be used. Since the blade will out last the rubber I would wait to be sure what sort of blade best fits your style. No point in dropping $300 on a OFF+ blade if it turns out you really play better with an ALL- Better to wait on that decision until you have worn out a few dozen sets of rubber, which cost a 1/6th as much if you pick one that just doesn't work for you.

Bro,


Get some coaching to develop your strokes. After that simply get a spare setup (maybe a viscaria or freitas) and pair them with a similar rubber (say ELP or Vega Euro or Rasanter 42

Use the same technique you used with primorac; you will feel the difference for yourself and will immediately come to know which setup suits you


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I would like to say that just hypothetically maybe investing some more bugs in a good blade might seem a better idea.
Though speaking of Butterfly one may find that such a scenario could be kind of difficult to run, for lot of their blades are much cheaper than a set of their rubbers. And its true not only for Butterfly.
In fact its a common truth for a lot of produts - the consumables to be more expensive than the base. Money makes the world go 'round.

Yep Carl thanks for your kind words about the Primorac ; )

To the OP - I started playing (with Primorac), about 9-10 years ago, recreationally "practicing" twice a week reguraly, than went through several different blades ending up for a while with TB ALC (Omega V Asia rubbers) and finally I moved back to Primo ... : )

TB ALC was so reactive and fast I almost forgot how diverse the game can be with those off- blades ... I enjoy the game much more now. Btw I discovered that those mx-s' work pretty well with the blade too.

OP sounds like a budding EJ at the start of his journey of discovery.
My only contribution is to say that the posters here all speak from their knowledge gained from experience.
To sum up, training (including coaching) and competition play are far more important to improvement as a player than the equipment. And there is no better bat than your Primorac/Rozena. However, TT equipment isn't that expensive and experimentation is basically good clean fun.
The best way to improve is by spending your money on regular coaching. Aim to have a one to one coaching session at least twice a month, with optimum being once per week. In addition to your normal league match, even if you have to travel far, aim to practice/train for 2 hrs at least once per week.

I have been using $5-20 blades for years with name brand rubbers.