Need to upgrade from butterfly 603

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I have been using a butterfly 603 table tennis paddle and while I really like it, I would like to upgrade to a custom paddle.

Main reason for the upgrades are : the butterfly 603 seems to be hollow on some spots of the paddle resulting in unexpected non-returns during rally.
Also - the 603 seems to require much more effort while playing away from the table.

I am not sure what kind of player I am - I think All or All+ or Off- depending on my opponent

I’ve been doing some research and am looking at the following combos:
* Stiga all round classic with dhs hurricane 3 neo on both sides OR
* Butterfly primorac with dhs hurricane 3 neo on one side and Tenergy 05 on the other

Any recommendations are appreciated!
Thank you!
 
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* Stiga all round classic with dhs hurricane 3 neo on both sides OR
* Butterfly primorac with dhs hurricane 3 neo on one side and Tenergy 05 on the other

Both blades are good and can be played for a long time, with adjustments to the rubbers over time.
Personally, I´d go for the Primorac as it gives a little more options.

As for the rubbers, mostly anything will be an upgrade on what you´ll find on your racket, and I´d recommend taking one step after another. You will find an entry level tensor rubber like XIOM Vega Intro or even a classic rubber like Donic Coppa to be a noticeable step forward and it will give you time to develop and get used to the new blade. tenergy, for now, will most certainly be a waste of money.
 
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Both blades are good and can be played for a long time, with adjustments to the rubbers over time.
Personally, I´d go for the Primorac as it gives a little more options.

As for the rubbers, mostly anything will be an upgrade on what you´ll find on your racket, and I´d recommend taking one step after another. You will find an entry level tensor rubber like XIOM Vega Intro or even a classic rubber like Donic Coppa to be a noticeable step forward and it will give you time to develop and get used to the new blade. tenergy, for now, will most certainly be a waste of money.

Airoc - Thank you very much for your response!
If I don't get the tenergy 05, it leaves me with some extra budget as other potential rubbers are not as expensive
So would you recommend upgrading to a better blade than Primorac? Something like Butterfly Viscaria or Butterfly Timo Boll ALC or Timo Boll Spirit. I hear the Butterfly Viscaria is very well balanced, so I could start with Viscaria and some cheaper rubber options and upgrade the rubber in the future?
 
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so I could start with Viscaria and some cheaper rubber options and upgrade the rubber in the future?

You could of course try that.

But what you hear about blades and rubbers is mostly what experienced players think about them, meant for experienced players.
Coming from a pre-made blade, I am not sure where you see yourself in that respect.

However, paired with slower rubbers something like a Viscaria will not be impossible to control and it´s easy to see why you would desire it. It´s just that a Primorac is easier to play and will probably help you more in your development.

At the end of the day, for someone in a learning phase I would rather recommend the slower Primorac and thicker rubbers as opposed to Viscaria with thinner, slower rubbers - but let your heart decide ;)
 
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I had a chance to play a friend’s setup today Yinhe T-8 blade, FH: DHS TG Skyline 3, BH: hurricane II. I expected the paddle to be difficult to control since the blade is fast and hard - but to my surprise I felt very comfortable both on offense and defense with this setup. It was easy to smash with good speed, counter top spins were amazing, loops were better, push was better, blocks were better. The only area I wasn’t too comfortable was with high amount of spins and the weight of the setup.

I see myself as an intermediate level player, I just have never bought a custom paddle before.

I might go with the Viscaria and use some slower rubber to start with, and upgrade the rubber as needed. That way I don’t have to invest on a blade again and again.

Thank you for all your help! I appreciate it!
 
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Is there any way you could post a short video of you playing? It would help in giving you good advice on what would be useful to you.

One of the most common mistakes mid-level players make with equipment is buying things that are not suited for the skills they need to develop. A Viscaria is a very good blade. And it may be right for you. But it also may not be right for you. Whereas, a Primorac will certainly be an excellent blade for you.

What I would actually do if I was you is keep trying people's rackets and see what each setup feels like. If you try enough different setups you will have a better idea of what might be best for you. But based on things you have said you should probably get something like this:

Primorac Off- blade
Vega Pro (for both sides).

Also, some of what you are describing with the blade sounds like it could be that the rubbers on your current racket need to be taken off and re-glued.

Also, style of play would not be things like: All, All+, Off-. Those are not styles of play. Those are speed classes of blades. Style of play would be something like: Offensive (every chance you get you take an offensive shot), Defensive (you like letting the opponent take the offensive and keep putting the ball back until the opponent makes a mistake: there are several kinds of defensive players like: chopper, chop blocker, blocker, fisher or lobber), or Allround player (a little of everything).
 
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