Need advice on equipment selection

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Many thanks for the list.

Dear Mr Mehta,

I feel reluctant to post this on a public discussion list, where many of the respondents are enjoying discussing the pros and cons of various blades and rubbers, but I am in a somewhat similar situation to you. I am a beginner, and after about two and a half years using a five-ply all wood blade, the Butterfly Andrej Grubba, I told my coach I thought I needed a faster blade, because all the young Asian kids I play hit the ball very fast.

He laughed and said, "They play fast because they don't know how to spin the ball."

I should have been content with this, but I didn't fully understood the wisdom of his reply. So I then asked a top-level international coach (who knows my ability) whether I should move to a faster blade, such as a Viscara?

His reply, "Success is 1% equipment and 99% practicing at the table."

So I just stayed with what I've got.
 
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Dear Mr Mehta,

I feel reluctant to post this on a public discussion list, where many of the respondents are enjoying discussing the pros and cons of various blades and rubbers, but I am in a somewhat similar situation to you. I am a beginner, and after about two and a half years using a five-ply all wood blade, the Butterfly Andrej Grubba, I told my coach I thought I needed a faster blade, because all the young Asian kids I play hit the ball very fast.

He laughed and said, "They play fast because they don't know how to spin the ball."

I should have been content with this, but I didn't fully understood the wisdom of his reply. So I then asked a top-level international coach (who knows my ability) whether I should move to a faster blade, such as a Viscara?

His reply, "Success is 1% equipment and 99% practicing at the table."

So I just stayed with what I've got.

That is some knowledge right there.

To help you illustrate it, one could take a look at the blade the captain from TTD team is using and then look at his forehands.


@2:26
 
Dear Mr Mehta,

I feel reluctant to post this on a public discussion list, where many of the respondents are enjoying discussing the pros and cons of various blades and rubbers, but I am in a somewhat similar situation to you. I am a beginner, and after about two and a half years using a five-ply all wood blade, the Butterfly Andrej Grubba, I told my coach I thought I needed a faster blade, because all the young Asian kids I play hit the ball very fast.

He laughed and said, "They play fast because they don't know how to spin the ball."

I should have been content with this, but I didn't fully understood the wisdom of his reply. So I then asked a top-level international coach (who knows my ability) whether I should move to a faster blade, such as a Viscara?

His reply, "Success is 1% equipment and 99% practicing at the table."

So I just stayed with what I've got.


Very good, really!
And I believe that all that really happened to prove your best.

But at the same time I believe that the "They play fast because they don't know how to spin the ball" concept is very-very wrong.
It may be right in some particular observations, here and there, for this one and that ones, but not as a leading concept.
That way it's not suitable for a general abstraction on the matter.
 
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But at the same time I believe that the "They play fast because they don't know how to spin the ball" concept is very-very wrong.
It may be right in some particular observations, here and there, for this one and that ones, but not as a leading concept.
That way it's not suitable for a general abstraction on the matter.

I think his advice was simply that at my level, I am better trying to win by developing spin and placement, rather than trying to develop speed. That's all.
 
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says Spin and more spin.
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I think his advice was simply that at my level, I am better trying to win by developing spin and placement, rather than trying to develop speed. That's all.

And that when your technique is good, you can make shots that are fast with a blade that is not so fast. But if you play with a fast blade, it is harder to learn to spin, so you get stuck at a certain level where your shots are fast but you have not learned to REALLY spin the Heck Out of The Ball. :)
 
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I came to this party too late and too many people have made too many good comments.

Do jokers listen to sound advice? Has the chems in the drinking water impaired the brains and judgment of jokers?

Is anyone Hangry? Carl did it with his spyphone without any interference from Goon Squad.
 
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A natural progression from Allround Classic would be:

1) Stiga Allround Evolution
2) Stiga Offensive Classic
3) Nexy Spear
4) Xiom Offensive S
5) Primorac Off-
6) Korbel
7) Tibhar Stratus Power Wood
8) Nittaku Acoustic
9) OSP Virtuoso Off-
10) OSP Virtuoso Plus

Those are in no particular order. They are simply a moderate jump (two levels) up from Allround Classic. Whereas, Clipper is a giant jump (4 speed classes) and Viscaria would be an even bigger jump with a blade with a hard top ply (different than Allround Classic or any of the blades above) and add the hard Koto top ply to the reduced feeling and dampening qualities of the ALC layer, and it would be like going from rollerskates to a rocket ship in terms of jump in equipment.

All the blades listed above are all wood. And they all have the same top ply as the Stiga Allround Classic (Limba) so you will have a feeling from the blade that is related to what you have in the Allround Classic, on a blade that is moderately faster: a useful amount faster.


What about for a jump (one level) Stiga Azalea All Round? Other suggestions will welcome, I'm using H3 in my FH and LP to block-chop in mine BH always close to the table?
 
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What about for a jump (one level) Stiga Azalea All Round? Other suggestions will welcome, I'm using H3 in my FH and LP to block-chop in mine BH always close to the table?

This is not an exhaustive list, Carl gave you many exemples. He mentions the Stiga Offensive Classic, the Azalea ALL sits right between it and the blade your currently using, so of course it would be fine as a step up.
 
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