Which Blade to choose

says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
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Lula said:
Think that if you play close to the table you should have a fast, hard blade so the ball leaves the racket fast and in a low arc so you get pressure on the opponent...

Lula getting RIGHT DOWN TO BUSINESS !!!

I agree with the recommendation as a part of two TOTALLY DIFFERENT ways to approach the problem of equipment suitable for close to the table play.

Close to the table players can be blockers, hitters, counter drivers, pushers, and pick-hitters/smashers.

Advantages of a really fast blade that is solid and quick rebounding are that with just a stretch of the arm and some motion (and some grip firming at impact) is that a player without too much conventional footwork can reach a ball with a stretch or small step, not apply too much torque, but time it and firm it... result is a well struck shot that is quick (since the ball is taken early on the rise) and can be pressuring.

Actually, Korean coaches in the late 2000s era preferred to start beginning players with such a bat. Often, this was a Schlager Carbon OFF++ with a first Gen medium sponge low throw Tensor (My ex-pro coach chose Yasaka Extend HS as a default) (Calibra LT is also right up the alley for this with a firmer sponge)

Within a couple months of lessons, Korea beginners would be BANGING the ball back and forth close to the table high speed 100x in a row no misses.

That is why I agree with Lula's recommendation. An OFF+ or OFF++ solid bat will make it real easy to drive the ball... which is pretty much the preferred shot. Blocking is like a drive. A counter drive is a counter smash.

The other, no so popular way (except with old-school pundits) is to go ALL or ALL+ blade.

Why? Such a blade is not so fast, so when you have a good timed and trained stroke and catch the ball on the rise or high over net, you can put more power into the shot and still land it. Blocks can result in soft or hard returns based on pressure of grip. You have a lot of flexibility. Number one thing going for this blade and control oriented OFF rubbers is you can time it and finish a long, hard stroke with a high degree of control.

So... it comes down to how the stroke and impact are done by default preference and ability.

For a player who can make a short stroke, time it well, and control the firming of grip right at impact, there is no beating the uber-fast blades with any modern OFF rubber in medium sponge. Lower throw rubbers the better.

Lula's suggestion wins here and I agree.

For a player who likes to take a longer stroke and really POUND it, and still want to land it... The ALL to ALL+ blade with a control rubber like Rosena of Karis M would be an utter BOSS of at the table counter-finishing dominance. Such a player simply invites someone to attack near the corners and pounces on those attack to finish the point.

All in all, I feel Lula's suggestion is gunna work out the best... none of the blades OP lists will be in this class.

For something that does not cost an arm and a leg and is readily available at somewhat reasonable prices...

For BTY products (you rarely see me pimp BTY, but I will list some of the stuff they sell in this class)

Blade: Get a used Gergely if you can find one... get a Sardius, get anything with T5000 in the name with a decent price used or new. Get a Primorac Carbon... A Schlager Carbon if you can find anyone willing to sell you one.

Rubber: so many ways to go... You could get Rosena and call it a day, You could get Calibra LT and be even more low spin, low throw and powerful. You could try out an older sheet of Bryce if someone is looking to give it away... even a SOFT rubber decent low throw like Nittaku HAMMOND is a great choice (I use it on BH)

You rarely see me on the forum advocate for a ridiculous fast setup, but for this gent the OP, it would suit the kind of strokes he needs to learn and do well with.
 
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says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
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Another popular well known member of the forum with long standing chronic mobility issues is NEXT LEVEL, he may champion a version of the Carbando which could also work for the OP.

OP ought to read about Next Level's history, then learn the many things he did with equipment and technique to adjust... but I hope he doesn't get within 6 feet of Next Level with or without a mask or without the WHO approved guidance, or he might get the Corona Equipment Junkie virus from him.
 
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Lula getting RIGHT DOWN TO BUSINESS !!!

I agree with the recommendation as a part of two TOTALLY DIFFERENT ways to approach the problem of equipment suitable for close to the table play.

Close to the table players can be blockers, hitters, counter drivers, pushers, and pick-hitters/smashers.

Advantages of a really fast blade that is solid and quick rebounding are that with just a stretch of the arm and some motion (and some grip firming at impact) is that a player without too much conventional footwork can reach a ball with a stretch or small step, not apply too much torque, but time it and firm it... result is a well struck shot that is quick (since the ball is taken early on the rise) and can be pressuring.

Actually, Korean coaches in the late 2000s era preferred to start beginning players with such a bat. Often, this was a Schlager Carbon OFF++ with a first Gen medium sponge low throw Tensor (My ex-pro coach chose Yasaka Extend HS as a default) (Calibra LT is also right up the alley for this with a firmer sponge)

Within a couple months of lessons, Korea beginners would be BANGING the ball back and forth close to the table high speed 100x in a row no misses.

That is why I agree with Lula's recommendation. An OFF+ or OFF++ solid bat will make it real easy to drive the ball... which is pretty much the preferred shot. Blocking is like a drive. A counter drive is a counter smash.

The other, no so popular way (except with old-school pundits) is to go ALL or ALL+ blade.

Why? Such a blade is not so fast, so when you have a good timed and trained stroke and catch the ball on the rise or high over net, you can put more power into the shot and still land it. Blocks can result in soft or hard returns based on pressure of grip. You have a lot of flexibility. Number one thing going for this blade and control oriented OFF rubbers is you can time it and finish a long, hard stroke with a high degree of control.

So... it comes down to how the stroke and impact are done by default preference and ability.

For a player who can make a short stroke, time it well, and control the firming of grip right at impact, there is no beating the uber-fast blades with any modern OFF rubber in medium sponge. Lower throw rubbers the better.

Lula's suggestion wins here and I agree.

For a player who likes to take a longer stroke and really POUND it, and still want to land it... The ALL to ALL+ blade with a control rubber like Rosena of Karis M would be an utter BOSS of at the table counter-finishing dominance. Such a player simply invites someone to attack near the corners and pounces on those attack to finish the point.

All in all, I feel Lula's suggestion is gunna work out the best... none of the blades OP lists will be in this class.

For something that does not cost an arm and a leg and is readily available at somewhat reasonable prices...

For BTY products (you rarely see me pimp BTY, but I will list some of the stuff they sell in this class)

Blade: Get a used Gergely if you can find one... get a Sardius, get anything with T5000 in the name with a decent price used or new. Get a Primorac Carbon... A Schlager Carbon if you can find anyone willing to sell you one.

Rubber: so many ways to go... You could get Rosena and call it a day, You could get Calibra LT and be even more low spin, low throw and powerful. You could try out an older sheet of Bryce if someone is looking to give it away... even a SOFT rubber decent low throw like Nittaku HAMMOND is a great choice (I use it on BH)

You rarely see me on the forum advocate for a ridiculous fast setup, but for this gent the OP, it would suit the kind of strokes he needs to learn and do well with.

Thanks, the more information I get the more difficult it gets to pick one
 
says The sticky bit is stuck.
says The sticky bit is stuck.
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Thanks, the more information I get the more difficult it gets to pick one

The blade is always greener on the other side. But there's no "best", just a bunch of good blades, every which one of them requires you to turn it into something that feels part of your body by spending a lot of time to get intimately one with it.

As the poet puts it…

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

You need to choose a path here. One path has you buying blade after blade, and with the exhilaration of each blade comes the luring, nagging promise of yet another one that might even take you further. The other path has you becoming one with a blade you pick after trying a few, and mastering it and growing stronger, finding new qualities in it as you grow.

Perhaps you're in the majority of us, susceptibe to and falling victim to the EJ virus. Then again...

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
 
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Maybe you can try friends blades before deciding? easier if you have some preferences :) I meant that i think a short pimple with alot of grip will be easier to do an opening loop against backspin than a short pimple with less grip. There is less grip in all short pimples compared to inverted, so you will be less effected by the spin but it the biggest weakness for short pimple players is the opening loop because you can not create enough spin. Maybe a short pimple with very little grip you can counter through the spin but i think it would be difficult and not so safe.

I think that if you have trouble with the mobility maybe you should look into a medium pips rubber, anti or long pimple and maybe a short pimple with very little grip. It should be fun but yo should try to use equipment to make the pace of the game slower, so think anti, long pimple or medium long pips would be interesting to try.

Do not think it is a good idea to change to short pimple to be able to open against backspin. People with short pimple hate this ball and many proably avoid it since good players use it against them.
 
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I fixed my blade and it is healed:)

Just gonna keep this one :)
Fh : nittaku fast arc C1 1.8
Bh : Butterfly Spinart 1.7 (or something like this hard sponge low arc and low speed)

cheers and thanks to all !!!
 
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Hallo Jürgen,

I have played with various blades with a short pips rubber (Rakza PO 2mm) and a spinny rubber (Rakza 7 or 7 soft). I have gone through a few blades and my style is to copy Mima Ito (for fun, I am close to 60 and so don't think I can be the next Ma Long running around 2m away from the table). So my thinking is as follows:

* The Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive (which is a best selling, iconic blade) has a Walnut top layer which is hard, so it is more difficult to generate spin with small movements. Also it is harder to do spinny serves. So maybe this is not the best blade for close to the table with limited movement.

* Typically attackers close to the table use fast blades (off or off+) but still a softer top wood to be able to create some spin and also to serve with a lot of spin. Note that the Rakza PO still generates spin but of course not as much as the Rakza 7 pips-in rubber. In my club several of us really like the Sanwei Fextra blade which you can get for a small amount of Euros e.g. at spinfactory.com or princett.com. This is a pretty fast 7-ply blade and it has great touch (limba outer so softer than Ma Lin EO). This is my current blade. I did varnish it with Walmat MinWax polyurethane coating and I did sand off the edges where my hand touches the blade. So I can recommend that one if only for trying out ($20 at princett.com !!). You can read the reviews at revspin.net, most people who get it love it.

* I've also played the Yasaka Battle Balsa but again it has a harder surface but it is lighter.

There are lots of other blades to choose from, in general I would stay away from anything but limba or hinoki (cypress) as top layer so you don't loose the capability to use spin for serving. Also you can get more info e.g. at:
* https://www.spinfactory.de/hoelzer/tischtennis/sanwei.html?dir=asc&order=name&p=2 for the Fextra blade
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C__FqO_IMZ8&t=2s Maxim Cherepnin on short pips or inverted - very insightful.

Also using Rakza PO as a forehand rubber does have the disadvantage that forehand serves have less spin. I use it (or some other short pips) as backhand rubber but I twiddle (change side) while I play. I found short pips or inverted is really complimentary to each other (flat hit vs. top spin) so it's fun to play this way. Also my coach told me that blades with a Carbon layer have a larger sweet spot so I ordered three of them to try out (Yinhe Pro Feeling and Yinhe T11+ and T6S).
 
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Also for the Cherepnin Youtube switch on the closed captions (CC) - he has English subtitles.
 
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