Upgrading blade and what it means to be able to control

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I still use my trusty Waldner Diablo Senso (OFF- in the early 2000's), it's obviously slower now, more of an ALL+ blade so I tried some Rasanater 47 max rubbers... big mistake ! :D short game is still ok, BH looping, Block, counter looping were my main strenghts and still are with that rubber, but it's a nightmare when it comes to FH looping

I'm coming back to more reasonable weapons: 2.0mm Rasanter 42 will be all I need, will be trying a Sanwei Target National on FH too.

I've bought a Viscaria though, just to see if switching blades with less powered rubbers would give me the ideal mix between the control, dwell time and speed I want. It is the rubbers ? is it the blade ? that's the question...

Yes general consensus is: chinese tacky rubber on FH, more bouncy euro/jap style on BH, and yes follow the friends here telling you all wood 5 ply blades ALL+/OFF- are the ideal pieces of equipment to begin with, I'm still playing with one of them at 48 and used them for 20 years or so.
 
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few more sessions under the belt, i am getting used to the new racket, just may be tacky rubber on slower blade feel weird at first

appreciate to all for convincing me about the choice.

I got a question regarding the choice a beginner can make though, since there are way too many options and the differences are hard to tell. opinions in this thread regarding my PG7 and its small sweet spots is a good thing because it is hard to use and force the player to do things correctly or the ball won't be good. At the same time, many threads i see recommend a slow all+ blade and more forgiving rubber like Vega Intro etc. because it is easier for beginner to do things, but wouldn't it create some bad habit because things are easier? I remembered playing with my friend butterfly gears is that i had easier time doing everything like looping vs backspin and all regardless of less than optimal strokes, and ball will land well on table (of course it's only during drill, but i had harder time with my PG7 and tacky rubber), so that kind of reinforce some of my bad habit and footwork. So which is which? hard to use equipment that force correct action or easier to use equipment that may create some wrong habit ? I am not quite sure how to put it if anyone can understand what i mean.

anyway really like the Donic blade so far, Golden Tango rubber may be a bit too advanced to use at the moment, but not the time to be thinking about changing again, only more practicing will help. Practicing hard and will report back progress. Thanks everyone
 
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One thing that people seem to agree/disagree is the time the racket hold onto the ball (dwell??), yes this racket has significant difference, i can feel it hold onto the ball for a fraction of second more than the faster racket. Still not able to impart more spin, but feel like this longer hold could help.
What you feel and what is actually happening are two different things.
 
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If you have a proper coaching lesson, try a chinese rubber. It will develop your brushing contact.

Yup ! all the way. I know why after a 15 years long break I'll be back soon to those rubbers after lockdown, there's nothing better for FH control over the table and FH loops. I'm now even thinking of a combi blade such as those Xiom to match the feel I'd need for BH and FH.
 
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If you have a proper coaching lesson, try a chinese rubber. It will develop your brushing contact.

Isn't golden tango similar to boosted chinese rubber? it's a new sheet so i will stick with it and learn the technique, i chose to play with tacky rubber anyway.
On the coach, my current coach is not a tacky rubber coach, he only plays with tenergy and rakza7, but due to schedule conflicts i cant get other coach yet, but this one is very good with footwork and general body movement and coordination, so will stick with him for a while, but not sure if it will hinder progress because i use tacky rubber or not
 
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It's an hybrid one, like Dignics 09C: one of the euro/jap attempts to make chinese-like rubbers, it's... somehow tacky, sponge is hard, but it's an ESN rubber still, with that annoying catapult effect, seems to feel exactly like a boosted H3.

I'd prefer the Sanwei Target National, or the Pro Blue, less fast, but tackier with more control for the short game. And no catapult effect.
 
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Isn't golden tango similar to boosted chinese rubber? it's a new sheet so i will stick with it and learn the technique, i chose to play with tacky rubber anyway.
On the coach, my current coach is not a tacky rubber coach, he only plays with tenergy and rakza7, but due to schedule conflicts i cant get other coach yet, but this one is very good with footwork and general body movement and coordination, so will stick with him for a while, but not sure if it will hinder progress because i use tacky rubber or not

Make sure he’s aware of your rubber. If he’s a really good coach, it wouldn’t matter too much. I’m unofficially coached by a few European-style coaches. I’m the only one playing H3 in my club. And the coaches have been spot on. It matters more that you have a coach with dedication and understanding.
 
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I got a question regarding the choice a beginner can make though, since there are way too many options and the differences are hard to tell. opinions in this thread regarding my PG7 and its small sweet spots is a good thing because it is hard to use and force the player to do things correctly or the ball won't be good. At the same time, many threads i see recommend a slow all+ blade and more forgiving rubber like Vega Intro etc. because it is easier for beginner to do things, but wouldn't it create some bad habit because things are easier? I remembered playing with my friend butterfly gears is that i had easier time doing everything like looping vs backspin and all regardless of less than optimal strokes, and ball will land well on table (of course it's only during drill, but i had harder time with my PG7 and tacky rubber), so that kind of reinforce some of my bad habit and footwork. So which is which? hard to use equipment that force correct action or easier to use equipment that may create some wrong habit ? I am not quite sure how to put it if anyone can understand what i mean.

I remember having that exact idea when I started too. But it didn't matter at that stage. I'd say play with the current rubbers and when they are used, you can buy them again or you can decide you'll buy slightly harder or softer rubbers. I like your desire to learn the technique properly. What helped me, was to observe the really good players in slow-motion. You can find a lot of videos on the net. You can identify where you differ, why you differ, you can get that hang of fluidity and self-evident perfection. It is more useful than researching rubbers and blades, perhaps you'll manage that better than me :)

One small thing. Starting the sequences with upper-case and especially putting characters like dot . between sentences makes it a lot easier for other people to read, imo.
 
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says toooooo much choice!!
says toooooo much choice!!
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Make sure he’s aware of your rubber. If he’s a really good coach, it wouldn’t matter too much. I’m unofficially coached by a few European-style coaches. I’m the only one playing H3 in my club. And the coaches have been spot on. It matters more that you have a coach with dedication and understanding.

I’ve had a few comments like why are you using that Chinese stuff ?? A lot of Euro type coaches just don’t really get it and always recommend Euro style rubbers!! Now I can use both types if I want to!!
what I think suits me, may not be the case though!!! ;);)
 
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My coaches too :D Maybe they say the right thing, who knows? But it’s too late. The feel is way too different for me.

But whatever side you take, the basics of techniques are the same anw. Even the most important thing - feel at ease and stay relax - is the same. Although it looks like Chinese rubbers require more effort.
 
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I said this a million times on the forum... whenever my faster main blade broke and I went to an ALL+ blade for a few months, I always developed in shot construction, consistency, and connecting rallies.

More recently, TTD Member erm, a former national youth player and wr 1 ej had me try a bunch of blades and gave me a Persson Power Play OFF- blade since he saw me land more shots with it

He also had me try many rubbers and although I can handle mid firm rubbers on both wings, I do a little better landing percentage without losing quality with softer modern dynamic rubbers.

The equipment isn't everything, it makes some tasks easier... but there is so much more to tt skill than pure ball striking and professional or competent help really helps out here.

Very often, it takes someone besides yourself to see it and convince you.

I think it was latej saying choice of equipment depends on what coach wants you to do.

Pundits would be utterly appaled at what my Coach in Korea command directed for new players.. OFF++ BLADE like Schlager Carbon, firm OFF Control low throw rubbers early gen like yasaka extend hs...

WHY ?? These Korean coaches want players to get into fast open exchanges with not so much spin playing close to table. Many newbie Korean players after a year can bang it back and forth hundreds of times without a miss. It is the play style old school Korean coaches want.

That equipment makes it so easy to play like that.

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk
 
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I also say this a lot and so do many members

Do NOT WORRY OR OVER OBSESS with the equipment. There is no perfect setup, just appropriate or not so.

Get stuff appropriate for what you do most or want to learn... usually this meansslower wood blades and soft modern or old school rubbers.

Somehow I discovered I am also like latej, I cannot stand blades and rubbers where ball rebounds too quickly.

You will not see me advertising for dignity anytime soon.

TTD member erm sent me a wood bat I like decked with D80 and D64... both are rockets andI would need to grow several levels before I could even THINK of using either rubber.

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I’ve had a few comments like why are you using that Chinese stuff ?? A lot of Euro type coaches just don’t really get it and always recommend Euro style rubbers!! Now I can use both types if I want to!!
what I think suits me, may not be the case though!!! ;);)

But it also may be the case :)

After playing Battle 2 commercial and then Battle 2 provincial BS (felt a bit more elastic), I'm now on those harder but slower (to "Euro") hybrids, and I like it. Maybe you would too, coming from Euro style. But I'm going to give H3 a shot too now, and then I think I'll settle. Oh, probably not, just remembered they exist: Aibis, Xiom Tau 2 and Xiom Chinas, maybe some of them I'll resist.
 
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says toooooo much choice!!
says toooooo much choice!!
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I also say this a lot and so do many members

Do NOT WORRY OR OVER OBSESS with the equipment. There is no perfect setup, just appropriate or not so.

Get stuff appropriate for what you do most or want to learn... usually this meansslower wood blades and soft modern or old school rubbers.

Somehow I discovered I am also like latej, I cannot stand blades and rubbers where ball rebounds too quickly.

You will not see me advertising for dignity anytime soon.

TTD member erm sent me a wood bat I like decked with D80 and D64... both are rockets andI would need to grow several levels before I could even THINK of using either rubber.

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

Its strange, sort of!! The Butterfly spring sponge and spring sponge x is so bouncy!! D09C I found usable, liked it on both wings more on BH, but have given both sheets to a club mate. The slight tackiness made it, for me more controlled. I have a sheet of T80 fx which has a softer sponge, still way to bouncy!! And yet MXP which many consider faster, I found that I liked this more!!, bouncy but not like T80FX. Like yourself the Tenergy and Dignics isn’t my preferred choice.
I find sponge hardness 47.5 (ish) MXP and R48 is way better suited for me with the grippy ESN type top sheets, go to 50 degrees+ and I’m starting to lose consistency. Go down to 43 / 45 and consistency goes up.
with the Chinese rubbers tacky top sheets, the way harder sponges are fine, the tack slows things down and consistency is good.
 
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One of my best FH rubber ever was T05FX. Not bouncy at all, great ability to spin in any shots make.

Tibhar FX-S equally capable and destructive... in some aspects even more.

Knowing your optimal or at least effective sponge hardness is important too.

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I have played on and off since the.early 70’s. My no1 is a Butterfly Primorac Carbon I got as a gift 20 + years ago that was sitting unused. Last year I picked up the sport again. I found it was too fast for me with Rakza X and Rakza 7. Then I got a Butterfly innerforce alc.s and was fine with Rakza 7. Shortly after this I tried Rakza 7 soft on the primorac and viola perfect. I noticed that I got more spin and could hit the ball with a more open bat. this I really liked.

What I am trying to say is that your bat (blade and rubber) is one unit and you can do a lot just by changing rubber. Just beware that all characteristics may change.

If you are missing by overshooting try a softer rubber.

The good thing with the innerforce technology is that the carbon layer engages more the harder the hit. With a soft hit you have great control and with a hard hit you get high speed.

You can get a similar effect with a fast blade and a soft rubber. The blade last you a long time and rubbers are changed often so you may just need a slower rubber.

cheers
L-zr
 
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