All wood balde which one?

TTLOVE said:

Hi to everyone I'm back on the forum for some time of absence.
Yesterday I played table tennis after an entire year of inactivity due to covid. It was a simple friendly tournament to get back to playing. Obviously, the result after a year of inactivity was disappointing, many forced errors and in general I could not control the racket I was comfortable with before. I played with a zhang jike alc with Omega v tour and tibhar elp. So I was thinking of changing the blade and keeping the same rubbers.

I was thinking of getting a wooden blade to have more control and to gradually regain the touch that I have lost in this idle time. When I was training three times a week I could control this setup (even before I played with a hexer powergrip on the forehand rather than an omega v tour) but now that I still won't have the chance to train so frequently I think it is convenient to downgrade in terms of speed.In the past I have played with an stiga infinity but unfortunately I don't own it anymore.
I remember that at the time I used it simultaneously with a viscaria to see what the differences were.
I particularly liked the feeling and I remember that the amount of spin it was able to impart to the ball was incredible.I do remember, however, that it was slightly slow in some shots. I also used another blade previously the innerforce alc. The innerforce is slower than the zhang jike alc I'm using at the moment but I don't really like the feeling. IF ALC has too much dweel time and this does not allow me to play short and compact strokes, in general you have to make a bigger movement for each shot and on slow shot I find it too soft. So I was looking for a wooden blade that was similar in features to the Stiga infinity but slightly faster.

I've done some research, what about OSP Virtuoso+, butterfly korbel (made in japan), TSP Swat, rosewood v ? Are these good candidates for what I am looking for?

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TTLOVE said:

Hi to everyone I'm back on the forum for some time of absence.
Yesterday I played table tennis after an entire year of inactivity due to covid. It was a simple friendly tournament to get back to playing. Obviously, the result after a year of inactivity was disappointing, many forced errors and in general I could not control the racket I was comfortable with before. I played with a zhang jike alc with Omega v tour and tibhar elp. So I was thinking of changing the blade and keeping the same rubbers.

I was thinking of getting a wooden blade to have more control and to gradually regain the touch that I have lost in this idle time. When I was training three times a week I could control this setup (even before I played with a hexer powergrip on the forehand rather than an omega v tour) but now that I still won't have the chance to train so frequently I think it is convenient to downgrade in terms of speed.In the past I have played with an stiga infinity but unfortunately I don't own it anymore.
I remember that at the time I used it simultaneously with a viscaria to see what the differences were.
I particularly liked the feeling and I remember that the amount of spin it was able to impart to the ball was incredible.I do remember, however, that it was slightly slow in some shots. I also used another blade previously the innerforce alc. The innerforce is slower than the zhang jike alc I'm using at the moment but I don't really like the feeling. IF ALC has too much dweel time and this does not allow me to play short and compact strokes, in general you have to make a bigger movement for each shot and on slow shot I find it too soft. So I was looking for a wooden blade that was similar in features to the Stiga infinity but slightly faster.

I've done some research, what about OSP Virtuoso+, butterfly korbel (made in japan), TSP Swat, rosewood v ? Are these good candidates for what I am looking for?

Click to expand...

• My timing was off and I was late to the ball
• I was staying way too straight and my movement was non-existent
• Also I had difficulty in controlling the incoming spin

• I tried playing without power and without too much backswing, even if I get a kill shot in place I tried to land it on the table than trying to hit hard. So hitting hard is an absolute no no since you are trying to recreate your muscle memory and if you try to put power, you will be using bigger muscles and getting false positives.
• I tried crushing the numbers, landing 50 topspins without fail. Just get the numbers, keep pushing yourself to get a higher number
• I started doing stretching and fitness in parallel so that I develop my core strength
• I found a guy who is very kind to help me out and feed me multi balls.

KM1976 said:

I think that you are over thinking a simple problem. .....

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In general, I think this was a very good post. So I am not trying to argue against anything said in it. But, I would add 2 things:


1) It is always a good time to back off from a fast carbon blade and back track to a 5 ply all wood blade with more flex which will allow you to have more control and develop the skills the generate MOOOOORE SPiN.


2) Probably 90% of the forum or more would be well served by stepping back on the speed of the blade they use.


Der_Echte is a decently high level player with outrageously good touch and feel for the ball. He does often use decently fast carbon blades. However, he is fond of saying how, every time he backs up to a 5 ply all wood blade for 6-8 months, his level goes up. There is a reason why this is the case.


Think about it. If you are at the level of an elite amateur (semi-pro) you have the skill to use whatever you want. The rest of us would be well served by using a setup that is not quite that fast. ESPECIALLY IF part of the "solution" to a perceived issue is to CUT DOWN YOUR STROKE TO LAND THE BALL ON THE TABLE MORE CONSISTENTLY. If you are ever thinking to do that, you should undoubtedly try a slower setup for at least a few months. Cutting down your stroke to land the ball on the table can, at times, hinder the development of a good stroke.


You can cut down your stroke for strategic purposes, but you should be using equipment where you can take a full COMPLETE swing and land the ball on the table with confidence and consistency. If that is not happening, it is possible the equipment is too fast for you at the current time.

UpSideDownCarl said:

In general, I think this was a very good post. So I am not trying to argue against anything said in it. But, I would add 2 things:


1) It is always a good time to back off from a fast carbon blade and back track to a 5 ply all wood blade with more flex which will allow you to have more control and develop the skills the generate MOOOOORE SPiN.


2) Probably 90% of the forum or more would be well served by stepping back on the speed of the blade they use.


Der_Echte is a decently high level player with outrageously good touch and feel for the ball. He does often use decently fast carbon blades. However, he is fond of saying how, every time he backs up to a 5 ply all wood blade for 6-8 months, his level goes up. There is a reason why this is the case.


Think about it. If you are at the level of an elite amateur (semi-pro) you have the skill to use whatever you want. The rest of us would be well served by using a setup that is not quite that fast. ESPECIALLY IF part of the "solution" to a perceived issue is to CUT DOWN YOUR STROKE TO LAND THE BALL ON THE TABLE MORE CONSISTENTLY. If you are ever thinking to do that, you should undoubtedly try a slower setup for at least a few months. Cutting down your stroke to land the ball on the table can, at times, hinder the development of a good stroke.


You can cut down your stroke for strategic purposes, but you should be using equipment where you can take a full COMPLETE swing and land the ball on the table with confidence and consistency. If that is not happening, it is possible the equipment is too fast for you at the current time.

Click to expand...