Boll Allround Wood + Sriver combo opinion needed

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Hi, I am an intermediate player coming back to the game after 15 years. Butterfly is the only option shipping wise which makes sense right now. Price-range and thinking slightly conservatively I am considering the Boll Allround Wood blade with Sriver 1.9 and 2.1 (BH FH) as a first new blase. My game play is consistent, but not advanced or comp. level at this stage. 50/50% offensive/defensive I would say (depending on mood, really, I am comfortable in both). With the newer technology blades around, would going to an all-wood blade be an unnecessary compromise? How does the above combo look like? Any advice for another Butterfly combo in roughly the same price ballpark is welcome (110 EUR).
 
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NDH

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Hi, I am an intermediate player coming back to the game after 15 years. Butterfly is the only option shipping wise which makes sense right now. Price-range and thinking slightly conservatively I am considering the Boll Allround Wood blade with Sriver 1.9 and 2.1 (BH FH) as a first new blase. My game play is consistent, but not advanced or comp. level at this stage. 50/50% offensive/defensive I would say (depending on mood, really, I am comfortable in both). With the newer technology blades around, would going to an all-wood blade be an unnecessary compromise? How does the above combo look like? Any advice for another Butterfly combo in roughly the same price ballpark is welcome (110 EUR).

That’s a solid starting point.

What level were you playing at before hand?

I love Sriver for the stage after “beginner”, which often includes people coming back to the sport after some time away. It’s just a good all around rubber that is ideal for someone who has a decent foundation, but would struggle with the likes of Tenergy.

Depending on your level and play style, I’d even consider going 2.1 on the backhand as well!

 
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Thanks for the nice reply! My level of play was, let's say, decent amateur competition. I was initially thinking of getting the TB ALC with Tenergy 5 now, but it seems it could be a mistake, as I literally haven't touched a bat in more than 15 years.

 

NDH

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Thanks for the nice reply! My level of play was, let's say, decent amateur competition. I was initially thinking of getting the TB ALC with Tenergy 5 now, but it seems it could be a mistake, as I literally haven't touched a bat in more than 15 years.

I’m sure people get bored of me saying this, but if you can provide any video of you playing, the advice will be much more accurate.

I’d avoid the TB ALC and T05 initially, but you may find you’d like to move up to that after a few months or so - It depends how quickly you get back into the swing of things and what your level was beforehand.

Some context just in case you aren’t aware:

New offensive rubbers are now MUCH faster than what would be considered a fast rubber 15 years ago.

When they introduced the plastic ball (which plays slower and with less spin), the new generation of rubbers were produced to try and counter the new ball.

Growing up, Sriver was a pretty good attacking rubber, and now most people would consider it to be a good controlled rubber!

I think it’s almost perfect for re-introducing yourself back to the game, especially if you have a good foundation to work on.

 
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I don’t know that blade. An allwood five ply is fine, and that one probably is as well.

As for Sriver: my go to too when I started playing again (after 30 or so years). It got me going, though I was a bit disappointed to find out how short it lasted now. My 40-year old sheet sure played better than my 3-months old sheets, and that surprised me unpleasantly.

Anyway, Sriver’s fine, certainly for a while. You might go for Rozena, maybe below max thickness, in which case you’ll have to adapt and relearn immediately. That’s not entirely a bad thing.

As for the blade, if you’re a spinner, you might also consider the Korbel or the Primorac. And if you’re more of a hitter/blocker, you might like the Timo Boll Forte.

All choices are good and most are pretty much equivalent in the end - you put in the hours, and the gameplay follows suit.
 
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Anyway, Sriver’s fine, certainly for a while.
This might be so, although I would recommend something more modern like Rozena, too. Between those, Roundell is a good and cheap option.

With all that has happened in terms of general technique over the years, changed by speed-glueing, bigger balls and now new ball material, I sometimes cringe when I think a rubber from 1969 should still be an option. Then again, all that change might not have been so big as general opinion and/or marketing want to make us believe, at least not on basic level?

One thing is for sure, I don´t want my Banda Allround blade with 2,0 mm Vario and Coppa back, and it surely helped me zilch when I re-started. But everybody´s different.

An even better blade choice in my opinion would be the Primorac, surely one you can use for a long time to come, while upgrading rubbers as you go along.
 
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Thanks you all for the detailed responses! When I think about it, maybe Primorac+Rozena 1.9 would be a better idea... Or 1.9/2.1... In fact - recommend pls. a Rozena thickness.
 
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Are you a both wing looper? Then 2.1 on both. Or is your game more FH-oriented, with a slightly more direct BH? Then 2.1/1.9.

Are you more of a direct player? Then 1.9 on both. Or will you be chopping as well? Then 1.7. [emoji41]
 
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Korbel v.s. Primorac wood - that's the real difference? Is it too subtle?
 
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I think all the posts have been good so far. In the end, you can't really go wrong with the things you are thinking about. As NDH said, it is hard to really know without seeing footage of you playing.

Nevertheless, without seeing footage, I agree that Primorac Off- or Korbel may be a better blade.

I personally think Sriver is fine. But I also think Airoc's point about Roundel is a good one. Roundel may be a very good rubber to start with coming back.

And with a Primorac or a Korbel, that is a blade you can use for as long as you want. There are players in the top tiers who still use both of those blades. But they are also both blades that afford you enough control that someone coming back from 15 years off from the game would still be able to start again with them. They are blades that help you feel the ball so your touch can come back faster; They are blades that help you generate more spin; And they are blades that have enough gears so they won't be too fast but when you add impact power they will be fast enough to put the ball past anyone.

With the issue of rubber thickness, I agree with what Yoass said about thickness. I would also say, if you intend to loop, even if right now you are not looping yet, I would still go with Max thickness. For the FH, for the BH, I would go with Max unless you really don't want to develop the ability to loop with one wing or the other.

I know there are different opinions on rubber thickness. So, I am okay that there are those who disagree. But there is a reason Werner Schlager has said many times before that if you want to develop your game and loop you should never use a rubber thinner than Max. I may not say it in as extreme a way. But, if you want to develop your looping game, it would be worth using Max thickness. It will ultimately help you develop the precision to make deeper, mid and more shallow spin contact while spinning the ball.

Someone who already has that skill of how deep to let the ball penetrate into the topsheet and sponge can utilize those skills with any thickness of rubber. But if you are trying to learn to loop, Max thickness will help you develop that skill.
 
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With thickness, I know I have just turned popular wisdom of using thinner sponge for more control on its head. But, if you want to develop spin contact (tangential or brush contact) for looping, thinner sponge will make it easier to hit flat and harder to develop real control with spin contact. Thicker sponge will give you less control on direct contact but will allow you to develop the skills for spin contact sooner because it will encourage spin contact, it will reward spin contact and it will not reward drive contact (direct impact) the same way.
 
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I've heard the argument about always using Max thickness. It does make some sense, although I love to have maximum control wen I feel like. As for looping, I am very comfortable in both FH and BH loops. Not that I can sustain them for 10 minutes, but still :) Unfortunately I don't have a video of myself playing right now. But it may come in due course.

After this very informative thread, it seems to boil down for me to:

1. Korbel v.s. Primorac wood - real differences?

2. Roundel vs. Rozena - real differences?
 
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Korbel Vs primorac doesn't matter at all from a long gap pick whatever you like the look of. But Korbel is definitely faster.

roundell is softer and older. Rozena is faster. beyond that I haven't used either for years and can't remember properly but again both are reasonably high quality tension rubbers focussed on control.

I would go Korbel and rozena. But if you want something slower go for the other pairing.

Best thing would be get what fits the budget if only one combo does and spend any extra savings on coaching time as this makes a bigger difference than the rest
 
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What passifid said is fine and does not need any addition. But I am who I am.

Primorac and Korbel have the same wood ply construction. But Korbel is thicker and has a slightly larger head. That causes the Korbel to have bigger feeling and to be slightly faster.

Rozena and Roundell, Rozena was designed to be a rubber like Tenergy with a spring sponge but 1-1.5 steps down from it in terms of speed and spin so it is much more designed for an average level club player than Tenergy. Said more simply, Rozena was Butterfly making a rubber a lot like Tenergy that would be better suited to an average level club player.

Roundell is an older rubber. The topsheet has a little less grip so it is less spin sensitive. Which also means you would need harder to generate more spin. And the sponge has less of a catapult effect (less spring). What does this mean: If you are starting again after a long layoff, this may be the perfect kind of rubber for getting back into the game and to use for a few months. Then.....when it has worn significantly and you feel ready for the next step up, Rozena would be the better choice to replace Roundell. :)
 
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Roundell and Rozena, never used either!!! But have played against both, which is sometimes as important as using them because you experience the end result, ie speed, spin etc
Everyone has commented on them!! Either would be a good rubber to start off with!!
Rozena will give you more speed and spin, control is always in the hands of the user!! As Rozena has more spin it’s likely to be a little more sensitive to incoming spin.

Primorac all wood (Japan version) is a great blade, but is more expensive than its Euro made brother. And could push you over the budget of €110 as it is about €70 on its own!!
The Euro version of the Primorac is one of BTY best selling blades, that says it all !!

If you are from Portugal, (think that’s the flag in your profile) check out SDC blades, made by Sergio in your home Country, excellent quality bespoke blades, something to think about once you have got back into TT properly. SDC posts appear on TTD regularly.
 
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If you are from Portugal, (think that’s the flag in your profile).....
I think the flag is from Bulgaria rather than Portugal. :)

But still, Der_Echte has the flag of South Korea and is in USA and NextLevel has the flag of Nigeria and is also in USA, so, flag could mean country of origin or a country to which you have a strong affinity (NL is Nigerian and lives in USA; Der is from the USA but lived in South Korea for several years) since not everyone decides to choose the flag of the country in which they live. :)

Still, regardless of where you reside, Hipnotic's blades (SDC blades) are awesome. :)

 
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Thank you all for the most informative replies and wonderful supportive comments. Primorac + Rozena it will be, for now :)
 
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