Be honest guys: you don't need carbon blades

Emmanuel Lebesson: 2016 ETTC champion, all wood blade
Simon Gauzy: 2016 ETTC runner-up, all wood blade
TTD's Tom "The Frog" Maynard: all wood blade

In my club, the top players are ranked 1700 to 1800 FFTT, means RC or USATT 2200 to 2300 !!! and... none of them use carbon blades.

So when I remember myself trying to master those BTY ALC outer or inner whatever blades with ESN/Jap rubbers with my tiny current RC 1400, I just ... laugh how stupid I was.

I've played a guy just ranked 200 pts over me, I've beaten him twice maybe, but most of the time I've lost 4-0 or 4-1 at least a dozen of times: he uses a butterfly all wood 5 ply blade !!! his control is ridiculous ! his serves, receives and backspin pushes are so spinny it's a nightmare to handle, he's got tons of control and placement variations in his blocks, and his loops and counterloops are always spot on with the right spin speed and placement. He trains once a week only, no cardio, running, only some stretching and that's all. This guy has the smartest and clever brain I know.

Unless you're a top national in your country, I don't think you need any of those carbon composite blades. Of course composite materials can bring a lot for the sweet spot enlargement and better control, like the Zylon in the ZLF innerlayer blades, the Glassfiber, but carbon is way too much unless you add at least 2 strong and thick layers of ayous or limba to compensate its too much strong reaction properties. Better play with an all-wood blade then ! Unless you are a top national, this sport is all about technique and control, intelligence and nerves control.

The rubbers are now being harder and harder with a much stronger catapult effect, the first time I played with a Rasanter R47 Ultramax on an all wood OFF- blade I felt like I was playing with speed glue guys ! I mean, for most of us even 2.0mm sponge thickness is enough !

Be honest first, most of time the mistakes we make are all because of a lack of control abilities, a lack of feeling because of a too much hard and stiff blade.

Unless you're a top national in your country

I personally trained and played with top player from Slovakia (Zoltan Lelkes). He was around top 4 in the country for that time and he was playing with Stiga Defensive NCT. He's not a defensive player.
No kidding, the guy has ridiculous spins in his shots, and, when needed, the speed is added with proper technique. The rubbers were Victas V15 something I don't recall really, since it doesn't really matter 😀

Nittaku Acoustic is probably enough for everyone.

I've found that the normal 5-ply all wood blade is often even too fast for me after I found the proper technique using just normal commercial H3 rubbers.

Speak for yourself. I have short pips and I need carbon for stiffness. Could use a clipper or clone, but seven-ply are harder to loop with than a composite blade. It's not a fast setup with hurricane 8 fh, and my very weak self swinging it.

it is 90% about technique and skill. for 90% of club players.

Originally Posted by OldUser

Emmanuel Lebesson: 2016 ETTC champion, all wood blade
Simon Gauzy: 2016 ETTC runner-up, all wood blade
TTD's Tom "The Frog" Maynard: all wood blade

To play devils advocate here..... (because, I find that a really popular method of communication online /s)

You've listed a few people who use all wood blades to good effect....

But they are absolutely the minority (significantly so) - So on the face of it, it's better to use a Carbon blade.... because that's what *most* pro's use.

Now we've got that out of the way..... I agree with you to an extent, and have said so myself many times.

It's hard to gauge the "average" standard worldwide (and on this forum), and I often get a little "imposters syndrome" myself, when talking about "good" players, as I still feel that I have so much to improve on.

For my personal situation (and others I play in the league with), the carbon blades help, although perhaps not as much as people think.

I certainly don't think *most* people (exceptions apply), should use a Carbon blade until they are a very good player......

But even below the pro level, it can be the better option for some people.

So, yes.... Your point is mostly valid in my eyes, and will certainly apply to a lot of people..... But it's not quite as black and white as you make out.

Do I need it? - No.

Do I want it?- f yea.

I don't boost, I was until recently on a normal 5 ply, and un-boosted Chinese topsheet is definitely better with a little carbon help.

I wouldn´t say it´s about level but about proper technique ...

I trained like crazy as a kid. Like 6 years of 20+ hours every week. Didn´t play for 25 years. I didn´t really have a problem adapting to innerforce blades. It just felt very natural to me. Been playing for 3 times a week 4 hours for a year and a half.

Recently i started playing an outerforce carbon blade and really had to adapt to it. Slowed down my rubber to an unboosted soft chinese one and now the transition is going smooth. Bh i started playing fructionless anti and the blade makes it easier to use. But you have to train to make it work and adapt your technique ...



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Most people that aren't in the top 100 in the world that use carbon blades have nowhere near a proper technique.

Originally Posted by bzing

Most people that aren't in the top 100 in the world that use carbon blades have nowhere near a proper technique.

I think there´s a difference between proper and perfect technique ...

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Originally Posted by mocker88

Well. I need some sort of stiffer, quite fast blade for my boosted DHS H3-ish rubber on forehand. I have tried a lot of different blades and among these a hard Sanwei V5 PRO all wood blade as well. This one works quite fine with these rubbers, but I tend to come back to my Yinhe V14 PRO ALC blade. It's not the fastest, but it fits my playing style and my rubbers. This is the one rubber that I get the most out of my brush loops, and at the same time have quite good feeling in the short game as well. So until someone comes up with a better idea, I really need my carbon blade

For me personally, I have found that V14 Pro and other outer blades fit better with tensor or at least hybrid rubbers.

I have found that boosted H3 just fits better with inner blades, giving you more room to swing hard and bring out the potential of H3.

Originally Posted by bzing

Most people that aren't in the top 100 in the world that use carbon blades have nowhere near a proper technique.

I don't think it is top100, there are very good players playing in the 3rd or 4th highest league in germany who can easily handle carbon very well. Maybe you don't need carbon to play at that level but many at that sub pro high performance level do play carbon with good success.

I would guess most players of 1700+ german level (2000 US level) could handle carbon well which doesn't mean they necessarily need carbon to play at that level.

I'm a low level player and I did start with carbon and it definitely was a mistake. I went back to a 5 play all wood blade with 1.8mm friendship super fx on both sides and it made it much easier for me.

Honestly, I need a carbon blade to be able to play offensively with these old bones and extra unwanted 30lbs around the waist.