I would say I'm not even an intermediate level player but just Very keen hobbyist that is returning to the game after 20 years. I have bags of enthusiasm and drive to improve my game and for this reason I prefer to use a higher spec'd racket so that i can adjust to its level of play.
In theory that sounds good but that is not how the development of table tennis skills in conjunction with table tennis equipment actually works.
A player at a lower level who uses a fast composite blade and the high end tensor type rubbers can hinder his ability to develop certain techniques because that kind of equipment does not help you cultivate your touch and feel for the ball. With that kind of equipment a mid level player is likely to plateau at a level where he does not get enough spin on the ball because that kind of racket makes all your shots feel good even when your contact is bad and the ball goes back fast when you mess up even though it doesn't have good spin.
Higher level technique is all based on the ability to feel the ball and hold the ball on the racket (touch), so, touch and feel. And using a racket that is a rocket launcher and thinking you are just going to get used to it, well, you will, and anything slower will feel too slow, but you will have a much harder time developing higher level technique with a racket that doesn't help you feel the ball and does not allow you to hold the ball on the blade surface for longer (dwell time). So, with a high level racket, you are actually encouraged to bang the ball instead of spinning the ball.
This remains the case until players are at, approximately, a semi-pro level where their technique is good enough and their contact is precise enough to keep the ball on that blade face and rubber for longer with one of those harder, faster blades.
Rubbers, you can get used to a rubber like Tenergy at a lower level, but, if you are using them, you should be spinning the ball or making a real effort to learn to spin the heck out of the ball if you are using something like that. Tenergy or some of the faster/spinnier Tensor rubbers will not be a good fit if you are just driving the ball without learning how to spin and make brush contact of varying depths.
One way to tell if your rubber is not so great for you is this: If an opponent 1 level higher than you can make you miss his serves just because of the kind and amount of spin he is putting on the ball, then you probably want a rubber that has more control and is less reactive to spin until you have learned how to read spin and counter spin better.
So, for an intermediate level player, an example of a good setup for developing table tennis technique and skills would be something like this:
Tibhar Stratus Power Wood (5 ply all wood blade in the Off- speed range)
FH rubber Xiom Vega Pro (older version of tensor rubber with good control and good enough spin to learn to spin the ball effectively.)
BH rubber Xiom Vega Europe (very similar to FH rubber but a bit softer for the touch of the BH stroke).
I could replace the blade with several others in its speed category. Same with the rubbers. But it gives you an idea of what someone who is not at a semi-pro level yet should be using.
