A guide to buying and choosing table tennis equipment from an Intermediate player and EJ

[mightymouse]

There is no higher joy than beating an opponent (that uses newest generation of blade and rubbers), by using ordinary all-wood blade with AK47 both sides. You should look at his/her face, questioning all the major life decisions that he/she had taken in his/her life.

🤪 🤪

 

[ThePongCommenter]

There is no higher joy than beating an opponent (that uses newest generation of blade and rubbers), by using ordinary all-wood blade with AK47 both sides. You should look at his/her face, questioning all the major life decisions that he/she had taken in his/her life.

🤪 🤪

It's not that deep.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

since I bought my first “professional” setup in April 2023, I probably spent nearly $1000 CAD in blades and rubbers! EJ is fun but hard on the wallet, and in order to help other new and experienced players not lose all their money on testing for the right equipment, I thought I’d write a guide on buying and choosing equipment so that you can stick with what you have and never change so you can spend less money and improve your game better. My guide is based on much experience of trying out different blades and rubbers and analyzing what the majority of the best non pros play.

1000 CAD is roughly 700 USD, that isn't very much at all for nearly 2 years of equipment, and definitely not what I would consider "EJing". How many different blades and rubbers have you tried that you are basing this guide on?

Choosing a blade
My recommendation for choosing a blade: whatever you learn on, stick with it. Trying to change between different compositions of blades is what leads to EJ and a lot of money wasted, as blades are the most expensive part of TT by far! That being said, if someone is buying their first blade and doesn’t know where to start, an inner carbon blade would work best. This is because with the plastic ball and modern game, the ball travels with less speed and rotation than before with celluloid balls. You need a bit more speed and with all wood blades, those are not the quickest and you will be at a disadvantage in my opinion once you get to a higher level. Outer carbon may be good for some players but are generally too quick and bouncy for those just starting out and even many intermediate players. But an inner carbon blade, which many professionals play, will be slow enough to control the short game and fast enough for deadly attacks. I would recommend a good quality blade like DHS Hurricane series (Long 5, WCQ, Sha, acB) or a Butterfly innerforce blade (Layer ALC, Harimoto ALC). Generally ALC blades are better than ZLC blades because of the softness of the ALC makes it easier to control.

I mostly agree with the exception of the Long 5 - inner carbon or not, it's playing characteristics are not beginner friendly.

Choosing a Forehand rubber
For this day and age of playing, you need to have a sticky or at least a semi sticky rubber on your forehand. The forehand is always going to be the most powerful stroke in table tennis due to swing space and with a tensor, non sticky rubber, it is just too fast and not spinny enough. Short game will also be challenging with these rubbers and they are typically more spin sensitive. So Chinese sticky rubbers or the masters Hybrid rubbers will work best for the increased spin and good control in short game. I would recommend a rubber in the hardness range of 50-53 degrees ESN because anything softer than that will feel mushy and slow and anything harder will be out of control for most players.

It seems like you are basing this on what pro or advanced players are trending towards, but even that isn't that absolute. Yes for most high level players nowadays, hybrids offer more advantages than disadvantages in general but they aren't for everyone. But advanced players aren't taking equipment advice from your guide. So, knowing that your audience is beginners to low intermediates at best, this is actually poor advice.

 

[lodro]

So, knowing that your audience is beginners to low intermediates at best, this is actually poor advice.

i second that !

 

[joshmak10]

It seems like you are basing this on what pro or advanced players are trending towards, but even that isn't that absolute. Yes for most high level players nowadays, hybrids offer more advantages than disadvantages in general but they aren't for everyone. But advanced players aren't taking equipment advice from your guide. So, knowing that your audience is beginners to low intermediates at best, this is actually poor advice.

I do agree that it’s not absolute and that’s why it’s just advice. And as someone who started with a soft rozena rubber on FH, I relied on its forgiveness for so long even when after a month of using it, players at my level at the time beat me easily. Switching to a stickier rubber for FH, while it took a long time to get used to it, it got me a proper technique and now my FH is far more spinny and lots of players now have trouble blocking my FH topspin.

Yes i understand not everyone will agree with what I say and that’s why you can take the advice I give however you want. It doesn’t mean I will stop saying the advice if it’s proven to work with a lot of players.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I do agree that it’s not absolute and that’s why it’s just advice. And as someone who started with a soft rozena rubber on FH, I relied on its forgiveness for so long even when after a month of using it, players at my level at the time beat me easily. Switching to a stickier rubber for FH, while it took a long time to get used to it, it got me a proper technique and now my FH is far more spinny and lots of players now have trouble blocking my FH topspin.

Yes i understand not everyone will agree with what I say and that’s why you can take the advice I give however you want. It doesn’t mean I will stop saying the advice if it’s proven to work with a lot of players.

How many actual rubbers and blades have you tried that you are basing your guide on? 1000 CAD doesn't buy much...

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I do agree that it’s not absolute and that’s why it’s just advice. And as someone who started with a soft rozena rubber on FH, I relied on its forgiveness for so long even when after a month of using it, players at my level at the time beat me easily. Switching to a stickier rubber for FH, while it took a long time to get used to it, it got me a proper technique and now my FH is far more spinny and lots of players now have trouble blocking my FH topspin.

Yes i understand not everyone will agree with what I say and that’s why you can take the advice I give however you want. It doesn’t mean I will stop saying the advice if it’s proven to work with a lot of players.

Is it proven to work with a lot of players? Have you seen a lot of beginner and intermediate players improve their game solely because they switched to hybrid rubbers and inner carbon blades?

 

[banbekas]

I do agree that it’s not absolute and that’s why it’s just advice. And as someone who started with a soft rozena rubber on FH, I relied on its forgiveness for so long even when after a month of using it, players at my level at the time beat me easily. Switching to a stickier rubber for FH, while it took a long time to get used to it, it got me a proper technique and now my FH is far more spinny and lots of players now have trouble blocking my FH topspin.

Well, that's actually not a good backstory at all. You spent only a month playing with Rozenar when you were a beginner. Comparing the you back then and you today who have spent like a few years of training doesn't make sense. It's obvious the beginner you can't hold a candle to you today.

 

[joshmak10]

How many actual rubbers and blades have you tried that you are basing your guide on? 1000 CAD doesn't buy much...

Blades I’ve owned: FZD ALC, F.Lebrun OFF-, Viscaria SALC, W968 Prov, Viscaria, acB, CDS TMX Pro

Rubbers I’ve owned: Rozena, T05H, D05, D80, D09C, K3, H3 BS 39 and 40, H3 OS 37 and 38, Vega X, G1, P1, O7P

Not to mention the countless blades and rubbers I’ve also tried from club mates and friends

 

[joshmak10]

Is it proven to work with a lot of players? Have you seen a lot of beginner and intermediate players improve their game solely because they switched to hybrid rubbers and inner carbon blades?

One of the best coaches at my club who’s developed a lot of provincial players and even a few nationals always starts his beginners out with H3 Commerical and Rozena on either all wood or inner carbon. His players always improve every time i see them at the club

 

[joshmak10]

Well, that's actually not a good backstory at all. You spent only a month playing with Rozenar when you were a beginner. Comparing the you back then and you today who have spent like a few years of training doesn't make sense. It's obvious the beginner you can't hold a candle to you today.

I spent six months playing with the rozena on FH. Switched to H3 purely based on my favourite chinese playing it. Very lucky that I did so

 

[banbekas]

One of the best coaches at my club who’s developed a lot of provincial players and even a few nationals always starts his beginners out with H3 Commerical and Rozena on either all wood or inner carbon. His players always improve every time i see them at the club

That's because of constant coaching.

I spent six months playing with the rozena on FH. Switched to H3 purely based on my favourite chinese playing it. Very lucky that I did so

But you said you spent a month, brother. Oh well, still doesn't change my point.

It's good that it’s working for you.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

@joshmak10 ,
I have just relooked at Butterfly Blade matrix and the fastest blade in the whole Butterfly's product offering isn't FZD Super or Viscaria Super of whatever. Instead, the fastest blade in the whole of Butterfly universe is in fact Cypress G-max. The ultimate speed monster. Paired it with Tenergy 05 Hard, and you have the ultimate hitting experience. I am glad I have that experience and live to tell its tale. One word: I'm luvin'it!

 

[joshmak10]

That's because of constant coaching.


But you said you spent a month, brother. Oh well, still doesn't change my point.

It's good that it’s working for you.

After a month, players beat me using it. After 6 months I decided to change. Sorry if that wasn’t clear enough

 

[joshmak10]

@joshmak10 ,
I have just relooked at Butterfly Blade matrix and the fastest blade in the whole Butterfly's product offering isn't FZD Super or Viscaria Super of whatever. Instead, the fastest blade in the whole of Butterfly universe is in fact Cypress G-max. The ultimate speed monster. Paired it with Tenergy 05 Hard, and you have the ultimate hitting experience. I am glad I have that experience and live to tell its tale. One word: I'm luvin'it!View attachment 34728

Glad it works for you Gozo

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Glad it works for you Gozo

Here's a secret, when you have gone to the absolute limit or so called edge of the universe and you know that there is nothing further out there; voila! You are cured of EJ'ing!

 

[ThePongCommenter]

One of the best coaches at my club who’s developed a lot of provincial players and even a few nationals always starts his beginners out with H3 Commerical and Rozena on either all wood or inner carbon. His players always improve every time i see them at the club

There's a big difference between something being suitable for a beginner/intermediate and something being necessary to improve, which is what you are saying.

Those students are improving because of the coach and their training, not because they are using 50-53 hardness hybrid rubbers or whatever.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Blades I’ve owned: FZD ALC, F.Lebrun OFF-, Viscaria SALC, W968 Prov, Viscaria, acB, CDS TMX Pro

Rubbers I’ve owned: Rozena, T05H, D05, D80, D09C, K3, H3 BS 39 and 40, H3 OS 37 and 38, Vega X, G1, P1, O7P

Not to mention the countless blades and rubbers I’ve also tried from club mates and friends

You got all that for 1000 CAD/700 USD?

 

[joshmak10]

There's a big difference between something being suitable for a beginner/intermediate and something being necessary to improve, which is what you are saying.

Those students are improving because of the coach and their training, not because they are using 50-53 hardness hybrid rubbers or whatever.

But those are the rubbers that will help players develop a suitable technique the best. Had a friend switch from T05 on FH to H3 and now his FH technique is miles better (no coach, just adapted)

 

[joshmak10]

You got all that for 1000 CAD/700 USD?

Idk man it was just an estimate