A lighter blade

[Nilsragnar]

Hello!

I am currently using a Rosewood V, but I feel it might be to heavy for me. Also, I've read a lot of post about maybe chosing a less fast blade to be able to develop one's technique.

I was thinking about getting a cheaper blade. Like Stiga energy wood, Yasaka silver all wood or TSP reflex-50 award off. Does anybody have any experience with these blades and can compare them to the Rosewood V?



All help is appreciated!

 

[Shuki]

how heavy is your rosewood? do you like the feeling of it? most likely you can get the same blade in a lighter weight

 

[Nilsragnar]

Sure, I like the blade, but I just think it is too heavy. I could of course go for a lighter rosewood.

The thing is, my coach filmed me playing today and I realized my forehand topspin is not very good. So I wanted to get a slower blade to really try and improve. So something both slower and lighter.

I have not weighed my blade without rubbers, but with rubbers it is about 200 grams, which really seems a lot to me.

 

[Suga D]

The rosewood is a very nice blade, but if you want to improve on fh topspin i would consider something softer with a limba outer ply. Hinoki is also great for looping but for learning i would consider something softer like limba which gives you enough dwell time to put some nice rotation on the ball.
The energy wood is not much lighter, but at least it's got an limba outer play, but there are quite a few more like the stiga allround wood and allround evolution, or the bty primorac, bty korbel, donic dotec waldner allround, nittaku acoustic, nittaku ludeack, and many more.

But actually your coach who has seen you play, should know what suits you. Quite surprised you're asking here instead asking him, or do you just want to hear/read different opinions?

 

[Shuki]

yea 200 is quite a bit.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Suga D, I think you might be confusing Energy Wood with a Different blade. Energy Wood is usually under 80 grams. It is pretty darn light. It is a pretty good blade too. It feels pretty nice. I personally don't like blades that weight and feel like 200 grams is actually a good weight for a setup for me. But, Energy wood is going to be much lighter.

However, it will be head heavy and so it won't feel as light as all that because it is a WRB blade. You might also consider that Yasaka Extra Sweden or the Tibhar Stratus Power Wood. But of those, I do think the Stiga Energy Wood is the one that weighs the least. It also has a nice crisp feeling. But look at the handle first. I know I don't like WRB. So if you don't either, you should understand WRB is part of that blade.

 

[Suga D]

I guess it depends on your point of view, carl.
One of my teammates plays the energy wood and weighs around 88g and it feels rather 'head'-heavy than heavy. So you're probably right.

Still my nittaku shake offence weighs exactly 77 grams, hence the energy wood felt much much heavier to me.

But i believe playing with der_echte's beast mod blade weighing a pound and a half everything else just has to feel light

 

[desmondfun]

The overall weight really doesn't matter if you feel comfortable on hand.

The actual problem is "head heavy".

For example, Butterfly Liu Shiwen is really head heavy compared to Timo Boll ALC and Jun Mizutani. In fact, Butterfly Liu Shiwen is actually a few grams lighter than both the blades mentioned.

 

[alexzorg]

The overall weight really doesn't matter if you feel comfortable on hand.

The actual problem is "head heavy".

For example, Butterfly Liu Shiwen is really head heavy compared to Timo Boll ALC and Jun Mizutani. In fact, Butterfly Liu Shiwen is actually a few grams lighter than both the blades mentioned.

+1
it all comes to comfort
once you get used to, it will not be a problem
why majority says don't opt lighter weight

 

[Nilsragnar]

I did talk to the coach, but like you said, it's good to get different views!

What about those other blades I mentioned? Are they also limba or hinoki? To me it is also important that I like the look of the blade, and those blades look so darned good (I know, looks aren't supposed to matter!)

Anyway, thank you for all of your suggestions!

 

[achalwins94]

Go for tibhar stratus power wood, or if a little fast, and a 7 ply blade, use Dhs Pg7, which I am using right now.
Go for heavy wt, 90-95 grms. Then play with it. I am suggesting you this blade, since you used rosewood,which is quite advanced, in comparison to pg7.
Anyway,what blade your coach advised?

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[Nilsragnar]

My coach suggested energy wood. Tibhar stratus power wood also seems like a great alternative, hard to choose when all the blades I am considering cost the same

 

[Suga D]

Well if your coach says energy wood, i'd probably go for it.
Blades with a hard top ply like the rosewood are nice if you already know how to spin the ball well, but if you want to learn to spin properly, you'd be doing yourself a big favour if you get yourself a blade with a softer top ply, cause it's got more dwell time and allows you to easier 'grab' the ball and spin it.

 

[Inkognito]

Depending of how long you have played it's hard to give advice. I usually say it's better with to slow then to fast equipment, especially if you are developing your game. Been clubtrainer and privat trainer for almost 15 year, and one of the most common mistakes in Sweden is to fast equipment or another one, to soft rubbers for players who try to go "pro".

Kriga på

 

[jmartins]

Why not balsa with carbon?

 

[Suga D]

Why not balsa with carbon?

Nils has been playing a rosewood and kind of wants to rebuild his spin, so chosing a carbon blade wouldn't be the wisest option.

I'm not so sure if you have read this whole thread, but i'll tell you anyway.

If you want to learn or rebuild your spin then using a carbon blade should be your very last option to consider IMHO. It gives you MUCH less dwell time than an all wood blade.

Personally i really don't like balsa blades anymore. I used to play the Donic Dotec Waldner Carbon for two seasons and almost spoilt my game.
I find balsa behaves totally different than ayous, koto, limba, hinoki or any other kind of wood.
Many people seem to like it a lot, otherwise there probably wouldn't be so many balsa blades on the market.

But i don't....

I think i really didn't do myself a big favour for chosing that blade. But i loved that high pitch sound it makes.

Anyway i think it's much more a driver, blocker and hitter blade than a spinner's blade.

I want to give it to a friend of mine that wants to try out balsa blades and plays more a blocking and slapping game.
But if one wants to learn to 'pull' a proper spin, there are much better blades with more dwell time than balsa carbon blades IMHO.

 

[Nilsragnar]

I really can't decide what to get, you've given me so many good suggestions! Does anybody have experience with Yasaka silverline all wood, or TSP reward-50 off? I read many good reviews, and they are 5 ply and look great!

Anyway, maybe I'll just get all of them as a christmas gift to myself!

 

[Suga D]

Hahaha... Sometimes makin' decisions isn't easy.
Don't worry, you're not the only one having those kind of issues.

Sorry, but no one in our club or in my league plays either of those two blades you've mentioned. But that says nothing about their quality. If someone else here has been using them, it would be nice to know.
But it would be even better if you know someone who uses them and lets you hit with them for a while and see how they play and feel for yourself.

 

[necax007]

Hello mate.

I use the Yasaka Silver Line All Wood and it's not light. It Have a balance head but i play with 1,7/1.9 sponges so i really don't know if it will be balance with thicker rubbers. I like the bat because is quite slow but i don't have many experience with other bats.

 

[achalwins94]

Don't choose balsa, hate it. Its made for, don't kill me, for weak stroke people,who don't apply good power. Use limba outer ply with ayous core. There are just too many options man! Why to get so much confused. If you like wrb, stick to stiga, go for infinity vps v or clipper.
Or other blades are dhs pg7, I have used it, and liked it. And other people in this forum have suggested too.
Bottom line is, get any one of those the experts are saying, and then forget the whole world,just think you have the best weapon and start working out like crazy. You will get the result.

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