A RPB Rubber

[Der_Echte]

On a personal note, I am also with carl on blade weight preference, but maybe I am more extreme. I like 90+ gram blades then try to make the blade heavier. I add heavy rubbers like Evolution and my favored BH rubber XP 2008 Super Power. If the scales tip over 210 grams and the setup is balanced, more power to me. I also just do not like the WEIRD impact feel of a lighter blade, just feels wrong to me. One of these days I will retire from the job of the young and the bold, but damn it, I can still swing a big bat and bludgeon my enemies with it.

 

[kjanko]

You're both shakehand players ) When I try to hold my blade shakehand style it doesn't feel heavy at all. But when playing penhold, the weight of the head tends down and it feels really awkward.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

In my May visit to Nexy.com HQ, Korean Pro Kim Jung Hoon stopped by to try out some all wood blades Mr. Moon was supplying him with. Kim J H had three setups, one was an OFF Tibhar blade, and the other two blades were the same all wood Nexy blade. He quickly proceeded to the test room and hit with Prez Moon. Right away, I mean within the first minute this guy knew what the blade was about. He could tell you blade B was lighter than Blade A of the same model and could tell you the lighter blade was slower and the ball did not leave the bat in the fast manner he expected. He could tell you the vibration was different, and the feel was different and not as good as the A Blade. he could hold the blade with his thumb and first finger and tap the handle on his forehead and FEEL the difference.

The scale proved him right.

That pro certainly wanted the heaviest model available.

He had a long conversation with Mr. Moon about how he wanted to make for him a custom blade that took several months lead time. He discussed all manner of desired outcomes and the different combinations of woods that would make the blade he was looking for. Mr. Moon gave him a nice education on what works with what when combined how.

I have to agree, at least this pro craved a heavier version of the blade he liked for sure.

Awesome story. I love it.

I think that one of the reasons so many top pros use all wood blades is that they do not anything that would interfere with the feeling of the blade.

But that level of being able to feel what is going on, the weight and feeling of a blade, is really beautiful and great to hear about.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

You're both shakehand players ) When I try to hold my blade shakehand style it doesn't feel heavy at all. But when playing penhold, the weight of the head tends down and it feels really awkward.

Interesting thing, most of the penhold guys I know play with tanks.

Those 10mm and 12mm one ply Hinoki blades for penhold players are beasts and they are definitely not light. Nor is what Xu Xin or Wang Hao use light.

One of my first blades was 110 grams. One of my Clippers is close to 100 grams. Those blades play great.

I know a guy who has a one ply Hinoki blade that is 10mm and he has Hurricane on one side and Tenergy on the other side. Definitely not light. hahaha And he is amazing.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

On a personal note, I am also with carl on blade weight preference, but maybe I am more extreme. I like 90+ gram blades then try to make the blade heavier. I add heavy rubbers like Evolution and my favored BH rubber XP 2008 Super Power. If the scales tip over 210 grams and the setup is balanced, more power to me. I also just do not like the WEIRD impact feel of a lighter blade, just feels wrong to me. One of these days I will retire from the job of the young and the bold, but damn it, I can still swing a big bat and bludgeon my enemies with it.

LOL. I love it. I agree 100%.

 

[kjanko]

Let's get back on topic I've narrowed it down to few choices:

Nittaku Hammond Beta Pro ( my personal favorite )
Stiga Tour S 2.0
Acuda S2
Xiom Vega Elite

Which one is the lightest, softest & spinniest?

 

[decoy]

The interesting thing, when you look at it, is, that most of the top pros do not have light setups; not even close. Most of them are using Tenergy or/and Hurricane. Most of them are using blades that weigh over 85 grams. Most of them boost their rubbers which makes the rubber weigh more. I know I am strong enough to hold a tennis racket. I don't see the difference in 10-20 grams to be an issue. And when a setup is too light, if feels strange to me. I like to be able to feel the weight of the racket to some extent.

i would disagree on the part where the boosting makes the rubber heavier.. since they dont use SG anymore and use Boosters.. they actually loose weight from their rubbers... and that happens when rubber expands then the excess is cut off, with the level of boost they need. they would have a lot of excess. its pretty easy to have a good a bit of excess even if you are not a pro..

 

[Der_Echte]

As much as the Clipper Wood is such a great blade by accounts from everyone, I have yet to ever see anyone use one in my time here in Korea and I look at EVERYONE's bat before I play. 100+ grams form a blade before rubbers sounds great if the blade weight is centered lower. Clipper is supposed to be OFF minus to OFF, eh? I bet I play OFF to OFF+ using that battle ax with my favorite rubbers.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

i would disagree on the part where the boosting makes the rubber heavier.. since they dont use SG anymore and use Boosters.. they actually loose weight from their rubbers... and that happens when rubber expands then the excess is cut off, with the level of boost they need. they would have a lot of excess. its pretty easy to have a good a bit of excess even if you are not a pro..

Okay. When I boost it always makes the rubber heavier. But I boost with oil and paraffin. I am not sure what is in something like Dan Chi or Sea Moon Boosters. I think it is just some kind of oil which causes the rubber to expand. But, I cannot say from experience.

But I can say that what I use to boost makes my rubbers weigh more.

 

[decoy]

if you are boosting and your sponge is expanding.. you arent really boosting. the more it expands the more you gotta cut from it... as it stand my year old skyline which has been stretched to its limits weights less than a brand new cut skyline..

 

[Der_Echte]

Since it looks like Carl has several Clippers and I cannot even see ONE here in Korea, maybe I will have to make a drug-deal trading him one of my 896 signed by some Korean pro for one of his clippers or some sort of under-handed deal to land one of the famous Clippers...

 

[kjanko]

Since it looks like Carl has several Clippers and I cannot even see ONE here in Korea, maybe I will have to make a drug-deal trading him one of my 896 signed by some Korean pro for one of his clippers or some sort of under-handed deal to land one of the famous Clippers...

Ask him where he lives and go borrow some from him

 

[Der_Echte]

KJ, do you REALLY want to walk into the streets of Brooklyn unknown by yourself?

 

[kjanko]

KJ, do you REALLY want to walk into Brooklyn unknown by yourself?

Lil' ol 'murica wouldn't hurt a fly.