Advice for beginners: No need to change your blade

[yamagata]

The information given by blade makers as well as much online information make you believe that the material in your blade is of the utmost importance. That there is a special blade composition out there that will make you a better player. Ignore all of that stuff for now.

As the threads about blades with one offensive and one defensive side shows, for example the one about Sanwei Two Face, the differences between different kinds of wood are subtle. Too subtle for a beginner like you and me to pick up on.

I have tried blades with different kinds of outer plies, limba, koto, ebony and ayous. It does not make any difference.

I have tried all wood blades, inner carbon blades, outer carbon blades. It does not make any difference.

I have tried blades with Kiri core, Candlenut core and Ayous core. It does not make any difference.

It is the whole composition of a blade that matters, but only when we have advanced enough to know what kind of players we are. For now, the only thing that matters regarding the blade is that it has a nice feeling to hold and swing. If the feeling is off, change the rubber to a cheap rubber that is recommended for beginners! Or add weight to the handle! There is a lot you can do with the blade you currently use. For the next year or years, what we need to focus on is our technique. The most important thing about the blade is that you stick to it! The faster you learn how your blade behaves, the faster you can move on to develop better feeling for the game itself.

One thing is for sure - the entire discussion about materials are not as important as they want us to believe!

 

[sebi]

The owner of SoulSpin once stated that, a blade always works as one, so different outer plies one a blade don´t make that much of a difference. I did not test the blade, but he has a lot of experience and his opinion should be trusted.
I think for beginners changing a blade is a big mistake, consistency is much more important. But saying that a blade is the soul of your bat and changing even the outer wood is noticeable.
BUT ALL IN ALL IF YOU ARE SOMEWHAT SATISFIED WITH YOUR SETUP DO NOT CHANGE YOUR BLADE

 

[Tyce]

It's a paradox looking for the perfect blade to help you develop, because when you develop and change as a player your preferred or optimal blade may change with it.
As a result, your blade is always going to be an imperfect match. So, pick something you like and want to play, within reason, and just go with it.

 

[Lazer]

The important thing is that it is not too fast, then you start to hesitate and loose confidence…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Equaaz]

It's a paradox looking for the perfect blade to help you develop, because when you develop and change as a player your preferred or optimal blade may change with it.
As a result, your blade is always going to be an imperfect match. So, pick something you like and want to play, within reason, and just go with it.

But every player need start Somewhere. So which blade can be a good deal for the next 3 or 5 years ?

 

[Tyce]

But every player need start Somewhere. So which blade can be a good deal for the next 3 or 5 years ?

If we're talking about new players, without any specific wishes or limitations, any wood 5ply that's ALL or OFF is going to be a good choice.
Pick one based on what you like, whether it's looks, handle fit, a brand you prefer, a player you admire, it's all good. If you pick something based on what you like, that's going to give confidence and motivation.

By specific wishes or limitations I mean people with low mobility, or to play (modern) defense, use special materials (pips, anti, you name it).
But also if you are really small or a giant with construction worker hands, noodle arms or gigantic grip strength, injury and whatnot. Those will all influence your basic needs and to be honest I'm not qualified to make a good advice for those areas.

 

[SleepyMaster]

I did change maybe eight or nine blades in first year of tt. Ended up with Harimoto alc for another six months - then moved to outer. Btw my coach was telling me to using wooden Primorac for three years at least but I didn’t listen 😁

Anyway I think coach knows better and his advise would suit most beginners better than a road that I choose

 

[jk1980]

Know a guy that i could win a match here and there approximately a year ago. He played Harimoto ALC and double inverted. Now a year later he gained 300 Rating Points (played a lot of tournaments) and is playing an Alround Blade with MXP and Long Pips.

Now best i can do is perhaps win a game or two but can forget about winning a match against him, because if he plays it save i will make more mistakes than him.

He basically went from being a player in the 4th team to becoming the highest rated player in that club.

 

[Lazer]

For sure it doesn’t make us better players, but it’s just too much fun to experience the different feel of blades. Also when you played with one blade long enough you get bored with it.

I am constantly searching for a blade I like better, always something that isn’t perfect…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[SleepyMaster]

Know a guy that i could win a match here and there approximately a year ago. He played Harimoto ALC and double inverted. Now a year later he gained 300 Rating Points (played a lot of tournaments) and is playing an Alround Blade with MXP and Long Pips.

Now best i can do is perhaps win a game or two but can forget about winning a match against him, because if he plays it save i will make more mistakes than him.

He basically went from being a player in the 4th team to becoming the highest rated player in that club.

Yeah i know a lot of such folks. Pips can solve a lot of problems for some - better serve recieve, disrupting the rhytm of play, putting more awkward balls back - on a lower/middle hobby level, people with pips are not so easy to win. So if the goal is to win more matches immidiately (by using lack of understanding and mistakes of opp) from the start or to became trickier for opponent, allround or even defender blade with pips is the way to go. But the higher you go - the least of a trick you became for expirienced inverted players.

 

[mightymouse]

I frequently think about this in the past and now believe that it is true that you need to stick to one blade only. As you progress, you only need to change rubbers.

In the past, I have always thought that you need to start with ALL+/OFF- blade first, and then progress to faster blades, and then STOP at Korbel or Clipper. Why? Trust me, unless you are a pro, Korbel or Clipper is good enough for most of us.

Now, if we need to stick to one blade only, the question is "WHICH BLADE"??

I have read that in the past:
1. Korean coaches gave Korbel to beginners.
2. Chinese coaches gave Clipper to beginners.
3. European coaches suggested ALL+ / OFF- to beginners.

Based on #1 and #2 above, I think they do not need to change blade at all, unless they go Pro. For #3, yes, they need to change blade as they progress.

However, nowadays I heard that it is different, as I read that most Chinese coaches now give ALC blades to beginners (please correct me if I am wrong). However, with ALC blades, they don't need to change blade at all as they progress (if they do progress, )

 

[jk1980]

@SleepyMaster
Yes i totally agree, there is a performane ceiling with the long pips tactics. That guy has 1450 points currently and i would estimate (by checking how often these long pips players appear in higher leages) that most wont reach more than 1600, because at that level there are very few of these long pips players and the opponents have a playing mindset that can solve the "oddness" of long pips.

The funny thing is that he did actually have a good backhand and good loop very well down the line when receiving serves to his backhand. He is still "young" (below 30) and is twiddling, so he basically can backhand loop when twiddling which makes him way more dangerous than your average long pips grandpa.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

The information given by blade makers as well as much online information make you believe that the material in your blade is of the utmost importance. That there is a special blade composition out there that will make you a better player. Ignore all of that stuff for now.

As the threads about blades with one offensive and one defensive side shows, for example the one about Sanwei Two Face, the differences between different kinds of wood are subtle. Too subtle for a beginner like you and me to pick up on.

I have tried blades with different kinds of outer plies, limba, koto, ebony and ayous. It does not make any difference.

I have tried all wood blades, inner carbon blades, outer carbon blades. It does not make any difference.

I have tried blades with Kiri core, Candlenut core and Ayous core. It does not make any difference.

It is the whole composition of a blade that matters, but only when we have advanced enough to know what kind of players we are. For now, the only thing that matters regarding the blade is that it has a nice feeling to hold and swing. If the feeling is off, change the rubber to a cheap rubber that is recommended for beginners! Or add weight to the handle! There is a lot you can do with the blade you currently use. For the next year or years, what we need to focus on is our technique. The most important thing about the blade is that you stick to it! The faster you learn how your blade behaves, the faster you can move on to develop better feeling for the game itself.

One thing is for sure - the entire discussion about materials are not as important as they want us to believe!

But but but being EJ is 50% of the fun in TT...

 

[netdriver]

99% of players quit before they found the perfect blade for their needs

NEVER stop spending money 💪💪💪

 

[Lazer]

99% of players quit before they found the perfect blade for their needs

NEVER stop spending money 💪💪💪

You got to spend it on something and I’m too old for women now…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[juggernauts]

Hello,

My sons and I start learning table tennis. On our first lesson, we used Decathlon cheap bat, but the coach said it was not proper since there was no sponge. Therefore, I used his bat.
Since we need 1-2 bat(s), I am looking for a cheap one to begin with.
From my reading, the all-wood (no carbon) blade with slow speed and good (high) control rating is more suitable for beginner. Is this correct ?

Several blades that are available in my area :
1. Yinhe N11 (speed 7.9 , control 8.6)
2. Yinhe N11s (speed 8.2 , control 9.4)
3. Sanwei Paramid (speed 8.7 , control 8.9 ) - my coach offers a used one.
4. Double Fish Dragon Blade 1 ZLC (speed 9.4 , control 9.1) - my coach offers a used one. I think this one is too advance.
For the rubber I might just use cheap Yinhe Mercury (soft and thickness 1.8-2.0 mm)
Which one will be the most suitable one ?

I greatly appreciate any input or recommendation. Thank you in advance

 

[mocker88]

Hello,

My sons and I start learning table tennis. On our first lesson, we used Decathlon cheap bat, but the coach said it was not proper since there was no sponge. Therefore, I used his bat.
Since we need 1-2 bat(s), I am looking for a cheap one to begin with.
From my reading, the all-wood (no carbon) blade with slow speed and good (high) control rating is more suitable for beginner. Is this correct ?

Several blades that are available in my area :
1. Yinhe N11 (speed 7.9 , control 8.6)
2. Yinhe N11s (speed 8.2 , control 9.4)
3. Sanwei Paramid (speed 8.7 , control 8.9 ) - my coach offers a used one.
4. Double Fish Dragon Blade 1 ZLC (speed 9.4 , control 9.1) - my coach offers a used one. I think this one is too advance.
For the rubber I might just use cheap Yinhe Mercury (soft and thickness 1.8-2.0 mm)
Which one will be the most suitable one ?

I greatly appreciate any input or recommendation. Thank you in advance

Definitely one of the Yinhe - N11/N11s blades or similar. This is about OFF- and with the slower Mercury rubbers it will be nice I think.

Rubbers like Sanwei - T88-III Training 2-pack will also be better and cheaper than the Mercury for a beginner.

 

[Marvinn8686]

Definitely one of the Yinhe - N11/N11s blades or similar. This is about OFF- and with the slower Mercury rubbers it will be nice I think.

Rubbers like Sanwei - T88-III Training 2-pack will also be better and cheaper than the Mercury for a beginner.

These chaep T88-III are a steal, I found them on promo and bought just to give it a try for my begginer son and they are really good on some lightweight blade. Possible to create some rotation, but in a controlled way.

 

[Windkanal]

Too subtle for a beginner like you and me to pick up on.

I have tried blades with different kinds of outer plies, limba, koto, ebony and ayous. It does not make any difference.

I have tried all wood blades, inner carbon blades, outer carbon blades. It does not make any difference.

I have tried blades with Kiri core, Candlenut core and Ayous core. It does not make any difference.

i agree to disagree here, partyly.

i am not a huge fan of generalizations that dont have much logical thoughtprocess behind it.
just because YOU cant feel any difference, does not mean NOONE ELSE can...

it always reminds me about an age old argument in the tech world where some people state something like: ''i can see absolutely no difference between a 60hz and a 120hz display on my phone or computer''
yet i sit there and i just notice the different within like a second of using it, instantly asking myself how anyone can even use it and not notice it.

i think the difference can be HUGE. does it automatically have to mean that you ''play better'' with one of the setups? no not really. it can be totally normal that no matter what setup you play with, you skill level will pretty much be somewhat similar.

it still doesnt mean, that it makes no difference.
if one of the setups FEEL better to play with, or you enjoy playing with this one setup more that with the others, or it just feels nicer in your hand...

it makes a HUGE difference. because you enjoy your setup more and it makes you want to play more and improve. sure chasing and using like 10 different setups and go EJ route might be overkill, but if you dont really enjoy the setup you have in your hand, there is absolutely zero reason why someone should force themself to play with a setup they dont fully enjoy, just for the sake of it. yeah sure my body can survive with eating basically anything... but life is still better if i eat something i actually like...

 

[Tyce]

It makes zero difference as in, you can perform all basics with all blades, but...
You can't easily learn or perform advanced technique with equipment that's not suitable for you, or that you are not attuned to.

Example: hitting through the blade requires finesse to time the power and release. If your blade is very hard, stiff, or lacking distinct feedback that you made the correct hit, this is very hard to learn. Yet this is a vital skill for developing efficient, spinny offense.

Edit: funnily enough, once you have developed such a technique, you can apply it to "less suitable" equipment. Case in point being Dima beating Dan with a premade bat.