Even though I kind of know why, I've always wondered why people are so obsessed with equipment.
I would say that a majority of the threads here are about equipment.
I've always been a person who has said "skill over equipment."
If you lose to someone, get better. Refine your skill set or learn some new ones.
Just practice. If you can't practice, then it's quite simple: you won't really improve.
I'm aware that a lot of people don't have the time to practice, because life is full of things to do.
However, what makes you think that new equipment will change your game? (Except the transition to/from junk rubber).
If you are a really busy person and can't practice often, just be an adult and accept the fact that ping pong isn't your life and that you aren't going to quickly improve. I recently got a job, and will be going on to college, so I know for a fact that I won't be becoming a 2400 player anytime soon. You won't be defeating your rivals anytime soon. You have more important things in life to do.
If you like trying out new equipment, then good for you. However, just know that new equipment isn't going to help you jump to higher levels. Practice does that. Nothing can replace practice.
Get rid of the notion that new equipment will allow you to beat different people.
Using new equipment is like using a different car: using better cars isn't going to make you a better driver.
If you want more thoughts on whether or not using different equipment will make you improve, think about this:
Will using different equipment change what decisions you make during your game?
If an equipment increased the quality of one kind of shot, don't you think it would negatively affect other kinds of shots? (There is always a trade-off)
