Beginner Equipment Mistake

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First post on TTD:

Like many beginners, I made a cardinal mistake of buying equipment combo which is too fast for me:
Timo Boll ALC
Butterfly Dignic 09c - FH
Nittaku Fastarc G1 - BH

To solve the aforementioned mistake, I have decided to buy another equipment and save this one for later. I have not weighed the current set up, but ideally I would like to keep the new one at the same weight range.

Upon researching, I have found two set up, I will go with either one based on your suggestions.

1. Yasaka Sweden Extra, Rakza 7 FH, Vega Europe BH
2. Butterfly Primorac, Rozena on both sides

As a beginner player, my goal is to develop correct technique and footwork. Please help me decide a new setup which will help me develop the game and help me transition to my advances set up later.
 
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says Feeling blue
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You don't need another equipment. You need a good coach who don't tell you to switch the equipment again. Starting ALC in this era is completely fine. Your rubber combination is good also, D09C has a lot of safety if you loop right and Fastarc G1 is a fantastic rubber for BH to practice, moreover, it's like a tune down Tenergy 05 with more safety. Furthermore, these 2 rubbers are very long lasted, u save a lot of money in the long run.
With the 2 setups u propose is 250$ each already, you can get coached for 4-5 sessions and u will be better.
 
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I did the same mistake. The problem i had with ALC blade is the lack of feedback and vibration. Our brain need this to process what is a good contact. My game really improved when i switched to all wood.

I really like the Petr Korbel, so that's what i will suggest to you. You could use Fastarc G1. I played with this setup and it's linear and not too bouncy. I really liked it. Or you could try Rosena, maybe in 1.9mm. It would be a nice and controlled setup.
 
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Operation Un-Noob the Noobie

1. Cold-storage your current set-up for the time being. You will have use for it later.
2. Get BTY Falcima
3. Two sheets of either Rozena / Xiom Vega Europe / Tibhar Aurus Sound depending which is the cheaper in your locale.
4. End of operation Un-Noob the Noobie.
5. Secret step: Get a proper coach.


Gozo: Helping the EJ community since 2021
 
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I did the same mistake. The problem i had with ALC blade is the lack of feedback and vibration. Our brain need this to process what is a good contact. My game really improved when i switched to all wood.

I really like the Petr Korbel, so that's what i will suggest to you. You could use Fastarc G1. I played with this setup and it's linear and not too bouncy. I really liked it. Or you could try Rosena, maybe in 1.9mm. It would be a nice and controlled setup.
I wanted to stay in the same weight range, Korbel is showing to be little heavy compared to TB ALC. I also hear people complain about the handle of Korbel to be on the shorter side.
 
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Operation Un-Noob the Noobie

1. Cold-storage your current set-up for the time being. You will have use for it later.
2. Get BTY Falcima
3. Two sheets of either Rozena / Xiom Vega Europe / Tibhar Aurus Sound depending which is the cheaper in your locale.
4. End of operation Un-Noob the Noobie.
5. Secret step: Get a proper coach.


Gozo: Helping the EJ community since 2021
I couldn’t find Falcima on Paddlepalace ot TT11
 
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I couldn’t find Falcima on Paddlepalace ot TT11
Alternative to Falcima:
1. BTY Petr Korbel
2. Tibhar Stratus Power Wood
3. Nittaku Acoustic / Violin
3. Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive.
Get the one which is the least expensive.
 
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You don't need another equipment. You need a good coach who don't tell you to switch the equipment again. Starting ALC in this era is completely fine. Your rubber combination is good also, D09C has a lot of safety if you loop right and Fastarc G1 is a fantastic rubber for BH to practice, moreover, it's like a tune down Tenergy 05 with more safety. Furthermore, these 2 rubbers are very long lasted, u save a lot of money in the long run.
With the 2 setups u propose is 250$ each already, you can get coached for 4-5 sessions and u will be better.
That's horrible advice. That's why ppl quit table tennis. Getting a setup that doesn't punish you in the beginning is essential. That thing doesn't allow you to feel what mistake you're doing when you contact the ball. Alc is good nowadays, after you develop basic feeling and consistency.

*edit: I did something similar, bought my Viscaria with 1 year of experience. I was 17 and put in a lot of work to master it because I didn't know any better. Having a hurricane helped but wasn't a substitute for a good first setup. It didn't hinder me as much and I did like it and it did happen to fit me at the time, but I wouldn't advise it to anyone because it's a double edged sword.

First post on TTD:

Like many beginners, I made a cardinal mistake of buying equipment combo which is too fast for me:
Timo Boll ALC
Butterfly Dignic 09c - FH
Nittaku Fastarc G1 - BH

To solve the aforementioned mistake, I have decided to buy another equipment and save this one for later. I have not weighed the current set up, but ideally I would like to keep the new one at the same weight range.

Upon researching, I have found two set up, I will go with either one based on your suggestions.

1. Yasaka Sweden Extra, Rakza 7 FH, Vega Europe BH
2. Butterfly Primorac, Rozena on both sides

As a beginner player, my goal is to develop correct technique and footwork. Please help me decide a new setup which will help me develop the game and help me transition to my advances set up later.
Just get any of the two. I'd say just get the same rubber for forehand and backhand.

The blades are similar but the rubbers have a massive difference.

German rubbers bite the ball on their own, so you can use very light strokes, while japanese rubbers need a slightly harder contact to engage/grip and get safety, but are overall more consistent when you get that penetration.

The German rubbers here are the rakza and vega, and the Japanese is the rozena. I'd say start with the rozena to develop a snap on both fh and bh and then go from there. Any of the blades will do. Rakza 7 is a good step up from there because it's quite a bit spinnier.

Else you can get cheap Chinese rubbers like super fx or mercury 2 and play with that, it's a very good choice, not hard to play and help massively with technique development.
 
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You don't need another equipment. You need a good coach who don't tell you to switch the equipment again. Starting ALC in this era is completely fine. Your rubber combination is good also, D09C has a lot of safety if you loop right and Fastarc G1 is a fantastic rubber for BH to practice, moreover, it's like a tune down Tenergy 05 with more safety. Furthermore, these 2 rubbers are very long lasted, u save a lot of money in the long run.
With the 2 setups u propose is 250$ each already, you can get coached for 4-5 sessions and u will be better.
TB ALC is way too fast for a beginner.

YSE with a medium rubber on the FH and a soft rubber on the BH is exactly what the OP needs.
 
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Operation Un-Noob the Noobie

1. Cold-storage your current set-up for the time being. You will have use for it later.
2. Get BTY Falcima
3. Two sheets of either Rozena / Xiom Vega Europe / Tibhar Aurus Sound depending which is the cheaper in your locale.
4. End of operation Un-Noob the Noobie.
5. Secret step: Get a proper coach.


Gozo: Helping the EJ community since 2021
On a serious note, if my TB ALC paddle is kept unused, do I risk losing them ? How to keep store it properly?
 
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@TableTennisBD When you ask this question on the forums you're always going to get a lot of people telling you that your fundamentals will be ruined, you'll never get good technique, and never develop feeling if you don't immediately switch to a slow 5 ply all wood with medium to soft rubbers on both sides. It's conventional wisdom stemming from a long time ago, and some might argue isn't as relevant in the era of the plastic ball where harder and faster equipment choices have occurred at most levels of table tennis and has become the industry standard for equipment manufacturers.

Yet, tons of people exist that use these slow feeling setups for years who never got good fundamentals or feeling for the ball. And, tons of people exist who started with carbon blades and developed excellent feeling and reached high levels. @Fantastic_Muffin_D is on the mark that you'd probably be better served using money on some lessons than blindly purchasing another paddle based on the recommendation of people who have never seen you play. Then, a good coach can decide whether he can work with your equipment choice or if you need to change.

Would I recommend a TB ALC to a beginner? Probably not. But you aren't going to magically develop better feeling or fundamentals as a beginner just from using a slow or wooden racket like people here would lead you to believe. Your equipment choice will matter much less than the coaching you get and work you put in.
 
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On a serious note, if my TB ALC paddle is kept unused, do I risk losing them ? How to keep store it properly?
Losing it? What do you mean? Somebody steal it away?

This is how I store properly when my spare blade is not in use: I'll place the item inside the original box and throw some desiccant ( silica pearls aka drying agent ) into the box to keep moisture away. If there are rubber attached to it, I will cover the rubber with plastic cover.

Alternatively, there are some who will place it inside a food grade sealing bag, then draw out the air and left it in vacuum packed state, like those ham / sausages you see in the cold storage chain store.
 
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Brs

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Brs

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It's true that people can start with carbon or wood, and adjust the blade speed and sensitivity a ton with the rubbers. It may also be true that you don't have good feeling from the TB ALC. Personally I don't like them and I've been playing a long time.

Buying a moderately fast wood blade with spinny rubbers is a sensible compromise. Between the two you mentioned, the Primorac handle will be a little more round, and the Yasaka Sweden series a little more rectangular. Which one feels nice in your hand is the better one to choose. If the TB ALC handle feels good, get the Primorac with 2x rozena.

There isn't much cause to propose random stuff that you didn't list as an option, when both the options in your OP are perfectly fine.
 
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As a beginner player, my goal is to develop correct technique and footwork. Please help me decide a new setup which will help me develop the game and help me transition to my advances set up later.
You have the right idea here: the goal as a beginning player is to develop technique and footwork. But paying for a coach is going to be a much better use of money towards that goal than buying a different racket than the one you have right now. A new racket is not going to magically improve your technique.

If there isn't coaching available where you are, or if you want to spend money on something else, try investing in a camera setup (e.g., tripod) to record yourself playing/practicing.
 
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.. Korbel is showing to be little heavy ..
That's a myth. The blade isn't heavy. A 1g to 4g difference is normal. The extra surface on the Korbel is necessary, which makes the blade so stable.

Rubbers are the biggest factor in a racket's weight. You may choose dense or cake sponge, different thicknesses, tensioned topsheets, side tape, etc., which result in varying weights.

The most important thing is your technique! Imagine some players are so good with weird, cheap rubbers and blades. That's because they have developed very good techniques around their setup.

Since you're not an advanced player yet, a slower setup might help your development faster than a pro setup. You'll be surprised how an allwood blade and basic rubbers like Sriver, Xiom Musa, Vega Intro, and Mark V can help you improve. I used cheap Palio CJ8000 and Vega Intro when I started. I could instantly apply whatever my coach taught me to do, especially looping and short balls. The best thing is you develop your feel with a slower setup. Guaranteed!

When you have improved, technically and physically, you'll find that upgrading your racket is necessary. You'll know exactly what the criteria for the rubbers and blade you need are. This is how you make your new setup, IMO.

Edit: Korbel only weight approximately median when compared with the classic 5-ply wood blades.
  1. Stiga Allround Classic (avg.weight = 84.3g)
  2. Stiga Offensive Classic (avg.weight = 79.9g)
  3. Stiga Rosewood NCT V (avg.weight = 90.8g)
  4. Butterfly Primorac (avg.weight = 88.1g)
  5. Butterfly Korbel (avg.weight = 88.7g)
  6. Butterfly Mazunov (discontinued) (avg.weight = 94.1g)
  7. Nittaku Violin (avg.weight = 83.9g)
  8. Nittaku Acoustic (avg.weight = 90.6g)
  9. Nittaku Tenor (avg.weight = 91.4g)
  10. Tibhar Chila OFF (avg.weight = 74.6g)
  11. Tibhar IV-S (avg.weight = 89.3g)
Source: ttgearlab.com
 
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says Feeling blue
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@TableTennisBD When you ask this question on the forums you're always going to get a lot of people telling you that your fundamentals will be ruined, you'll never get good technique, and never develop feeling if you don't immediately switch to a slow 5 ply all wood with medium to soft rubbers on both sides. It's conventional wisdom stemming from a long time ago, and some might argue isn't as relevant in the era of the plastic ball where harder and faster equipment choices have occurred at most levels of table tennis and has become the industry standard for equipment manufacturers.

Yet, tons of people exist that use these slow feeling setups for years who never got good fundamentals or feeling for the ball. And, tons of people exist who started with carbon blades and developed excellent feeling and reached high levels. @Fantastic_Muffin_D is on the mark that you'd probably be better served using money on some lessons than blindly purchasing another paddle based on the recommendation of people who have never seen you play. Then, a good coach can decide whether he can work with your equipment choice or if you need to change.

Would I recommend a TB ALC to a beginner? Probably not. But you aren't going to magically develop better feeling or fundamentals as a beginner just from using a slow or wooden racket like people here would lead you to believe. Your equipment choice will matter much less than the coaching you get and work you put in.
Finally someone understand what i said. My first ever coach even said different equipment have different way (modificated version of technique) to use it or “feelings is different but fundamental is the same”. My dad first bought me a Primorac Carbon (the fastest blade) with both sides Acuda S2 and had me got coached. Coach saw me using that and said “ it’s a fast and hard setup, but it’s my job to teach you the technique since it’s an applicable skill”. I never blamed my dad for it, I continued to get coached and play with that setup for 2 yrs before moving to Viscaria with my own money. Firmly fix your equipment and practice, it’s the way.
 
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Go for a all wood 5-ply allround blade like Sanwei - Accumulator and rubbers like 729 - Aurora Max Soft, 729 - Focus III Snipe or Yinhe - Mercury III Euro. This will give you a quite soft setup with sufficient speed, spin and good control to start develop your technique. For the first year or two, I don't think you'll need anything more advanced :)
 
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TB ALC is fine no need to change it, you could use slower rubber though. Get yourself Volant Phoenix for both wings and work from there. As you get better, you know how TB ALC behaves for you and because you have been using tacky rubber on FH and BH, your transition to D09C will be wonderful and seamless.

If you still want a different blade then I suggest you try something that is close enough to TB ALC and Viscaria. Get yourself ITC T5, Falcima, Accumulator J, etc. That way you are used to TB ALC like feeling and just like above, your transition back to TB ALC again will be easy.
 
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