Choose the right combination of blade/rubbers

[mattia]

Hello everyone, I wanted to ask for advice regarding the combination of blade and rubbers to use. I'm a beginner and started about two months ago, I joined a table tennis club and one of the coaches told me I couldn't progress without a suitable racket and offered to make one for me. He glued a Chinese Loki Kirin 5 blade with 2 Donic Desto F4 (2.0mm Forehand, 1.8mm Backhand) for me. After the initial difficulties in using a custom racket, I calibrated power and movements and began to progress. However, I started having problems with the racket as the FL handle was bothering my hand. So, I took a Stiga Allround Classic ST frame and mounted Yasaka Mark V tires. Result: all the balls in the net and difficulty in getting over it. Just for fun, I took up the old racket and... surprise, all the balls inside the table. So thinking it was the rubbers, I mounted the Donic Desto F4 on the Stiga frame. Situation improved but still most of the balls in the net. I then think that the problem is the frame and switch to a Stiga Offensive Classic. Same feeling as the Kirin, all the balls inside and some out. So I start recording the training sessions to watch myself and improve the movement and notice with the coach that I don't close the movements, I always stop them halfway. Explanation: frame and tire combo too fast and to control I stop earlier. What do you advise me? To go back to the Stiga Allround frame with the Yasaka Mark V and focus on the movement to close it, or to continue with the Stiga Offensive with the Desto F4? My fear is that continuing with tensioned rubbers and an offensive frame I may learn wrong movements to control the power. At the same time, I'm afraid that getting used to a slow frame with classic (outdated?) rubbers like the Mark V will make it difficult when I’ll improve and I’ll need to switch to tensioned rubbers.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

1. Stiga All Round or Stiga in general in my memory tend to has more flex and hence is very suitable to play using hard tacky chinese rubber like H2 / neoH3. If you have the ability or have training to do chinese style looping, then go ahead.

2. But I am not a fan of chinese rubber nor have I been trained to do chinese style loopinng: so I personally prefer a stiffer iteration. In my mind, Tibhar Stratus Powerwood with two sheets of Donic Baracuda seems like an ideal combination as noob friendly starter kit.

3. Or, Butterfly Petr Korbel with two sheets of Rozena, that is also a doable set-up, especially if one is brand conscious.

4. Mark V is a poor choice. It may be useful during the era of small diameter ball or use in conjunction with speed-glue. If none of these, avoid it like the plague. ( my personal opinion ). I have used Mark V before and it is just yuck!