Experts!! Is this a good blade + rubber combo for a developing player

[Crillo]

Hi Experts!

My son (10yo) is playing in a club four days a week and he is quite good for his age. All his older club mates (He is the youngest in his group) are using Stiga blades (Infinity VPS, Energy V2 with DNA Platinum M). He have tried similar blade+rubbers but the speed and control gives him problems. So now he is playing with Donic Appelgren Allplay FH Baracuda 2.0 and BH Xiom Vega Europe 2.0. He loves this blade/rubber combo and he beats half of the group with older players with way faster equipment.

My question: Is the Donic Appelgren Allplay, Baracuda and Xiom Vega Europe a good combination for a developing player or does this combo creates bad habits like bad foot work and sloppy technique because its slow and super spinny (FH)?

Thank you for your input!

/Krillo

 

[turbozed]

Donic Appelgren is one of the best starter blades. Loads of control and isn't very fast. The last bit might seem like a detriment but it's probabaly better for young players since it'll teach them how to generate power with full body swings, rather than letting the equipment do all of the work. This means footwork will also have to be better to get into position earlier to generate power. He can always upgrade to a faster blade later on if the limiting factor is speed of his shots rather than anything else. I bought it for my nephew for Christmas.

The above is only one training philosophy though. There are a few guys who will say that kids at their club start off with carbon blades and fast Butterfly rubbers from the start. I can't wrap my mind around that idea after seeing a bunch of kids at my local league with awful control upset at themselves sending balls long or into the net while using incredibly fast setups. Seems like a recipe for making a kid think they suck at the game, rather than thinking that they just need to hit the ball just a bit harder and with better technique.

 

[lodro]

As long as your son loves this combo and is obviously having fun and is doing well , my instinct says : leave him alone.
Once his game should start to get serious and maybe he starts to get coaching , then that might be the time for an upgrade.

 

[Lazer]

Hi Experts!

My son (10yo) is playing in a club four days a week and he is quite good for his age. All his older club mates (He is the youngest in his group) are using Stiga blades (Infinity VPS, Energy V2 with DNA Platinum M). He have tried similar blade+rubbers but the speed and control gives him problems. So now he is playing with Donic Appelgren Allplay FH Baracuda 2.0 and BH Xiom Vega Europe 2.0. He loves this blade/rubber combo and he beats half of the group with older players with way faster equipment.

My question: Is the Donic Appelgren Allplay, Baracuda and Xiom Vega Europe a good combination for a developing player or does this combo creates bad habits like bad foot work and sloppy technique because its slow and super spinny (FH)?

Thank you for your input!

/Krillo

That’s a great starter for a kid and he can keep it for a long time. A too fast equipment is what destroys your game.

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Crillo]

As long as your son loves this combo and is obviously having fun and is doing well , my instinct says : leave him alone.
Once his game should start to get serious and maybe he starts to get coaching , then that might be the time for an upgrade.

I guess you are right. He has a coach already and competing.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I guess you are right. He has a coach already and competing.

If he has a coach, why don't you ask the coach what he thinks about what would be best for your kid, rather than asking a bunch of random strangers on the internet?

Us forum members will be enthusiastic and want to help. But the person who will best know how your kid plays and what would be good for him would be his coach.

 

[Crillo]

If he has a coach, why don't you ask the coach what he thinks about what would be best for your kid, rather than asking a bunch of random strangers on the internet?

Us forum members will be enthusiastic and want to help. But the person who will best know how your kid plays and what would be good for him would be his coach.

The coach suggested Infinity VPS with DNA Platinum M but it it was too fast and after a few weeks of struggle he borrowed a Donic Appelgren Allplay with Baracuda on FH and Vega Europe on BH and after 20 minutes he was playing so much better. And a few days later won a local competition. The reason why I asked the question is in his club kids at his level plays with faster Stiga blades with harder rubbers. Its a jungle with different philosophies.

 

[Lazer]

The coach suggested Infinity VPS with DNA Platinum M but it it was too fast and after a few weeks of struggle he borrowed a Donic Appelgren Allplay with Baracuda on FH and Vega Europe on BH and after 20 minutes he was playing so much better. And a few days later won a local competition. The reason why I asked the question is in his club kids at his level plays with faster Stiga blades with harder rubbers. It’s a jungle with different philosophies.

The hardness isn’t necessarily the problem it’s probably the speed and a harder rubber isn’t necessarily faster. Make the change in small(er) steps. Next step would be something in between , maybe a third blade with rubbers that makes it a bit faster than the allplay but still slower than the infinity.
But really the allplay is a great blade the only thing is it vibrates a lot,. I don’t like that but if he is fine with it just get a little bit faster rubber next time…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

The coach suggested Infinity VPS with DNA Platinum M but it it was too fast and after a few weeks of struggle he borrowed a Donic Appelgren Allplay with Baracuda on FH and Vega Europe on BH and after 20 minutes he was playing so much better. And a few days later won a local competition. The reason why I asked the question is in his club kids at his level plays with faster Stiga blades with harder rubbers. Its a jungle with different philosophies.

The nice thing to know is, if he is using the slower setup and playing better and enjoying it more, that is a very good answer.

I do think there are a lot of philosophies that people have about equipment. Years ago, the common thought was, you start with slower equipment and keep using stuff that is on the slower side until you are very high level. The slower setup makes you work harder for your stroke which makes your body learn how to do a little more for the extra power.

So, if your kid is doing better with that setup, keep using it. It is a good one.

A lot of this stuff is really personal and one person will do better with one setup and another will do better with something different.

 

[piligrim]

The coach suggested Infinity VPS with DNA Platinum M but it it was too fast and after a few weeks of struggle he borrowed a Donic Appelgren Allplay with Baracuda on FH and Vega Europe on BH and after 20 minutes he was playing so much better. And a few days later won a local competition. The reason why I asked the question is in his club kids at his level plays with faster Stiga blades with harder rubbers. Its a jungle with different philosophies.

I would say main difference here in rubbers. Infinity not faster then Appelgren. But DNA Platinum for sure much faster then Baracuda and Vega Europe

 

[dingyibvs]

The start with 5-ply all-wood vs. start with composites argument is really about one thing: does winning now matter to you? If not, then start with composites, this way you won't have to spend time to retrain to get used a new type of blade. If winning matches now does matter, then use all wood, as the advantages of composites won't outweigh the disadvantages until you get relatively advanced. For a driven adolescent with regular coaching, we're talking about maybe a couple years max before composites are better than all-wood.

 

[Der_Echte]

Couple questions.

WHO gets to determine who is an expert? Does this EXPERT actually know what is going on?

Does this EXPERT see why the kid is doing for shots and knows what is actually easier to make the shots the kid does?

Does the EXPERT actually have his head stuck up his azz?

This happens a lot more than one would think.

 

[Kenta Cipriano]

The coach who's recommending something like that to a beginner, shouldnt be a coach.
A beginner needs to develop feeling, and for that a soft blade is required, because the vibration is more salient in the hand.
Choose hard rubbers to help him develop the best stroke , and get the best spin with most control. It helps him feel the ball better. Upgrade rubbers power as he develops, with time the blade should be really familiar to him, so it will be the last thing he wants to change.
Never go to too soft rubbers, as they don't have the same spin potential as harder ones, and they develop a good stroke.
The applegreen is a ok blade. The rubbers he is using are already a bit fast for a beginner, could look for pair of Ktl pro XT. Cheap and reliable. No speed aid from rubber, only spin and control.