Fast blade needs fast rubbers?

[iamsancezz]

Hi guys,

what do you think about the following theory. If the speed of a blade increases, it does "kick" into the sponge. Thus u have to play harder sponge.

If this is true, can you estimate the effect between a 5ply, 7ply and 5+2 outer and inner carbon blades?

For me i couldnt even max out a Baracuda (kindish 45° hardness) on a 5ply blade and currently on a 7ply blade it's the same for the G-1. Im slightly above average rating (+100 on Ø.) So i dont know for whom these super hard rubbers are...

See you, San

 

[IB66]

Remember that the hardness quoted is generally for sponge only.
Rubber top sheets can be hard or soft, thick or thin, tight or more spaced pimple structure grippy or tacky etc etc.
So depending on the top sheet ‘formula’ a modern rubber with a harder sponge, such as Andro R53, it doesn’t necessarily ‘feel’ hard.


I’m not too sure that a faster blade ‘needs’ a faster rubber or harder sponge, I think it’s more a case of what the player can do and likes.
There have been quite a few posts on people changing to a faster blade and experiencing a drop in spin capability when keeping the same rubbers. This can usually be put down to technique, not necessarily poor technique, but learning to change / tweak technique to achieve the spin levels previously there..
You could perceive this as requiring a higher level of technique, of being a higher standard player. This is not necessarily 100% correct, Some people may have learnt to produce the spin at the point of contact with their stroke, but this doesn’t mean the ‘whole’ of their stroke is technically sound!!!

From limited experience of using the same rubbers on different blades, it can be possible to ESTIMATE ROUGHLY how the same rubber will play on different blades.
Nittaku Acoustic (all wood 5 ply) Acoustic Inner and Acoustic outer are a very good example of a blade to use for comparison, for seeing how the same rubber plays.
A while ago I tried Rakza Z / EH on an Acoustic all wood and Acoustic inner, the result was that for me, spin was similar, speed increased. For a similar stroke the ball travelled between 350 - 500 mm further, if I had an Acoustic outer, it would be likely that the ball would travel further again, perhaps by another 300 to 500mm and that the faster rebound or lower ‘dwell’ as some put it, could result is less spin.
Also, personally I find that the inner and perhaps to lesser extent outer layer carbon blades become less predictable or as some say ‘linear’. With the inner carbon blades I have used, they play like all wood with lower impact strokes and then when you play a harder stroke the carbon really kicks in and BANG the ball goes longer than I expected!!

Having said that, my current blade is a 7 ply + 2 carbon layers, composition is -
Willow, Ayous, Soft Carbon, Ayous,Ayous,Ayous, Soft Carbon, Ayous, Willow.
This is a SLOW, defensive speed blade, the soft carbon is there more to increase sweet spot rather than speed, even though it’s an ‘Inner’ carbon the blade is very linear or predictable.

 

[iamsancezz]

Hi IB,

thank you for your experience.

Maybe you also tried out 7ply allwood blades like the Clipper or Tibhar Black Pro. Just for curiosity i would like to know where's the difference to 5+2 Inner Carbon.

 

[IB66]

I did try-
Joola TPE Perform - Hinoki, koto, Carbon, Ayous (5+2)
Joola TPE Nature - Limba, Ayous, Ayous, Ayous, Ayous, Ayous, Limba (7 ply)

For someone of my ability, these blades played very similarly, feeling, speed etc despite the completely different composition of each blade, I could pick up one and play, then use the other, differences were on the small side!!

DHS Long 5 (from memory)- Limba, Limba, ALC, Ayous, ALC, Limba, Limba (5+2)
Nittaku Acoustic- Limba, Limba, Tung, Limba, Limba (5 ply)
Nittaku Acoustic inner- Limba, Limba, Carbon, Tung, Carbon Limba, Limba (5+2)

Looking at the composition of the Long 5 and Acoustic Inner, you would think they may play and feel pretty close to each other, type of carbon used and core wood are the differences BUT they are further apart compared to the Joola blades, which have way different compositions.

The long 5 - for me was the least predictable on harder strokes out of all of the above blades, but that’s me, other people may say exactly the opposite!!

So it’s not a cut and dry situation!! X does this, Y does that!!
In very general terms, usually 7 ply are faster than 5 ply, stiffer than 5 ply,

 

[iamsancezz]

Thank you for sharing it.

I read more and more about similar composition but different playing property. It's good for the equipment enthusiast