Fast blade with slow rubber or slow blade with fast rubber?

[Quixote]

Hi,
In my return to the game after 30 years I begun with a Yasaka Sweden Extra and Rakza 7 2mm in both sides. I´ve been training in a local club twice a week and also at home with a return table.
Once the sensations came back in a month, the YSE felt slow and I upgraded the blade to a Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon (which is an medium-fast inner carbon blade) with the same rubbers and now I feel pretty confident in my game, and thinking in stepping the speed a notch more with fastest blade, but I´m afraid it will be too fast...
What would you do, use the same blade (YMLSC) with harder/faster rubbers (Rakza XX?) or switch to a faster blade (Viscaria/TBLALC kind?) with same/slower rubbers (lets say Rakza 7 soft)?
I don´t have the opportunity to try equipment in my area, what would you do?
Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[turbozed]

If cost is a factor then a higher speed blade with slower rubbers makes more sense. It's easy to make a blade slightly stiffer or harder for more speed whereas fast rubber requires more expensive technology and needs to be replaced. For instance, you can buy a faster all wood 7 ply for the same price or cheaper than your YSE (even half the price of it). However, rubbers faster than Rakza 7 are going to be at least $40+ per sheet.

Ma Lin carbon frequency suggests that it's ALL+/OFF- at 1250hz to 1300hz so it's only a slight speed increase from the YSE. The MLSC is desgined to feel more like an all wood blade, and I wouldn't categorize it a 'medium-fast' inner-carbon unless you if we're talking about offensive style. Going to a solid OFF outer ALC will feel like a bigger jump. Also slower rubbers won't behave similarly, likely feeling more linear with less catapult.

If you can't test blades of friends and club mates, then the next best thing to do is to test out faster blades from companies like Yinhe, Sanwei, and Stuor.

 

[Quixote]

Thanks. I just ordered a Sanwei V5 Pro that os a fast 7 ply wood (~1400hz) and will try to tame it…

 

[Quixote]

... Also slower rubbers won't behave similarly, likely feeling more linear with less catapult.

I´ve been reflecting in this sentence, didn´t think this effect, thanks @turbozed. It somehow diminishes that strategy...
So I´ll try that cheap and fast Sanwei blade with the rubbers I know well to discover what kind of speed I can manage.
Times have changed a lot since my ancient Butterfly Klampar Tamca Carbon with 2mm Sriver and Tackiness rubbers...

 

[Gozo Aruna]

1. flexy blade with hard rubber = loopy loopy all day and all night long.

2. Stiff blade with soft rubber = control blocking ( placement )+ smashing ( when ball pops up ) + fast counter drive are your friend.

 

[Choosikick]

Hi,
In my return to the game after 30 years I begun with a Yasaka Sweden Extra and Rakza 7 2mm in both sides. I´ve been training in a local club twice a week and also at home with a return table.
Once the sensations came back in a month, the YSE felt slow and I upgraded the blade to a Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon (which is an medium-fast inner carbon blade) with the same rubbers and now I feel pretty confident in my game, and thinking in stepping the speed a notch more with fastest blade, but I´m afraid it will be too fast...
What would you do, use the same blade (YMLSC) with harder/faster rubbers (Rakza XX?) or switch to a faster blade (Viscaria/TBLALC kind?) with same/slower rubbers (lets say Rakza 7 soft)?
I don´t have the opportunity to try equipment in my area, what would you do?
Thanks in advance for your help!

Fast Blade and replace your forehand rubber R7 with a hybrid Rakza Z or RZ EH. You don’t have to change rubber on the backhand, R7 works well on the backhand. This will give you more speed and spin while maintaining control.

 

[Lula]

What is the purpose of upgrading to a faster blade? think we easily fools ourselves that we are better with much faster equipment. Become better at the cool loops during warm up, but many times we lose serve, return, placement and also sometimes power since you can not put as much body in the stroke. I would try with max rubbers first, maybe rakza X or 9 if they are harder.

 

[IB66]

What is the purpose of upgrading to a faster blade? think we easily fools ourselves that we are better with much faster equipment. Become better at the cool loops during warm up, but many times we lose serve, return, placement and also sometimes power since you can not put as much body in the stroke. I would try with max rubbers first, maybe rakza X or 9 if they are harder.

Some players have also reported loss of spin when looping with their new faster blade. Especially outer carbon. Opponents return their attacking loops more often and report that there is less spin on the incoming loop.
This is down to technique, so there may be some adjustments needed.

 

[Quixote]

What is the purpose of upgrading to a faster blade? think we easily fools ourselves that we are better with much faster equipment. Become better at the cool loops during warm up, but many times we lose serve, return, placement and also sometimes power since you can not put as much body in the stroke. I would try with max rubbers first, maybe rakza X or 9 if they are harder.

Thanks @Lula
I find YSE offers great control but is too slow, I have to put great effort to block and attack. YMLSC offers a gear more and it is easy to block/return, but at a certain distance of the table lacks some power also.
I don´t know if I´m perhaps fooling myself, just trying to know what´s the best setup for me. Some people buy a Viscaria and then discover it´s too fast and can´t handle it nor spin, I know. Just finding my limits.

 

[Quixote]

1. flexy blade with hard rubber = loopy loopy all day and all night long.

2. Stiff blade with soft rubber = control blocking ( placement )+ smashing ( when ball pops up ) + fast counter drive are your friend.

Thanks @Gozo Aruna, may experiment #1 with the YSE just for fun. #2 is ongoing with the Sanwei V5 Pro (when it arrives)

 

[Choosikick]

In the past, slower blades with fast rubbers worked better with celluloid balls. With the 40+ ball everything changed. Nowadays, faster blades with semi-sticky rubbers work better. Yes, the choice of blade must be taken responsibly. It should not be extremely fast, especially for beginners. Design is also important. If the player has short movements and more blocks, then short-stroke blades with external reinforcement of carbon fibers of the viscaria type are suitable. If the player has long movements, then long-stroke blades with internal reinforcement such as long5 or harimoto/innerforce, etc. are more suitable.

 

[mil]

You will have to try yourself - the rule is simple - play with the fastest stuff you can control. The plastic ball changed everything. Speed is needed very much. The only concern is receive and short play.

I also think that if you are fine with Rakza 7 and want to stick with it, you could try even OFF+ blade.

 

[Quixote]

You will have to try yourself - the rule is simple - play with the fastest stuff you can control. The plastic ball changed everything. Speed is needed very much. The only concern is receive and short play.

I also think that if you are fine with Rakza 7 and want to stick with it, you could try even OFF+ blade.

Yes, I know this rubber well and it’s better to change only one thing at the time.

 

[Quixote]

Hi all,
I´ve made a few experiments mixing fast and slow blades and rubbers (including short and long pips), and what I´ve found is blade has the most influence and most european rubbers feel similar.
So I´ve settled in what has better worked to me, that is Viscaria ALC as blade and (relative slow) Donic Baracudas as rubbers in max. Also noticed a difference between 2mm and Max for the better.
This way I can spin the ball with ease, as I like, and have enough hitting power if needed. Some BH hits flied off the table at first, but I´m quickly adapting.
I´m also trying cheap chinese rubbers (Friendship 729, etc.) to see if they may be a real alternative, given the increasing cost of rubbers.
And also thinking in finding a second hand Viscaria for that experiments.

 

[lodro]

And also thinking in finding a second hand Viscaria for that experiments.

Very good move because let's face it one cannot compare 2 different rubbers when using 2 different blades in the process.
There are some lads here in the forum who forever give comparison between different rubbers but they also have these rubbers on different blades.
That kind of comparison has no value at all.

 

[Manto76]

And also thinking in finding a second hand Viscaria for that experiments.

The Yinhe Pro 1 is very close to Viscaria, and is only a fraction of the price. One of those might serve you well as an experimental blade.

 

[piligrim]

The Yinhe Pro 1 is very close to Viscaria, and is only a fraction of the price. One of those might serve you well as an experimental blade.

I have both and they very different. Similar constraction but play different

 

[Lazer]

@Quixote
I like a "slowish" (all+ - off-) blade where I can start with a slow rubber and then go up in speed.
Slow blades are also usually easier to loop with because they often flex...

Cheers
L-zr