Help choosing a new blade+rubber setup

[varik]

Hello, I would like a little help on choosing a new racket.

First of all, a bit my story as table tennis player for somehow you can establish a background.

I started to play table tennis at age 14 (1990), at this time a racket or a brick it would be the same, I had 0 rallies till then. With a coach and a club racket (can’t remember what) I started to learn the basics, chop, spin, serve etc etc. After 1 year I bought my 1[SUP]st[/SUP] custom blade, it was a Butterfly Primorac with Sriver and Mark V combo, and my progress got to higher levels. Using speed glue I kept using this combo until 1995 when I stopped playing, becoming a senior and starting to work made the decision. At this time I was probably what you would consider a 1200-1400 USATT Junior League Player.

In 1996 (age 20), I tried to have a comeback, even bought a new combo BTY Primo Powerfelling with Donic vario and BTY Sriver, my old setup was totally f$&@# after 1 ½ in the closet, but this try only lasted 6 months.

Last year (age 38) I decided that I had to begin train again and play some matches in a non-“professional” championship. I kept the blade, but once again a had to change rubbers 18 years was too much for them. I got a Xiom Vega Pro max and a Xiom Europe 2.0, my current setup.

After 6 months of training and about 20+ games, I learned several things.

• I have very slow reaction to the opponent strikes, in training situations that I know where the ball will fall my technique is good, but as I change to match stance 50% of the time I’m out of balance what makes my strikes faulty, this is a matter of weight and fitness, things that I’m trying to change.
• I’m not prepared to handle tensor rubbers at this point, the catapult effect it’s hard to control, this king of rubbers tend to speed up the game and as I said above I move too slow, 50% of the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] balls get me out of balance.
• I still need plenty of training hours to play as I used to, I fell that I’m a usatt rank 600 at this time, and not below thanks to some of my serves.

• In this 6 months I noticed that my play style could be considered as a allround attacker, I have a great lack of confidence what make me force a touch play till my opponent give a long ball for my FH. With my backhand at this point I’m only comfortable in touch play and drives. Bottom line ill drive/touch more than spin what normally takes the point to 7+ balls. At the moment that’s my current type of game due to my lack of fitness, training and confidence. My aim its to return to my old style as 5[SUP]th[/SUP] ball attacker.

That being said, I feel that I must slow my setup a little, and I think that you will agree. After reading plenty of posts from UpSideDownCarl, NextLevel and Der_Echte I have some ideas what to get but I would like your advice/opinions about the my specific case.

The Blade
For the blade I’m thinking on getting a Tibhar Powerwood, trusting the reviews it’s a very balanced 5 ply wood -OFF blade, having a bigger head will also help. The price it’s also a plus in the matter. Any thoughts?

The Rubbers
My first choice was Tibhar Evo FX-P both sides 1.9-2.0, but they are still tensor rubbers I believe so I got a foot behind and started to think that maybe it would be better to return to the old school rubbers with a thickness no more than 2.0. If I have a pretty nice idea what I want for the blade, as for the rubbers I’m have 2[SUP]nd[/SUP], 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] and 4[SUP]th[/SUP] thoughts. I really need your advice here.


Sorry if my English is somehow criptic , and thank you for your help.

 

[Rayeez]

Well, I personally would go for Yinhe/Galaxy equipment, when I started, I used the Mercury II and 9000d. If your response time is a little slow, then using the 9000d both sides might be a good idea. Its spin and control are exceptional.
Other options are: Patio cj8000 both sides 1.9mm. Stiga Neos tacky 1.9, or Donic desto f2/f3, f2 in 1.8, f3 in 2.0.

For the blade, I guess yours should work, but unless you are and off- player, you might need something faster.


Although, you never stated what style you are, so I'm just giving you general ideas.

Also, you really should learn to read spin from the start.

 

[varik]

Although, you never stated what style you are, so I'm just giving you general ideas.

Good point, i'll add that to the main post

 

[Rayeez]

If you're not confident in attacking, try doing 3rd ball drills. And flick training.

 

[Ilia Minkin]

• I have very slow reaction to the opponent strikes, in training situations that I know where the ball will fall my technique is good, but as I change to match stance 50% of the time I’m out of balance what makes my strikes faulty, this is a matter of weight and fitness, things that I’m trying to change.

It is also a matter of technique: http://tabletenniscoaching.com/node/2188

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

The blade is a good choice. The rubbers you have could be fine. If the Vega Pro is too much, you could try the Vega Europe for FH too. But FX-P should be fine too. Donic Baracuda might be good rubber for you as well.

However, here is what I think may be the real issue:

First, watch this whole video, it is worth watching the whole thing. You could even watch it a few times. The better you understand what they are saying, the more you will be able to sort out ways of applying the info to table tennis:

Now, go do serve and receive drills. Do any kind of random drills you can. Based on the information you presented, a good all wood, 5 ply Off- blade and a rubber that is good at generating spin but not hard to control should be good for you too.

But the real issue sounds like it is that you train in a standardized way where you know what is coming back at you. But in match play that does not happen and so your anticipation, your reading the situation and responding is not at the level of your stroke production so you can't even use your strokes well in the kind of random scenario of game play.

Work on adding more elements of random training to your training. You can do them with someone your level. You don't need a coach to do that kind of training.

The simplest, most direct version of a serve and receive drill would be:

--Each player takes two serves and you play the point out. In this drill it is more valuable to play missed serves as let balls so each player gets the opportunity to receive two good serves.

The main difference between that drill and a match is that, since you are not counting points, you should go for higher difficulty shots that you might be more tentative on in a real match.

The point in the drill is not to make the shots but to get comfortable with the randomness and to take better shots when the opportunity is there.

--serve short backspin, opponent pushes long, you attack. You do that for 5-10 min. Then switch who gets to serve and attack. When you are not attacking, you get to practice your counters against your opponents opening and you get to improve your pushing skills. Once the third ball is opened, open play and both players try to win the point.

--short serve, short push, long push, open. In this drill the player who is not serving is the one who gets to open.

There are hundreds of variations on these.

But start working on random game simulation drills.

That is much more the issue it sounds like you were addressing rather than the equipment.


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[varik]

Thanks for all the replies till now.

The training plans seem good, and in some ways is what I had already planned to do. However training hints are always welcome of course.

The main goal of this post is which rubbers I should use in the new blade that I want to buy (Tibhar Powerwood) in order to better achieve these goals, and since I was way for about 18 years the techs have changed a lot and I’m still not very familiarized with the tensor idea.
In your opinion, should I stick with tensor rubbers but maybe a thinner thickness or return to nontensor ones, and which ones are more suited.

Thanks once again.

 

[Tembel]

I have a similar journey as yours. I started playing in the late eighties and played until I was approx 18 years old. I fairly recently after a 20 years break started playing again and the biggest change to me is the new ball. I think the new ball actually helps me to still be able to keep up since I notice that the game is bit slower and has less spin now than before. I started with similar equipment as I was used to, which is actually almost the same as yours (Primorac blade and MarkV max rubbers). I quite quickly noticed that the MarkV's where too slow for my taste now with the new slower ball, so I have actually move on to tensors which I think I have gotten accustomed to and can handle. I would recommend that when you get a bit more comfortable with your balance and technique again, try a tensor rubber with a softer sponge.

 

[Rajah*]

What made you choose tibhar powerwood as your blade?
Coming from a non tensor..how do you think a tensor new rubber would improve or develop your playing style? Advantages and disadvantages.
Equipment vs skills.

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[UpSideDownCarl]

Let me ask you some questions about the rubbers.

You are using Vega Pro on FH and Vega Europe on BH: is that right?

When you play, do you feel like the ball flies off your rubber in directions you are not expecting as a result of the spin?

Do a lot of your shots go long?

When you know where the ball is going, when you are doing more standard drills, and are ready for the ball that is coming towards you, are you still having trouble with how the rubber grabs and catapults the ball?

If you flip your racket around and use the Vega Europe on FH, how does that feel?


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[Rajah*]

Exactly.. these are the things that you need to observe while you train.

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[varik]

After a couple of weeks making some tests, I think I can better answer to some of your questions.

@ Rajah
What made you choose tibhar powerwood as your blade?
The choice if tibhar powerwood was made based on several points. First of all most of the articles I read say that this blade this is a well balanced off- blade with amazing price/quality ratio. But after maturing my ideas I think that I will go for a more permanent blade and choose an OSP.

Coming from a non tensor..how do you think a tensor new rubber would improve or develop your playing style? Advantages and disadvantages.
That’s the one million dollar question; I don’t know if a tensor rubber will help me, but I don’t know either if it won’t. I don’t have a clue. And that it’s exactly what I want to find out. I don’t know if it’s the thickness of my rubbers max Vega Pro and 2.0 Vega Europe, but both rubbers seem too much “springy” even in a simple tapping the ball exercise, I fell that the ball bounces too much and too uncontrolled for my taste.

Bty Rajah, you are from Portugal , Where ?

@ UpSideDownCarl
You are using Vega Pro on FH and Vega Europe on BH: is that right?
Yes. Im using a max Vega Pro on FH and a 2.0 Vega Europe on BH

When you play, do you feel like the ball flies off your rubber in directions you are not expecting as a result of the spin?
Not quite, the direction is almost the one that I want, give ir ot take some cm, my problem is more in the distance, some go to the net others pass the table of become longer that I would hope for, as example I fell that my touch play and most of my serves go to long.

Do a lot of your shots go long?
As I said above that is my main problem, especially if I don’t have the time to position myself in the right way. Since most of my loops go of the table I can’t get enough trust to play my game hidden myself in a defensive touch play that my gear is not suited.

When you know where the ball is going, when you are doing more standard drills, and are ready for the ball that is coming towards you, are you still having trouble with how the rubber grabs and catapults the ball?
In standard drills where I’m well balanced, FH to FH for example, I can get some good rallies but as the rally fasten up the ball tends to go off table.

If you flip your racket around and use the Vega Europe on FH, how does that feel?
If I flip my racket, the game becomes more controlled it doesn’t go off table so often.


Thankyou.

 

[laistrogian]

Vega Pro and Europe is pretty fast but they're what I'd call very controllable rubbers. If you do feel like the 2 rubbers are too quick, I recommend switching back to Mark V on both sides.

As for the blade, Primo power feeling is a good blade and tbh I don't think you need a slower one.

Personally, I don't see the need to switch your setup. Missing third ball or perhaps getting unbalanced after the 3rd ball attack generally means you either don't have the proper swing yet or a lazy footwork. Perhaps getting more footwork drills would work

 

[necax007]

Varik, I use a tensor rubber (Ventus Soft) and a Barracuda for BH looping with a custom handmade blade. If you play in Porto area, i can let you try my set and from that you can have a better idea of what you need. I also have ALL and ALL+ blades with old school rubbers if you want to compare.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

It sounds like, when you are pressured you get less spin and hit harder.

You could get Vega Europe for FH or Baracuda. Either of those should help. But I am going to post the idea of a touch exercise when I get a chance.


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[UpSideDownCarl]

The first exercise in this video, if you modify it and practice it against a wall until you have enough control to do it with the edge of the table, really helps develop your touch. It is worth practicing.

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