Help with DHS Skyline

Hello! I'm a beginner TT player and for a while I've been interested in building myself a paddle. I recently came across the DHS Skyline series but I don't know if it is good. My main interest are the DHS Skyline 3, DHS Skyline 2 neo and DHS Skyline 3-60 Mid-Hard which I would like to play forehand. I've got some questions about this:

1. Which one of the DHS Skyline is better? (I'm looking to achieve an defensive style play)
2. Does it last long?
3. Is it a good rubber for defense?
4. Should I use it as a beginner?

Thanks a lot!
 
says 1-sided penhold is cool
says 1-sided penhold is cool
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Skyline NEO is boosted, and the boosting chemicals degrade the rubber. If you want the rubber to last for a long time, you should get the non-NEO version.

Personally I am a big fan of the Skyline series. I use Skyline 2 on both sides, though I will probably change to Skyline 3 on backhand after my current rubber wears out.

Skyline 2 lets you hit very slowly if you want to, and it lets you hit very fast if you hit hard. It has a very large range of speeds. Skyline 3 is faster overall, but not as fast as Skyline 2 when hitting as hard as you can. It's worth noting that the Skyline series was made specially for penhold players, but some handshake players like it as well.

My personal recommendation would be Skyline 2 for forehand and Skyline 3 for backhand. If you don't feel so strong with your backhand, it might be a good idea to use Skyline 3-60 (which has a softer sponge). Hurricane 3 is also a good option for backhand.

Answering your questions:

1. I think Skyline 2 and Skyline 3 are both very good. They have slightly different characteristics and I would recommend trying both of them to see which one you like better. You can try each of them on the forehand and backhand, and then make an adjustment when you buy your next set of rubbers.

2. Skyline rubbers last extremely long if you do not boost them. Boosting includes buying the NEO versions (factory-boosted). I have had my unboosted Skyline 2 for about one year now and they still play well.

3. Skyline 2 is the best for defense. With a soft touch, you can return the ball very slowly and accurately. This is useful for blocking smashes far back from the table, and it's also good for playing the ball very close to the net in the short game. Skyline 3 and Hurricane 3 will let you block faster, but you will also need to block more accurately.

Xu Xin and Ma Lin used Skyline 2 during their careers, and you can see that it's good for chop-blocking, loop-kill shots, and playing defensively far from the table. Wang Hao used Skyline 3, and you can see that Skyline 3 is good for quick changes of pace/direction, and taking the ball directly off of the bounce.

4. You will get mixed advice about whether it's a good idea to start playing with hard Chinese-style rubbers (like Skyline and Hurricane). Personally, I really liked using these rubbers as soon as I started playing. Chinese players learn how to play with this rubber, and they are the best in the world. At the very least, it is not unreasonable for a beginner to use Skyline rubbers.
 
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I think as a total beginner Skyline rubbers might be hard to use, especially when coming from a softer rubber like Karate Soft. It all depends on how you play and how good your technique is, so it's really hard to say. If your current setup works good for you, don't change too much, or you have to rebuild your technique again.

You might want to check out untacky rubbers like 729 - Focus III Snipe, 729 - Dragon L, Sanwei - Gear Hyper and 729 - Aurora MAX. Or perhaps tacky ones like Yinhe - Big Dipper, 729 - Dragon F or Yinhe - Mercury II. These might be a better transition to harder rubbers than going directly to Skyline.

I don't think Skyline series are bad at all, but it might be a too big change at once. For many years I played with Skyline 2 NEO 39deg on FH and I really liked it. It's like a Hurricane 3 NEO, but a little slower and some more control. From this I tried the Big Dipper 38deg and it gave me an even softer touch, more arc when looping, so it's a more "easy-to-play" rubber. And this is after playing several years, more Chinese style, brushing as much as possible, so don't go to a too hard rubber at once.
 
says 1-sided penhold is cool
says 1-sided penhold is cool
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Yeah those are some fair points. Lots of people prefer softer rubbers, and lots of coaches will tell you to play with a softer rubber if you are a beginner. Especially if you have a weaker side (for most people this is the backhand), coaches will advise the use of a softer rubber. If you have a side that you feel particularly strong with, that's usually a good reason to play with hard rubber on that side.

I think a good assessment of the difference between hard and soft rubbers is that soft rubbers give more consistency, while hard rubbers give more variability. Soft rubbers let you play a consistent shot even if you make some minor mistakes. Hard rubbers let you play the ball extremely slowly if you hit lightly, and extremely fast if you hit hard. Because of this increased range, it takes more precision in order to control the hard rubber.

Personally I think that soft rubbers are difficult to control (especially in the short game), and I instantly liked hard rubbers as soon as I started playing TT. But my situation is also pretty unique -- I do a lot of rock climbing, so my wrists and elbows are much stronger/stiffer than your average TT player. I also played squash and tennis before learning table tennis, and that probably affects my technique.

I think hard rubbers also suit the style of playing defense behind the table while waiting for a good opportunity to counter-attack. This is a big part of my style, and part of why I like hard rubbers. Hard rubbers let you return the ball very softly onto the table, until you find a good ball to hit extremely hard.

I've tried Yinhe Big Dipper before and I like it much more than other soft rubbers. Skyline 3-60 is also a softer option if you want to stick with the Skyline series.

Since it looks like you have one soft rubber and one hard rubber on your current paddle, try hard and soft on both forehand and backhand to get a sense of which kind of rubber you prefer on each side.
 
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