Hit a wall with my BH on OSP Virtuoso Off- – Rubber recommendations or time to change blades?

[matti77]

Hi everyone,

I’ve run into a bit of an equipment dilemma regarding my backhand and would really appreciate your insight and experience.

I currently play with an OSP Virtuoso Off- and I absolutely love the blade itself—the feel, touch, and control in passive play are top-notch. However, I’ve hit a wall when trying to put real power into my backhand shots.

Right now, I’m running Rasanter R48 on the backhand. It works fine for controlled/slower play, but as soon as I try to push the pace with active punches, counters, or penetrating BH loops, I feel a distinct lack of top-end speed. To get any real penetration, I have to swing so hard that I end up tensing up and losing my stroke mechanics. It feels like the rubber/blade combo simply lacks that higher gear.

My questions :
Can this be solved with the right rubber? I’m looking for a rubber that delivers noticeably more speed and punch in counters/flats, but without being so hard or flat that it feels dead/stiff when looping. I still need good dwell time and arc to open up comfortably against backspin without having to exert maximum physical effort every time.

Or is the OSP Virtuoso Off- simply too flexy/soft on the BH side for players looking for more direct penetration?

Has anyone in a similar situation with the Virtuoso- found a winning backhand rubber (e.g., Dignics 80, Tenergy 19, Evolution MX-P, etc.), or is the ultimate answer to transition to a stiffer/faster blade?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Tyce]

I have played Rozena for a bit, and it punches like crazy in my opinion. But every rubber has a downside.
Punching is always going to be easier with a solid blade to back it up. But also here, switching just to be able to punch better is going to come with serious drawbacks, in this case I would say feeling and ease of creating spin.

In my experience, flexible blades do better when you treat them as a whip rather than try to punch through the ball.

 

[Haito]

If you mainly punch, and focus on punch efficiency, why do you bother with smooth and grippy rubbers? 7 plies and pips might make more sense.

 

[matti77]

If you mainly punch, and focus on punch efficiency, why do you bother with smooth and grippy rubbers? 7 plies and pips might make more sense.

Thanks for the input, but short pips would change my playstyle far too much. I still rely heavily on spin, arc, and opening up with BH loops—I just need a rubber with a higher top-end gear than R48 that doesn't lose energy or feel dead when I drive or punch through the ball.

 

[blahness]

Join the Viscaria gang lol, the perfect blade for BH bang bang games