How often do pros change their equipment

[Colin Ksh]

Hi guys. Recently, I had a chance to ask from an ig to one of the korean national team players , Cho Seungmin WR #108. Asked him how often he changes his blade and rubber and the result is as follows.

Blade : 3-4 months
Rubbers : 3 days - 1 week

Another fun fact is that Cho Seungmin is a dhs sponsored player. He's using a full dhs setup. Another person also asked his current setup and it's W968 with H3 BS on fh and H8 on bh (didn't mention the exact versions i.e, hardness,thickness, neo/non-neo, etc of the respective rubbers) But I'll add photos below for you guys to have some predictions.

I'm not surprise of how often they change their rubbers because I've once heard Zhang Jike even change his rubbers once a week during trainings and during competitions it depends of around once every one or two days and moreover, it makes sense that rubbers tend to wear out or deteriorate performance faster than blades do.
I've also read in an interview asking about the same thing (blade) to harimoto. Though I can't find the source no more.

――How long do you change the racket?
Harimoto: I will change it in about a year. At the Asian Championships in September, the humidity was so strong that I lost in the first group, so I changed to a spare racket before the next fourth game. The spare was newer so it was better against humidity. After that, I continue to use it.

What startled me is that some pros do change their blade more frequent eg like cho seungmin. I know players will differ from one another like their personal touch, whether or not they like to stick with an older setup because they prefer better feeling on it,even if they are being sponsor or not(maybe?). There's alot to talk about. I'd like to kindly invite other members here to discuss it too. Apology for a long post. Thanks guys

 

[DukeGaGa]

From the pictures it looks like H3 Neo, since it’s 2.1mm , pretty sure non-Neo versions only has 2.15 and 2.2. Also hardness is 41.5. H8 looks like a 37degree version, so it’s possible to be a H8-80 variant.

 

[Airoc]

The answer to this and similar questions is always "it depends", but I think your example gives a good average.
Water based glue apparently slows down blades sooner than the old glue.
The days of a pro player using one blade (and really only that one, not several models of the same) for the whole length of the career seem to be over.

 

[Colin Ksh]

The answer to this and similar questions is always "it depends", but I think your example gives a good average.
Water based glue apparently slows down blades sooner than the old glue.
The days of a pro player using one blade (and really only that one, not several models of the same) for the whole length of the career seem to be over.

Yep. I've seen some old school pro players used to use their old school bats for ages. The era has changed as you've said. It's what it is now.

 

[Attitude]

From the pictures it looks like H3 Neo, since it’s 2.1mm , pretty sure non-Neo versions only has 2.15 and 2.2. Also hardness is 41.5. H8 looks like a 37degree version, so it’s possible to be a H8-80 variant.

Actually it is only the sponge color that suggests 8-80 for me too.
H8 is possible to get in 37 hardness too. But the spong of it is usually more orange than red.
Really interesting seeing a pro using the 8-80 version.

Thanks for the insight

 

[Zwill]

Yeah, that is H8-80 for sure. It's funny when I take it off from my racket the glue stays on the wood, not on the sponge. Same happens with him too.

 

[lodro]

Yeah, that is H8-80 for sure. It's funny when I take it off from my racket the glue stays on the wood, not on the sponge. Same happens with him too.

2 points are unclear to me:
What glue is being used that leaves the ID-lettering of the rubber on the blade ?
What causes the mesh-like layer on the blade {or glue}, it looks nearly like a fine fiberglass ?
Even though the rubber has been stripped from the blade there is a distinct overhang on the bottom left where the rubbers lower edge was. I know i am just kidding here but it looks like he used a glue sheet 😮

 

[Zwill]

I think most glues take the ink off the sponge like that and not just from DHS sponges, also from ESN.
That pattern is because of the sponge. DHS cuts the sponge in that pattern. Not in every case, but I think blue sponges and this #80 sponge is like that. I guess they use some circular saw or knife.

It could be a gluesheet... I don't know and I can't judge, but DHS no15 glue also stays on the racket for me just like on this pic.

 

[lodro]

I think most glues take the ink off the sponge like that and not just from DHS sponges, also from ESN.
That pattern is because of the sponge. DHS cuts the sponge in that pattern. Not in every case, but I think blue sponges and this #80 sponge is like that. I guess they use some circular saw or knife.

It could be a gluesheet... I don't know and I can't judge, but DHS no15 glue also stays on the racket for me just like on this pic.

let me guess, you do not seal your blades ????

also, the "wowen" pattern does not come from the sponge because we can clearly see from the
ID number imprints that it was the rubber with the red sponge that has been on this side of the blade,

just as an afterthought, i have never seen a "cutting pattern" on a sponge. All the manufacturing processes of sponges i have seen were where the sponge mass is pressed through 2 big steel rolls

 

[JustANoob]

So the wood absorbs water from the water glue, that makes the blade heavier but also slower? While I understand that the pro's would like to keep their blade at some exact weight, but my understanding is that a heavier blade should generate more power? So maybe slower as in messes with timing?

 

[lodro]

So the wood absorbs water from the water glue, that makes the blade heavier but also slower? While I understand that the pro's would like to keep their blade at some exact weight, but my understanding is that a heavier blade should generate more power? So maybe slower as in messes with timing?

Waterbased glue of course also contains latex, Ammonia and probably a few other bits and pieces.
After it is applied to the blade one let's dry, or the solvents in the glue evaporate. Next time I glue some new rubber
on one of my blades I will weigh the blade before and after the glue , you made me curious.
Wonder what the weight gain will be.

Of course if one decides to use the illegal glue that contains the VOC Volatile organic compound, part of it will go
into the wood as well and most certainly it will also add some weight.

Some people do and some people don"t, but I always seal all my blades with waterbased polyurethane .
Yes of course this might add a couple of grams but it will then not let any glue go into the wood and prevents
damage to the blade when removing old rubber.

And while i am waffling on , one can always use glue -sheets. they will add about 6 grams to the blade weight and nothing goes into the wood 😁

 

[Gozo Aruna]

My coach, who was a former National Player and won medals in the ASEAN games ( Men Single / Team event ) in the 90's told me during one of our chit-chat session that during his professional career, Butterfly would send loads of Tenergy free of charge to his club office and the manager on duty would distribute it to the players regularly. He was able to change Tenergy weekly if he wants to but he did it less often as it was too tedious to glue sheets. He has never change his blade however and has been using the same blade for the past 30 years. His blade is Butterfly Kim Taek Soo J-Pen One ply Hinoki.

 

[lodro]

My coach, who was a former National Player and won medals in the ASEAN games ( Men Single / Team event ) in the 90's told me during one of our chit-chat session that during his professional career, Butterfly would send loads of Tenergy free of charge to his club office and the manager on duty would distribute it to the players regularly. He was able to change Tenergy weekly if he wants to but he did it less often as it was too tedious to glue sheets. He has never change his blade however and has been using the same blade for the past 30 years. His blade is Butterfly Kim Taek Soo J-Pen One ply Hinoki.

Stay with the unit that works for you I reckon 😁

 

[Zwill]

let me guess, you do not seal your blades ????

also, the "wowen" pattern does not come from the sponge because we can clearly see from the
ID number imprints that it was the rubber with the red sponge that has been on this side of the blade,

just as an afterthought, i have never seen a "cutting pattern" on a sponge. All the manufacturing processes of sponges i have seen were where the sponge mass is pressed through 2 big steel rolls

If you take a more careful look you can see the circular pattern on the red sponge.
Doesn't matter that you have never seen something like it, it still exists.

 

[lodro]

If you take a more careful look you can see the circular pattern on the red sponge.
Doesn't matter that you have never seen something like it, it still exists.

if you can see a circular pattern on the red sponge please tell me what you have been smoking because
i would like to see it too 😁
If there actually is a circular pattern on the orange sponge , it is still not explaining the fine rectangular woven pattern that
remained on the blade and looking more closely the pattern seen on the blade is also ever so slightly visible on the sponge

 

[Zwill]

if you can see a circular pattern on the red sponge please tell me what you have been smoking because
i would like to see it too 😁
If there actually is a circular pattern on the orange sponge , it is still not explaining the fine rectangular woven pattern that
remained on the blade and looking more closely the pattern seen on the blade is also ever so slightly visible on the sponge

So you see them. They are not straight lines. They are like growth rings on a tree. The sponge looks like it was cut with a circular saw which was my original comment.

 

[latej]

So you see them. They are not straight lines. They are like growth rings on a tree. The sponge looks like it was cut with a circular saw which was my original comment.

 

[lodro]

😂 these are just brush marks from the factory glue which is common on Neo's and is also why half of it stayed on the blade
have a look at this video and let me know when you see the skill saw, and i still want some of the stuff you guys smoke 🤣
https://youtu.be/vdhGxd-oxas

 

[latej]

😂 these are just brush marks from the factory glue which is common on Neo's and is also why half of it stayed on the blade
have a look at this video and let me know when you see the skill saw, and i still want some of the stuff you guys smoke 🤣
https://youtu.be/vdhGxd-oxas

Some unidentified circular object, with a pretty big radius, operated on my rubber. That's for sure!

 

[lodro]

Some unidentified circular object, with a pretty big radius, operated on my rubber. That's for sure!

hahah, the moon has a pretty big radius 😁