Intermediate Player - Paddle Change after a Decade!

[gargovich]

Hey guys! First time posting here!

I was an avid TT player all through my schooling and college years, even won a bunch of national tournaments. But I retreated about 9 years ago, and have since only played recreationally and sometimes at my local TT club. Although I have no need for a professional paddle, I have grown accustomed to my earlier setup - one which has lasted me waaaay longer than it should have - DHS Dipper Di-02 - Mark V (FH) - Sriver FX (BH). I loved this paddle, it was amazing for me throughout my younger years but later on I would find the backhand to be less responsive to my topspin looping, a key feature of my game especially on returns.

In recent years I've been borrowing paddles at my club and they're quite sub-quality to what I'm used to. The only promising experience I had was with a Tibhar Evolution MX-P50 (FH) and T05 (BH) but that's too pricey for me (I also didn't pay attention to the blade back then).

Currently I'm considering a Yasaka Mark V (Max thickness) (FH) along with a Nittaku Fastarc G-1 (2.0mm) (BH) for my new paddle with a Stiga Allround Classic blade. I'm also looking at Yasaka Sweden Extra, Yasaka Extra 3D, Tibhar Allround Premium (my budget option) or Tibhar Samsonov Premium Contact.

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions on how I can further optimize this setup and/or bring down costs without affecting performance too much.

Currently considered setup -
Blade - Stiga ARC - €50
FH - Yasaka Mark V - €30
BH - Nittaku Fastarc G-1 - €50
Total setup - €130
Ideal setup cost < €100

Playing style -
FH - aggressive looping, mid/long range
BH - topspin serve returns, close to table, chops

Thanks!

 

[Michael Zhuang]

If you want to lower cost, your best bet is to either use Chinese blade or Chinese rubber or both.

You can get a very high quality blade nearly identical to the ones you listed for $20 or less on Aliexpress. Sanwei and Yinhe are your best bets.

Many Chinese rubbers come fairly close in speed and performance to Euro rubbers. You can try AK47 or Loki T3 or 729 Presto Speed on Aliexpress.

 

[gargovich]

If you want to lower cost, your best bet is to either use Chinese blade or Chinese or both.

You can get a very high quality blade nearly identical to the ones you listed for $20 or less on Aliexpress. Sanwei and Yinhe are your best bets.

Many Chinese rubbers come fairly close in speed and performance to Euro rubbers. You can try AK47 or Loki T3 or 729 Presto Speed on Aliexpress.

Oh sick! I totally didn't even consider using a site like aliexpress to save on costs! Thanks my man!

I also found out about tabletennis11 after going through a few Reddit posts, so I might consider that as well.

The thing is while I do appreciate aliexpress, I'm skeptical about the authenticity of their goods, and I would very much prefer to not use knock-offs. Do you have any recommendations as to which store I should target perhaps? I've read good things about Eacheng stores on aliexpress; would you happen to know anything about them?

 

[Michael Zhuang]

Oh sick! I totally didn't even consider using a site like aliexpress to save on costs! Thanks my man!

I also found out about tabletennis11 after going through a few Reddit posts, so I might consider that as well.

The thing is while I do appreciate aliexpress, I'm skeptical about the authenticity of their goods, and I would very much prefer to not use knock-offs. Do you have any recommendations as to which store I should target perhaps? I've read good things about Eacheng stores on aliexpress; would you happen to know anything about them?

I've ordered from many different stores on Aliexpress, but honestly all of them are equally good. They are all reliable, and all sell authentic goods. Most of the products will come with a special ID number that you can input on the manufacturer's website to verify the authenticity.

Playa Ping pong is a very popular and well run store. They would have all the blades and rubbers I mentioned.
Chinese PingPong
GHsports
Ali Battleship
etc.

Honestly I wouldn't be afraid of the store. They are all good and I have ordered from all of them before.

 

[Michael Zhuang]

I'm a big fan of this blade. Nice feeling and great control and low price.

I haven't tried, but many people love this one too.

And this rubber would suit you very well

 

[WingTT]

The game of table tennis has changed do to the plastic ball mandate as you know. I don't think Mark V would work very well now if you are interested in performance. You can get Nittaku Fastarc G1 for a better price at tabletennis11. One of the blades they recommend and what they use for all their rubber tests is the Neottec Voodoo Classic. That setup should be close to your budget. Alternatively you can jump right into a Yinhe ALC blade like the Pro 01 or v14 Pro and some Hurricane 3 NEO and H8-80 for BH and end up in the same budget but now you have a hardcore Chinese style looping setup.

 

[ttarc]

Besides the Voodoo Classic there are a couple of cheap but still very good blades:
All (depending on blade weight these can be All-): Instead of the Stiga AC I would get a Donic Appelgren Allplay or a Yasaka Sweden Classic
All+ to Off-: Yasaka Sweden Extra, Butterfly Primorac (not the one made in Japan but the one made in Europe for 39.90€), Tibhar Lebesson or Samsonov Alpha, Donic Persson Powerplay, Yinhe Earth-1 (close to Stiga Offensive Classic), 729/Friendship Z-1, DHS PG-7, DHS PG2 and PG3 (these might be cheaper versions of the Hurricane Hao and Hurricane King but I don't know for sure)
Off- to Off: Butterfly Korbel (44.90€ Europe not the 84.90€ one made in Japan), Sanwei Fextra, DHS PG-5 (inner carbon blade, cheaper version of the Hurricane Long 5)
Now for the rubbers: Durable and cheap? Get Hurricane 3 39 for FH and Hurricane 3 37 or Hurricane 8-80 for BH
ESN/Made in Germany rubbers: Cheapest option could be to order in Germany because a couple of stores like Schöler&Micke or Contra have discounts (20%) if you buy two or more rubbers (e.g. Tibhar Evolution MX-S 49,90€ single, 39,92€ for two and 37.43€ for 4 and more). Maybe you can find some other guys to collectively order and get the shippings costs down).

p.s. all prices include 19% VAT

 

[Louisgenius]

Blade: https://www.megaspin.net/store/default.asp?pid=gewo-power-control
fh rubber: https://www.megaspin.net/store/default.asp?pid=donier-max-attack
bh rubber: https://www.megaspin.net/store/default.asp?pid=gewo-cs-powerspeed
great cheap setup.
blade $34
fh rubber: $15
bh rubber: $17

 

[gargovich]

I'm a big fan of this blade. Nice feeling and great control and low price.

I haven't tried, but many people love this one too.

And this rubber would suit you very well

Dude thanks! This is an incredible value setup. I like the specs of both the Yinhe Galaxy Milky Way and the Sanwei Fextra 7. But I'm not completely sold on the AK47 Blue - the hardness seems to be a little too less for my liking. It's cheap enough for me to ship anyway and try out though, so I definitely will be trying it.

Did you mean to recommend the AK47 Blue for both FH & BH?

 

[gargovich]

The game of table tennis has changed do to the plastic ball mandate as you know. I don't think Mark V would work very well now if you are interested in performance. You can get Nittaku Fastarc G1 for a better price at tabletennis11. One of the blades they recommend and what they use for all their rubber tests is the Neottec Voodoo Classic. That setup should be close to your budget. Alternatively you can jump right into a Yinhe ALC blade like the Pro 01 or v14 Pro and some Hurricane 3 NEO and H8-80 for BH and end up in the same budget but now you have a hardcore Chinese style looping setup.

So the setup I'm heavily leaning towards now, after a bit more research and advise from the community, does have the Nittaku Fastarc G-1, 2.0mm on FH.
I'm thinking Rakza 7 BH, 1.8mm sandwiching a Sweden Extra blade. The total cost for this on tt11 is just under €100. I might have a buddy who wants to order a setup for himself as well, so that might further bring down costs.

I haven't really done too much research into Chinese rubbers due to the 'tackiness' factor. Could you please elaborate on how do the Hurricane 3 NEO and H8-80 compare to the rubbers I've mentioned above?

 

[ttarc]

Dude thanks! This is an incredible value setup. I like the specs of both the Yinhe Galaxy Milky Way and the Sanwei Fextra 7. But I'm not completely sold on the AK47 Blue - the hardness seems to be a little too less for my liking. It's cheap enough for me to ship anyway and try out though, so I definitely will be trying it.

Did you mean to recommend the AK47 Blue for both FH & BH?

Than get the AK47 Red. Should have around the same hardness as the FastArc G-1 or get DHS Hurricane 8-80 37° (hardness also similar to the FastArc).

 

[gargovich]

Besides the Voodoo Classic there are a couple of cheap but still very good blades:
All (depending on blade weight these can be All-): Instead of the Stiga AC I would get a Donic Appelgren Allplay or a Yasaka Sweden Classic
All+ to Off-: Yasaka Sweden Extra, Butterfly Primorac (not the one made in Japan but the one made in Europe for 39.90€), Tibhar Lebesson or Samsonov Alpha, Donic Persson Powerplay, Yinhe Earth-1 (close to Stiga Offensive Classic), 729/Friendship Z-1, DHS PG-7, DHS PG2 and PG3 (these might be cheaper versions of the Hurricane Hao and Hurricane King but I don't know for sure)
Off- to Off: Butterfly Korbel (44.90€ Europe not the 84.90€ one made in Japan), Sanwei Fextra, DHS PG-5 (inner carbon blade, cheaper version of the Hurricane Long 5)
Now for the rubbers: Durable and cheap? Get Hurricane 3 39 for FH and Hurricane 3 37 or Hurricane 8-80 for BH
ESN/Made in Germany rubbers: Cheapest option could be to order in Germany because a couple of stores like Schöler&Micke or Contra have discounts (20%) if you buy two or more rubbers (e.g. Tibhar Evolution MX-S 49,90€ single, 39,92€ for two and 37.43€ for 4 and more). Maybe you can find some other guys to collectively order and get the shippings costs down).

p.s. all prices include 19% VAT

That's a lot of good info my man, appreciate it.

I'd want an ALL+ setup, so the Sweden Extra seems locked on for me right now.

Regarding rubbers, I would really like to know more about Chinese rubbers and how they compare to the ESN variety (the kind I'm a lot more familiar with).
I've expanded on what my current considered setup is shaping up to look like directly above this comment in the thread.

I looked at buying from Germany; my first couple of sites I looked at were Contra and tt-shop. But I live in the UAE, so shipping here is a turning out to cost me a pretty penny. I've instead switched now to TT11 who offer some 3=4 discounts and an order value discount as well. They'd also ship to me via DHL for minimal cost, and within 5 days which I very much like.

 

[gargovich]

Than get the AK47 Red. Should have around the same hardness as the FastArc G-1 or get DHS Hurricane 8-80 37° (hardness also similar to the FastArc).

Yep I might get this one for now to use until the end of year since it's so incredibly cost effective. I do want to try a Chinese setup at some point.

If it doesn't work the way I expect it to, I might save up for my Sweden Extra/Fastarc G-1/Rakza 7 setup and get that as a new year's present to myself.

Thanks my man!

 

[gargovich]

Blade: https://www.megaspin.net/store/default.asp?pid=gewo-power-control
fh rubber: https://www.megaspin.net/store/default.asp?pid=donier-max-attack
bh rubber: https://www.megaspin.net/store/default.asp?pid=gewo-cs-powerspeed
great cheap setup.
blade $34
fh rubber: $15
bh rubber: $17

Thanks! Tbh, I haven't heard too much about the blade or rubbers so far, so I'm going to have to look at a few reviews to see what the flex/hardness/construction is like. But I appreciate you taking the time

 

[Haraold]

strange thing,when i click on the aliexpress links i always come up on the starting site.

 

[ttarc]

That's a lot of good info my man, appreciate it.

I'd want an ALL+ setup, so the Sweden Extra seems locked on for me right now.

Regarding rubbers, I would really like to know more about Chinese rubbers and how they compare to the ESN variety (the kind I'm a lot more familiar with).
I've expanded on what my current considered setup is shaping up to look like directly above this comment in the thread.

Blade: Good choice, if possible get one with an average weight around 85g to 87g. The lighter the slower and different, less solid feeling. Heavier ones might get to head heavy with rubbers like the FastArc.
Rubbers: Hurricane 3 is a completely different rubber than the FastArc G-1. Dead feeling, less lively but very controlled and capable of generating tons of spin and speed (especially when boosted).
If you want to try a H3 than I would recommend to start with 39° orange sponge and get some additional glue and booster The difference between unboosted and boosted is quite significant.
Hurricane 8-80 37°: In terms of speed and spin it's comparable to the FastArc G-1. Similar/maybe a bit more spin sensitive than the FastArc. On strokes with less power it will be a bit slower. At least for the first few days/weeks depending on how much you play due to the tackiness. Very stable i.e. predictable if one got used to it.

 

[Michael Zhuang]

Dude thanks! This is an incredible value setup. I like the specs of both the Yinhe Galaxy Milky Way and the Sanwei Fextra 7. But I'm not completely sold on the AK47 Blue - the hardness seems to be a little too less for my liking. It's cheap enough for me to ship anyway and try out though, so I definitely will be trying it.

Did you mean to recommend the AK47 Blue for both FH & BH?

I just sent you the link for the general product page of AK47. You can select Blue, Yellow, or Red on that page.

I've used all 3 and am playing with AK47 Red at the moment. Red is the hardest and has the most power, but Blue definitely is not too soft. It played just fine for me as well. You could use Red on both sides if you want something a bit firmer.

 

[Michael Zhuang]

So the setup I'm heavily leaning towards now, after a bit more research and advise from the community, does have the Nittaku Fastarc G-1, 2.0mm on FH.
I'm thinking Rakza 7 BH, 1.8mm sandwiching a Sweden Extra blade. The total cost for this on tt11 is just under €100. I might have a buddy who wants to order a setup for himself as well, so that might further bring down costs.

I haven't really done too much research into Chinese rubbers due to the 'tackiness' factor. Could you please elaborate on how do the Hurricane 3 NEO and H8-80 compare to the rubbers I've mentioned above?

You should know that within Chinese rubber, there are tacky rubbers like Hurricane. And there are grippy/bouncy rubbers like AK47. AK47 is 95% similar in function and performance compared to German rubbers that you mentioned. In fact, I recently tested AK47 Red and Rakza 7, and it was clear that AK47 Red was faster and had more potential power. Rakza 7 has slightly more spin and higher arc.

Tacky rubbers like hurricane behave completely differently. They will feel very slow. The idea is not to win points from speed, but to win points with spin and control. But if you use them properly, it is very difficult for opponents to handle the high amount of spin on loops.

 

[gargovich]

Blade: Good choice, if possible get one with an average weight around 85g to 87g. The lighter the slower and different, less solid feeling. Heavier ones might get to head heavy with rubbers like the FastArc.
Rubbers: Hurricane 3 is a completely different rubber than the FastArc G-1. Dead feeling, less lively but very controlled and capable of generating tons of spin and speed (especially when boosted).
If you want to try a H3 than I would recommend to start with 39° orange sponge and get some additional glue and booster The difference between unboosted and boosted is quite significant.
Hurricane 8-80 37°: In terms of speed and spin it's comparable to the FastArc G-1. Similar/maybe a bit more spin sensitive than the FastArc. On strokes with less power it will be a bit slower. At least for the first few days/weeks depending on how much you play due to the tackiness. Very stable i.e. predictable if one got used to it.

I've been reading up on boosting ever since I came across the term on this TT equipment review blog. I would probably be getting my setup assembled by the store and then shipped to me. Do I request them to 'boost' it? Or do I have to get the individual pieces and do it myself? (as in, do online shops usually do this for you?)

I guess I could consider assembling it myself too. But I've read that proper assembly makes a world of difference to the playing experience. So seeing how I've never done it before, I'm a little apprehensive I might fudge it up :/

Gonna look into both the H3 and the H8-80. I'm leaning towards the H3, I like the fact that it's got control and also the ability to generate good speed and spin.

 

[gargovich]

You should know that within Chinese rubber, there are tacky rubbers like Hurricane. And there are grippy/bouncy rubbers like AK47. AK47 is 95% similar in function and performance compared to German rubbers that you mentioned. In fact, I recently tested AK47 Red and Rakza 7, and it was clear that AK47 Red was faster and had more potential power. Rakza 7 has slightly more spin and higher arc.

Tacky rubbers like hurricane behave completely differently. They will feel very slow. The idea is not to win points from speed, but to win points with spin and control. But if you use them properly, it is very difficult for opponents to handle the high amount of spin on loops.

Yeah the more I read about it, the more I'm amazed it's flown completely under the radar through all my research. My immediate order will definitely have an AK47 Red 2.2mm on FH, and I'm considering AK47 Yellow 1.8mm on BH. What do you think of the Yellow?

The one major concern I saw about the AK47 Red was the low durability. Is this a huge factor for someone who will be playing a maybe 5-10 hours a month at most? Did you face any issues with the rubber losing it's grippiness fairly quick?