Looking for new blades and possible setup

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Hello,

I am looking for a new blade or setup change

Current Setup: Victas ZX-GearIn, Xiom Omega VII Euro.

I am interested in the TB ALC, TB ZLC, TB ZLF, and ZJK ZLC as possible blades. I plan on putting Tenergy 05 or Victas V < 20 on the blades.

I want to know if anyone has tried the TB ZLF as it seems like an interesting carbon blade compared to ZLC and ALC carbon blades.

My style right now is a one-wing looper, that being my forehand. I am trying to work on the backhand loop as well, so a blade and rubber setup that can help me with that would also be a plus.

Obviously, any other setup suggestions would be greatly appreciated as well.
 
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Hello,

I am looking for a new blade or setup change

Current Setup: Victas ZX-GearIn, Xiom Omega VII Euro.

I am interested in the TB ALC, TB ZLC, TB ZLF, and ZJK ZLC as possible blades. I plan on putting Tenergy 05 or Victas V < 20 on the blades.

I want to know if anyone has tried the TB ZLF as it seems like an interesting carbon blade compared to ZLC and ALC carbon blades.

My style right now is a one-wing looper, that being my forehand. I am trying to work on the backhand loop as well, so a blade and rubber setup that can help me with that would also be a plus.

Obviously, any other setup suggestions would be greatly appreciated as well.

I've tried ZLF, but I'm not a big fan of it. Feels kind of slow, and just kind of pointless to me. I don't really get what the strength of it is.

If you want to be a looper, maybe a inner-carbon blade would be beneficial, as it gives you a little more dwell time and hold on the ball. You could try the DHS Fang Bo carbon or the Hurricane Long 5.

 
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I've tried ZLF, but I'm not a big fan of it. Feels kind of slow, and just kind of pointless to me. I don't really get what the strength of it is.

If you want to be a looper, maybe a inner-carbon blade would be beneficial, as it gives you a little more dwell time and hold on the ball. You could try the DHS Fang Bo carbon or the Hurricane Long 5.

Have you had experience with the HL5 and DHS Fang Bo? If so can you give me your experience on the blades?
 
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Fang Bo is my current blade and I've played many times with the HL5 as well. They are pretty close to each other.

Compared to all the blades you listed, they have a softer wood feeling, have more dwell time on the blade, more spin, more control. They are better for serve, loops, pushing. Maybe they are slightly worse for blocking and counter punching.

Obviously the HL5 basic structure is favored by many top pro players like Ma Long, Wang Chuqing, Sun Yinsha, etc. I guess they all like the little extra dwell time and ability to "hold" the ball on the blade.
 
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But I think there really shouldn't be a problem with your current blade. To get better at looping, the technique is more important.
 
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The changes you propose are too big. If you really want to transition into that direction, then put those rubbers on your current blade and see how you manage to get on with it.
The omega Euro Rubber is pretty soft and Tenergy rubbers are not.. It is going to be a very big change for you and expect to play considerably worse for a few feet weeks at least.

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says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
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The OP listed only FIVE blades and two rubbers in his initial post. He did not analyze any of them to the detail of hairs on a gnat's azz and ask pointless questions.

Based on how 99% of new to TTD people post, this post is seriously short of worthless rhetoric. OP should re-do his post, especially since there are no uber e4xpensive SUPER versions of BTY in his pick list and failed to include H3. That lack of inclusiveness will get the OP in trouble in a hurry with a certain crowd unless he acts decisively.

OK, joking over. OP flag says USA, so let's get some context here. What is OP's level and what kind of game is he trying to develop if he is not an accomplished enough player to be at a level to competently answer such questions? The easy answer to equipment is to get middle of the road stuff that makes it easy to do the shots one is trying to do. That is a very wide range.

Personally, even though I am at a level that only 10% make, I do not and cannot use T05 to get even 1/2 of the best of it. Don't get me started on diginics. If I played 6 months with any, I could adapt my impact and be just fine. Many wont. Why spend the money unless you do not care and just want a status symbol or a way to get more spin with less effort or technique. I buy rubbers 10-20 at a time and pay maybe low $30s USD per sheet for rubbers that I will spin the ball way heavier than the armchair pros with T05 or diginicski rubbers, even players levels better me will not it like I do with non-BTY rubbers.

If OP is not a high level, and is not getting professional help to get there, then it really doesn't matter what equipment is used. If OP is in this category, OP should use any equipment he damn well wants and can pay for... and enjoy it. He isn't gunna have much chance of getting there without prolonged professional help, so why worry about the equipment? Just buy and use what you want.

In USA, in our "TT clubs", which are essentially just places to play for a few hrs 1-2 times a week, we see player after player who plays in the "TT club" that really isn't a club, play a decade, two decades, three decades, four decades and still be a California 1000-1100 or midwest/east coast 1400-1500 level player. Why? They have no chance to train effectively or do not create one or do not seek one or do not want to pay all the money for coaching.

I know a player right now who has spent the same money on coaching as chronic Equipment Junkies spend on equipment and in under a year is a night and day difference in playing level who is defeating players right now who just last year would smoke him.

Since OP said he doesn't yet have a BH loop, but a FH drive and is not knowing so much about equipment, I would take a chance and say he is not Cali 1000-1100 yet and could grow just fine with professional help using a BTY Korbel with Tibhar Aurus on FH and Tibhar FX-P on BH. If he buys 10 rubbers, which is maybe a one year supply, he would get those rubbers around $33 a sheet with DHL delivery 3-5 days from tabletennis11. That setup would carry him all the way to 2000 USATT rating if he got help long enough and was dedicated long enough.

The one player I mentioned who started to spend his cash on coaching instead of equipment actually has equipment way too fast for him, but that didn't matter as his professional help focused on all the things to get him to see the ball and what is on it and where it will go when and how to move to the chosen point of attack to strike the ball in the strike zone with leverage. That pretty much trumps everything, even with way too fast equipment one can still get foundation good and grow in level faster than a tree if one works hard enough, effective enough, long enough with a good attitude.
 
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The OP listed only FIVE blades and two rubbers in his initial post. He did not analyze any of them to the detail of hairs on a gnat's azz and ask pointless questions.

Based on how 99% of new to TTD people post, this post is seriously short of worthless rhetoric. OP should re-do his post, especially since there are no uber e4xpensive SUPER versions of BTY in his pick list and failed to include H3. That lack of inclusiveness will get the OP in trouble in a hurry with a certain crowd unless he acts decisively.

OK, joking over. OP flag says USA, so let's get some context here. What is OP's level and what kind of game is he trying to develop if he is not an accomplished enough player to be at a level to competently answer such questions? The easy answer to equipment is to get middle of the road stuff that makes it easy to do the shots one is trying to do. That is a very wide range.

Personally, even though I am at a level that only 10% make, I do not and cannot use T05 to get even 1/2 of the best of it. Don't get me started on diginics. If I played 6 months with any, I could adapt my impact and be just fine. Many wont. Why spend the money unless you do not care and just want a status symbol or a way to get more spin with less effort or technique. I buy rubbers 10-20 at a time and pay maybe low $30s USD per sheet for rubbers that I will spin the ball way heavier than the armchair pros with T05 or diginicski rubbers, even players levels better me will not it like I do with non-BTY rubbers.

If OP is not a high level, and is not getting professional help to get there, then it really doesn't matter what equipment is used. If OP is in this category, OP should use any equipment he damn well wants and can pay for... and enjoy it. He isn't gunna have much chance of getting there without prolonged professional help, so why worry about the equipment? Just buy and use what you want.

In USA, in our "TT clubs", which are essentially just places to play for a few hrs 1-2 times a week, we see player after player who plays in the "TT club" that really isn't a club, play a decade, two decades, three decades, four decades and still be a California 1000-1100 or midwest/east coast 1400-1500 level player. Why? They have no chance to train effectively or do not create one or do not seek one or do not want to pay all the money for coaching.

I know a player right now who has spent the same money on coaching as chronic Equipment Junkies spend on equipment and in under a year is a night and day difference in playing level who is defeating players right now who just last year would smoke him.

Since OP said he doesn't yet have a BH loop, but a FH drive and is not knowing so much about equipment, I would take a chance and say he is not Cali 1000-1100 yet and could grow just fine with professional help using a BTY Korbel with Tibhar Aurus on FH and Tibhar FX-P on BH. If he buys 10 rubbers, which is maybe a one year supply, he would get those rubbers around $33 a sheet with DHL delivery 3-5 days from tabletennis11. That setup would carry him all the way to 2000 USATT rating if he got help long enough and was dedicated long enough.

The one player I mentioned who started to spend his cash on coaching instead of equipment actually has equipment way too fast for him, but that didn't matter as his professional help focused on all the things to get him to see the ball and what is on it and where it will go when and how to move to the chosen point of attack to strike the ball in the strike zone with leverage. That pretty much trumps everything, even with way too fast equipment one can still get foundation good and grow in level faster than a tree if one works hard enough, effective enough, long enough with a good attitude.
Yea. I did forget to mention that I am getting coaching and have been playing with 1800-1900 midwest players. Since my post, I have transferred from my Xiom rubbers to Tenergy 05 and DigNics09c. I have to say, I really enjoy the rubbers and I am able to handle them pretty well. I have also learned my BH loop and am now a two-wing looper. Obviously, I still have a lot to improve (trying to get my rating adjusted) but everything has been going well. I appreciate the advice you gave though.
 
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Hi AD,

Since you are getting competent effective help and are around a solid crowd, things will likely be on the up and up for you.

Under these conditions the exact equipment does not matter as much as discerning what opponent just did to ball and seeing where it goes with what when so you can be in position on time with leverage to hit the ball in the effective strike zone.

THAT counts many times more than equipment that is even remotely close to appropriate.

When I started coaching ldm7, his equipment was way off the scale for his level, but I did not insist on replacing it immediately. He had more pressing issues that equipment and we worked on the larger fishes to fry.
 
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