My bat after 2 months of play. (Thank you included)

[Saevio]

Just crept over 2 months of play today with the bat that I chose after looking in a thread here. (Shout out to UpSideDownCarl for the help.)

My forehand loop is better, and my backhand is VASTLY improved. My blocking is ok, and my serves are enough to give the people I play with trouble... My footwork isn't great, but I'm working on it. Losing weight from the TT is helping though!
I've contacted the local university to see if they have a TT club. Hopefully I can go there once a week or so.

Here's the blade now. I've put some good work in with it, but there's always more that can be done!





Might be time soon to move from 1.7 Sriver Ls to 1.8 Yasaka V - I feel like I could use just that tiny bit more speed and loop... Time will tell.

 

[TTHopeful]

UpSideDownCarl is the man here. Great setup this, very good for starters.

 

[stao]

Might be time soon to move from 1.7 Sriver Ls to 1.8 Yasaka V - I feel like I could use just that tiny bit more speed and loop... Time will tell.

switching to almost the same rubber is not a good advice in my opinion (you would not really recognize a difference between 1.7 Sriver and 1.8 Mark V). I would play your current setup until the rubbers are finished and then decide between two possibilities:

1. buy the same rubbers again if you were happy with them and need to further improver your technique.
2. switch to tensor or similar fast rubbers.

I don't see reasons to stay on classic rubbers if your technique is good enough to handle better rubbers.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Have you had much coaching or are you just playing matches and doing drills with friends?

If you have a coach, you could ask him what he thinks.

If you are getting a lot of spin, if you have learned to loop and your looping is solid then, when the rubber you have is worn out, thicker might make sense. If you feel a lot of control with these rubbers and you can spin the ball well, there is a point where going up to tensor rubbers might make sense. The real question is, are you there yet?

Are you making brush contact when you use your forehand? How about your backhand? What is the arc like on your topspin shots? Round with a lot of kick or more flat, straight, directed? How much kick is there on the bounce when you loop? Does the ball accelerate a lot on the bounce or not so much?

 

[Der_Echte]

My Blade afte 2 months of using it and deciding it needs to get a whole heap heavier...

WAS 85 grams, but that is way too light.

 

[aznalanx32]

What blade does he use?

 

[aznalanx32]

That scares the hiccups out of a light blade seeker like me.

 

[Der_Echte]

You can blame Trouble Maker Carl for me living up to hiz gallant name.

On my first visit to NYC, he let me hit with his Allround Evolution. I had no expectations of liking it, but it was great on counterloops closer to table and a step away.

I decided to get my own blade, and after I played, it didn't feel very special. So... I HAD to turn it into a BEAST and the legend began.

It's all Carl's fault. Catch him if you can, he gives the slip to the Philly Goon Hit Squads big TT companies send after him, so cornering him to tell you why that blade is rad is gunna be a tall order.

 

[Der_Echte]

That scares the hiccups out of a light blade seeker like me.

C'Mon... 120 grams isn't THAT heavy... and besides, the"Whipping Action" that creates those monster loops is SO MUCH better after this mod, plus feel at impact is great.

Ask Carl to re-post the pic where he uses a Yoga pose to show how torque and the body work in relation to being heavy and how it can help torque and control and explosiveness.

 

[Der_Echte]

Me, personally, I think CHAINSAWS are pretty darned light, so take it for what it is worth.

 

[aznalanx32]

#scaredforlife

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

The truth is, Der_Echte and I have done some testing on blade weight and feel. Most of the big companies make their blades with hollow handles or extra thin handles so they can say that the blade weighs less than it really should. Only problem with this is, if you take the weight out of the handle you throw off the balance and make the blade head heavy.

Now the major companies even have marketing for this. They say that the hollow handle makes the blade more offensive. Really what they are doing is taking a blade face that really would be between 90-100 grams and cutting out 5-15 grams from the handle. If you compare that blade to a real 85 gram blade that has a solid handle, of course it is going to feel more powerful than that well balanced 85 gram blade. However, it will feel 10-15 grams heavier too. This is because the weight is on the head and the head of an 85 gram blade with a hollow handle is much heavier than the head of a blade that is 85 grams and really has a solid handle and good balance.

And if you take that hollow handled blade and put the weight back in the handle, making an 85 gram blade with a hollow handle into a 100 gram blade, the blade will feel LIGHTER, more solid, more powerful, it will be faster and have better feeling and less vibration. And you will get more whipping action and better bat speed with the weight in the handle.

The reason: the weight that should be in your hand is in your hand to counterbalance the weight that is in the head.

A hollow handled blade feels heavier than it is because the balance is thrown off by having all the weight in the head.

But the other thing that Der_Echte is saying is also pretty true. Most teenage or adult men can hold a baseball bat or a tennis racket. Why would 90-100 grams be a big deal if the weight of a tennis racket is not such a big deal?

If you look at the blades of most pros in the top 20, most of them are using blades that weigh over 90 grams. The real question would be: why do they choose the extra weight?

Inertia, more solid wood plays better, more power, better feel, the list goes on.

But the marketing of the big companies make people think that a racket that weighs more than 85 grams is too heavy. In the 1990s one of Butterfly's biggest selling blades was the Mazinov. That blades weight range was 100-110 grams. Mine are both over 110 and they play great. Hahaha. That was before the hollow handled marketing took effect.

Test it for yourself. Take a blade you don't really use, follow Der_Echte's directions for filling the handle, look for the thread called the making of the beast or something like that: Der_Echte, can you supply the link.

If you don't have a blade you could do that to, you could order a Yinhe Galaxy 896 blade, test it out with the hollow handle to feel it, and then open and fill the handle and try it again. That blade only costs $16.00 so it is a perfect blade to test the theory out on.


Sent from my BladeWeightPhone using TTMarketingTalk

 

[Saevio]

Have you had much coaching or are you just playing matches and doing drills with friends?

If you have a coach, you could ask him what he thinks.

If you are getting a lot of spin, if you have learned to loop and your looping is solid then, when the rubber you have is worn out, thicker might make sense. If you feel a lot of control with these rubbers and you can spin the ball well, there is a point where going up to tensor rubbers might make sense. The real question is, are you there yet?

Are you making brush contact when you use your forehand? How about your backhand? What is the arc like on your topspin shots? Round with a lot of kick or more flat, straight, directed? How much kick is there on the bounce when you loop? Does the ball accelerate a lot on the bounce or not so much?

I've not got a coach yet. I currently play with a former Romanian semi-pro - we do drills once or twice a week. Aside from that we hold regular tournaments and freeplay during the week.

It's mostly brush contact, but I still "drop" the ball sometime (not enough dwell into the blade, it slips off.) I don't think I'm anywhere near tensor time just yet. Give it at least 6 more months. I want to get the basics down. Our current drills are usually forehand/backhand block, forehand/backhand drive and forehand/backhand loops - I figure in another month or so I'll start working on footwork. Falkenberg drills, the works.

My arcing is more loopy with kick on forehand, but I can hit them with a harder and flatter drive when I catch a floater. My backhand doesn't have quite the same level of granularity, but I can still loop, flick and drive.

I'm aiming to get in with a club in a while (local university), hopefully there'll be more structured practice and the possibility of direct coaching there.

Finally, thanks for the original advice. It was right on the money, and it's helped me enjoy and take more seriously this sport. I'm much obliged.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Sounds good. I am glad what you got has helped you start developing your technique.

Next time you hit with the Romanian ex semi-pro, show him what you are using, ask him if he thinks you should stick with it, make the next rubber a notch thicker, or step up to a basic tensor like Xiom Vega Pro. Vega Pro is sort of between the top of the line tensors and the classic rubber you are using. It gets good spin but has a lot of control.
He will be able to tell, when the rubber is worn out and you are ready for new, what would be a good next rubber for you.


Sent from my SpyPhone using EJTalk

 

[Der_Echte]

We had a Battalion of Romanian infantry in our camp my last time in Iraq and three of them played around my level at the time, one of them is a long time FB friend.

 

[Der_Echte]

If anyone wants to do that to a blade they dont use or get an inexpensive blade, be sure to add some kind of reinforcement material. If you want to save weight, make it toothpicks. If you want medium weight, make it paperclips. If you want heavier weight, add in any kind of heavy metal, like small bolts and nails.

Be sure to completely fill in the empty space with wood glue, or you will have bad vibrations.

Better yet, get one of those inexpensive blades (like the 896) or your favorite Stiga Allround blade and try the blade without a mod for a week, then do the mod and play some practice and matches using it. You will be surprised at how lighter the blade feels, as well as how "good" it suddenly feels.

 

[Der_Echte]

The truth is, Der_Echte and I have done some testing uhmmmm, you mean serious biological warfare experimentation on blade weight and feel. (Just for LULZ to piss off the big companies) Most (Carl is generous, try ALL of them) of the big companies make their blades with hollow handles or extra thin handles so they can say that the blade weighs less than it really should.(and make more new sales, after all, if there is nothing new, no one has a reason or want to buy something new) Only problem with this is, if you take the weight out of the handle you throw off the balance and make the blade head heavy. (and worthless as a $3 bill)

Now the major companies even have marketing for this (YES they do but it is OUR fault for demanding something new, the companies are only accommodating market demand, although the really good ones do bullcrap to cause people to WANT something they dont need, that is almost a definition of good business.) They say that the hollow handle makes the blade more offensive.(yes, queering the balance of the blade and making it tiresome and nearly unplayable is offensive to me) Really what they are doing is taking a blade face that really would be between 90-100 grams and cutting out 5-15 grams from the handle. If you compare that blade to a real 85 gram blade that has a solid handle, of course it is going to feel more powerful than that well balanced 85 gram blade. However, it will feel 10-15 grams heavier too. This is because the weight is on the head and the head of an 85 gram blade with a hollow handle is much heavier than the head of a blade that is 85 grams and really has a solid handle and good balance. (said SO right)

And if you take that hollow handled blade and put the weight back in the handle, making an 85 gram blade with a hollow handle into a 100 gram blade, the blade will feel LIGHTER, more solid, more powerful, it will be faster and have better feeling and less vibration. And you will get more whipping action and better bat speed with the weight in the handle.

The reason: the weight that should be in your hand is in your hand to counterbalance the weight that is in the head.

A hollow handled blade feels heavier than it is because the balance is thrown off by having all the weight in the head. (Korrekt)

But the other thing that Der_Echte is saying is also pretty true. Most teenage or adult men can hold a baseball bat or a tennis racket. Why would 90-100 grams be a big deal if the weight of a tennis racket is not such a big deal?(our sponsored player Abe (agold here on TTD) plays with a Spartacus I specially modified, but refrained from adding TOO much weight. I added ONLY 12 grams) (and despite Abe being only 14 and still growing his game, he reports he is playing more controled and more powerful than ever) (I will not take credit, ABE is the one doing the training and credit goes to his coach, his parents, and his self. All I did was select and recommend suitable equipment) (That no one on this planet thought was suitable for him)

If you look at the blades of most pros in the top 20, most of them are using blades that weigh over 90 grams. The real question would be: why do they choose the extra weight (Most pros strive to find the absolute HEAVIEST blade of the model they use... they will detect a lighter balde, even by 3 grams lighter RIGHT AWAY.)

Inertia, more solid wood plays better, more power, better feel, the list goes on.

But the marketing of the big companies make people think that a racket that weighs more than 85 grams is too heavy. In the 1990s one of Butterfly's biggest selling blades was the Mazinov. That blades weight range was 100-110 grams. Mine are both over 110 and they play great. Hahaha. That was before the hollow handled marketing took effect.

Test it for yourself. Take a blade you don't really use, follow Der_Echte's directions for filling the handle, look for the thread called the making of the beast or something like that: Der_Echte, can you supply the link.

If you don't have a blade you could do that to, you could order a Yinhe Galaxy 896 blade, test it out with the hollow handle to feel it, and then open and fill the handle and try it again. That blade only costs $16.00 so it is a perfect blade to test the theory out on. (Any ole inexpensive hollow handled blade will do, but where are you gunna find one that plays acceptable for Comps after the mod for only $16)


Sent from my BladeWeightPhone (Carl, whatever happened to Ur NSA Spy Phone? Did you accidently leave it in teh veggie juice shop? Nah, you did it on purpose to leave a false flag and lead them down the wrong trail into another one of your baited traps... you gotta release video footage of their demise this time and keep the LULZ to Urself. using TTMarketingTalk

Trouble Maker Carl is such a Wise-Azz, but that is what makes him great and what created the desire to start our nation.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Trouble Maker Carl is such a Wise-Azz, but that is what makes him great and what created the desire to start our nation.

hahaha. That is funny what you did to that quote.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

This thread shows, from start to finish how Der_Echte took off part of the handle and added weight to a blade:

http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?9267-Oops-!-Der_Echte-did-it-AGAIN

That one is Der_Echte's Nexy Kanaph blade that he did it with.

 

[Der_Echte]

That is the blade I currently use (with a year old sheet of Aurus) and ironically, even after NOT playing but maybe once a month for over a year, I made it to the finals in the Open division for the first time EVER in a sanctioned US tourney using that setup.