NL & USDC: I'm downgrading...

[Gozo Aruna]

USDC & NL: Two of the strongest proponent of slow and steady wins the race theorist when it comes to TT equipment.

Guys, there is no major TT tourney for me for the next couple of months and it is time for some experimentation. I brought out from my drawer my long time unused Darker Speed 90, removed the dust and the old rubbers glued to it ( two pieces of Donic ) and replaced with new Tenergy instead.

Last week I had two hours of play time with this old friend of mine. First impression:
Cons:
1. It is slower ( relatively speaking but still fast from my opponent perspective ).
2. Need a tiny wee bit arm strength as my previous when paired with super trampolinish ESN rubber was easier to HULK SMASH, i.e., less HULK SMASH potential.

Pros:
1. Blocking is much easier. Ball does not fly out so easily equal longer rally i.e., more fun.
2. It is an opportunity to develop how to loop better to get the winning point instead of my previous Modus Operandi of using pure brute strength ( previous set up encourages me to HULK SMASH )

I plan to use this set-up until the end of the year.

The above is my initial impression.

 

[lodro]

USDC & NL: Two of the strongest proponent of slow and steady wins the race theorist when it comes to TT equipment.

Guys, there is no major TT tourney for me for the next couple of months and it is time for some experimentation. I brought out from my drawer my long time unused Darker Speed 90, removed the dust and the old rubbers glued to it ( two pieces of Donic ) and replaced with new Tenergy instead.

Last week I had two hours of play time with this old friend of mine. First impression:
Cons:
1. It is slower ( relatively speaking but still fast from my opponent perspective ).
2. Need a tiny wee bit arm strength as my previous when paired with super trampolinish ESN rubber was easier to HULK SMASH, i.e., less HULK SMASH potential.

Pros:
1. Blocking is much easier. Ball does not fly out so easily equal longer rally i.e., more fun.
2. It is an opportunity to develop how to loop better to get the winning point instead of my previous Modus Operandi of using pure brute strength ( previous set up encourages me to HULK SMASH )

I plan to use this set-up until the end of the year.

The above is my initial impression.

View attachment 26114

Looking good and I agree with the wisdom behind it BUT I would still beat you using this:

🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[blahness]

USDC & NL: Two of the strongest proponent of slow and steady wins the race theorist when it comes to TT equipment.

Guys, there is no major TT tourney for me for the next couple of months and it is time for some experimentation. I brought out from my drawer my long time unused Darker Speed 90, removed the dust and the old rubbers glued to it ( two pieces of Donic ) and replaced with new Tenergy instead.

Last week I had two hours of play time with this old friend of mine. First impression:
Cons:
1. It is slower ( relatively speaking but still fast from my opponent perspective ).
2. Need a tiny wee bit arm strength as my previous when paired with super trampolinish ESN rubber was easier to HULK SMASH, i.e., less HULK SMASH potential.

Pros:
1. Blocking is much easier. Ball does not fly out so easily equal longer rally i.e., more fun.
2. It is an opportunity to develop how to loop better to get the winning point instead of my previous Modus Operandi of using pure brute strength ( previous set up encourages me to HULK SMASH )

I plan to use this set-up until the end of the year.

The above is my initial impression.

View attachment 26114

Wow what happened?! 😳 I guess I'm the only one still on full Gozo mode lol 😂

 

[Gozo Aruna]

1. Some of the veteran players at my club coerced me to use a less powerful set-up for better gaming experience.

2. I don't have any major tourney at the moment. Next big one is at the end of Sep-23.

3. It is time for EJ'ing again! Yay!

 

[lodro]

It is time for EJ'ing again! Yay!

I can send you my secret weapon

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Looking good and I agree with the wisdom behind it BUT I would still beat you using this:

View attachment 26115 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Gahhhhhhhh! What monstrosity is this?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

time to use a different shape

 

[lodro]

Gahhhhhhhh! What monstrosity is this?

don't knock it, it has got carbon on the FH, it is faster than a sky rocket and more sensitive than a virgin

 

[NextLevel]

USDC & NL: Two of the strongest proponent of slow and steady wins the race theorist when it comes to TT equipment.

Guys, there is no major TT tourney for me for the next couple of months and it is time for some experimentation. I brought out from my drawer my long time unused Darker Speed 90, removed the dust and the old rubbers glued to it ( two pieces of Donic ) and replaced with new Tenergy instead.

Last week I had two hours of play time with this old friend of mine. First impression:
Cons:
1. It is slower ( relatively speaking but still fast from my opponent perspective ).
2. Need a tiny wee bit arm strength as my previous when paired with super trampolinish ESN rubber was easier to HULK SMASH, i.e., less HULK SMASH potential.

Pros:
1. Blocking is much easier. Ball does not fly out so easily equal longer rally i.e., more fun.
2. It is an opportunity to develop how to loop better to get the winning point instead of my previous Modus Operandi of using pure brute strength ( previous set up encourages me to HULK SMASH )

I plan to use this set-up until the end of the year.

The above is my initial impression.

View attachment 26114

It might still be too fast, but honestly, it is a step in the right direction and some people do make it work and tou might be one of them if you have the right approach. The biggest thing is that you have to actively work on spin and ball control with that setup. Not power per se.

Do realize that my current setup (Cybershape with 2 sheets of Golden Tango, which is an ESN hybrid) is heavier than yours but definitely a bit slower in terms of initial rebound because Tango is like D09c and responds to power while facilitating touch shots.

So I found out that one of the players I am trying to beat nowadays (he is around 2100) and uses a Mizutani SZLC), I asked him what he used before the Mizutani and he said he used a Garaydia ZLC which he sold to his training partner (the blade was discontinued so he couldn't replace it). Why am I telling this story? When I spoke about the speed of his blades, his response was that you can have a Lamborghini and still drive it at 30 mph when it suits you and that such fast blades suit his controlled offense (he steps back a foot or two and plays with control and power and likes to take out loose balls). So expand your range with range training and learn to hit slower spin consistently even in rallies against incoming fast balls, and sometimes even fast balls against slow incoming, not because you will play that one way all the time but because variation helps you feel comfortable absorbing offensive pressure and dictating the pace of the game.

 

[SamTheMan]

I repeat what I wrote to you 6 months ago in another post.
I believe a downgrade would be very beneficial for you. But going from off++ to off+ is not enough to help you improve. You should change from your off++ setup to an off- setup. If I remember correctly, you own a HL5. That would be a downgrade that lets you improve much more butt still a a setup that can last you over many years before you can fully take full advantage of it.
Such a change will make you play worse for the first sessions, but after 6 months I think you will improve more than you have during your latest 1 or 2 years. I think for long term improvement a off- setup would be helpful for you 👍

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I repeat what I wrote to you 6 months ago in another post.
I believe a downgrade would be very beneficial for you. But going from off++ to off+ is not enough to help you improve. You should change from your off++ setup to an off- setup. If I remember correctly, you own a HL5. That would be a downgrade that lets you improve much more butt still a a setup that can last you over many years before you can fully take full advantage of it.
Such a change will make you play worse for the first sessions, but after 6 months I think you will improve more than you have during your latest 1 or 2 years. I think for long term improvement a off- setup would be helpful for you 👍

these kind of post should be sticky noted on every EJ thread

 

[NextLevel]

I repeat what I wrote to you 6 months ago in another post.
I believe a downgrade would be very beneficial for you. But going from off++ to off+ is not enough to help you improve. You should change from your off++ setup to an off- setup. If I remember correctly, you own a HL5. That would be a downgrade that lets you improve much more butt still a a setup that can last you over many years before you can fully take full advantage of it.
Such a change will make you play worse for the first sessions, but after 6 months I think you will improve more than you have during your latest 1 or 2 years. I think for long term improvement a off- setup would be helpful for you 👍

That someone managed to get through to him on some level gives me hope. You are absolutely correct. But not everyone is thinking about how thet will play in 2 years time or trusts someone to build out how they will play on 2 years time. People just care about what is happening today. And they care about how things feel today. It is a real problem across all aspects of life - what is wasted vs valuable experimentation?

The one thing a truly slower blade will do for him is help him reflect on whether he needs so much speed to win points at the level he is playing at.

 

[Doum]

I changed my blade from a outer ALC to a 5 wood blade. I bought a Petr Korbel to slow down and have more control. I keep the same rubber i'm used to, one change at a time.

I really like it! Every thing is a bit slower, but you have a big gain in control and precision. You should give it a try.

I'ts a fun setup because every shot is easy to play. And i win more points with ball placement and spin than just speed.

 

[NextLevel]

I changed my blade from a outer ALC to a 5 wood blade. I bought a Petr Korbel to slow down and have more control. I keep the same rubber i'm used to, one change at a time.

I really like it! Every thing is a bit slower, but you have a big gain in control and precision. You should give it a try.

I'ts a fun setup because every shot is easy to play. And i win more points with ball placement and spin than just speed.

I tried this recently, I find I personally struggle with the block of the Korbel, I needed to always put something behind the ball for the racket angles I am used to, which isn't the case with the composites or even the Mazunov. But regardless, it is good to try and experience this for an extended time (at least 1 to 3 months if you play over 6 hours a week) if you are still building out your game. After all, you can always go back at the end of the period, but your expanded feeling will always be rewarding.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

That someone managed to get through to him on some level gives me hope. You are absolutely correct. But not everyone is thinking about how thet will play in 2 years time or trusts someone to build out how they will play on 2 years time. People just care about what is happening today. And they care about how things feel today. It is a real problem across all aspects of life - what is wasted vs valuable experimentation?

The one thing a truly slower blade will do for him is help him reflect on whether he needs so much speed to win points at the level he is playing at.

that someone, two infact: the first one is a three times back to back veteran MS chanpion in my provincial / state open. Each time I go to have my meal at his noodle shop, I will get lectured read nag to no end by him while eating his awesomely fantabulous dumpling noodle.

The second person is a much more elderly veteran player who happens to be the noodle guy's mentor and also a former provincial / state champion during the 38mm era. He too concur and also said the same thing as the noodle guy. He plays at the same club as I do and he uses pips. It is a nightmare to play him ( think He Zhiwen style ) but not impossible to beat him as I get more and more familiar with his play style.

These two are the main advisors thay has nagged errr I meant to say advised me to downgrade.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I tried this recently, I find I personally struggle with the block of the Korbel, I needed to always put something behind the ball for the racket angles I am used to, which isn't the case with the composites or even the Mazunov. But regardless, it is good to try and experience this for an extended time (at least 1 to 3 months if you play over 6 hours a week) if you are still building out your game. After all, you can always go back at the end of the period, but your expanded feeling will always be rewarding.

This kind of thing honestly depends on the player, his age, how far along in technique development he is.

I remember you using Sweden Extra, Korbel, Primorac, Stratus Power Wood. I remember when you were still developing your spin game, you used a lot of Off- blades that were on the not soooo fast side that helped you with that development.

I also remember, at a certain point, with the Poly Ball, and your RA getting worse so TT being harder on major joints, you realized that, for you, a faster blade made things easier on your joints. But by that time, your spin game was already very developed.

So, there may be many factors involved here. But for Doum, Korbel may be great and who knows for how long....I am still using Virtuoso Plus which is about the same speed and feel as a Korbel. It works fine for me.

And for Gozo.....If he used a Donic Appelgren Allplay, that would probably be an intelligent choice. If he could get his hands on an old Jonyer H or Klamphar H (both 5 ply Hinoki) those would also be excellent for him. For a few months he would hate them. Then he would feel his improvement. Then he would start to love them.

Smash_Fan got all that power and speed from an old Jonyer H. Nobody could say his shots were slow with the 40+ Poly Ball.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

that someone, two infact: the first one is a three times back to back veteran MS chanpion in my provincial / state open. Each time I go to have my meal at his noodle shop, I will get lectured read nag to no end by him while eating his awesomely fantabulous dumpling noodle.

The second person is a much elderly veteran player who happens to be the noodle guys' mentor and also a former provincial / state champion during the 38mm era. He too concur and also said the same thing as the noodle guy. He plays at the same club as I do and he uses pips. It is a nightmare to play him ( think He Zhiwen style ) but not impossible to beat him as I get more and more familiar with his play style.

These two are the main advisors thay has nagged errr I meant to say advised me to downgrade.

I am glad you have good players around, in person, who can see your equipment is too fast for you.

I am also impressed that you listened. Still, you would be better off with something notably slower than a Darker Speed 90. See if you can find a thin, 5 ply Hinoki blade or try Donic Appelgren Allplay. Either would be really good for you.

 

[NextLevel]

that someone, two infact: the first one is a three times back to back veteran MS chanpion in my provincial / state open. Each time I go to have my meal at his noodle shop, I will get lectured read nag to no end by him while eating his awesomely fantabulous dumpling noodle.

The second person is a much elderly veteran player who happens to be the noodle guys' mentor and also a former provincial / state champion during the 38mm era. He too concur and also said the same thing as the noodle guy. He plays at the same club as I do and he uses pips. It is a nightmare to play him ( think He Zhiwen style ) but not impossible to beat him as I get more and more familiar with his play style.

These two are the main advisors thay has nagged errr I meant to say advised me to downgrade.

So if I am reading you accurately, you have been "nagged" and "lectured" online and in person about your equipment choices. The question is why did you persist in not taking the advice and are the in-person advisors happy with your current change? Obviously, I still think what you are using is outside the bounds of regular offensive play. But it can work for some players for sure.

 

[NextLevel]

This kind of thing honestly depends on the player, his age, how far along in technique development he is.

I remember you using Sweden Extra, Korbel, Primorac, Stratus Power Wood. I remember when you were still developing your spin game, you used a lot of Off- blades that were on the not soooo fast side that helped you with that development.

I also remember, at a certain point, with the Poly Ball, and your RA getting worse so TT being harder on major joints, you realized that, for you, a faster blade made things easier on your joints. But by that time, your spin game was already very developed.

So, there may be many factors involved here. But for Doum, Korbel may be great and who knows for how long....I am still using Virtuoso Plus which is about the same speed and feel as a Korbel. It works fine for me.

And for Gozo.....If he used a Donic Appelgren Allplay, that would probably be an intelligent choice. If he could get his hands on an old Jonyer H or Klamphar H (both 5 ply Hinoki) those would also be excellent for him. For a few months he would hate them. Then he would feel his improvement. Then he would start to love them.

Smash_Fan got all that power and speed from an old Jonyer H. Nobody could say his shots were slow with the 40+ Poly Ball.

Ultimately, the main thing, as you pointed out, is to use something that allows you to develop an advanced spin game. Gozo is still trying to "win" rather than work on his game. He really should bite the bullet and use something that forces him to spin. Even Kristian Karlsson talked about using Hurricane for a while to build out his forehand at the recommendation of his coach. He obviously doesn't use Hurricane now, so it wasn't about using it forever.

I wouldn't go as far as an Appelgren, but I get the recommendakion.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

I was busy experiencing the Gozo Effect that I have forgotten about the winning part. Maybe now I come back focus on winning instead. Notice I used the term 'gaming experience' earlier on, perhaps going forward I will aim winning experience.

USDC, even with DS90 already I feel the need to spin to win. Cannot go full HULK SMASH with 9mm. It is just not the same.

God, I do miss the power of 10.5mm with super-duper trampolinish ESN rubber. Darn it: Must resist, must resist.