Shall i upgrade my gear?

[Der_Echte]

If you can get acceptably low priced allround OFF control rubbers, even if it is old fashioned 729FX, then try that out first and see how it goes. TT11 is in Europe and you know the costs involved, you get your gear fast enough and so on. Try out some decent priced rubbers on your same blade if you can prepare your blade for them by getting off the old rubbers successfully.

 

[SquareBall]

Hello again,
Played with a friend's 2008 XP rubbers on a dawai blade and found it really impressive. Could hear a distinctive click at agressive shots. So i want to ask to what extend friendship rubbers look like 2008 XP because its hard for me to get 2008 XP . And any suggestion of a rubber similar to 2008 XP would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Der_Echte]

While there is no 729 rubber exactly like XP 2008, you can still some control rubbers from that brand at a decent price.

A few suggestions are 729 Cream, 729 Higher, 729 FX, or 729-whatever number your reseller has.

If you get a couple rubbers from Cole, it will not cost a lot to ship to Greece. He charges $8 a sheet for XP and I think his shipping would be around $5 for two rubbers only.

Whatever you do, try out slapping on some control rubbers on your current blade first, even if it is a used rubber a friend gives you, try that out and you might discover a decent control rubber on your current blade may enable you to play the level and style you are trying to become.

Even if that fails and you discover that isn't for you, you didn't spend a lot of time or money figuring it out and the education aspect of that experience still has a lot of value for you.

 

[SquareBall]

I like this 2008 XP rubber so will get it I dont want control rubber want to be able to hit hard a ball thats the reason i want get new rubbers. Do you think coles will give me glue also to stick them on the blade?

 

[SquareBall]

Just put on colesTT to cart 2 2008 XP rubbers and my postal code and tells 1 dollar shipment .. is that real ?

• Item total$14.00
• Shipping and handlingShipping and handling: (to 15344)
  
  $1.00
  Estimate shipping and tax
  Cancel​
  Select ship-to country (optional)
  Cancel​

• Total $15.00 USD​

 

[Der_Echte]

I think the postal code you entered... that looks like a US postal code.

Inside USA, it will cost $1 USD to ship a couple rubbers. VERY INEXPENSIVE.

Shipping outside US (if it can fit in the flat rate envelope...) is $25 USD so that is not inexpensive for 1 rubber. Now if you buy 10 rubbers, unit cost per shipping is reasonable, but unless you are buying for friends or go through a lot of rubbers (like me), that kind of shipping cost might be a value for you.

Everything you buy by mail costs money to ship, whether you pay extra at checkout or as included in price, you will pay for shipping costs.

I just made a large order from cole and got a LOT of stuff, some for me (I like to buy 6-10 sheets of XP 2008 when I buy) and some stuff to donate to our USO rec center and its upcoming tourney.

I had cole make me an LKT Instinct+ blade (rememeber, we internet TTers have bought everyone out of 896 blades!) with XP 2008 both sides, a case and two rubber protection sheets. That is the bat I will donate to the USO tourney on our Army base for first prize. I might make a thread on a US or N.A. forum and ask for other small stuff to make the players all have something TT, but the USO also seems to get good donations. Cole tossed in an Air brand rubber that I already gave away to a regular player today and will glue it to his bat when he gets his crappy pre-made rubber off the blade.

Here are a couple pics of what came in the mail.

 

[Der_Echte]

The blade with the 1/2 case is also the Instinct + blade which I recycled Aurus and XP 2008 from an older blade today and it played like a control OFF- or low OFF bat. I put some new grip tape on the thing and it was great...

$15 blade, recycled rubbers are free (already paid them, so no additional cost) and grip tape I bought in Korea cost $5 or whatever... So this is a like a USD $20 bat that plays like a Bat Outta Hell... bad pun intended. I could do whatever I wanted to do with this thing except smash through one meter thick walls.

 

[Der_Echte]

The 729 control rubbers I suggested are not anything like the pre-made bat's rubbers. They are legit and appropriate for a begginging player, even some vets still use some of these rubbers.

I am city div 2 / fringe city div 1 player ( I disclose the level to support the idea that a very above average player can still be successful with such a type of control rubber and still play aggressively) and I use that XP 2008 on BH wing, because I like control on BH. My stroke is good enough for me to get by using just about any inverted rubber in max thickness, but you cannot beat the performance and longevity XP 2008 Super Power gives me for $USD $8 a sheet. Nothing is close for that price, that I why I use it and even if I play every day 5 hours, it is still good after 3 months, I change it out anyway and keep it for rec center bats I recondition or give away the sheet to a friend.

Whatever you decide to do, it will be a good experience for you.

As for glue, wherever you play TT at, there should be someone who carries that stuff with him. If not, then order some glue from some reseller in Europe you trust.