Should i change to carbon or stick with all wood?

[Cloud]

Orginally I was just looking for a new blade that was fatser and had a larger sweet spot, so I thought of buying a carbon blade, some suggested against and some suggested it. So now im just trying to figure outif i should go for a carbon blade or not, or if I am ready for a carbon or not. I hope you guys can help me decide.😁 here are some info that might be important. Thx in adavance

Im currently playing with the korbel japan blade. I am offensive player who can topspin from both wings pretty consistenty. I rely on my serves to set me up to finish the point with a fast topspin on the 3rd or 5th ball. My other basic techniques are decently developed as well with the exception of looping backspin balls. I am still learning how to loop properly. I think my spin generation and and touch and feel of the ball is also quite decent. (my coach also compliments me often saying that my feeling of the ball is really gud 🤣😅) I have competed in tournaments a few times, all of them were school team tournaments. The most official and serious was a tournamemt where most school team in Hong Kong compete in.

 

[mightymouse]

. My other basic techniques are decently developed as well with the exception of looping backspin balls. I am still learning how to loop properly.

If I were you, I would stick to your BTY Korbel (Japan). First, it is an excellent blade that you can use for a long time.

Second, and the most important thing is, you are still learning to loop properly. In this case, it is better to use all-wood blade. I don't say that you can't learn to loop properly using a carbon blade, but it is easier to do that with all-wood blade. So, stick with your current blade and practice more.

Just in case you are itching to try carbon blade, then here are few blades for looping the ball easier:
1. Donic Waldner Senso Carbon
2. Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon and Yasaka Ma Lin Carbon

However, those 3 blades are about the same speed (or slightly less speed) with your current Korbel. Their carbon are also so thin that the sweet spot in not that large compared to traditional carbon blade or other popular composite blades (Primorac Carbon, Viscaria or TB ALC).

So I guess you already have good blade in your hand, why don't you try it with faster rubber (if more speed is what you are looking for). For larger sweet spot? Don't worry about it. If Oh Sang Eun, Korbel, Gionis, etc. have used Korbel in the past, I guess that it is good for mortal like us.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

If I were you, I would stick to your BTY Korbel (Japan). First, it is an excellent blade that you can use for a long time.

Second, and the most important thing is, you are still learning to loop properly. In this case, it is better to use all-wood blade. I don't say that you can't learn to loop properly using a carbon blade, but it is easier to do that with all-wood blade. So, stick with your current blade and practice more.

Just in case you are itching to try carbon blade, then here are few blades for looping the ball easier:
1. Donic Waldner Senso Carbon
2. Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon and Yasaka Ma Lin Carbon

However, those 3 blades are about the same speed (or slightly less speed) with your current Korbel. Their carbon are also so thin that the sweet spot in not that large compared to traditional carbon blade or other popular composite blades (Primorac Carbon, Viscaria or TB ALC).

So I guess you already have good blade in your hand, why don't you try it with faster rubber (if more speed is what you are looking for). For larger sweet spot? Don't worry about it. If Oh Sang Eun, Korbel, Gionis, etc. have used Korbel in the past, I guess that it is good for mortal like us.

Took the words out of my mouth.
I 2nd this, because you are "still learning to loop properly".

How far do you play/stand from the table?

 

[Cloud]

Took the words out of my mouth.
I 2nd this, because you are "still learning to loop properly".

How far do you play/stand from the table?

I play around close and mid distance from the table

 

[OldUser]

As I've already said, 1250Hz is the way to go, 1300 Hz is the limit, and guess what ? 99% of the carbon or carbon-composite blades are faster and above that 1300 Hz mark, the exceptions have already been listed by mightymouse.

Look here the Donic WSC is rated 1184 to 1270 Hz, the Waldner Diablo Senso that I strongly recommend (non carbon but still with a composite material that is glassfiber) is rated 1275 Hz, The Yasaka Ma Lin Carbon and Soft Carbon are rated 1180 to 1305 Hz https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tnzuhP98Iwl3_ZYIKs770Z4GeEXB1cPaF6xXC3IMLfg/edit#gid=0

 

[Cloud]

If I were you, I would stick to your BTY Korbel (Japan). First, it is an excellent blade that you can use for a long time.

Second, and the most important thing is, you are still learning to loop properly. In this case, it is better to use all-wood blade. I don't say that you can't learn to loop properly using a carbon blade, but it is easier to do that with all-wood blade. So, stick with your current blade and practice more.

Just in case you are itching to try carbon blade, then here are few blades for looping the ball easier:
1. Donic Waldner Senso Carbon
2. Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon and Yasaka Ma Lin Carbon

However, those 3 blades are about the same speed (or slightly less speed) with your current Korbel. Their carbon are also so thin that the sweet spot in not that large compared to traditional carbon blade or other popular composite blades (Primorac Carbon, Viscaria or TB ALC).

So I guess you already have good blade in your hand, why don't you try it with faster rubber (if more speed is what you are looking for). For larger sweet spot? Don't worry about it. If Oh Sang Eun, Korbel, Gionis, etc. have used Korbel in the past, I guess that it is good for mortal like us.

Hmm, the only thing i dont like abt the korbel is its speed, do you think an faster wood blade, like a 7ply wood blade would be better? Or do you think i should just stick to korbel untill i learn to loop properly and then i should change to carbon or a 7ply wood blade? Im actually quite happy with my rubbers atm, I dont really see any problem with them and I think my rubbers are already quite fast.

 

[Wrighty67]

I am going to throw in my 2c here should you decide to go carbon. I have used all wood 5 and 7 ply and a few variations of ALC blades - in general terms I have struggled with consistency with the ALC blades vs all wood but have also not found 5 ply (Acoustic/OSP Virtuoso) to be crisp enough for my taste.

My current blade is a Viscaria and I have none of the consistency issues with this blade that I had with ALC - my attacking game and my blocking game are both better than with all wood and my touch game is of a similar level - best blade I have ever played.

I do use what you might call moderate speed/less bouncy rubbers (Rakza 7 BH and Tibhar K3 FH) which makes for a more balanced overall experience.

Probably the rest of the guys are right - stick to the Korbel and generate more speed with technique ;-)

 

[Lazer]

The longer the ball is in contact with the bat, the easier it is to put spin on it, and to control the hit. Most of the speed comes from the blade but not all. Sometimes it is possible to slow down a fast bat with a slower rubber or at least to a certain amount.
With a faster bat is ALWAYS harder to put spin on the ball than a slower bat. Carbon or all wood is not important, the speed of he blade is. .

Cheers
L-zr

 

[IB66]

Hi,

Out of interest which rubbers are you using? it will complete the picture!!!

As the others have said, I would stick with the Korbel for now. increase speed by learning good technique, rather than changing equipment. Then once your skills have improved go for an equipment change.

Generally a blade should be more of a 'long term' relationship, rubbers are far more changeable, especially as they wear out much quicker.
Ideally, when changing to a faster blade, it may be advisable to leave some room for overall increase in the speed of the set up later on. If you go fast blade and fast rubbers then it's difficult to increase the speed of the set up. you sort of have no where to go except backwards!!!

If there's room to go for a faster rubber, that could be an option over changing to a faster blade. I know you said your current rubbers are fast but how fast???

If you have some video footage of you playing that would be good to see as well.

 

[OldUser]

The H3, even boosted, will not generate the same speed and feeling of speed as any BTY/Victas/ESN tensor rubber, the H3 is way more linear. If your concern is about the FH speed, it's also probably because the H3 is not what you should use on the FH side, try to reverse and use the T19 on the FH to see what happens ;-)

If the T19 is too much for the short game, then mid or soft rubber could be even better, and your technique: Lebesson uses moderate speed blade slower than the 1300 Hz mark with 40° Tibhar FX-P/ESN hardness rubbers for example... it's even softer than the H3 37° or a Tenergy 05FX ! close to mid distance attack player too

 

[Cloud]

As I've already said, 1250Hz is the way to go, 1300 Hz is the limit, and guess what ? 99% of the carbon or carbon-composite blades are faster and above that 1300 Hz mark, the exceptions have already been listed by mightymouse.

Look here the Donic WSC is rated 1184 to 1270 Hz, the Waldner Diablo Senso that I strongly recommend (non carbon but still with a composite material that is glassfiber) is rated 1275 Hz, The Yasaka Ma Lin Carbon and Soft Carbon are rated 1180 to 1305 Hz https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tnzuhP98Iwl3_ZYIKs770Z4GeEXB1cPaF6xXC3IMLfg/edit#gid=0

Wow thank you, I completely over looked this b4 (srry 😅). Thats just the speed tho right? Does it tell you how much feedback you will get when u hit the ball on impact?

 

[mocker88]

I get more effect out of my H3 41deg, using a stiffer blade like my Yinhe V14 PRO compared to a slower all wooden blade. Now I had similar but softer feeling with a Sanwei V5 Pro, which is all wood. But I always return to my V14 PRO...

 

[Cloud]

The H3, even boosted, will not generate the same speed and feeling of speed as any BTY/Victas/ESN tensor rubber, the H3 is way more linear. If your concern is about the FH speed, it's also probably because the H3 is not what you should use on the FH side, try to reverse and use the T19 on the FH to see what happens ;-)

If the T19 is too much for the short game, then mid or soft rubber could be even better, and your technique: Lebesson uses moderate speed blade slower than the 1300 Hz mark with 40° Tibhar FX-P/ESN hardness rubbers for example... it's even softer than the H3 37° or a Tenergy 05FX ! close to mid distance attack player too

The problem isnt only on my forehand, so basicly on both wings, my top end speed is is a little difficult to achieve, even when i achieve it, its not as deadly as i would like for it to be.

playing with t19 on forehand feels a bit weird. (i think becuz it feels a bit softer than usual) when i tone down my racket the speed the t19 is faster but when I accelarate faster its almost the same, idk if that made any sense 😅, maybe its a mental thing but thats wat it feels like. For the short game its just slightly more difficult but its fine as long as im careful.

 

[Cloud]

The problem isnt only on my forehand, so basicly on both wings, my top end speed is is a little difficult to achieve, even when i achieve it, its not as deadly as i would like for it to be.

playing with t19 on forehand feels a bit weird. (i think becuz it feels a bit softer than usual) when i tone down my racket the speed the t19 is faster but when I accelarate faster its almost the same, idk if that made any sense 😅, maybe its a mental thing but thats wat it feels like. For the short game its just slightly more difficult but its fine as long as im careful.

Srry i coudnt explain any better. But basicly my point being is that i tried using t19 on my forehand and it just wasnt for me.

 

[Cloud]

Well, thx again evryone for ur replys. It was very helpful, i think Im just gonna stick with my korbel for now.

 

[IB66]

Just in case you thought I hadn't seen the rubbers in your tag, sometimes what's shown is not what the person is actually using!!!
H3 Neo on BH is basically slower than many other rubbers available, so if you really want more speed then change to a slightly faster rubber, perhaps use the T19 on BH and the H3 Neo on FH (which is a more traditional or common type of set up), maybe you have already tried this? if not give it a go and see how that feels. If you have, then what were your thoughts.

 

[Cloud]

Just in case you thought I hadn't seen the rubbers in your tag, sometimes what's shown is not what the person is actually using!!!
H3 Neo on BH is basically slower than many other rubbers available, so if you really want more speed then change to a slightly faster rubber, perhaps use the T19 on BH and the H3 Neo on FH (which is a more traditional or common type of set up), maybe you have already tried this? if not give it a go and see how that feels. If you have, then what were your thoughts.

I do use h3 on the forehand, does the tag say otherwise? If not how do I fix it? But to confirm I do use the h3 on my forehand and use the t19 on my backhand, srry if i wasnt more clear on wat rubbers I use 😅

 

[Doum]

If you are curious about a carbon blade you can look on Aliexpress at a Yinhe V-14 PRO or something similar. It's not expensive and if you don't like it just sell it or keep it as a spare blade.

It's fun to test new equipments from time to time. You might find something you like.

 

[IB66]

I do use h3 on the forehand, does the tag say otherwise? If not how do I fix it? But to confirm I do use the h3 on my forehand and use the t19 on my backhand, srry if i wasnt more clear on wat rubbers I use 😅

my tag is round the wrong way as well, better edit!!!!
Having said that the site says FH rubber and attaches to red bat, and BH to Black when you edit your profile. Which I tend to forget!!!
Mostly black is the FH rubber, especially as H3 Nat blue sponge is only available in black.
Rules say one side must be black, plus the new colours and red giving more choice.
most people (not all) use black on FH
I’ve always associated black rubber with FH, rightly or wrongly!!!
so looking at the profile on screen I see black and think that’s the FH rubber!!!
Perhaps the site should just use FH/BH rather than the colour bats, especially as there are more colours now!!!

 

[Der_Echte]

Cloud,,

You could stay with Korbel and be perfectly fine as you develop more. It is suitable for looping at all speeds. Even some pro players used that blade, it was very popular among Korean pros in the early 2010s.

The pundit coaches argue correctly that a wood blade with some dwell and feel is suitable for looping and promotes development of said looping... and it is true. They have a tried and true model there.

It is NOT the only way though you could have a faster blade and softer sponged modern rubbers and still learn to loop well... and go progressively harder sponge of same familiar rubber as your impact gets deeper and better. That way is also tried and true.

Get anything near middle of suitability and you will be just fine... you are already just fine with the current blade.