Should I stick to the ALC blade as a beginner?

[sky500]

Hi,

I have been playing in my leisure time since my childhood but nothing serious. I have started to play in a club again and had to learn a lot from scratch. I would still consider myself an advanced beginner and not fit for tournaments play yet.

I have used a Donic Burn Offensive for training since I didn't know it any better and the seller asked me what kind of blade I want, I just replied an Offensive blade. It was too fast for me and I didn't have the feel for it. So I kind of tried different allwood blades like the stiga allwood classic or Palio energy 03 based on the good reviews online. But I felt no power in these blades. Although I had to admit, I also had different rubbers on them.

Now, I kind of settled for the Yinhe Pro 01. Surprisingly I have more control and better feeling with it than the Donic Burn Offensive. Nevertheless it's an outer ALC, so I'm wondering if it's really a good blade for someone like me after reading online reviews on ALC blades like how beginner shouldn't use them because they are too fast. But for me it feels quite good while playing. Of course some balls are going into the net or above the table but I feel like it's more like a technique problem rather than blade problem. What are your opinions. Should I just stick to it? And how do I know if it's not also too fast?

 

[WingTT]

If you have no issues playing with it and don't feel an issue with control then perhaps you got a specially controllable specimen of the Pro 01. Be glad and don't feel pressured into going for something else. Does not mean you can't try out the blades of your club mates to see what is out there or getting other blades if you can afford it.

Not all outer ALC blades are uncontrollable. They can vary in feel even with the same model. For example I was lusting after a club members BTY Lin GaoYuan because it has the softest and most forgiving feel of an outer ALC blade I have tried but when I got my own it was not like that and was closer to a Viscaria, many of which I have tried and was not really impressed by.

 

[SFF_lib]

What rubbers do you play on your Yinhe Pro1? Rubbers can make a huge difference.

 

[sky500]

That's why I'm confused. It has literally better feeling than the Donic Burn Offensive. I'm using the same Andro Shifter rubbers on both blade, also thickness on both sides are the same.

I think I will just keep using it but since ALC are generally not recommended for advanced beginners I have been just wondering if there might be disadvantages.

 

[hclnnkhg]

That's why I'm confused. It has literally better feeling than the Donic Burn Offensive. I'm using the same Andro Shifter rubbers on both blade, also thickness on both sides are the same.

I think I will just keep using it but since ALC are generally not recommended for advanced beginners I have been just wondering if there might be disadvantages.

I think ALC blades are fine for advanced beginners as long as you don't pair them with ultra fast rubbers and you are training properly (with a coach).

 

[SFF_lib]

It could be that the Burn OFF uses Mahogany as top ply which is quite hard and fast.

 

[JJ Ng]

That's why I'm confused. It has literally better feeling than the Donic Burn Offensive. I'm using the same Andro Shifter rubbers on both blade, also thickness on both sides are the same.

I think I will just keep using it but since ALC are generally not recommended for advanced beginners I have been just wondering if there might be disadvantages.

Just stick with it. Did you train in table tennis when you were little? If so, you can stick with ALC. People who started playing a sport or an instrument when they were little always have some advantage. They just have a better touch or feel for the game even if they come back to the sport later.

 

[turbozed]

You could just stick with it. There is a small concern that the carbon will mute feedback and interfere with developing feeling for the ball. You've already seen yourself how the wrong equipment as a beginner can be a problem with the Burn OFF.

Stiga Allround Classic is possibly the slowest entry level blade (ALL rated) and many beginner wood blades are two levels faster (OFF-) but still great for development. These are blades like Xiom Offensive S, Tibhar Stratus Powerwood, and Sanwei Fextra 7.

If you want to remove all doubt whether all wood or carbon is good for you as a beginner, then spend the $20 minimal investment into buying a Sanwei Fextra and see how that plays for you. It should be closer to your Yinhe Pro 01 in speed but is known for good feel for an all-wood blade for development.

 

[mightymouse]

Yes, Sanwei Fextra One (Fextra 7, previously named) is a good blade given the economical price.

Regarding your issue whether Yinhe Pro 01 is suitable or not for a beginner:
I know that Yinhe Pro 01 is similar to Viscaria (so it is a fast blade) and you think that you have better control with it.
However, control is a subjective matter. Let me share with you a different perspective based on my experience. I have shoulder pain for over a year now. It is bad because it hurts when I swing. So to reduce my motion I switched to faster blades. During my trials, I found that I can play with almost anything. Outer carbon ALC (Viscaria, etc.), Inner carbon ALC, Inner ZLC, 7-ply, etc. I did not feel that I lost any control with them. So I chose based on feel, and played with Tibhar Samsonov Force Pro (the blue one) for quite some time.

However, just last week, because I played with lesser skill players, I switched to Donic Persson Powerplay (Off- blade) and it is noticeably slower compared to my usual Tibhar Force Pro. I did not feel any different in term of control back then.

Until last night, when I played against many intermediate skill players, I just realized that my control is much better (compared to using Tibhar Force Pro) and the percentage of my balls hitting the table is higher, especially when I was tired and could not be as precise.

So, in conclusion, although I think that fast blades still have good control (for me), BUT a SLOWER blade is indeed better in term of control.

So I think a slower blade is probably better for a beginner.

 

[sky500]

Thanks! I will perhaps try a Sanwei Fextra 7 to be sure. But if I still have to improve my technique either way and I'm not playing a tournament yet I think I might stick with the Yinhe Pro 01 since it's feel good and I can just get used to it.

 

[jk1980]

That's why I'm confused. It has literally better feeling than the Donic Burn Offensive. I'm using the same Andro Shifter rubbers on both blade, also thickness on both sides are the same.

I think I will just keep using it but since ALC are generally not recommended for advanced beginners I have been just wondering if there might be disadvantages.

The disadvantage is that you never learn proper strokes with this blade, because to not overshoot you will adjust to half-a$$ed strokes, because every full swing without proper technique will result in the ball piercing through the wall of your gym.

If you want to stay a garage player then stick with it. If you want to become competitive, then this will only set you back for months if not years.

Feel free to post a video of you playing to asses your situation better.

 

[sky500]

The disadvantage is that you never learn proper strokes with this blade, because to not overshoot you will adjust to half-a$$ed strokes, because every full swing without proper technique will result in the ball piercing through the wall of your gym.

If you want to stay a garage player then stick with it. If you want to become competitive, then this will only set you back for months if not years.

Feel free to post a video of you playing to asses your situation better.

Do you mean like doing topspins because you don't move your arm as low due to the blade being faster? My trainer actually said that for my level it's not necessary to go too much downwards since I can generate enough force with half the movement with the right rubber if it makes sense.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Hi,

I have been playing in my leisure time since my childhood but nothing serious. I have started to play in a club again and had to learn a lot from scratch. I would still consider myself an advanced beginner and not fit for tournaments play yet.

I have used a Donic Burn Offensive for training since I didn't know it any better and the seller asked me what kind of blade I want, I just replied an Offensive blade. It was too fast for me and I didn't have the feel for it. So I kind of tried different allwood blades like the stiga allwood classic or Palio energy 03 based on the good reviews online. But I felt no power in these blades. Although I had to admit, I also had different rubbers on them.

Now, I kind of settled for the Yinhe Pro 01. Surprisingly I have more control and better feeling with it than the Donic Burn Offensive. Nevertheless it's an outer ALC, so I'm wondering if it's really a good blade for someone like me after reading online reviews on ALC blades like how beginner shouldn't use them because they are too fast. But for me it feels quite good while playing. Of course some balls are going into the net or above the table but I feel like it's more like a technique problem rather than blade problem. What are your opinions. Should I just stick to it? And how do I know if it's not also too fast?

What you are using might be fine for you. It might not. You might be able to judge well what is good for you. You might not. We would have a better idea if you posted footage of you using the equipment in question.

If you can't post footage, use your judgement and decide. But if you post footage, some of us will be able to see if your equipment is well suited or if it is too fast for you.

Otherwise, it is just people making guesses based on what you have said and their own experiences, but not based on what you may actually be doing when you play.

 

[tackyfh]

So I kind of tried different allwood blades like the stiga allwood classic or Palio energy 03 based on the good reviews online. But I felt no power in these blades. Although I had to admit, I also had different rubbers on them.

It feel "powerless" but it reflects your technique. ALC blade has limited your ability to exert force by yourself, I think you should try an all wood blade for a while to practice generating force and train your feeling

 

[JJ Ng]

I personally think people should use 5-ply wood blade OFF- to start with. But if the originally poster really did start training when he was young and then took a long break, then ALC blade is fine. Just put some slower rubbers on it to begin with.

 

[Lowday20298]

I've been playing for 7 years at this point. I bought a viscaria 5 years ago and it harmed me more than anything else. Now I play with a 5 ply all wood blade.

Buying a carbon blade before you have confidence and building up full strokes with correct acceleration will only hold your technique back. If you want power try to find a 7 ply all wood, the clipper is probably the best of the best. And I know buying a carbon blade is tempting but trust me, it's a bad idea. In the same way that you wouldn't allow a new driver to drive a ferrari, you shouldn't buy anything that's gonna fight you when you play, and that goes for any level, my teammates and coach moved up from 7 alla wood to inner and outer carbon, but I chose to go back to 5 ply. It's a matter of control and feel, wood blades will always be better feeling and always have better control, that's why xu xin used off nct, then rosewood 5 and then the intensity.

You can buy the stiga offensive classic or optimum sync, offensive nct (it's lighter), and put conservative rubbers on it. I wouldn't recommend sriver or flextra, they were made for a time with different needs, they are outdated. Maybe baracuda or some other slowish euro/jap rubber with a lot of grip, stay away from tenergy, fastarc and whatnot... Hurricane 3 neo would also be fine, you would advance a lot and extremely quick, but they are hard to play with, very hard sponge and most spin out of any tt rubber, the entirety of China plays with it. Just remember that's it's hard and slow, don't boost it at first, play with it for some time and either keep it, or get something else to your liking.

 

[Nima Abadi]

The answer depends on so many other elements and it's not a straight yes or no.

The first factor is the rubbers, fast or slow rubbers. If you pair a fast blade with fast rubbers then it's going to harm your game but if you pair it with slow rubbers then you can focus on your technique and it won't harm your game.

Next is your partner(s), when most users answer your question they imagine the perfect scenario where we're practicing with a coach doing multi balls all day long perfecting our techniques but that's not the reality for most of us.

• Usually we end up practicing with other players at the club and here's the thing, if they are advance players then you can hit as hard as you want with your ALC blade and focus on your consistency but also on both generating power and correcting your technique.
• If you are playing against beginners then you should focus on your technique and generating spin since if you hit super hard then your partner won't be able to return the balls. You have to find other ways to practice your powerful shots like do matches at the end of the day and go 120% all out.
• Also, if you are playing against advance players then you might find it easier to play with an ALC blade since you can actually answer their quality and speed, otherwise you'll be constantly pushed away from the table and would need to sacrifice your half cooked technique for power to be able to play far from the table.

Last is yourself and what you want in the end. Some people make it sound like we're training for the Olympics when it comes to techniques but at the end of the day, it's you who decides how to use an ALC blade and how to develop your game.

Simply using an ALC blade doesn't harm your game at your stage but you do need to pay more attention to certain other aspects to continue to improve.

 

[Stella]

In fact Pro01 too soft to be an outer ALC and is only used in China by enthusiasts who don't require much performance because it's cheap enough,150-180 yuan RMB.