Stepping away from carbon.

[Klue]

Want to take a step back and get a 5-ply blade. I went from a YSE to a ma lin carbon (with fast arc rubbers). I might have rushed into getting a carbon blade so I was looking at a new setup that's an upgrade from a YSE. Is this setup good?

Blade: Tibhar Stratus Power Wood
FH: Andro Rasanter r47
BH: Andro Rasanter r42

 

[NextLevel]

Want to take a step back and get a 5-ply blade. I went from a YSE to a ma lin carbon (with fast arc rubbers). I might have rushed into getting a carbon blade so I was looking at a new setup that's an upgrade from a YSE. Is this setup good?

Blade: Tibhar Stratus Power Wood
FH: Andro Rasanter r47
BH: Andro Rasanter r42

Why do you think you rushed? What is your playing style?

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

Did you use fastarc on your old blade?

 

[Klue]

Why do you think you rushed? What is your playing style?

Honestly, I'm not sure, maybe I just haven't gotten used to the setup yet. My playing style I'm also not sure because I have only been playing seriously for about a year or two. I would like to say I'm an offensive playstyle but my friends tell me I'm too passive probably because I'm too scared to attack. I just feel like something is off and it's definitely my technique.

 

[Klue]

Did you use fastarc on your old blade?

No. My old setup was YSE with friendship battle II on the forehand and vega europe on the backhand.

 

[NextLevel]

No. My old setup was YSE with friendship battle II on the forehand and vega europe on the backhand.

He is asking because you really can't tell whether a blade is a problem unless you changed the blade while keeping the same rubbers. In general though, if your technique is an issue, what you need is coaching, equipment as long as it is in an okay ball park doesn't make much difference. While I don't use those rubbers or blades, there is nothing really wrong with either setup, just get a high level payer friend to train you for free, or pay some money and get some coaching. Or go to a training camp in a major TT training center and work with the coaches and students there for the duration. Changing equipment is almost never the right or important fix for inexperienced players, especially uncoached players.

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

No. My old setup was YSE with friendship battle II on the forehand and vega europe on the backhand.

So you went from a slow allwood blade with a Chinese style fh rubber and an extra soft bh rubber, to a mild carbon blade with bouncier rubbers on both sides? No wonder you feel uncomfortable playing with this new setup. Its generally recommended that you change either blade or rubber when wanting to make a transition to "hotter" equipment to keep as much familiarity with your setup as possible, a whole new setup takes longer to learn than if you kept the old rubbers and switched the blade or the other way around. The Rasanters you are thinking about are even more lively than the Fastarcs and the Powerwood is also a pretty fast blade for a 5 ply wood, I don't know why you would want to get an entirely new setup after getting an entirely new setup you haven't even gotten used to yet. The answer is not new equipment, I can say from experience it will continually mess with your sense of comfortability controlling the ball and gauging your impacts if you keep changing stuff and chasing the dragon, you just need to invest more time in exploring how your new equipment behaves differently from your old setup if you want to do well with it in the long run. Theres nothing inherently wrong with any of the equipment you've brought up but dismissing a whole new setup just because you don't know how to play with it (yet) is a bit of an immature conclusion to come to, you just need to get acquainted with it (if you want to). If you play with the new setup for 3-4mo and still do not like it then I suggest putting your old rubbers on your new blade

 

[greenbeanmachine]

Stratus Power Wood is a good intermediate blade if you're looking for something between YSE and carbon. Ma Lin Extra Offensive is also a good option.

Like the others said, keep your rubbers the same. You don't wanna change too many variables. Personally I'd stick with Battle II if you're moving to a faster blade. Also, fast blade + slow rubber is better than slow blade + fast rubbers imo.

 

[Pe-ter]

As a player that went from YSE + R7 on both sides to BTY Hadraw 5 + G-1/C-1 combo (same rubbers as you have), I was also feeling that the FA's are different and have to adapt to it (and it ain't a quick process). Had to change my swing, sometimes it feels awkward / weird, not natural to me, but it's not the blades fault. Fastarcs are awesome rubbers, they have a linear behavior, no explosive trampoline effect. Yet they can be seen as "bad" for someone who is new to them (due to higher arc, grippy surface, etc.).

One thing that I realized was that somehow it suits me better if I'm playing with the C-1 on the FH. Don't get it either but it is what it is. Maybe before switching, try it as well.

As all the others already told you, you changed the whole equipment, now you don't know what is not working out for you. Having a third completely different setup won't help either. You can then start EJ-ing...or invest the money in some proper coaching (recommend).

Both of your blades are good, the Ma Lin Soft Carbon is not that fast of a blade, there are 5-ply all wood blades out there that are faster than that.

 

[KM1976]

As a player that went from YSE + R7 on both sides to BTY Hadraw 5 + G-1/C-1 combo (same rubbers as you have), I was also feeling that the FA's are different and have to adapt to it (and it ain't a quick process). Had to change my swing, sometimes it feels awkward / weird, not natural to me, but it's not the blades fault. Fastarcs are awesome rubbers, they have a linear behavior, no explosive trampoline effect. Yet they can be seen as "bad" for someone who is new to them (due to higher arc, grippy surface, etc.).

One thing that I realized was that somehow it suits me better if I'm playing with the C-1 on the FH. Don't get it either but it is what it is. Maybe before switching, try it as well.

As all the others already told you, you changed the whole equipment, now you don't know what is not working out for you. Having a third completely different setup won't help either. You can then start EJ-ing...or invest the money in some proper coaching (recommend).

Both of your blades are good, the Ma Lin Soft Carbon is not that fast of a blade, there are 5-ply all wood blades out there that are faster than that.

I too liked C1 on Forehand.

 

[Marc]

@Klue
You mentioned you want to take a step back with 5 ply powerwood.
Nextlevel knows what he's talking about but if you decide against his recommended lessons and end up buying more equipment I think you should know, the Powerwood is on the high end of speed for a 5 ply blade and the ma lin carbon is on the low end of carbon blades which appears to be slower than the power wood based on a website TTgearlab where they do testing on blades with measurement devices.

Which fastarc rubber do you have?

Based on limited info, I'd stick with ma lin carbon and put the battle II on fh with the softer rubber you have for bh.

 

[mightymouse]

I speak from my own experience, so it might not generally be true (depending on the weight of the blade).

I have Yasaka Extra, it is a true ALL+ blade. With newest generation tensor rubbers, it is still a good blade for amateurs like us.
Now, Ma Lin Carbon is actually an OFF- blade (my opinion). It is a a bit stiffer (and without hollow handle) version of Donic Waldner Senso Carbon. Donic WSC is also ALL+ / Off- blade in my opinion. Given higher weight, WSC can be as fast as Butterfly Korbel but certainly not faster. The guy from Tabletennis11 did a review and concluded that Donic Waldner Offensive 2016 (all wood blade) is an Off- blade and WSC is an ALL+/Off- blade (slower).

However, my Stratus Power Wood is faster than my Korbel, although my SPW is slightly lighter than my Korbel.

What I am trying to say is that if you want to step down from Ma Lin Carbon, I think Stratus Power Wood is not the ideal choice, because it is actually faster than Ma Lin Carbon (which is only a step above WSC).

My advice is either you are back to Yasaka Extra with faster rubbers or keep using Ma Lin Carbon but with slower rubbers.

 

[Sims]

He is asking because you really can't tell whether a blade is a problem unless you changed the blade while keeping the same rubbers. In general though, if your technique is an issue, what you need is coaching, equipment as long as it is in an okay ball park doesn't make much difference. While I don't use those rubbers or blades, there is nothing really wrong with either setup, just get a high level payer friend to train you for free, or pay some money and get some coaching. Or go to a training camp in a major TT training center and work with the coaches and students there for the duration. Changing equipment is almost never the right or important fix for inexperienced players, especially uncoached players.

This👆
@Klue: Spend the new equipment money on coaching and you'll never look back.
Stick the Fastarcs on the YSE if you really reckon the blade is too firm, stiff or whatever.