typical semi-beginner questions

[NDH]

Thanks again for all the advices.
Yesterday I visited a local club for the first time. I was invited by a senior member I contacted by email. He turned out being a super nice gentleman who showed me around, explained all the things I needed to know and he assested my level with a really enjoyable 40 minutes of play. Apparently I’m not bad, I got already a lot of advices to work on. Great experience, now I just have to see if I can fit some TT time in my schedule without upsetting my wife!
Equipment wise..
I have to say he was rather unimpressed by the ‘we call it dead rubber’ 729+stiga-allround. He said he totally gets why I want the control and if I like it, use it as I work on the basics. He said my Other racket, the premade Butterfly Zjx6 Wakaba I got on Amazon, is actually not that bad and I could consider going back to it as soon as I feel comfortable with my ‘feel’...
So I’m confused even more than before and probably I will just not think about equipment, stick to my dead rubber for a bit and just focus on my technique, which has definitely improved since I started to use it.. although on the back of my mind is the idea that I could make my life a little easier with different rubber. After a few days using my dead rubber setup I can already feel I could handle something faster and a little bouncier.

Hey Andre,

Great to hear you had a good experience at your first club!

It's so hard to know what's best and who to listen to. A forum full of random people on the internet who may, or may not know what they are talking about.

Or an older gentleman whose been around the sport for years, probably stuck in his ways somewhat, and only knows what he knows (likely isn't an equipment expert, and will typically screw his nose up at Chinese rubbers).

I know many many people like that in the UK - They'll no doubt be advocating for the Primorac All + with Sriver pretty soon (it seems to be the "go to" set up for people to advise on).

I wouldn't worry about your set up too much - You'll improve anyway, even if you played with a saucepan! It's just about getting time on the table right now.

If you can record yourself, great - That will give people an idea of what could be good or not.

Whilst I'd always take what people online say with a pinch of salt, I'd also do the same with someone in person, if I didn't know them.

Even if I did know them, the amount of people I've seen who are really stuck in their ways when it comes to advice, is crazy - They typically have no concept of Chinese vs European rubbers, they won't know much about equipment at all, and focus more on the actual strokes.

Anyway, good luck with it!

 

[Andre74]

NDH,I hear you clearly!
I have to say, the geeky obsession with equipment (and reading and writing about it in forums like this) is a vice I could see myself catching really easily (or maybe it’s too late!) as it is fun. But yep, nothing beats playing the game itself and that’s what I will focus on (while I read a lot of reviews of equipment I could buy hahahah!). Today for fun I tried the OFF racket of a friend and the first FH I hit had a spin and a pace that surprised me, and landed in, so I think the dead rubber training is working, I think I’m starting to spin the ball correctly and seeing those lovely arcs above the net. I’ve always had decent spin skills on BH but I’ve always hit very flat on FH. My new table-tennis master friend yesterday also pointed out a few things wrong with my stance and lack of relaxed hand that were quite a revelation so I have a lot of things to think about, and practice to do.