Upgrading rubber on existing blade

[AceXSpade]

So I used to play a lot of table tennis back in the early 2000s and took lessons from a coach for a couple of years. I sort of dropped the sport, but I have to urge to pick it up again. I found my old racket, but the rubbers are sort of fraying from the years of play previously.

I have been looking online to see what is available, but there are so many options. Just curious if anyone has recommendations on rubbers I can get to replace what I currently have.

I consider myself a beginners/ intermediate player. The set up was recommended by my coach back in 2004, so I assume my setup is out of date compared to what is available out there today.

Current setup

Blade: Donic Opticon

FH Rubber: Nittaku Morristo 2000

BH Rubber: Butterfly Sriver

 

[greenbeanmachine]

If you're still a beginner, this is a pretty good setup. You could replace both of your rubbers with Yasaka Mark V (an old rubber which still survives because it's really good) and you would have a pretty similar setup.

The progression of technology has gone in a few different directions:

1. Tensor rubbers. This is the main European-style rubber that people use these days. They use tension in the topsheet to create lots of spin and speed with a very light touch. I would not recommend for a beginner, but if you're curious I'd recommend Stiga Mantra Pro M/H or Andro Rasanter R45. Most people would use this kind of rubber on the backhand, for a quick, short, powerful stroke.

2. Hybrid rubbers. This is a type of rubber which tries to compromise between European tensors and Chinese rubbers. Typically has a hard sponge and sticky topsheet. Best option for a beginner in this category is Yasaka Rakza Z.

3. Chinese rubbers. Unequivocally the best rubber in this category is DHS Hurricane 3 Neo. It's cheap, high quality, good for beginners as well as advanced players. It will force you to play with good technique. Hard-sponged rubber. Most people would use this on the forehand side.

The standard setup for most players is:
- Chinese or Hybrid rubber on Forehand
- Tensor rubber on backhand
This setup works well for the average player, who is forehand-dominant. If you feel like your backhand is very strong, you can put a Chinese or Hybrid rubber on the backhand as well.

Since you're still a beginner, I'd recommend Yasaka Mark V and/or DHS Hurricane 3, since they give the greatest amount of control. Hurricane 3 would be better if you like hard rubbers, and Mark V will be better if you like soft rubbers. If you're curious about new technology, you can try Rakza Z, Rasanter R45, and/or Stiga Mantra Pro without disadvantaging yourself too much.