Went back to slower blade, now totally confused

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So I was using a Yasaka Sweden Extra with Rakza 7 on both sides, and loved it. All of the things you would expect. Not very fast, but tons of control and spin. Looping monster with incredible feel. Great.

But I felt like it lacked on the top end, and I wanted to try something a little bit faster, so I tried the OSP Virtuoso OFF-. with a large head, again with Rakza 7 on both sides. And again, everything you would expect. A bit faster, better at mid-distance, but without losing that 5-ply all-wood feel. Feels like an OFF- as opposed to the YSE being ALL+. I got used to it almost immediately. I love the added power, and my game continues to improve with it.

So everything going to plan, right?

Not so fast. The other day, just for kicks and curiosity, whilst all warmed up in the middle of a practice session, I tried the YSE again.... and it's like God Mode. Like I can't miss. More control than ever, huge amounts of spin, tons of confidence when looping. If I really wanted to win a match, with a minimum of unforced errors, it's hard to ignore the YSE... and yet it's definitely not quite as fast, and doesn't quite have the power at mid-distance.

So now I'm totally confused as to which blade to focus on. The good news is that switching back and forth doesn't screw me up, so I suppose I could keep the option of using either setup, depending on how I'm feeling for any given session.... but this goes against a basic theory I have (for better or worse), that it's better to get really dialed in on just one setup. I am far from maxing out either one of them, so my game will get better with either... but which one? Is it better to get dialed in on the slightly faster setup? Or continue to develop my consistency on a "can't miss" slower setup?

Anyone experience this dilemma? Do you use different setups based on how you're playing that day?.... or do you use multiple setups out of indecision and madness? (this is where I don't want to be stuck).

Please share your thoughts. Thanks.
 
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yes.. it's like playing computer games.. it's hard from lvl1 one.. but then you reach level 99
when you start over, lvl 1 is so slow and easy you can do everything 100% and even get yourself some coffee and donuts.
now you are used to a somewhat faster blade and you notice what more you can do on the YSE easily..
 
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Tough call - I don't have the answer but I have and continue to experience the same thing.

I will adjust to a new setup and then revert to another one and find it feels great - however I do feel that this is, at least in part due to the change rather than the set up being inherently better.
 
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I must admit that I’m feeling biased by the craftsmanship of the Virtuoso, which is just incredible.

It has this “well it must be better, look at the love that went into it” psychological effect that I’m trying to resist, particularly since the YSE is well known for being very high quality for the price…. and some would argue at any price. As one reviewer put it, “it plays like a $200 Butterfly blade”. This is a bit of hyperbole perhaps, but it makes the point.
 
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I'm never happy with my Setup 😄 😞 we are all looking for the holy grail and we will never find it!!! But we will have fun trying 😁 😉 😁 😉
Fair enough… but the problem is when the fun turns to anxiety…. Particularly if you have an off night or a bad match and you’re looking for a scapegoat.
 
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So I was using a Yasaka Sweden Extra with Rakza 7 on both sides, and loved it. All of the things you would expect. Not very fast, but tons of control and spin. Looping monster with incredible feel. Great.

But I felt like it lacked on the top end, and I wanted to try something a little bit faster, so I tried the OSP Virtuoso OFF-. with a large head, again with Rakza 7 on both sides. And again, everything you would expect. A bit faster, better at mid-distance, but without losing that 5-ply all-wood feel. Feels like an OFF- as opposed to the YSE being ALL+. I got used to it almost immediately. I love the added power, and my game continues to improve with it.

So everything going to plan, right?

Not so fast. The other day, just for kicks and curiosity, whilst all warmed up in the middle of a practice session, I tried the YSE again.... and it's like God Mode. Like I can't miss. More control than ever, huge amounts of spin, tons of confidence when looping. If I really wanted to win a match, with a minimum of unforced errors, it's hard to ignore the YSE... and yet it's definitely not quite as fast, and doesn't quite have the power at mid-distance.

So now I'm totally confused as to which blade to focus on. The good news is that switching back and forth doesn't screw me up, so I suppose I could keep the option of using either setup, depending on how I'm feeling for any given session.... but this goes against a basic theory I have (for better or worse), that it's better to get really dialed in on just one setup. I am far from maxing out either one of them, so my game will get better with either... but which one? Is it better to get dialed in on the slightly faster setup? Or continue to develop my consistency on a "can't miss" slower setup?

Anyone experience this dilemma? Do you use different setups based on how you're playing that day?.... or do you use multiple setups out of indecision and madness? (this is where I don't want to be stuck).

Please share your thoughts. Thanks.
Novel experiences often feel better but the true test is actually performance in matches vs opponents you are trying to beat (better and worse players) over multiple matches and seeing whether your performance stably improves.
 
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If you play with the Sweden Extra for a while and get used to it and then switch back to the OSP V- after not having used it for a few weeks or months, you may have the same experience in reverse. When we get really used to something we stop noticing certain things. When we try something a little different, we notice a whole bunch of nuance that we were not paying attention to with the previous setup.

They are both close enough. It is a choice. Use one for a few months. Switch to the other for a few months. Either will be fine. Your technique and your game strategy will just adjust to the one you are using.

One thing to note: Sweden Extra has a hard top ply. V- has a soft top ply. The contact you would make to get really heavy spin on the ball would be slightly different for the two blades. If you are more used to the way to contact the ball with a harder top ply, it may work better for you. Flip that around and add softer top ply and the same is true.

In the end it is personal choice and if you play with either setup for an extended period of time you will adapt to what to do with that setup.

The Sweden Extra would lead towards adapting your game play more quickly to a blade like Viscaria with a Koto top ply in the future.

The OSP blade would lead you to adapt your game play more quickly to a blade like the InnerFiber blades that have a Limba top ply in the future.

If you intend to stay with all wood blades, that doesn't matter. If you are thinking of progressing to a composite blade in the future, then that could be a way of thinking about what you want. In the end, you will adapt to either. But, if you have played with and developed your technique with a blade that has a harder top ply and that is what works best for you, then it may be worth sticking with the Sweden Extra.

But my experiment that I listed above would be interesting to try after a few months of playing with the Sweden Extra and nothing else.
 
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Also, worth noting, a lot of people have moved to composite blades with the 40+ ball for the extra power. That is fine and it makes a lot of sense, especially since the pace on your shots trumps the spin on the ball with the bigger ball even though you still need to know how to spin the hell out of the ball while getting the pace.

I have stayed with a 5 ply all wood blade. I like my blade and feel it is fast enough for me. But I don't compete or care about competing. I just like my setup and I enjoy putting heavy heavy topspin on the ball even if my shots would not pressure a decent level player. :)

NextLevel is probably better positioned to talk about the nuances of what different kinds of equipment will do for your match play than almost anyone on the forum. If you can ask him good questions, you will get better answers on that subject than from almost anyone else on here. Someone who has really battle tested as many setups as he has and been able to be analytical about what the tradeoffs are, is what NextLevel would be able to bring to the table.
 
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Honestly the answer is quite simple. Use the blade thats the best in the areas that you actually use in your game.
We all look for that setup thats perfect for everything, but (like you already mentioned) that doesn’t exist(!). All setups have compromises.

You have to ask yourself: are the things your blade lacks actually a problem? If your blade lacks power at mid-distance, but you mainly play close to the table, does it matter the blade lacks power away from the table?
But if you do mainly play mid-distance or further, then thats an important area of your game. So you want to use a blade that has the desired speed at that distance.
 
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Honestly the answer is quite simple. Use the blade thats the best in the areas that you actually use in your game.
We all look for that setup thats perfect for everything, but (like you already mentioned) that doesn’t exist(!). All setups have compromises.

You have to ask yourself: are the things your blade lacks actually a problem? If your blade lacks power at mid-distance, but you mainly play close to the table, does it matter the blade lacks power away from the table?
But if you do mainly play mid-distance or further, then thats an important area of your game. So you want to use a blade that has the desired speed at that distance.
That's a great answer, and maybe this solves it for me.... I do indeed love to play at mid-distance, for which the V- is definitely a bit better.... although not a night and day difference, so if the YSE had major advantages elsewhere then the dilemma continues.

I also really like NextLevel's comment about novelty.... it's definitely possible that I'm enamored by the YSE because it feels new and novel compared to the V- that I'm currently much more used to.... and that if I got used to the YSE again, then the V- would seem shiny and new, just like it did when I first tried it.

And Carl... lots of great points as always, particularly regarding the hardness of the top layers. I was not aware of this difference.
 
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I’m feeling same with 5ply soft blades amazing control, almost holding ball to where I want,
However when I do couple steps back, try to counter loop, it feels dead weight with H3, feels like I’m playing with kitchen sponge.

I find an inner carbon blade as optimal for my taste, yet probably I can win more points with slower 5 ply.
 
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As others have already put it, the proof is in the pudding.
If the YSE doesn't cover what you need, for your game, and doesn't give you that extra bit to make the points for example, and the OSP does, then in a match the OSP will prove more worthwhile.
If you find yourself making large amounts of unforced errors with either setup, or feel unable to apply power when you want to, or lacking timing for a good spin stroke, those are tells that something could be lacking in the setup.
But, to be fair, if you manage to decrease those problems with more training or minor adjustment, then the issue wasn't with the setup itself but in how well you mastered it.

I still love the feeling of my first proper 5ply, and I can play with it eyes closed and hit the table. But that doesn't make it suddenly a powerful blade, it doesn't increase the abysmal sweetspot, and those are points I really needed better equipment for.
 

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I occasionally play with my old Xiom Diva, which I gave to a colleague of mine. He mostly blocks and counter hits (when plays against me) and it's fun when we swap rackets. With it I change directions much more and rely more on placement than on power and we play longer rallies. It may be less joyful against other kind of players though.
 
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I have kind of the opposite feeling. I moved from a YSE + R7 to a Korbel + Rozena that I used for 2-3 months. Played with the Korbel pretty well and really started to like the feeling over the YSE.

Then I bought an Acoustic that I always wanted. Played with it for 2 weeks straight without touching the other rackets. One night I played a coworker with the Korbel that I beat regularly, and lost 4 sets out of say 8-9 sets. While the Korbel just felt harder & stiffer it just was off for me and I haven’t touched it since 😂.

It’s easy to blame your equipment, but I know it’s moreso me than the equipment. I fell in love with the Acoustics feeling, and don’t want to hamper it by playing with anything else for the time being.
 
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As others have already put it, the proof is in the pudding.
If the YSE doesn't cover what you need, for your game, and doesn't give you that extra bit to make the points for example, and the OSP does, then in a match the OSP will prove more worthwhile.
If you find yourself making large amounts of unforced errors with either setup, or feel unable to apply power when you want to, or lacking timing for a good spin stroke, those are tells that something could be lacking in the setup.
But, to be fair, if you manage to decrease those problems with more training or minor adjustment, then the issue wasn't with the setup itself but in how well you mastered it.

I still love the feeling of my first proper 5ply, and I can play with it eyes closed and hit the table. But that doesn't make it suddenly a powerful blade, it doesn't increase the abysmal sweetspot, and those are points I really needed better equipment for.
It's not an accident that most pros changed to composite blades after the.new ball came out, some of thr Korbel all wood holdouts went to seven plies all wood at worst. The only guy who I know who used a 5 ply (never checked but his signature blade is a 5 ply) is Lebesson.
 
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So I was using a Yasaka Sweden Extra with Rakza 7 on both sides, and loved it. All of the things you would expect. Not very fast, but tons of control and spin. Looping monster with incredible feel. Great.

But I felt like it lacked on the top end, and I wanted to try something a little bit faster, so I tried the OSP Virtuoso OFF-. with a large head, again with Rakza 7 on both sides. And again, everything you would expect. A bit faster, better at mid-distance, but without losing that 5-ply all-wood feel. Feels like an OFF- as opposed to the YSE being ALL+. I got used to it almost immediately. I love the added power, and my game continues to improve with it.

So everything going to plan, right?

Not so fast. The other day, just for kicks and curiosity, whilst all warmed up in the middle of a practice session, I tried the YSE again.... and it's like God Mode. Like I can't miss. More control than ever, huge amounts of spin, tons of confidence when looping. If I really wanted to win a match, with a minimum of unforced errors, it's hard to ignore the YSE... and yet it's definitely not quite as fast, and doesn't quite have the power at mid-distance.

So now I'm totally confused as to which blade to focus on. The good news is that switching back and forth doesn't screw me up, so I suppose I could keep the option of using either setup, depending on how I'm feeling for any given session.... but this goes against a basic theory I have (for better or worse), that it's better to get really dialed in on just one setup. I am far from maxing out either one of them, so my game will get better with either... but which one? Is it better to get dialed in on the slightly faster setup? Or continue to develop my consistency on a "can't miss" slower setup?

Anyone experience this dilemma? Do you use different setups based on how you're playing that day?.... or do you use multiple setups out of indecision and madness? (this is where I don't want to be stuck).

Please share your thoughts. Thanks.

That's the price you pay for getting a mistress ..... 🤪

Joking aside.... I think that Virtuoso Off- and YSE are not world apart. You found that you can switch back and forth without any problems. Up Side Down Carl is correct, the anegre top ply of YSE will feel harder compared to limba top ply on Virtuoso Off-. Speed wise, V- is only minimally faster than YSE (given the same weight).

So now, which one to choose?

I can't say about your preferences, but if I were in your case, these are points that I consider:

1. Speed is not my priority here. They are about the same. CONTROL is the main thing. Which one do you think has more control? When we speak about control, it is during the heated moment or crucial moment in a game. The one that you don't think about or can plan ahead. You swing and you still put the ball on the table. That's the one. You need to play with one for quite a long time to find this out.

2. My second point is the FEELING. You need to enjoy the game. So handle shape, weight distribution (balance), hardness/softness, stiffness/flexibility, all play into role here. Can't say much about this as my preference is different than yours.

If I were in your position (based on my preferences), I would choose Virtuoso Off-. I like limba top ply better than anigre.
 
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Pro with five ply wood who is still active in the WTT scene:
None other than the tall, the very handsome, comely, the one, the only: Mister Gionis Panagiotis.
Using a all wood five ply Petr Korbel Flare, he chops, he loops his way to victory.
Give it your all for Missssssteeeeerrrrr Gionis "I am still around" Panagiooooooooootis!!!

NB: I know you all will say, he is different as he is a chopper but a pro is still a pro.
 
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