Whether to keep developing and improving or a blade change?

[Zandastu]

I need help regarding getting a new blade, i'm still considering whether i should get a new blade as i feel like i'm not developing properly as a player. I was planning to get the Stiga infinity VPS to replace my timo boll OFF- which has TG3 skyline 2.1mm and striver L 1.5 to be placed on it.
I'm 17 and 1st year college student within the uk and i roughly get 4hrs practice roughly. My forehand is consistent in a way and my backhand isn't as much as my forehand .

Would you consider me to keep developing my skills until i feel like i'm ready to buy a new blade or advise me to buy a new blade in order to properly develop my skills?

 

[Olio]

Skills before blade. When your technique is good and reliable, and your game is consistent, get up a gear in speed / spin. In the meantime, that would be asking for trouble in matches.

And there's nothing wrong with your setup to learn good technique. It resembles what all the Chinese kids start with.

 

[Zandastu]

Thank you Olio i will take it into consideration and work on my technique. By the way i'm chinese

 

[raazzz]

It's important to work on your technique before getting a to fast racket. However I think Infinity VPS V is a great blade with good control, you can always give it try and change back if it doesn't feel right?

 

[DDF2]

One rubber 2.1 and one 1.5, is there any special reason for doing this? I think the setup would feel so imbalanced in weight that it would disrupt my game.
Either way though I think with an attacking style having at least 1.7 on both sides should be used, because with anything else your speed suffers.

 

[raazzz]

One rubber 2.1 and one 1.5, is there any special reason for doing this? I think the setup would feel so imbalanced in weight that it would disrupt my game.
Either way though I think with an attacking style having at least 1.7 on both sides should be used, because with anything else your speed suffers.

Agree, I also finds it a bit odd, must feel imbalanced?

 

[Zandastu]

Well during the time of ordering a custom bat i didn't know what thickness to get, what it meant and i thought the less the thickness the more control i could have over the ball but overall it is fast when i use my backhand. But now i know so i'm more aware on the rubber sponge thickness to get. Also i was planning to take it more seriously during that time as well

 

[sebas-aguirre]

I think buying equipment has nothing to do with improving.

you want to improve? -> train

you want to get that nice feeling when you buy something new? -> then buy the new blade

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I think buying equipment has nothing to do with improving.

you want to improve? -> train

you want to get that nice feeling when you buy something new? -> then buy the new blade

This is an excellent post.

I will also give simple information. To improve technique, using a blade that is all wood that is speed rated at All+ to Off- is WAY WAY WAY WAY better than using a blade that is rated Off or higher.

Now your profile says you are using a Timo Boll Off+ but your post says you are using a Timo Boll Off-. I don't know that there is a blade called a Timo Boll Off+ but there is an Off-. So I am guessing you are using that.

Part of the reason fast blades are harder to improve technique with until you are at about a 2100 level (USATT Rating) is this: The faster blade makes the ball go faster but gives you much less control because the ball goes faster. This means a player whose technique is not already very good will tend to slow down his stroke to get more control--to compensate for the increased speed--which slows down the bat speed and can cause a player not to follow through as fully.

With a slower blade you have to get better acceleration of the bat with your stroke and you have to put your whole body into your strokes and time the body with the stroke well. So, that you have to work more with the Off- blade helps you improve your technique. When it is all wood you feel the ball on the rubber better so without even realizing it you start making these subtle adjustments to how the rubber grabs the ball that help you improve and refine your stroke.

Infinity VPS, sorry, guys, everyone seems to like it. It is not that good a blade. The outer ply is too hard because of the VPS and the core is too mushy. Good marketing to get so many people to think that is a good blade. Not too expensive. But there are so many blades that Stiga makes that are so much better than that one.

 

[Der_Echte]

Haha everyone U all heard it !!! Carl is a certified STIGA PIMP up there with the best of 'em and he is dissing a stiga product !! Tell it like it is bro, great stuff.

 

[Der_Echte]

If you are a Shakehand player desiring to play a flexible offensive attacking game, I would certainly NOT advise 1.5 sponge ever. 1.9 if you want to whimp out or 2.1 if you want to rock. Train with the stuff you will use for life now. Der_Echte is on an anti-pundit rant, but I can agree with a lot of their reasoning and foundation. You don't need overkill, Ur blade looks like a survivor, but that BH rubber is for... well better unsaid.

 

[Rajah*]

I think buying equipment has nothing to do with improving.

you want to improve? -> train

you want to get that nice feeling when you buy something new? -> then buy the new blade

100% black and white TRUE..

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Haha everyone U all heard it !!! Carl is a certified STIGA PIMP up there with the best of 'em and he is dissing a stiga product !! Tell it like it is bro, great stuff.

What Der_Echte is saying is true. In spite of using a Butterfly blade right now, I like Stiga blades better than most anything else. The blade I am using as I write this post, the Butterfly TB ZLF is one of 2 butterfly blades that I like. I am using this one because I have a friend who is a sponsored pro who just happened to have it lying around. Now, I like Tenergy. But that is the only product from Butterfly that I like and I like it grudgingly. It is too expensive.

In spite of liking this blade I am considering going back to a Stiga blade. I am considering a few things that are not Stiga also. I am considering these things: Avalox P-500 (flared handle), Darker 7P-2A (that is a 7 ply Hinoki blade), Stiga Tube Allround, Stiga Energy Wood, Stiga Offensive Classic, Stiga Allround Evolution.

Why do I want to change back? I am not sure I will. But I really do like all wood blades. And I really do like Stiga all wood blades.

But, that Instinct blade is not one I like and I think it is not a well constructed or well designed blade.

 

[Olio]

I didn't comment on your existing blade as you didn't mention it *needs* changing (worn rubbers etc.). COnsidering my opinion (training before bat), you should still be able to improve with any bat.

If / when it does, I'd recomment a more balanced bat, such as Stiga All NCT (All+ blade) and Mark V GPS 2.0 each side. Good control, good spin, sufficient speed to learn, and the rubers last long. That's what my son is learning with.

Zandastu, where are you in the UK?

 

[Zandastu]

i'm located in South East London Olio thank you for the comments guys i will take them into consideration when i train if you have anything else to say please do as you're clearly experienced in the field of table tennis

 

[youssef.mohsen.1042]

I think that changing the blade into off one will help you on one thing because with training with a speed blade will force you to play more fast and aggersive because when you play the ball fast it will return to you fast so this is going to improve your speed and footwork this what i am thinking

 

[Pavol2223]

I am a beginner at Table Tennis.I was wondering If i should change my blade for a better one . My coach said I should rather focus on my techniques and footwork then changing blades and rubbers to improve .

 

[Sa1ko]

i must say that the 1.5 doesn't really gives too much trouble with weightbalancing, a few years back i played with tackines CII 1.5 (2.0 on fh) and that went just fine, i wasn't very good back then and i bought coppa X3 for my bh which was way to fast at that point. i went back to a very controlled rubber, yes slow even, but i relearned my technique, got more confidence in my bh and they started to fear my bh, not that it was really fast, but i rarely missed it. i improved and went on to faster ( and thicker) rubbers. but i too have to say for developping a really agressive, powerfull backhand that 1.5 might be a bit too slow, although with a good technique there's no reason it wouldn't be a killer racket.

 

[Sa1ko]

as an example one op the top players in our club plays with a tackiness C 1.1 on bh and i think desto f3 2.0 on fh and his attacks from both sides are just fine (bh isn't fast, but very consistent and quite spinny, many players miss because they missread it)

 

[Zandastu]

I wanted more control over my backhand thats why i requested for a less thick of a sponge on my sriver