Beginner and equipment experimentation

New member here. I will try to give you a little background to start. I used to play quite a bit when I was in college, but it's been over ten years and I am just getting started again. Had quite a few decent players at my school and a local league I played in. Think my old set up was a PaddlePalace combo, Hunter PowerTouch with Juic 999 Elite or something like that. From what I recall of playing back then, softer, tackier rubber seemed to work better for me. Guessing because it was easier to control. Anyway, a lot has changed with equipment since then. I did a lot of research on the forum before ordering the setup that I did.

I ended up getting a Tibhar Stratus PowerWood blade which seems like it will be a good balance of control and speed. Went with H3 Neo on the FH and TG2 Neo on the BH. I have never used Chinese rubber before, but seemed like a good choice, especially considering the cost. After ordering this setup, I am already wishing I would have gotten a different style of rubber on one side to compare against the Chinese rubber.

So my question is, would experimenting with a couple different types of rubber right away be a good idea? I play golf a lot so I understand that no one piece of equipment is going to magically make me better at this sport. But I also know that with golf, getting fitted for proper equipment does help, both with actual physical performance and with confidence for mental performance.

My plan would be to get a couple different types of rubber, less tacky top sheet, softer sponge, slower speed, faster speed, etc. Maybe try one FH/BH combo for a week or two, try another combo next couple weeks, then see what's working better. H

Also any suggestions for rubbers to try out would be appreciated, assuming experimenting is a good idea.

I must admit I am typically an EJ in most things I do. Unfortunately, where I live in northern Wisconsin, there won't be much opportunity to experiment with other peoples equipment.

I have been watching quite a bit of YouTube and Timo is fun to watch. So Tenergy is definitely on my list of what I want to try, specifically 05fx. But choking down $68 for a sheet of rubber does not sound appealing. I am sure I will be reading some posts on here or reviews on TTDB one night after a few cocktails and finally get the courage to order a sheet eventually.

As for backhand, mine was never really strong, more like just keep it in my style. That is why I wish I would have got a different style rubber for my BH. Something less tacky.

cole_ely wrote: Bear in mind that your current rubbers will grow softer and less tacky pretty quickly. It's always a bit of a shock when tacky rubbers are new.

I did see that in all the reviews I read. How long does it usually take for say H3N to "break in"

Juic 999eu is one of the most sensitive rubbers made. I'm sure it was much worse when new. But it broke in.

The Vega Euro is probably going to be the first rubber I try, in fact I wish I would have ordered my bat with that on the backhand right away, but I will give my current set up a fair chance for a while.

I actually just got my bag today from TT11 and I can't believe how tacky the rubber is. It's almost comical. If you drop a ball on it, it bounces once then sticks....crazy.