Neo H3 or Mark V?

Sorry for the muddled language, what I had meant to say was that I cannot feel the impact of the ball. More precisely, I can't feel the spin of the incoming ball or how much spin I myself am imparting onto the ball. I may be getting a little ahead of myself but is this sensory skill supposed to come naturally or is this just developed at a higher level of play?

you will have to use every shot when you play but you must understand that driving is H3's forte.  You won't be using what this rubber is meant to do if all you do is brush with the topsheet.  Not only that but the ball is occasionally slip off when youre brushing.

peter79 wrote: Ohhgourami, How's Nittaku Violin compared to Hking or Hking 655 ? Just notice you've changed your signature, sorry for out of the Topic

It's actually quite a good blade.  I can see why so many people like it.  I like to think of it as a more drive oriented version of the HKs.  I really like driving with this blade and it complements my game very well.  I like how it just makes that nice CRACK CRACK sound all day.  Best part is, it's just nice and slow.

But there are some downsides to this blade.  I don't see it as a blade I'll use in the future after I have a solid foundation.  The blade loses a lot of stability when you go for big shots, while the HKs always remain stable.  This is pretty much a luxury beginner's to intermediate's blade.

That's exactly what I want right now but I don't see myself using it after I've reached a certain level.  And of course, the handle is super small!  Although very small, it's not uncomfortable, just strange.

peter79 wrote: What I like about Violin is, T05 feels very stable on BH. H3 National without tune is slow on FH but very spinny. I just hope Spin Art is fast enough on Violin. I like my violin more than Hking or Hking 655, everybody has their own preference

Always assume that I'm talking about fh unless mentioned

For my currently level, I'm actually enjoying the Violin more than my HK655.  Like I said before, once I reach a certain level, I will move back to my HK655 since it will provide me with a higher ceiling.  Also the HK655 has the nicest handle.

First of all, I don't think using Mark V is downgrade.

The problem is, Your Yasaka Extra is not a hard and powerful blade, the wood is thin and the more flexible, it's better using hard rubber likes Neo Hurricane 3. If you use Mark V, yes, you can get better control but lost of power finally.

Your setting, YE with H3 at FH and EL at BH, is a very common and well balance setting, all you need to do is to keep practicing, you will find better soon.

the level question is pretty important; but your blade and BH rubber selection are excellent for a variety of levels - you'd need to be almost nationally ranked to really "outgrow" them.

since the glue ban, there's been so much focus on "what rubber replaces speed glue" - and I think many players have lost sight of the fact that good footwork + classic rubber = more power than "out of position and + powerful rubber".

Having a rubber sheet that is predictable and controllable allows you to focus on your footwork and stroke, and not worry about your equipment.

tpgh2k if you are asking me I honestly cannot give you an accurate answer as to what my level is because I just started played about 7 months ago. However if I were to approximate my level I would say its around 1100, this rating is formulated by the jumbling together of all my experiences in the short span of just seven months. My coaches say I could easily be ranked 1200 with the current level I am playing at right now, based on my form, consistency, and serves(now keep in mind this evaluation is most likely riddled with bias because of the fact that they are my coaches, and everyones gotta make money =)). Also I say 1200 because as I had mentioned in a previous post I have now come to a point where I can consistently beat a 1150 USATT ranked player with mild effort. Now that last statement I hope will not be viewed as a expression of arrogance, but rather be taken as a neccesary description of how much I have progressed in comparison to the days when Vic used to beat me with his eyes closed.

tpg2k - salinger uses YE.  I need to EJ one of those soon!

ohgourami - just to clarify - i was asking salinger! sorry for the confusion.

Just wanted to add to the discussion. My setup is also a cpen Yasaka Extra w/ Hurricane 3 Neo. (I got my Hurricane 3 Neo from TTRubberman :) ). Instead of sriver or mark v, I use a Palio/saviga rubber from ColesTT for my reverse side that's also pretty good. Overall, I really like this setup. I like that I can control the pace depending on how fast or big of a stroke to take. Although the YE is classified as All+, it feels plenty powerful to me (especially with H3 Neo).