Best setup to learn to loop

I'd like to improve my looping. I am mainly a defensive player, but I'd like to get better at loops. I will very occasionally hit topspin shots from below the table, but not that often, because unless the ball is perfect, I'm just not that confident with my loop stroke.

So here's my dilemma: the blade I'm using now is perfect for my current style. It's a Galaxy UV2006 with koto outer plies over a thick balsa core. It has very little flex, however, so it's not a good looping blade. I also have a cheapo backup blade, the Daweii Quattro R2 from Cole. (his premade buster) This is an all-ayous blade, so it should be better for looping, but not ideal. That blade currently has a Mercury II rubber on it.

Should I:

A) Learn to loop with current primary setup. (UV2006 and Outlaw)
B) Put a softer sponged rubber on the UV2006 and learn with that. (something like Blitz 42.5 or Acuda S2)
C) Learn to loop with current backup setup. (Daweii R2 and Mercury2)
D) Put a cheap looping rubber on the backup setup (Inspirit Quattro UL looks good)
E) Buy a new blade, (Quattro Limba from cole's looks good for learning to loop) put IQUL on it
F) Buy a new blade, put Blitz 47.5 on it.

The reason I am hesitant to go all out with option F is because a lot of times these experiments are complete failures and I just go back to what I know. For example, I bought the backup blade to see if I could learn to play just as well without long pips. I sucked at it, so I gave up pretty quickly.

Bottom line, I guess, is how important is a flexible blade in learning to loop? I know plenty of people who are good loopers who play with fast carbon blades, so I know a flexible blade isn't required. Would learning with soft sponge on my current stiff blade be similar? Or is a stiff blade always a bad idea for beginning loopers? Should I be looking at "starter" rubbers, like Sriver, Mark V, Mendo?

Thanks! All opinions/stories are welcome -- I'd love to hear about whatever equipment you used when you developed a looping game.

You can learn to loop with anything, although it is much easier to have a flexible blade with strong feedback. A limba-limba-ayous-limba-limba blade 5.0-5.5mm thick (thin) is the classic looping setup. Preferably don't buy anything more than 5.5 mm thick. Rubbers don't matter so much either but a slow Chinese tacky rubber does match well with a flexible blade for beginner loopers

Edited by bluebucket - 02/05/2012 at 6:54am

btw I've tested several samples of each of the premade buster blades (DW2, R2, R5)... fwiw ;)

chopchopslam wrote: I'd like to improve my looping. I am mainly a defensive player, but I'd like to get better at loops. I will very occasionally hit topspin shots from below the table, but not that often, because unless the ball is perfect, I'm just not that confident with my loop stroke. So here's my dilemma: the blade I'm using now is perfect for my current style. It's a Galaxy UV2006 with koto outer plies over a thick balsa core. It has very little flex, however, so it's not a good looping blade. I also have a cheapo backup blade, the Daweii Quattro R2 from Cole. (his premade buster) This is an all-ayous blade, so it should be better for looping, but not ideal. That blade currently has a Mercury II rubber on it. Should I: A) Learn to loop with current primary setup. (UV2006 and Outlaw) B) Put a softer sponged rubber on the UV2006 and learn with that. (something like Blitz 42.5 or Acuda S2) C) Learn to loop with current backup setup. (Daweii R2 and Mercury2) D) Put a cheap looping rubber on the backup setup (Inspirit Quattro UL looks good) E) Buy a new blade, (Quattro Limba from cole's looks good for learning to loop) put IQUL on it F) Buy a new blade, put Blitz 47.5 on it. The reason I am hesitant to go all out with option F is because a lot of times these experiments are complete failures and I just go back to what I know. For example, I bought the backup blade to see if I could learn to play just as well without long pips. I sucked at it, so I gave up pretty quickly. Bottom line, I guess, is how important is a flexible blade in learning to loop? I know plenty of people who are good loopers who play with fast carbon blades, so I know a flexible blade isn't required. Would learning with soft sponge on my current stiff blade be similar? Or is a stiff blade always a bad idea for beginning loopers? Should I be looking at "starter" rubbers, like Sriver, Mark V, Mendo? Thanks! All opinions/stories are welcome -- I'd love to hear about whatever equipment you used when you developed a looping game.

IMHO a very flexible blade is very important to learn to loop. With a stiff blade you'll end up smashing or driving very often instead of looping.

I suggest you to pick

stiga offensive cr for mid-distance looping
stiga offensive classic for close-to table looping
with xiom vega pro rubbers.

i have used 4 blades which i find to be a good looping blade, stiga OC, yasaka extra, w6 and Korbel, i love the korbel most because you can loop and hit with it but for pure looping game i like Yasaka extra most, back then i use heavily glued srivers on both wings but lately i tried palio cj8000 and IQUL on my YE and its a good looping setup, sorry i havent tried any of the blades that you owned. just my opinion though

I would recommend that you use a setup that you believe will be a long-term setup and then focus on building good body motion and speed of motion. 

Alot of good advise here, yes loop is more about technique than equipment overall. ALL+ and OFF- class blades with flex are good for close to table play while OFF class is better for mid and away looping. There is no laws saying you can't loop with any class of blade, but some are easier than others.

frogger wrote: Alot of good advise here, yes loop is more about technique than equipment overall. ALL+ and OFF- class blades with flex are good for close to table play while OFF class is better for mid and away looping. There is no laws saying you can't loop with any class of blade, but some are easier than others.

Mostly close to table, occasionally mid-distance

I do hit loops now occasionally, but I am not that confident with them and I want to generate more topspin.

chopchopslam wrote: Mostly close to table, occasionally mid-distance I do hit loops now occasionally, but I am not that confident with them and I want to generate more topspin.

close the the table FH loop, especially over the table, require more (quite a lot) of wrist motion to generate a loop. Since there is no room to stroke the ball.  You have to be able to do consistant blocking with elbows close to body before I'd recommend looping at this distance.

Edited by power7 - 02/05/2012 at 9:22pm

I don't believe in "best set-ups" for most things.  If you want to learn how to loop well, choosing the equipment that best fits your style and learning the technique is the best route.  If you choose rubbers that are too fast for you just because you want to learn how to loop, what good would it do to you?

Have you thought about borrowing someone's slower racket to see if you'll learn the heavy top spin stroke?  Anything half way decent is good enough to learn the stroke, the rest is practice, practice and more practice.

Try a soft rubber on an ALL or ALL+ blade.

One has to learn and study first, before taking the test.