Lacking a middle gear

Even pros do not counterloop hard balls hard close to the table. In the end, it is a function of Many things from anticipation to playing style to playing distance to technical development to risk tolerance level etc

Using a fast blade let's you use your opponent's spin and speed better but places greater demands on your technique for generating your own speed and spin. So finding the right balance is always critical. My own recommendation is to get the fastest blade you can play a pips chopper or a pips blocker with. That blade allows you to both generate and manipulate topspin. Maybe depending on your level, you may want to add pushing short into the criteria.

Bran wrote: NextLevel wrote: My own recommendation is to get the fastest blade you can play a pips chopper or a pips blocker with. That blade allows you to both generate and manipulate topspin. Players who force you out of your comfort zone in general are good benchmarks for testing whether you control your setup, whatever it is in their games troubles you, be it their touch game, their spin, superior pace, speed, placement, etc. They force you to execute shots in positions and with timings you're not used to, where control is most important. Choppers give you more time to arm and adjust (see what XX does to them), they can be but aren't necessarily representative. Developing a middle gear if you're naturally an all or nothing player can be a matter of time and practice, though clearly you will do it better with a setup which is suited to you.

Right now, I am testing a T5000. I usually try to avoid smashing but it comes naturally with this blade. But where I have gotten into trouble is finding that in-between gear when playing against no-spin and chop, which I tend to do fairly well. It's just harder to open with heavy topspin, even as part of a loop drive, when using faster blades.

I know this is at the extreme end of what Nasche is talking about and not typical and for most blades in the normal.spectrum like you point out, it really is about practice. But the general principle is that faster blades make generating heavy spin harder (I don't think it is an accident that Xu Xin uses wood for his heavy spin style) and faster blades reflect spin and speed better.

FWIW, a lot of my position was influenced by William Henzell's musings on the topic. So right now, whenever I up the speed on my blade, I seek out a chopper or pips player to play as blocking is not what tends to fall apart. Opening loops on low balls are the first issue.

Edited by NextLevel - 06/03/2016 at 9:39am

If you are against a really good player, he isn't gonna put you in a position to be aggressive so I guess you can just practice certain drills where your partner feeds you the ball at positions where it's very difficult for you to be aggressive. Just playing lot of service-push- attack routines should help.

Bran wrote: NextLevel wrote: My own recommendation is to get the fastest blade you can play a pips chopper or a pips blocker with. That blade allows you to both generate and manipulate topspin. Players who force you out of your comfort zone in general are good benchmarks for testing whether you control your setup, whatever it is in their games troubles you, be it their touch game, their spin, superior pace, speed, placement, etc. They force you to execute shots in positions and with timings you're not used to, where control is most important. Choppers give you more time to arm and adjust (see what XX does to them), they can be but aren't necessarily representative. Developing a middle gear if you're naturally an all or nothing player can be a matter of time and practice, though clearly you will do it better with a setup which is suited to you.

Bran, it was really about setup control. After a long time away from table tennis I was coming from a Mazunov with a pair of Mark V to carbon blades with tensor rubbers.

After a training session with YSE I had two long, intense and productive sessions this week using a Tibhar Stratus Power Wood with MX-P FH and M1 BH, the same configuration I have on YSE.

This blade is fast enough that I can play my natural game, but I have good enough control that I've been able to keep putting some pressure on the opposite player even when I'm not in condition to go for a winner and that is the way I used to play when I was a penholder using mainly one ply hinoki blades.

I had a great training session with this blade a couple of days ago and today I was able to beat three players that I've never beaten before with a shakehand blade and had close games with two other players that are clearly above my level and they gave me a good feedback about my game.

My conclusion is that Viscaria and DPPC were too fast at this moment coming back to the sport with fast rubbers and max sponge to be able to play actively when not in great position for a full blast attack.

YSE has the gears, but lack the speed that I need to play aggressively without spending more energy than I have available while Stratus Power Wood at this moment has it all and is my main blade going forward.

Thank you guys about the advices, time to stop trying gear and focusing only on my technique.

Edited by Nasche - 06/10/2016 at 5:12pm