continued discussion: carbon vs ALL blade advice

Started, ALL+ 7 ply Basswood blade. Rating beginner to-1500US, I used this for about 2 years, reason for change, it was already 10 years old when I got it and finally broke at the neck from old age.

Next blade was a thin -off 5 ply similar/same to Primorac -off I used this for 5 years solid, rating change with this blade approx 1500-1900. Reason for change, wanted a carbon blade.

Next blade was a 90gram 5+2 carbon off+ I started with this blade on around US1900 and used it for roughly 7 years, I actually went backwards in rating during this time but I was still able to play at 1900 level in tough matches by picking up the previous -off if the match was going bad (you could change blades back then) I kept hoping I would master the carbon blade at some stage but I just never seemed to be able to play better with it. Estimated rating change with this blade 1900-1800. Reason for change, lost the blade.

Next blade was a 95 gram off+ carbon, I used this for one year estimated rating change 1800-1900. Reason for change, I realised I just couldn't improve past this point with a heavy and fast carbon blade.

Next blade was a 75 gram off balsa, I used this for 10 years, rating change 1900-2100 ish. All that previous history until the last 2 years with this blade I had been playing a relatively small amount of table tennis. I started playing more seriously 2 years ago and realised this blade was far too fast. Reason for change - too fast

Next blade was a 95 gram ALL+ 5 ply, I've used this for 3 months est rating change 2100-2200 and gaining at a much faster rate than any other time in my life. I will go one blade slower than this soon, to a pure ALL, at this stage it looks like I'll peak somewhere between 2300 and 2400 in the coming few years before I get too old to play so offensively.

The common theme for me in all that is pretty obvious, the slower the blade the faster the gain

 

I began with carbon despite being told it was a bad Idea. It was a slow one though- VSG-4000. It had no feeling for the ball, but i thought it was a good thing. I used it with srivers, and it was my first blade. from 0-1200 or so. All I knew were ugly shells of basic strokes and the art of concrete feet. I switched blades and had a huge change of Hurricane King with chinese rubber and max thickness japanese rubber on BH. Reason for change: Idolizing of chinese players and want for more SPEEEED. I THOUGHT I was 1500 or so at the time, but in hindsight i still probably never climbed over 1350ish. I played all out FH dominant offense (tried to)

 

the main pattern through my deveopment is that I thought I was better than i really was, until i really started playing lots of tournaments and getting humbled a bunch of times. I feel like the attitude of understanding how good i really was helped me get better faster. While I thought I was 1500, i never got that good. Then when I got near that good, I always thought I was 1600. It was a year later than that that I was consistently beating 1600 players, and finally realized I wasn't that good before.

 

After the Hurricane King, I started using a Clipper CR which was FAST being 99g. I also started speedgluing. Maybe got as good as 1500. I used short pips on my BH during this period. Reason for change here- I wanted more speed again, and again thought it was the cool blade to switch to. This blade took me to 1600. I never really talked about it, but I went back to trying a carbon blade. This was the first time my game actually fell. It was a cheap fast LKT carbon blade, and i used it for 3 months. I lost a lot more than usual and scrapped it. Switched to a Clipper WRB and started getting a fair bit better, getting an increased feel for the ball, and focusing on contact, watching the ball, and movement. I switched because my old clipper broke (since fixed). This one had more control, and I got into one of those rapid improvement phases. Maybe not overall, but I started focusing on more important things as I started to really understand the game more. My understanding improved a lot. I used each clipper for a year a piece. Now I'm into 5-ply blades, and feel that I'm getting the speed from my technique, and the control and flex of the blade is nothing but rewarding me. I don't feel like I'm winning less points because of the lack of speed, but I am winning more points due to extra spin, and more consistency. I'm getting the same pace because I'm hitting harder. But there is more spin on the ball, and I'm feeling the ball much better. Extra confidence in my equpiment really makes me play better, not the equipment itself. Even though I had confidence with clippers, the confidence in my shots now reminds me of when I played all out FH with the HK- I just don't feel like I can miss if I'm swinging hard. I'm seeing the ball better because I'm not worrying about each individual shot, I'm not even thinking about that all of a sudden. I'm actually focused and paying attention to what's going on with the ball because I'm not worried about my shot going on or coming down. That's automatic because the confidence is there.  I feel like it will only be a couple more months and I can raise my game a lot more, granted i can get continuous play from people better than me. My short term goal for the next 4 months is to break 1800. I feel like I can already play there, it's just a matter of making it consistent. There is a kid at my old club who out of nowhere over the summer got really good, and while I used to beat him 4-1 and 4-0 a lot before last summer, he now beats me a lot. another year or two and he'll be the best in the state. I've beaten him once since summer, and i've played him maybe 7 times. I also noticed (although not accrediting it to) the 5-ply he was using compared to the Schlager Carbon or countless other fast blades he used to use. I truly think that you should stick to those slow wood blades if you want to develop a good feel and technique before worrying about anything crazier.

speed is more important at the top level, because everyone reads spin and deals with it automatically. Spin and consistency is more important to me everywhere else, because it will beat out speed all the time. Until you get really good, then it cannot. That's why you start by getting that down first.  

 

goodness bluebucket, are you purporting a spiritual experience here?

 

Also, Using Spartacus, which is a notch slower in speed compared to TBS, AND by coincidence has a layer of carbon on each side, I am playing my best TT ever. Maybe by coincidence, I have lost 8 Big-Macs from my waistline. That can make anyone faster and better. Still, a good stroke from the Lissom/Spartacus carries a lot of "Kick" that is destructive.

 

I can use my own personal examples of "going with slower blades is better" to support the current arguements, but I really feel that for most players learning the game under USATT 1700-1800 level, it is MUCH more important to learn solid strokes/movement/footwork/connecting shots. The equipment used at that stage is in my crappy opinion is not as much a factor as the learning of solid fundamentals is.

 

an update from my end: I'm mailing the YE back today because it was oddly asymmetric (5mm wider on one side)...

 

however, I ordered a BBC All Around yesterday; 84 grams, flared, Attack II shape.... really looking forward to it. At this point I'm planning on putting 1.8 IQUL sv on it (both sides)... wondering how different this will feel from from Xiom setup.

 

... also tempted by the OSP Expert and the TG3neo/SharkII bits of advice.

 

I just read through it again and absorbed things I didn't before.

 

Since the time I started this discussion, I've stepped down from Zetro Quad (OFF+) and Vegas (Max sponge) to Xiom V1 (OFF) and TG3neo/Shark II. The overall speed of my setup has gone down (some), and my confidence in my forehand loop has gone up.

 

I tested three different BBC All Arounds and enjoyed all of them but none quite had the fit I wanted. I was astounded at the quality of craftmanship that can be had for $35 (search for my threads on those if you don't believe). Not finding the ergonomics and balance I preferred, I passed them on to three different players who were very pleased! (I do miss them... they were beautiful )

 

I'm still very much tempted to get a quality ALL+ blade; and might end up ordering an OSP Expert after all. I'm also very drawn to other BBC blades (Fiddler, 9-10-9, Cypress 3 ply).

 

So let's see what others have to say in this matter...