Looking for new blade

I'm looking to buy a new blade but am pretty uninformed when it comes to equipment.

I currently use a Timo Boll Spirit with Tenergy 80FX on FH and 80 on BH, which my coach says is too fast for me. I tried out an old Korbel but that was too slow. Can anyone recommend a wood blade in between those two?

I've heard the Primorac Off- is good. And I've been looking at the Timo Boll Off-. Anyone have experience with that one? Any feedback would be appreciated.

The fact that you think the Korbel is too slow is IMHO a symptom of the problem that your coach is speaking about.  Use it or any similar 5 ply blade (Xiom Offensive S, Tibhar Stratus Powerwood) for a couple of months and adjust to the slower speed, which is partly a symptom of seeking easy, fast contact, but lacking the ability to feel the ball.  After that, you can go back to your faster blade and you will appreciate the difference. If you are looking for a simple fix, you may not solve the real problem.

NextLevel,
My playing level is 1700-1800. I decided the blade was too slow. I only get coaching every now and then so he did not see me hit with it. This is not an ego thing, I have wanted a slower blade as well. I just have no idea what to get.

The difference in feel was so drastic, my training partner even noted my serves were barely getting over the net. I figured I could find something closer to the Spirit. Is it normal when one changes blades to have to adapt and adjust that much to the new one?

Edited by FreeAgent - 08/04/2015 at 3:06pm

Try IF AL or Keyshot Light.

FreeAgent wrote: I currently use a Timo Boll Spirit with Tenergy 80FX on FH and 80 on BH, which my coach says is too fast for me. I tried out an old Korbel but that was too slow.

Depending on the reason, yes. That said, no one wants you to get injured. But the point of slower is to force you to appreciate different but important things about the game and to rebuild aspects of your technique that you have worked around incorrectly by using a faster blade.

Since your coach has a strong opinion on this, I would actually ask him to recommend the blade he wants you to use ans for you to use it for a month to learn it before switching or disagreeing.The thing with changing equipment is that a full appreciation takes time. You are making the change for tomorrow. You are making the change for a period of time to see something. You can always go back if the change doesn't work out.

But when using a slower blade, the feel of all your strokes will be wrong initially. But the same thing happens to me when I use a faster blade. Everything goes long usually and I have to adapt. I usually make the final decision after a couple of weeks in matches and practice.

I would say start with a Stratus Power Wood. If you want to borrow one, I can lend you one for free no strings attached. I loved the blade but I preferred something else. You are going to struggle if you are looking for a blade with Carbon kick. I would have thought that being barely able to get serves over the net would be an advantage for pushing and serving short. Those might be what your coach is looking for.

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Thanks for your insight. My coach was given the Korbel and was biased in that he wanted to sell it. I will definitely take you up on the offer to test out the Stratus.

I will see if I can figure out how to send a PM.

I have used the TBS for a few years and currently use Tibhar Kim Jung Hoon. That blade is right around the specs you mentioned you are looking for. 

frogger wrote: I have TBS/T80fx/Challenger am below 1800 rating and find this setup not to fast. I don't understand your coaches point of view. Perhaps it's a style element he is referring to. TBS can be tuned up or down with rubber/thickness and has decent control aspects.

I'm having trouble closing the racket and following through on the forehand loop.  I think NextLevel is right in that I need to learn the intricacies of proper technique and learn to feel the ball better and then I can move back to a faster paddle.  I don't think the setup is necessarily too fast, its just for me right now it's stunting my progress.

Stay to Boll Spirit. It's the most popular blade!