1)
At almost four years old this might be my oldest thread in the forum.
In the first post I described how I think about the game and why I loved H2, and it's amusing but also reassuring how much my thinking and feeling have remained the same over time, despite having tried different setups and different styles. For example, from the original post: "Ideally, I would overload the opponent with big spin in all different directions, and then cut one at a sharp angle that they can't touch." That's still the dream outline of an ideal point to me (though I now understand that the "big spin" can be provided *by the opponent* and sent back).
2)
It's unfortunate that the thread was diverted by various misunderstandings in both directions, but we're used to that, right? But some of the commentary I did not understand at that time but do now. For example, the immortal commentator and observer of Gao Jun and Miao Miao, roundrobin, said on 27 Feb 2013:
"Near the table attack is about producing speed, sharp angles and CONTROLLING spin by being able to hit/drive/block through it, not producing it. This style requires quickness and easy maneuvering of very spinny shots coming at you."
My current acknowlegment and reply to that is provided by the long pips on one side of my cpen. Zhou Xintong, Wang Qiu Yi and Gao Shaolin are the models.
He also said:
"H2 is a terrible rubber for near the table attack"
I understood that over time, and my play with the inverted side I guess could be called "near table all-around" with a lot of pushing and small-chopping to try to keep the point under control until I can topspin drive. It should look like Li Jiao, who looks like a more defensive and lower-powered Ma Lin to me.
3)
My previous post in this thread was two and a half years ago. I explained why I went back from short pips to inverted, Skyline 2 at that time (a little less "horrible" than H2), and I said "though I might try similar rubbers I doubt I'll stray far from this". And now I'll tell you why I'm posting: I did spend a lot of time and money trying modern inverted rubbers, and now I'm back with Skyline 2.
It is reassuring to keep coming back to the same thing, provided that I'm not "doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results". These favorite players of mine - He Zhiwen, Gao Jun, Li Jiao, Lay Jianfang, Zhou Xintong - all have something in common, and I feel like that commonality lives somewhere between my inverted and my long pips, as I said. If I ever put it all together and can post a credible-looking video, I believe you could see it too, but you would have to use your imagination.
4)
I arrived at my current equipment choice and model player and style via a "damped oscillation", ever approaching a "golden mean" which has remained constant (it's that thing that those players I listed have in common); *more* loyalty to the model player could have spared me the equipment changes, as I've posted. The problem with this method (of using what the model player uses) was that I didn't understand what I was seeing (for example when He Zhiwen was my model), so as I improved (or ran into the reality that I would never play that way) I changed models.
A special coach, a special curriculum, would begin with playing videos (of exemplars of different ways of playing), giving explanations of the pluses and minuses of each and of the special requirements of each (much as roundrobin tried to explain about short pips, above), and if the student expresses a special admiration for one and understands the training that would be required, *only then* would prescribe or provide the appropriate setup. The coach would not just say "it doesn't matter", as is popular with some commentators here; the heart matters; can you find the things that never change, within?