OOAK Table Tennis Forum

ok, looking at cheap ideas i though to myself "what about taking a risk with c-pen?" well I told that voice to shut and, but honestly, is the step up (or sep down) from j-pen to c-pen big? and is there a big diference? I know the shape is diferent and also when i first had a j-pen i though c-pen may slip out of my hand but is there a big diference?


just realy pros and cons to each may also help

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also, is it possible to have a defender setup for penhold (c-pen and j-pen)? or maybe like a defender rubber on one side and a attacking rubber on other and twidle




anyother questions and i will ask herelol

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aka Craig

Set Up: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 Stiga Calibra LT Sound and Butterfly Tenergy 05FX

The only time I advise defending with penhold is when lobbing/fishing. You really should just switch to shakehand if you're intent on chopping. The mechanics of penhold just make it kinda difficult to chop properly.

As for Cpen, using an allwood blade for that would probably make looping significantly easier than with the glasspower, but you'd lose a good bit of driving ability. You'd have to always stay pretty close to the table as well, unless you were using some very fast rubber (and I still don't advise it: if you're playing far back, just play Jpen).

I think you might like the change if you keep using RPB. The flexibility of Cpen makes the stroke significantly easier when you're really looping with it (though you can still drive nicely with Jpen RPB). If you're brave enough to go single sided, stick with Jpen. It's way easier to do a backhand drive, a shot that you'll really need if RPB isn't in your arsenal.

Don't get a composite blade for Cpen, at least not yet. Thin composite blades are REALLY different from your usual thick Glasspower, and an all-wood will still offer plenty of speed.

The grip isn't all that hard to pick up. You just have to start off slowly, mostly blocking and slow looping. It helps a lot if you sand your blade pretty heavily, since then you can grip the blade more tightly. I really don't notice too much of a difference for FH with Cpen. The main change is that backhand blocking will be a bit weird feeling, and that you really can't backhand drive unless given a large amount of time to shift your grip and wind up.

There's no harm in trying it, especially if you'd like a bit more looping ability.

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Jpen: Galaxy 982 juniper 8mm- Darker Provine Tension-50 2.2 or Tibhar Torpedo Soft 2.2
Shake OFF: Galaxy T8 ST- FH: Darker PT-50 2.2, BH: Juic Varites 1.5
Shake DEF: modified Joo- FH: Reactor Corbor 2.2, BH: Globe 979 1.5

ah, I was afraid you would say that about using one side, because due to the failure to having the 388D on my glasspower, I was either gona go one sided or find a reverse rubber to put on the back of a c-pen/twidling j-pen and twidle in the game so I have 2 rubbers to use, or even more, try RPB, now our club has a robot if I can get time on it (and make sure the F**king kids dont muck about) that might be an idea.

AS I do like the loops I was thinking of having cream MRS as my main rubber and then have perhaps geospin tacky (or plain geospin) on the back, but the question is twidling j-pen where i would have a hard time twidling during the game (mind you, just spining my glasspower when im waiting isnt bad and maybe i could pull a twidle off in a rally), or go for a c-pen whihc I have little experience with, but if I go with the 2 rubber combo will be easier to twidle with



oh and as for choping with j-pen, I actuly find it easy, I mean atm some of my chops go into the net but I did use to have a backspin push, so choping during a rally with j-pen takes time to learn

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aka Craig

Set Up: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 Stiga Calibra LT Sound and Butterfly Tenergy 05FX

Right, but I'm pretty experienced in shakehand chopping as well as Jpen and I can safely say that the mechanics of shakehand really do make a better chop.

I really don't think you should worry about twiddling if you're doing double inverted. The only time I've found that useful is if I make a Cpen with one high tack rubber and one very fast non-tacky rubber, and I twiddle from the high tack for serving and close to the table looping to the non-tacky for mid and long distance. Twiddler Jpens are pretty difficult to consistently twiddle during a point (I have to use two hands if I want to), so if you're really after twiddling ability, go for a Cpen.

Cream MRS sounds like a good choice for FH. It'll do anything well. For RPB, I usually think that non-tacky rubbers are much better. The stroke required to loop with tacky rubbers is just awkward as hell on RPB, whereas euro style loops are a breeze. If you want to keep the rubbers cheap, something like Goldway 916 would probably be nice for the reverse side.

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Jpen: Galaxy 982 juniper 8mm- Darker Provine Tension-50 2.2 or Tibhar Torpedo Soft 2.2
Shake OFF: Galaxy T8 ST- FH: Darker PT-50 2.2, BH: Juic Varites 1.5
Shake DEF: modified Joo- FH: Reactor Corbor 2.2, BH: Globe 979 1.5

right, now the rubbers are sorted, time for the blade. I actully wana keep it all from one place, instead of buying a rubber from england, blade and usa, tape and china and the case from mars (look, this aint true but you know what I mean ). So im looking at OOAK because thanks to rates, its cheap cheap cheap


the problem is Im still not sure if i should keep using j-pen, and perhaps use the glass power again, because 1) I am used to the blade already however 2) I just havent been able to find a good RPB shot, well, block in my case caus it has pips on the back.

The twidler idea was good but like you said it may require 2 hands if you use j-pen twidle. however the 989 still might be a good idea, heavy, but my guru says heavy might be better for me

then there is the 3rd option, and thats going for c-pen, it has the advantage of RPB easier but like you said, it is mainly for close table attacking, and Im a close/mid with long if being pushed


so im still the noob, you tell me, a c-pen, the 989 or the old fashion glasspower?

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also, if I am going to buy from OOAK, sugest a good cheap non tacky rubber from the shop lol

edit: forget cheap, i can claim this as a xmas gift, so lets spend whats needed lol


the goldway 916, what you sugest looks a good option, although is mild tacky, will that efect my RPB loops?

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aka Craig

Set Up: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 Stiga Calibra LT Sound and Butterfly Tenergy 05FX

The tack on 916 wears off pretty quickly, and more importantly, it is more Euro-ey than Chinese despite the very light tack to the surface. If you're only buying from the OOAK shop, a really nice Cpen that Alex sells is the LKT Mind Game. It's a five ply made with hinoki and ayous that is appropriately fast and is really nice for looping. I really think you should go with a Cpen if you're intent on continuing with RPB. You'll find it much easier than with Jpen.

I don't think Cpen will really kill your mid distance abilities though. I was being a little bit too extreme about it in my earlier post. I would just say that unless you're forced to, don't step more than 1.5 or 2 steps back from the table with Cpen, since while you're still capable of mid distance, your main strength with that style is close-in.

Don't worry about twiddling yet. Just make sure that any sanding you do on the forehand side can later be done on the backhand side, for if you want to convert it (meaning don't sand too deep where your fingers rest since then you'll just screw the blade up if you try to sand it down the same amount on the opposite side).

And about the 989, I'm really not sure heavy is better. With Jpen, you really want as light a setup as possible. I've found this out myself, and when I talked about it with a lot of long-time Jpen players from my club, they agreed.

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Jpen: Galaxy 982 juniper 8mm- Darker Provine Tension-50 2.2 or Tibhar Torpedo Soft 2.2
Shake OFF: Galaxy T8 ST- FH: Darker PT-50 2.2, BH: Juic Varites 1.5
Shake DEF: modified Joo- FH: Reactor Corbor 2.2, BH: Globe 979 1.5

sounds great then, as for sanding, maybe i wont do that, for one ive never doe it and 2 how hard i grip the blade helps caus my latest blade has ware on it caus of my tight grip lol


but i guess i'll go with the mind game then, i should be able to get the hang of it. even more, it will be good experience and i should pick it up easily


I guess when I get more cash i could look into ligh twidling j-pens but for now this will be a good and propper experience of RPB aswell

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aka Craig

Set Up: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 Stiga Calibra LT Sound and Butterfly Tenergy 05FX

Is this the consequence of the grip mainly, or are there other factors?

And what's your opinion on the single handed backhand block, is this easier with a squared Jpen, rounded Jpen or Cpen?

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Stiga AC WRB + T05(2,1)

if your talking about using RPB for a block like i tried then a square j-pen is hard at first, well, i still have trouble with it, I believe like hobbes says, the c-pen is the best for RPB, and I would leave it there caus j-pen is a diferent ball game compared to c-pen, i admire the people that can RPB with a standard j-pen, im also jellouse at them at the same time lol

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aka Craig

Set Up: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 Stiga Calibra LT Sound and Butterfly Tenergy 05FX

Yes, it is a result of being able to shift your grip around a bit more. It doesn't seem like it'd be much, but it makes all the difference when you're actually playing.

In order from easiest to hardest for traditional block for me is rounded Jpen, squared Jpen, and then Cpen, but that's because I'm used to a Jpen blocking technique. If you're used to Cpen, then it and squared Jpen would probably switch places. Rounded Jpens are always really easy to block with since that's what they're made for (along with hitting).

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Jpen: Galaxy 982 juniper 8mm- Darker Provine Tension-50 2.2 or Tibhar Torpedo Soft 2.2
Shake OFF: Galaxy T8 ST- FH: Darker PT-50 2.2, BH: Juic Varites 1.5
Shake DEF: modified Joo- FH: Reactor Corbor 2.2, BH: Globe 979 1.5

Thanks for the advice!

Very usefull since my RPB-experiment with a squared jpen didn't work so well, using my shakehandhandblade as a cpen worked better, but evenso, when at speed I naturally seemed to go for the traditional block instead of RPB (unexpectedly!). But I had a hard time keeping balls from going long.
Tried it with short pimples (Double Fish 820 Max) and this felt pretty good. Only played three types of shots the entire evening, forehand hit, backhand block and short push and played alot better then with inverted and LP-RPB. Was really fun!
Now I'm looking for a lighter single sided jpen and I guess I would be better off with rounded then (Galaxy 986).

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Stiga AC WRB + T05(2,1)

lol welcome to my world, i tried the old square j-pen RPB block with pips and its hard. i coulnt even get hang of normal rpb, so this c-pen is my experiement, also being only £30 its useful

_________________
aka Craig

Set Up: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 Stiga Calibra LT Sound and Butterfly Tenergy 05FX