OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I'm in a phase where I'd like to experiment with different blades and rubbers, trying to figure out what I like. Right now, I have a Butterfly Viscaria with DHS H3 Neo Provincial on both sides, and some kind of Globe blade my coach built for me, with regular DHS H3. I was hitting with a guy at a local club yesterday, and he had an extremely lightweight bat he let me try. I'm not sure if I want to make one my permanent paddle, but I'd like to make one up to add to the collection to experiment with. I don't know what kind his was, but it had a balsa inner ply, surrounded by carbon. It weighed 145 grams, including the rubber and side tape. My blades are between 180-190 grams. I put grip tape on them, which adds a little weight, but that's still a lot heavier than 145!

Can anyone recommend a lightweight blade like that, and some rubbers to go with it? I like spinny rubbers, but I'm not sure if H3 has the best sponge for such a blade.

And any thoughts as to when or why to use a lighter vs heavier paddle would be appreciated. I think the prevailing wisdom is that heavier lets you hit harder, but it seems like lighter might be easy to handle and perform finesse shots.

You might want to check out these threads

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15237

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=27530

Many bats with a weight that low have pips with little to no sponge on one side. You might be able to get a bat weight down that low but it may not have the playing characteristics you like. Thinner sponge makes a difference too.

I'm interested in the answers though as I've been asked by a parent at the club for a recommendation for a 9 year old so am also looking for something light.

Also check out the blades weight list: -
viewtopic.php?f=43&t=11043

Andro have lots of light blades. Donic Cayman is another. Just make sure when ordering, you specify you want light as variances do occur.

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Donic Waldner Senso V1,FH Baracuda Big Slam 2.0mm ,BH Victas Triple Regular 2.0mm

His blade alone is only 45 grams (!). I did some searching online and couldn't find anything under 60 grams. I hadn't said, but I'm also looking for this paddle to be something for kids. My son and his friends like to play on my table.

I've come across a Donic Cayman and a TSP Versal of this weight...usually they're around the mid-sixties.

As Cobalt has already mentioned, you won't get a light blade with the same performance... it will be quite different, and you really need to test it for all aspects of your game to see if it suits you. That goes for rubbers and blades.

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Thanks for the replies!

This thread that Cobalt posted is a great resource on blade weight:
viewtopic.php?f=43&t=11043

Very extensive!

That thread has dozens of blades, and only a few weigh in the 50s of grams. None as low as my friend's 45 gram blade.

But he has 100 grams of rubber, to bring the total weight to 145 grams.

In the other thread where people list their overall bat weight, there are quite a few bats that weigh less than my friend's? How do people do that? Are there very light rubbers that I might want to look at? Again, I like the H3 Neo Prov, which weighs about 50 grams a sheet.

I was surprised by how many people in that thread had very lightweight paddles. I thought most everyone had ones that weigh similar to mine - around 180 grams.

For what it's worth, most high level players -- 2400 US rating and above -- use blades in the range of 88-85 gram (without rubber), and with rubber are at least 180g. At 180 gram you would still be able to have sufficiently fine control to make any finesse shot. The finesse needed is a lot due to getting racket angle right and relaxing (and also moving just as much on a finesse shot as you do when you are attacking). Long pips push blockers tend to prefer lighter, but that is not what you are using.

The DHS rubber you are using on both sides means you have to understand spin pretty much perfectly.

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Butterfly Viscaria Black tag
2.2 mm Nexy Karis M on FH and BH

I've come to understand that lightweight blades are more for choppers. I'm not a chopper, but am just looking to experiment and develop more of an understanding of how different equipment feels. Plus, a lightweight bat would be good for my younger son.

Can you elaborate on why I need perfect spin control to use the H3 rubber? It was recommended to me by my coach. I've come to prefer it over other rubbers I've tried because it's easier to counter backspin with it, and easier to keep topspin balls on the table. It's reaction to my opponent's spin, especially on the serve, is another story however a,

Tacky rubbers react more to spin than grippy ones. That's it in a nutshell, and you have already noticed that. With that said, nearly everyone in China learns to play with tacky rubbers, so it is a surmountable problem. Just know that it is a double edged sword and you will win and lose matches as a new player based on short game and control.

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Butterfly Viscaria Black tag
2.2 mm Nexy Karis M on FH and BH

Actually, most choppers prefer heavy blades...not all..most. Chopping blades have a larger face, meaning blades tend to weigh more, and rubbers needing to cover the larger face weigh more. However LPs are lighter, so that balances out the weight a bit.

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