OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I know of no pro that is purely a retriever. When the chance is there to put the ball away, they put the ball away. I often don't, going for the "safer" option. Also, their idea of a ball to put away is not exactly my idea of a ball to put away.

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

How did a retriever settle on such a powerful setup in and in max too!?

I briefly tried tenergy 05 but didn't like it. It felt like plastasine to me. Ball sinks in to the rubber, has a look round, combs it's hair to make sure it looks good, thinks a bit more, then springs out again almost like a delayed after thought. I've tried the MX-P and found that lively/bouncy. I prefer the 1QXD except they don't make it now

Good point though, when you play a minority style who are the role models to learn from, both technique and equipment wise. I remember from an old old thread that someone refered to a Chinese coaching book specifically about how to play short pips style. I could never find an English equivalent from a reputable source. Even the ukcc coaching course i took steered clear of providing any advice on how to coach alternative styles and using equipment other than inverted. Big market segment opportunity being missed me thinks. Love to film a short pips coaching video.

Debater asked:


I started out on a table made by my Dad out of masonite & gardening stakes, with a $5 pimples out non-name premade bat, playing endlessly with my brother. He was slightly more the aggresive of us, so he attacked while I retrieved. Then got another premade with green Cobra 3 star rubber on both sides. From there I went to Magic Carbon on current blade, 729 RITC Tack Speed 2000, Joola Tango, Joola Tango Extreme, then Yasaka Extend on FH & 729 Geospin Tacky on BH then the current set up. The majority of rubber has been max with a sprinkling of 2.0s. My game is spin and deception while retrieving.

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Retriever (sometimes golden, but often leaden)
Moderator, Inverted Retriever Technique sub-forum - http://ooakforum.com/viewforum.php?f=74

I have a friend who is a retriever. He uses a TSP balsa 6.5 with Tibhar Aurus but 1.8 bh and thicker fh in matches. He prefers softer sponge. He experiments a lot in practice and social sessions but not match play.

He is very difficult to play unless you can attack consistently with pace and placement. I can't so I revert to keeping it short and then when opportunity arises fast and deep. If I don't and I go long without much pace he tends to let the ball drop low usually below table height and flick his wrists puttING a lot of side and height on the ball. Coming down near vertical makes it hard to block and the side can make it swerve unexpectedly making it kick awkwardly. He can make players my level look very foolish missing apparantly simple smash winners to on lookers.

How often do pros switch their own equipment? It seems some are EJ's and others are essentially using the same setup since their teens!

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SOULSPIN CUSTOM BLADES
Fh: Spinny rubber
Bh: Not so spinny rubber...

Looking at lists of what the pro's use, the use of Tenergy has been very consistent for a number of years now which would suggest top players don't switch very often. Others are maybe tied to their sponsors demands but there seems to be, at least in the men's game a lot of consistency in what they use.

Yeah, even the ones who use one of the Hurricanes will use Tenergy (usually 05) on the backhand. There are even supposed Chinese National Team versions of Tenergy that they get (with a harder than normal sponge).

Supposedly, too, a lot of players "sponsored" by other companies will use Tenergy regardless.

Note that Tenergy has been out for eight years. So far nothing's come along to displace it. I suppose that's another reason I don't use a "pro setup" - just too darned expensive to justify. If I could add a hundred ratings points by going to a "pro setup" then I could justify the cost, but it's likely to cause me to go in the other direction instead.

Iskandar

For their rubbers, yes. What about their blades!?

How many setups has Ma Long been through?

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SOULSPIN CUSTOM BLADES
Fh: Spinny rubber
Bh: Not so spinny rubber...

I don't know. I've not asked him. How many has he been through?

Most people I know who play table tennis change make and model of blade far less than rubbers. Blades are more "personal", last longer and aren't marketed the same "sexy, new improved super dooper can do the ironing too" type of way, so there isn't the same incentive to change. Maybe if manufactures can find a way to convince us their performance degrades in a few months, or can build in time based weaknesses into the wood that may change

Personally the blade is the most important part of a setup and what I start with when choosing one. If the blade doesn't feel right in my hand it doesn't matter what rubbers I use, which pro uses it or how much it costs, I won't play with it in matches. I took a huge financial gamble when deciding to take on this project. The handle of the caustic carbon had some negative comments about it's size so I was very relieved when I finally picked it up. Still very unsure of the rubbers.

Hi iskander taib, I don't know if you missed this post but I'm really interested to hear your answer.

Cheers

I mean I've come across them advertised on web sites for sale. Usually for exorbitant prices, and they claim they're "pro versions". I have no way to tell whether it's the truth or whether it's, er, cowdung, hence "alleged". I sure as heck won't be buying any..

Example:

http://www.prott.vip/Product-Details.as ... ode=ProT05





"Caustic carbon"? I suppose it's money down the drain regardless, you'll not get it back, if nothing else, at least you get to use it.

Iskandar

What are you laughing for? The Caustic carbon was bought from a "reputable" supplier who has contacts with the Nittaku factory. He said a friend got it from his cousin's uncle's nephew who works there and it's the way they (Nittaku) identify blades suitable for the Pro's, they drop the "A" from the name as "A" stands for amateur quality.

For those who aren't familiar with a dry northern sense of humour, that was a "joke" post

You think the rubber is overpriced..

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/produc ... 97926.html

Iskandar

Wow, you could buy a reasonable-sized stack of ZJK Super ZLCs for the USD1,999 asking price of "This weapon 506 for Ma Long, and he got 51-match winning streak."

It looks very clean for a blade with a 51-match winning streak, so I guess it's *like* the winning-streak blade without *being* it.

If you were Ma Long, would you get, or use, a blade with your noggin on the base of the handle?


Well, maybe.

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"Once you get past a certain threshold, everyone's problems are the same: fortifying your island and hiding the heat signature from your fusion reactor." –Doctor Impossible

Note the red plies. To certain people this would be proof positive that this is actually a Stiga Clipper with different handle pieces.

Iskandar