OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Title says it all.

What and why please.

For me, feel. If it doesn't "feel" right I won't use it. By feel I mean how it feels in my hand and how it feels when a ball bounces on it.

At the risk of being obtuse, that it stays in my hand. A bat in the hand is worth an infinite number that end up in the bush.

I suppose after that is predictability. It does what it should, or rather I can predict what will happen with a particular shot.

Next is spin. The ability to impart spin. Lots of spin. Even spin when other people think that it shouldn't matter.

It helps a lot if the handle feels comfortable. Otherwise one gets too callous.

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

Hard to say but perhaps it is balance. Since I have a combination playing style and setup I like to feel that its offensive potency is equally balanced by its defensive security so that I have the performance and confidence that I need on both sides.

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2. S&T Black & White / Armstrong SH-I 1.8 / TSP Curl P3 Alpha R OX

For me it's probably spin. I can adjust to a lot of things, but if the bat is not highly suitable for creating high spin, it's not suitable for me.

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Any blade that provides crisp contact and good flex and has a long contact duration.

Another thing is sweet spot on the blade has to pretty much cover almost 60% - 80% of the blade

Very few blades give all that. What I found was OverSize blades obviously have larger than usual sweet spot !

Balsa are soft enough to give long contact duration, but the combo of soft-core + semi-hard ... flexi top-ply... is still a struggle. Koto seems to work well ... not sure if Limba or Kiri is more suited ... haven't changed and tried anything other than koto top-ply.

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Backup C-pen blades:

• TSP Black Balsa 7.0 :
  1. FH/BH-YRakza9/XOmegaVT
  2. FH/BH-TSP Spectol/Yinhe Qing OX
• 729 Bomb C-P : FH/BH-DHS H2 Orig/DHS H3 Orig
• TSP Versal :
  1. FH/BH-XOmegaVA/YJupiter-II
  2. FH/BH-*blank*

Fun blades:

• Yasaka Battle Balsa(ST) : FH/BH- DHS TG2Neo/Gewo HypeXT 47
• Dr. Neubauer
  High Technology
  Cypress-Carbon(ST)
  ***************************** : FH/BH-YRakza7/YRakza7

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+1

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Panda Drive / 4H Xiom Sigma Pro 2 2.0 / BH Xiom Omega IV Elite Max / Play right-handed
XVT balsa carbon 10mm / 4H Xiom Sigma Pro 2 2.0 / BH Globe 979 Long Pips OX / Play Left-handed shakehand
Stiga Def Wood / 4H Xiom Sigma Pro 2 2.0 / BH GD CC LP OX .. Play Left-handed
Cpen SOS Wood / 4H 729 802-40 2.0 / BH GD Talon use righthanded shakehand grip
HARDBAT / Shakehand Hock 3 ply / Friendship Dr Evil OX .. Play Right-handed

I like fat.

Fat thickness, fat handle, fat shoulder, something to hold on to. Gives a secure feeling.

I also like acoustic qualities, using composite now, but much prefer all wood "crack" during high impact. I just received my newest stiff fatty, so far ticks most of the right boxes.

BTW I'm a penholder, not very many people talk about penhold handle thickness. To me, that's very important.

Hi man_iii, i recommend you switch the balsa for an alc/aramid carbon (boll, stradivarius etc). Hard and crispy yet semi-flexy at the same time.

+2

It "prevents" me from going for shots 100% if I'm not 100% comfortable with the feel and response from the setup. It smothers my confidence.

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Read about my adventures to perfect my style and the ever-present battle against the evil EJ virus!

Hard to change when I am used to the Balsa stuff now Friend has Timo Boll ALC ... another guy has Xiom Stradivarius .... None of them worked for me ... too fast ... not enough dwell time ... not much flex at all ... etc etc

Maybe Balsa blades are more forgiving for beginners ?

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__________________________________________________________
Backup C-pen blades:

• TSP Black Balsa 7.0 :
  1. FH/BH-YRakza9/XOmegaVT
  2. FH/BH-TSP Spectol/Yinhe Qing OX
• 729 Bomb C-P : FH/BH-DHS H2 Orig/DHS H3 Orig
• TSP Versal :
  1. FH/BH-XOmegaVA/YJupiter-II
  2. FH/BH-*blank*

Fun blades:

• Yasaka Battle Balsa(ST) : FH/BH- DHS TG2Neo/Gewo HypeXT 47
• Dr. Neubauer
  High Technology
  Cypress-Carbon(ST)
  ***************************** : FH/BH-YRakza7/YRakza7

==========================================================

Pimples on one side

Every blade I've ever tried has the same "important characteristic": they don't hit the ball where I aim it!

That's a fault with the ball, not the blade

Feel. A dead feel to it.

For me, it's the following : -

• The Grip
• Balance & Control - The sort that provides sense of security when on the offensive, or defence
• Balanced Spin & Speed
• Off-late I've developed a fondness for that Crisp feel and sound, on offensive shots.
• Just that right amount Some vibration/feeling of the ball