One thing that you want on a chopping blade-especially on the backhand side is dwell time. This is why blade makers are increasingly turning out combo blades for the modern defense game. More dwell time in the final analysis means more spin and the ability to manipulate the spin better with more margin for error. Offensive and Offensive + blades are made for powerful looping and hitting games with consistency provided by excessive topspin (looping) or probably pips out (hitting). As a defender we specialize in under spin (firstly), surprise attack (as often as possible) and some gadget shots like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoawx5ZnFncUsing a fast attacking blade works against our own position and interests-it makes it hard to control our own spin, manage our opponents spin, and vary our spin to win the point with defense and deception. Yet we still need our forehand side to be a powerful attack weapon.
Forehand rubber for the modern defender comes down to one question-do you also want to chop with your forehand ala Joo Se Hyuk or are you going the route of Panagiotis Gionis who I have never seen chop with his forehand (nor does Chen Xiexing very often). At the world level, it seems to come down to what type of Tenergy do you want to put on your blade.
For the backhand, your choice of medium pips is a very important one-maybe the most important decision you make. Medium pips has many gears but none to the extremely level that a world class male modern defender needs. My opinion is that this question comes down to "what will you do with a fast loop drive?" With the medium pips you can chop it but it will be a more lightly spun ball than coming off long pips; in fact, many long pips vary from each other-greatly!
Joo uses Dtecs, Gioinis Feint Long 2, Chen TSP Curl, Filus Feint Long 3-or so it has been reported, who really
knows at the present time-LOL
The most important thing is that a defender must be able at high levels be able to execute from his backhand the "rip chop." A low relatively high speed, very spinney chop, that barely skims over the net driving deep into the opponents court. Everyone of the players I mentioned use this depend on this stroke as the backbone for their defense. With the medium pips you can not get enough spin on the rip chop to make a good player go into the net.
Here's why I built my main modern defense blade-what I did right and what I would change.
First what I did was evaluate what I did well:
1) Forehand loop drive-loop kill-I was told this was the one element (and only) of my game that was "world class" told to me by a guy who was a world class player. This is a keeper!
2) Forehand slow loop was extremely effective to people insane enough to chop to me-another keeper.
3) Forehand deep side spin loop-another keeper
4) Forehand chop (with inverted) was *itch'n good-a keeper
5) Backhand-needs all sorts of help from block to loop to drive -it blew-except for when I used long pips-ah consistency...anda deep buzzing chop-hmmmm enlightenment!
6) Serving...ugh....
7) serve receive surprisingly good...
What worked when I was very good was tackiness chop and the original Feint (both black-wish they would trash the red/black rule). I had great control but even with the "Godzilla" of forehand loop kills-it was very hard to get through my opponent, even when he was at medium depth. Mark V worked very well though even chopping with it.
Took a long break from pong (my dad passed away...school...family... now)
What to do ?
Still want to keep the best parts of my game-Godzilla not nearly as monsterous (but still good enough for people under 2200) as it was, but slow loop still plenty good-fore hand chop still crazy after all these years....backhand with inverted still impressive and just as inconsistent, long pips out hmmm...I learned something. I can win points by burying people in the net....I need rubbers that allow me to do these things and a blade that aids my attack while not compromising my defense.... I need a combo blade...wife looking at check book and not smiling....I need a cheap combo blade..LOL
Blade: Giant Dragon Kris off/def (blasa)
Forehand 729 -Judo 2.0 (red)
Backhand Feint Long 3 1.3 (black)
The forehand allows me to do the things I do well:push, chop, & loop and surprisingly help my serve-good feel! The backhand has great dwell time and the Feint Long 3 gives a very spinny and consistent rip chop. Many opponents vouage to the bottom of the net!
What dont like about the set up: GD Kris is fat-I mean thick and hard to twiddle! 729 Judo-manufactuering quality is low-top sheet seperates from the sponge-I may need to look at a different rubber-a shame I really like it and its $14.00 usd. Feint Long 3 is very slow-and you just have to deal with the fact that if you pick hit with it, the ball may come back (hard for a guy who could smack winners with Phantom 009 or Feint). The whole set up was $75.00 usd including glue and postage.
I hope I have let you into the mind of a guy who really found his game in modern defense back when it was called "all-a-round."
Ian
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