OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hope someone can give me much needed advice on matching a forehand rubber to my TSP balsa 4.5.

As an intermediate club level player getting back into the game at 60 I am slowly working out an effective playing style using keiler 1.5mm medium pimples on the back hand for aggressive at the table play with my forehand then mixing up blocks, top spin drives and chops.

I have found so far that tensors such as Xiom Vega Elite and Europe 1.8mm are too bouncy in the short game and for chopping. Musa 2.0 plays really nicely in all areas but lacks top end speed on this slowish all-round blade, whilst the new Xiom intro in 1.8 is good in the short game but unfortunately too hard and direct for controlled topspin counter hitting.

So what I need is a rubber roughly the same speed as Vega Europe 1.8mm but a little firmer and more linear for better close to the table play.

Thoughts so far are:
Vega asia df 1.8mm (too bouncy?)
Vega Japan 1.8
Raksa 7 or 7 soft 1.8 (which one?)
Regalia blue or red perhaps 2.0mm (again which one)
Tibhar FXS 1.7 or 1.9

Do I go for the softer version for more control when fast blocking and counter hitting topspin or the harder version for less bounce in the short game?

Regalis comes in a range. I bought 1.8mm to 2.0mm version expecting it to be more like 2.0mm since its the second thickest option. It does appear more 1.8mm.

I can compare to Vega Europe DF 2.0mm and you had to put a little more effort in to generate spin with the Regalis. Also doesn't seem quite as bouncy. Is still a nice linear rubber. I'm guessing its along the lines of Vega Intro for speed and spin though thats a complete guess. The reason I say is that it doesn't seem to have the same kick with speed or spin as other higher end tensors.

No idea whether it suits your game though.

Could any of the characteristics you describe be because of the balsa effect?

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

Thanks for the input. Was your regalis red or blue. If the red was it as soft in play as Euro df or a bit firmer.

Yes the balsa effect does come into play with even the slowish 4.5 which is why linear rubbers work best and neither too soft or hard. Musa 1 is almost perfect just too slow in top end on the 4.5 but perfect on faster balsa blades. Intro had the right speed just too hard for decent control i.e more like a Chinese rubber. Definitely a lot harder than Musa 1.

Mine is the Regalis Red which is the softer of the two (Red and Blue) and is about 40 degrees I think (could be wrong). There's conflicting information about the Europe DF. It states that its 42.5 in places but many comments suggest its more like 37-38.

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

I know its been around for a while but Tibhar Genius has long been a reasonably popular all round performer with medium hardness.

I'll be trying the Intro myself shortly. Now I'm worried that it will be too hard!

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

Did the Regalis Red feel harder than your Euro DF. With all these different scales plus the effect of a difference in flexibility of the top sheet it is hard to know without trying.

Not sure, only use the Red for a few weeks. It's hard to say as the Red felt thinner. Wasn't obvious anyway.

Sent from my SM-T210 using Tapatalk

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