OOAK Table Tennis Forum

So I'm currently using a premade racket
(5 star Yasaka racket), and I'm considering getting the following set up:

FH & BH: DHS Hurricane 3-50, Xiom Vega Euro or Yasaka Mark V
Blade: Stiga Allround Classic

Sidenote: I have been playing for soon-to-be a year

I assume you attack from both sides? Sounds OK to me, just a little expensive. Just one of thousands of combinations that will work just as well as any other.

What's a Yasaka "5 star" racket? What rubbers are on it and what does it weigh?

Iskandar

Basically, that racket is a decent racket for learning proper table tennis technique, and it's cheap.
I haven't weighed it but it feels light for me. Lighter than any custom racket I've held so far.

Your combination sounds good.
Still I would suggest picking the Xiom rubbers. Also you should think about Xiom Vega Intro instead of the Vega Euro if you want to go easier on your budget and still get a very good combination.

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My ooak blog.

I don't have a very limited budget. I've tried the Xiom Vega Europe a little bit (two friends of mine has that rubber + allround blade) and I found the rubber too soft for my taste, which is why I consider Yasaka Mk.V or DHS H3-50

Mark V is often a recommended step up from pre made and with a somewhat firmer sponge than Vega Euro. There are of course cheaper and similar performing classic alternatives.
Vega Intro is a little harder, a little cheaper, and has only a mild catapult effect. A good option.
H3-50 is similar price & hardness to Intro and a good option IF you like tacky rubbers. Maybe not ideal if you haven't tried it.

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

The reason I've considered the Mark V rubbers is because they're quite popular and they fit the "medium to hard rubber + soft blade"-philosophy which I think is better than "stiff blade with soft rubbers".

I'm wondering why Musa wouldn't work as well.. If you want to stick with Xiom, that is. I'd actually recommend this:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SANWEI- ... 74001.html

Iskandar

Hi,

I'd recommend any moderately tacky Chinese rubber ... It'll help develop your technique too..

As for the blade too, you could opt for a Chinese ALL one, such as Sanwei M8...

I would say get Yasaka Mark V blade + Mark V rubbers. It should be quite a while till you have to get new bat + rubber combo.

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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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A lot of good info here. Read the lengthy Intro, 5-10 minutes, well worth your time. Then you can come back here and make a better decision.

https://m.facebook.com/NorthLittleRockTableTennisGroup/

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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

Yeah, this is the part about using long pips on the backhand as a crutch because beginners can't handle spin. I really don't suggest beginners do this. If you've struggled for 3-4 years and STILL can't handle spin then you might consider it, otherwise it is best to learn how to handle spin - you'd be a better player in the end. We were just discussing this here:

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=33446

Iskandar

From my and some playing partners experience better initially to use a spinny short pip such as 802-40 to help deal with spin on the BH as it is then relaltively easy to transition to inverted if needed. Starting with LP could lock one into LP style unless the plan from the outside is to be an LP type player.

It's OK if one has been playing for a while and you either already understand spin and want a tool/weapon to confuse the opponent or to more easily return fast/spinny balls. And I suppose it's OK if you've been struggling for a while and still can't deal with spin unless you have something that doesn't react strongly to it. It's another matter if you're just starting out and you put long pips on the backhand just because 800-900 level players serve you side-topspin and you can't return those. The real solution is to get some help (coaching or advice) on how to return those serves. You give up a lot of options when you use long pips on the backhand, and better players will still give you serves you can't return if you've never learned to read the spin. This is especially true with juniors - you never know if that junior will be rated 2500 in three or four years - if you start them out with long pips just to handle serves you'll be dooming them to perpetual 1200-ness.

Iskandar