OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hi people, this is my first post, although I have read the forum several times. I even registered myself as "Pelotita", without the "s", but my account is "inactive",so I have to register with another name.
Here is my post, that I wrote in another forums, looking for as many opinions (yeah, I know too many opinions is not good, either, but anyway...)
I was playing for a good while with Stiga Energy Wood, and decided I wanted to change the blade. Regarding my game, my coach told me that it was time to give "identity" to it - I was going to loop with my forehand, and my backhand would consist in "active blocking", "punches", or whatever the name is for that non - passive flat stroke. That didn't mean that backhand looping should not be considered. But it would be left to third balls against backspin, for changes of rythm, or for answering a serve. By the way, I don't use speedglue.

While testing Donic Coppa Gold rubber (2.0 mms.) with the Energy blade, I felt in love with the feeling it gave to my backhand. That is, a hard rubber with speed, great sound, and the feeling that you can "hurt" with a "punch". Unique rubber for that type of game.

I wanted to replicate that feeling with my new blade. I bought a Yasaka Gatien Extra (mine only weights 83,5 grms.) and a Korbel. I tried the YE and I liked a lot in my backhand with the Coppa Gold (I could feel the rubber and the wood hitting the ball).The lightness and the good FL handle also helped. But my forehand, with a Donic F2 (2.0 mms.), didn't work as expected- it lacked power and enough spin for my taste.

Then I tried the Korbel (ST handle, surprinsingly nice) with the same rubbers. My forehand loop was different - more power and spin. It gave me confidence. I could "hurt". But in my backhand the uniqueness of the Coppa Gold had dissappeared. It felt like any other rubber, nothing special. That "feeling" in the backhand wasn't there. Besides, the Korbel was heavier and although I can get used to that weight, I strongly prefer something lighter if there is an option.

Anyway, I decided to play with the Korbel over the YE, because I can develope a better game around a good drive, although my backhand may be not as good as with the YE.

Regarding speed, once you try a relatively fast blade, is difficult to come back to something slower.On the contrary, something in your brain cells actives the deadly sentence:"Wow, this is good. If my loop hurts like this with this speed, it should hurt even better with something a little faster!"

I don't know if there is a blade that can offer a better mix of power and spin in the forehand than the Korbel, but at least of the blades that I have tried (3), Korbel was the best offering that mix in the forehand.

So in summary, I am looking for a blade (all wood): 1) lighter than Korbel, but that can allow me the same mix of power and spin in the forehand, and that can provide a similar feeling of the YE in the backhand. Regarding speed, now that I tried the speed of Korbel, I would not like something slower, and even faster than Korbel would be really a good option, too.
2) the same as option 1), but if lighter is not possible, then at least with the YE feeling in the backhand ;or

3) the same as option 1) , but if the YE feeling in the backhand is not possible, at least lighter than Korbel.

Pelotita

Why not stay with the Energy Wood? Is there something wrong with it? I'm as much an EJ (Equipment Junkie) as the next guy, but sometimes it's better not to change your gear when you've got a good thing going...

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Tibhar IV-S - Donic Defplay SensoV3 - BTY Tackiness D/C - BTY Feint Soft - Meteor 813

Jasper, you are right about not changing blades, but I was looking for something faster, with the ilussion that I would add more power to my game .But once you have tried, for example, a Korbel (which is not so fast but it is faster than the Energy), is very difficult to come back to a slower blade.

Someone who has tried the YE can answer this: is that feeling something common to Swedish made blades only? Perhaps is what they call the "vibration" of the Stiga blades?

Pelotita