OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Seeking experienced input to consideration for change/upgrade. Current blade is Stiga Allround classic with Stiga DNA Future rubber. Experience level is that of a club player; play 2-3 days a week; friendly competitive play. Looking for a bit faster blade while maintaining good control. A slight heavier weight is OK too. Play is closer to the table; not a big looper but with slight top spin, good blocking; continue to improve technique and level of play Wishing to stay all-wood and less than $100 (US) if possible.

Initial thought for change: Stiga Clipper vs Darker 5p-2a.

But also see:
- Stiga Offensive Classic, Celero
- Nittaku: Septear, S-5, S-7
- Butterfly: Primorac, Korbel
- DHS: TG7-P

Overwhelmed with comments across forum and many of which or several years old. New thoughts?

Input is much appreciated,
-H2F

I own both the Clipper Wood and and the Darker 5P-2a. The Darker is in fact my main blade and I love it very much. Both blades are very different but fantastic in their way. The 5P-2a is a "hybrid" Hinoki blade (it has two basswood intermediate plies) and as such is very good for looping both close to the table and mid-distance. It's quite stiff because its thick for a 5ply blade (6.5mm), but not as stiff as the Clipper which is 7mm thick. The 5P-2A is off- and you should be fine with it speedwise at your level. Of course you can speed it up by using faster rubbers. Clipper is a bit faster, maybe off, but the feeling is different. Clipper has Limba as an outer ply and Ayous inbetween. It has a soft touch but it's not comparable to the feeling you get from a Hinoki blade. The Clipper is very controlled and good for blocking and driving. You can also loop with it but I would say that the 5P-2a is better for that. Clipper is more suitable for a close to the table game IMO. Basically both blades could suit you, although I would recommend a faster 5ply blade as a next step. Have you ever played with a Hinoki blade? Do you like the feeling?

Also you Stiga Allround Classic is a very good blade. So maybe you should stick with it and upgrade the rubbers. Good upgrades could be Rakza7 FH and Rakza7 Soft BH. Or Vega Europe on both sides. I would choose new rubber in 2.0mm thickness.

Thank you for your input. Have considered faster 5-ply: Stiga OFF Classic, Stiga Celero, Nittaku Accoustic, and Nittaku S-5. I have not played with Hinoki; only played with my Stiga Allround. I currently have in my possession 2x rubbers (1x black, 1x red) of DHS Hurricane 3 'provincial' (from what I can tell). These rubbers are probably beyond my true ability but I have the Rakza and Vega Euro on my short list should I purchase a different set. Not looking to match a new blade to rubbers I have- it's just that I do have them and will consider options once I select blade. My Stiga Allround I still good- no reason to change rubbers IMO. Just looking for another paddle setup option.

Thoughts on these listed blades (Off Classic/Celero/Accoustic/S-5)?

-H2F

I agree .. The Allround Classic is a pretty capable blade, even for advanced beginners - intermediate players... Switching to a faster rubber, may give you the bump in speed you want ..

Vega Pro and Rakza(s) are good options

I think, DHS Hurricane 3 'provincial rubbers would be too much .. These are typically used by advanced players. Plus, they'd be quite different from the rubbers you're currently playing with.. If you want to play with (fairly) tacky Chinese-style rubbers, then you could start off with something like Friendship Cream Transcend, Yinhe Big Dipper, or even DHS Hurricane Neo 3. Once you adjust to Chinese Style Tacky rubbers, and have more well-developed stroke you could switch to a better blades, along with the DHS Hurricane 3 'provincial rubbers.

If you want regular non-tacky Euro-Jap style rubbers, then check-out ..

• Palio AK-47 Blue
• Friendship Focus Snipe III
• Tibhar 5Q Vip
  
  

Thoughts on these listed blades (Off Classic/Celero/Accoustic/S-5)?

-H2F[/quote]

If you just want to purchase a second set up, you should consider either of these blades: Stiga Offensive Classic, Celero Wood, Butterfly Primorac. These are all excellent 5plies with a perfect balance between dwell time, control and speed for you level. Choose what you like best.

Korbel, Septear/Accoustic, Clipper and PG7 are either much too fast (PG7, Korbel), too different from what you are currently playing (Septear) or much harder to handle. Don't get me wrong Accoustic and Korbel are excellent blades. But I would recommend those more to intermediate/advanced players which have already developed their strokes. The Nittaku blades are also very expensive. Before buying a Hinoki blade I would also recommend to try it out, maybe someone in your club has one. Hinoki blades are bouncy and can be very difficult to handle in short game and when you block and drive. They give you less control and are thus not suitable for developing players. Also not everyone likes the feeling of Hinoki.

Another idea would be to purchase a second Stiga Allround Classic and experiment with the rubbers on it. This would give you back up set with maybe a bit more punch. Using the same blade with different rubbers makes sense, a lot of people do that. It's always a good idea not to change all parameters when you upgrade.

Thanks ootbs and MK73 for the thoughts. I think I will focus on changing one paremeter at a time, rather than a whole new set up. Sticking with same paddle and changing rubbers is my best bet. Thanks for voices of reason.

-H2F

Stiga Nostalgic Allround is a nice upgrade from Stiga Allround Classic. Not cheap but it occasionally sold on Stiga brand sales with discount.

What I personally like in Nostalgic wood series is that dark wood looks much better after sweaty hands usage.