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How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
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Author:  Debater [ 12 Apr 2022, 22:53 ]
Post subject:  How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
Simple question - as the title says.

I know everything is relative, but these are the types of things I look for.

For me, the blade feels good in my hand, with a more direct feel than a soft caterpult feel when a ball bounces on it. When combined with rubbers, it's not too heavy but has enough weight to feel like I'm not swinging a piece of carboard. There's some feel to the setup, particularly when serving and touch play. It's not "bouncy" - more direct and if I play a "soft" shot, the ball stays short and low and if I commit to a shot, there's enough power to penetrate without being uncontrollably fast. It needs to be consistent and have decent quality control across batch runs. If pushed, I prefer a softer sponge for BH and a harder sponge for my FH. It needs to have some grip - preferably mechanical grip rather than tacky surface and I'm not bothered about having the "spinniest" rubber on the market. I don't have the style of play or technique to take advantage of that so it would be wasted on me.

Whilst most blades last - as long as you take care of them, I also want a rubber with some longevity. By this I mean I used to like Donic F3 Big Slam on my BH but that rubber very quickly wore out which means it wasn't cost affective for a social player. So if it's going to deteriorate in performance it either needs to be gradual from day one so I either don't notice or subconsciously can adapt, or it needs to hold the same level of performance for a longer period of time before it drops off very quickly.
Author:  boz [ 18 Sep 2022, 08:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
As above I agree... But I would say simply that it can do everything you want to do with it. Contemplate that for a moment.

If you want to loop, use inverted. etc.
If you want the ball to land on the table don't use the fastest stuff.
If you want the most extreme of something then buy it knowing that you have a lot of learning ahead of you to master it and even then it will not be good at the other things.

For me, I want the most extreme arcs from the most extreme angles on the court and the most extreme serves more than I want to stand at the table and smash the living hell out of the ball (which is fun too). I have to give up on something for sure.

It's right for you too knowing you can replace it too cheaply. :cash: :cash: :cash: Knowing you weren't duped into the hype
It's right for you when you can still beat everyone that you did before you changed to it. (not important while adapting but eventually it will bug me if my ass gets repeatedly kicked because of a simple change of equipment. Not everything is about winning though.)
Author:  haggisv [ 18 Sep 2022, 21:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
I tend to judge the bat by my winning percentages over time. Some combinations feel great, but just don't seem to convert to winning matches. I don't think it's a very good method, but sometimes a change is all I need to get me winning again...and it's hard to know if that's all in my mind or not. :D
Author:  charmander defender [ 19 Sep 2022, 19:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
Very simple.The setup you are the most consistent with.

Besides, If you have the opportunity to train with a high level player , and he / she has a hard time during the set, even if you cannot beat him/ her , it means the setup has a lot of potential at your level / league .Let's say you lose 11-8,11-9 etc.That's an indication that the setup at your lower level will be very effective .

This is what I do!!! of course not everyone is lucky enough to have a high level partner.
Author:  boz [ 19 Sep 2022, 19:35 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
Hag,
you reminded me of a guy I know who would write down who he beat with which combination. (not far from what I do too!)

There is for sure a sliding scale between what you enjoy at the physical level and on paper. One is physical immediate pleasure in the here and now and the other is more sophisticated mentally long-lasting air.

Dunno, I get bored with too much of one end of them. I know I probably will play better with tenergy 05 on my ishlion, and can afford to purchase it. I also know that I will lose more to higher level players if I use LP on one side but I still like to have a stint of entertaining it.

The pleasure here and now is important too.

As for being at your best using it.... nah. If you were best with a ready made bat and tried something with more spin capability and said nope I can't play my game with that.... You are giving up POSSIBILITY.

There was a kid who came in with super dead topsheet rubbers playing a 'tennis style' (the head coach told me) I took the kid to the box of blades and gave him hurricanes that were a ton grippier and I said stop trying to play the same way you were with that blade. Just get it on the table till you understand it. This is not tennis.

Dunno what happened to him later... but seriously I was ready to have an arguement with the coach who just comes up with random s*** like that. Dam. Expose and teach and give a space to learn the truth first. NOt just do what is easy.
Author:  0x556c69 [ 19 Sep 2022, 22:56 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
boz wrote:
As for being at your best using it.... nah. If you were best with a ready made bat and tried something with more spin capability and said nope I can't play my game with that.... You are giving up POSSIBILITY.

There was a kid who came in with super dead topsheet rubbers playing a 'tennis style' (the head coach told me) I took the kid to the box of blades and gave him hurricanes that were a ton grippier and I said stop trying to play the same way you were with that blade. Just get it on the table till you understand it. This is not tennis.

I disagree. Table tennis is not about equipment. If it was, there would be an 'ideal' setup. But even at pro level you're finding pronounced differences (tensor/chinese tacky, pips/smooth, shakehand/penholder, you name it). The equipment has to suit the user. As an example take Falck: he has been switched to short pips, because for him speed was beeing more effective than spin. Do you think, Ma Long would be king of table tennis with short pips?

If I look at my current setup, I'm biased. I don't really like the touch, despite the blade beeing a bit too fast offensive strokes are taking too much energy, I'm missing the bite of H3 on serves, the defensive rubber beeing quite harmless and depending on situation I am helpless - but overall I get decent results. In fact way better than with H3 or modern offensive rubbers, rubbers allowing spin manipulation or offering disrupting effects at backhand and slower blades. So is this my right setup? No idea - and I'm suppressing the urge to look for it. At least at the moment...
Author:  BRS [ 19 Sep 2022, 23:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
When you experiment with stuff and it feels worse. Whether that is borrowing someone's bat at the club, or testing a new rubber.

A lot of this comes down to how long you use one setup. When you switch a lot anything you test you will notice what it does better, not so much what it is giving up. Whereas if you use the same for a few years, anything different tends to feel wrong somehow.

Now if I can just implement this on my forehand rubber LOL. I have had the same blade and backhand since 2018, but the forehand rubber changes annually.
Author:  0x556c69 [ 19 Sep 2022, 23:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
BRS wrote:
I have had the same blade and backhand since 2018, but the forehand rubber changes annually.


Anually? Really? :clap: Lots of us switch on a daily base... :rofl:
Author:  jazzcomp [ 20 Sep 2022, 11:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
If your normal shots suddenly don't go in as expected, then it's not right or you need time to adjust to the bat.

Some setups are easy to adjust to, others aren't.

For me, whichever has more consistency is the right setup.
Author:  0x556c69 [ 20 Sep 2022, 15:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
jazzcomp wrote:
If your normal shots suddenly don't go in as suspected, then it's not right or you need time to adjust to the bat.

Some setups are easy to adjust to, others aren't.

For me, whichever has more consistency is the right setup.

Don't you experience different consistency depending on situation?

When doing drills I don't miss that much and most setups, especially those featuring modern fast rubbers, do well. Crunch time in competition is a completely different story. Thats where I can judge the suitability of a setup.
Author:  Lorre [ 21 Sep 2022, 06:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
You just know...
Author:  jazzcomp [ 21 Sep 2022, 14:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
0x556c69 wrote:
jazzcomp wrote:
If your normal shots suddenly don't go in as suspected, then it's not right or you need time to adjust to the bat.

Some setups are easy to adjust to, others aren't.

For me, whichever has more consistency is the right setup.

Don't you experience different consistency depending on situation?

When doing drills I don't miss that much and most setups, especially those featuring modern fast rubbers, do well. Crunch time in competition is a completely different story. Thats where I can judge the suitability of a setup.

Yes, I experience that and depending on the opponent you are playing as well. Performance in competition is definitely a factor for suitability.

My son was using BTY Timo Boll off- Forte with fastarc and rakza 7 soft but his strong strokes always sent the balls out. Changed to Sweden all round with Mark V rubbers. Changed to Nittaku Acoustic Inner Carbon with Vstage and Mark V and is now using BTY KLH ALC with H3 Neo and Andro Hexer. Adjustments every time.

For me, I have a variety of setups that I use. Some of the faster ones are great playing against higher grade players. But once I play at my level, it's hard to control against those unique choppers/side spinners/long pips/anti/others. I'm using Viscaria with H3 Neo provincial and Andro R45 for comp.

Mostly carbon blades with some BTY/DHS/Andro and other rubbers.

I hated Tibhar MX-P before because my skill couldn't handle it as well as Tenergy (though expensive). But I do really like Tibhar MX-P now but don't use it for competition yet
Author:  LordCope [ 22 Sep 2022, 02:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
I think "just right" changes. I had a couple of months off over the summer, and the setup I had been using before the break felt "just right" - I felt like I could play all the shots I needed to play, I had confidence that I could put the ball where I wanted it to go without feeling like the setup was leading me. I felt pretty consistent, and I was getting decent results.

First session back and everything felt wrong - blade was too fast, fh rubber too thin, nothing felt nice, and I was making a lot of mistakes. Now, of course, part of that is that I hadn't trained for a couple of months, but I have experienced coming back from a break and things feeling fine. I could tell that the setup and my skill / feeling / whatever didn't match. Next session I swapped to a slower blade, and slower rubbers, and everything felt right, and the person I had played with a couple of days earlier commented that I was way way harder to play and had much better control with the slower setup, as I was in charge, not the equipment.

I've played half a dozen times since, and been playing really well. Everything feels right, I'm enjoying the shots I'm playing, and my results are good.

How long will that last? Who knows! But for now I have a setup which I don't feel like I want or need to change.
Author:  Gollum [ 22 Sep 2022, 13:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
Thanks, Debater, for the topic. :*:
For me the blade is definitely the starting point, then the rubbers. :up:
That has taken years of experimentation, a costly exercise. :cash: :cash: :cash: It is all built around your game & how your setup complements it. :^)
Cost & longevity of the rubbers also pays a part of the equation. :cash:
When you’re there & verily happy with it leave it be. :clap:
In saying that try practise partners blades if their game is similar to yours. :?:
Author:  RebornTTEvnglist [ 23 Sep 2022, 01:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you know when a setup is just right for you?
Good topic Debater...oh and hi how are you?

I'm still using my Gergely as tattered as my last one is...the other two need a lot of attention. I've had 18 months off tt due to shoulder injury. Prior to that I tried a few new setups to no avail. Gergely with Tensor and Dtechs seems about my only choice for the right feel. I have bought a Yinhe T10s which is carbon with a hefty balsa core. I have yet to dress it with Dtechs but put an old tensor on it and it shows promise. Even when I do dress it in new rubbers it may still not measure up in the chopblocking department, but only time will tell.

I've been back to tt for just 3 months and my game is still not what it once was. I still have some niggling injuries that are making it difficult to get FH smashes forcibly setup and executed dragging my performance down. My BH attack has compensated somewhat, but the last 2 rounds of the season just completed I managed to switch my chopblocking up some gears and began to trouble people again. So unless this new blade can keep that continuing next season, I'll be relying on the trusty Gergely yet again. I'm only playing one night a week instead of two, also. So it's a little tougher to sharpen the skills back up. I'm really in need of some training/drilling. Oh and just to add a point to the topic, I do think it can take a lot of time to develop the right feel with a setup. I think there has to be "promise" there to start with... and then lots of practice honing the relationship. After 12 years with the Gergely, I believe I can look back and see how this all developed with it... and all the EJing I did for a couple of years prior to that. I went through a lot of equipment before sticking with the Gergely and building on the solid base I felt it gave me. Just a shame they discontinued it and now good ones are very expensive if you can even find one.

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