OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hey Guys,

So both of the above Stiga models are available on Amazon USA and I was thinking which one to buy.

I am an intermediate player and offensive player.

What I need right now is most control.

The price is roughly the same (only 15 USD difference) so that is not a concern and Raptor is the updated newer model so my mind says go for the latest, assuming that a newer model will be better than the last model.

Please tell which to get - Pro-Carbon or Raptor?
In other words - Which is better and also more forgiving for intermediate players? - STIGA Pro Carbon or STIGA Raptor

Thanks!
Sid

These look like fairly expensive premades. Before making a choice, maybe look at something for much less, made from a separate blade and rubber combo. E.G. https://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/ ... 3263.1_0_1

_________________
Other setups:
SDC Custom Blade/Butterfly Dignics 80/Butterfly Glayzer
BTY Viscaria/Tibhar K3/Tibhar K3

Get one of these.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1308156861.html

Anyone heard of Stiga "S5" rubber? That's what comes on the pre-mades.

Iskandar

I'll strongly second Isk's recommendation. The bat is great value (for little money) for intermediate level of attacking play, offering lots of control. You can play with confidence. Look no further.

Thanks a lot guys!
I am getting what Isk recommended

Sid

Good call. Let us know how you go with it.

Thanks! will certainly do.
just placed the order in fact.
Saved me a good amount of money by not ordering the Stiga

There's something about pre-mades sold by European companies like Stiga, Donic, Schildkrot, etc., even Butterfly. You tend to find these on Amazon or in department stores (like Wal-Mart). They're generally (though not 100%) quite bad - heavy and slow, usually. The "S" rubbers (S-S5) are apparently slow beginner rubbers they put on pre-mades, you can't buy them separately. Chinese pre-mades, on the other hand, as long as they're made by a recognized table tennis company like 729 or Sanwei, are usually quite usable (the exception being Double Fish), they'll put a low end Chinese tacky rubber on them, and these rubbers are generally quite a bit faster than the ones they put on the Euro pre-mades. The recommendation I made is for a "custom" racket rather than a pre-made, some retailers offer deals where you buy a blade and two sheets of rubber and they assemble the racket for you. Saves you from having to buy glue, learning how to put rubber on, etc. The blade is the one I use, I love that blade, even though it's really inexpensive, and the rubber is an inexpensive but good Chinese tacky rubber.

Iskandar

Speaking of weird rackets for sale on Amazon..

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HHT52CQ/re ... k_detail_0



WHITE rubber? With printing on it? Yeah, I can see "professionals" using this.. They COULD have put their model in shorts and T-shirt and they COULD have used a less obviously cheap table in the picture...

Iskandar

This was one of the weirdest things I saw Amazon!

Ok, so this Sanwei M8 racket is amazing. Solid control!
Quick question - when should it be replaced with the new one to account for rubber deterioration?
Thanks

Hi,

I was looking for a racket to get back to playing after a long time, and as the majority of sites recommend the Stiga Pro Carbon, I ended up here in this topic. Hope someone can help me.

I play recreational, and suppose I know the basics. I would say I'm a mid level beginner, and use the penhold grip. I'm an impatient all around-er who ends up striking when I get the chance. My backhand seems more solid both for serving and striking, forehand more defensive.

In my country I have access to the following rubbers right now: Reactor Corbor, GENERAL, 729 XL, 868 KOKUTAKU, T88, T88 III and TIMBOLL. The blade is Reactor Classic. They send the racket mounted. I also have access to some premade rackets that are more expensive, but would fit my pocket, such as: Donic Ovtcharov 1000, 3000 and Top Team 800; DHS 6002 and 4002; and several Butterfly: Addoy 1000, 2000, 201, RDJ CS-2, RDJ S4, RDJ S5, Stayer 1800 (there is the Wakaba 300 Classic, but it gets too expensive).

I understood from what was said here that the premades would be a waste of money, specially considering that the Stiga gets better reviews than the premades I mentioned here, right? That being true, which combination of two rubbers would you suggest in my case? Or should I go with one of the premade?

Appreciate very much any help. Thanks!

HI,

I have had both the Stiga Pro Carbon and the Stiga Raptor and I would say that they are both great paddles. The Pro Carbon is a bit more expensive, but it is also a lot lighter which makes it easier to maneuver. It has a larger sweet spot than the Raptor, so if you are an intermediate player who struggles with consistency, then I would recommend the Pro Carbon. However, if you are looking for more power and spin potential, then go with the Raptor.

Both paddles have great control and feel, so it really comes down to personal preference. If you can afford the Pro Carbon, then I would say go for it. But if not, then the Raptor is still an excellent paddle that will help you take your game to the next level.

The rubber should be good for 3-4 months at least. Keep the bat clean, cover the rubber with plastic (I just use a large ziploc bag, smooth the bag plastic over the rubber after cleaning) when you're done for the evening. The tack will slowly go away over time. By 3-4 months, if you play a lot, the rubber will get scarred and grotty, then it's time to change. Don't wait until it goes dead. Forget about using water-based glue for putting on the new rubber, Elmer's Rubber Cement works fine.

Iskandar

See the comments above about Stiga/Donic/Butterfly/Schildkrot etc. pre-mades. This Pro Carbon falls in this category, and is expensive to boot. That rubber (S5) is not something that anyone on this forum would recommend buying to put on their bats, even if it were available, which it is not, since it only comes with pre-mades.

On top of that, the consensus here seems to be that most players (especially beginners, "mid-level" or not) should avoid carbon blades.



The rubbers you mentioned are all OK - they're made in China and budget-friendly. Mind you, the "Timo Boll" rubbers are NOT ITTF approved - they do seem OK though (I had a few sheets). I doubt Herr Boll ever gave them permission to use his name... The bats? Aside from the DHS ones, I'd stay away from anything that already has the rubber attached to it. See my comments above. This especially includes those Donics and the Butterfly Addoys and Wakabas. See my recommendation above. A Sanwei M8 + 2 sheets of rubber should set you back less than USD30.

Iskandar