keme wrote:
My background: I have no first hand experience to speak of in playing seated. Some 30 years ago I did assist players in what I guess would now be class 1 (not competitive) 2 and 6 (competitive). Based on my experience with the class 1 level player, I'd say you would benefit from a light, fast blade (likely a good choice to select something fiber reinforced, like carbon or fibreglass) with a fairly slow inverted rubber, or possibly medium friction SP/MP. With that, you have consistency for your returns while you don't need to make any excessive effort.
Of the blades I have tried, I'd suggest YinHe T-2 or Yasaka Synergy.
From class 1 opponents you'd expect moderate spin, including some topspin induced from the forward bounce. Depending on your degree of mobility and fine motor skills, you could use a slow "normal friction" inverted rubber and counter the spin (like Gambler Reflectoid or KTL pro XP) or aim more at flat hit returns using lower friction rubbers (Friendship 804 "half anti" or 563 medium pips).
If you can grip the racket properly, you most likely have some control of bat angle and can benefit more from rubber friction. If you need mechanical aid (tape or straps) to keep the racket in hand, you are also likely to have less wrist movement, and movement is further inhibited by the attachment. In such case a lower friction rubber is perhaps a better choice. Note that the Friendship 563 is significantly more bouncy than the 804, which is an advantage for your attack but a bit more difficult to control.
Either way, with your limited striking force you do not need max rubber thickness, so perhaps aim for around 1mm sponge if that is available. It will make your setup considerably lighter. You may have trouble finding the KTL rubbers in anything less than max, but the sponge used on those is fairly light anyway, so you should be good. All the suggested equipment can be found in the low/medium price range. If you find that you have to pay premium prices at your nearest dealer, you may want to shop around...
As previously mentioned, my experience towards your level is getting old, and is not from competition, so I may misjudge what to expect from an opponent. I am only guessing.
Any way you approach it, accept that a lot of practice is required, don't hesitate to request the kind of input you need from your practice partner, and have fun!
Also, don't hesitate to post back if you would like to share more detail about your ability level (arm/wrist mobility, fine motor skills, reach, speed of reaction). You may receive better advice. You know your own situation, goals and preferences better than anyone else, and this is a friendly place to discuss those factors and hopefully arrive at a good solution.
Thanks for the reply. I play with my racket straped in my hand (no finger control) and my wrist control is almost absent. As a result, to angle the racket i use momentum from my elbow/shoulder. My reaction time is not the best buy that is true also for my opponents. My reach is what is expected from someone in a wheelchair (side shots and close to the nets shots are pretty hard to counter). Generally i practice a lot (7-10 hours/week) and i want to become as good as possible (firstly versus wheelchair opponents and then if possible versus able bodied)