I really have to agree with the previous posters - the wrong equipment can lead to bad habits, so as a beginner, it's important you start with something that's right for you.
To answer your earlier question, yes - you can slow down the blade somewhat by using slower rubbers (eg: a pure 'control" rubber), but even then, this is not in your best interests as you're creating a bit of an unnatural beast. Yes you will get used to it, but the bat (and its style of play) that you are getting used to is neither advisable for beginners, nor desirable from a playing or development perspective.
Without knowing your playing style, skill level, physical build / physical limitations, or underlying level of giftedness at TT, it's hard to make a recommendation about which particular blade or rubber would work best for you. Its is still possible - but VERY unlikely - that this blade (being a clone of a better-known blade) might potentially be a good one for you. We simply don't have enough info to tell.
So the best way to deal with this problem IMO, is to start with the two most basic considerations of all when choosing a blade (regardless of your level), based on COMFORT and CONTROL.
CONTROL: 1: CAN YOU CONTROL THE BALL WELL ENOUGH (i.e.: like 90% of the time or more)?
By this I mean:
Do you miss the table a lot? When you miss, does it fly into the net? or go long? or go sideways? Can you hit the ball gently? Can you control the way it spins off the blade? When faced with a simple return (or a chance to win the point) can you place the ball exactly where you want it to be? at the right speed? with the right spin? Can you spin the ball enough to your liking (or not spin the ball) at will when serving, and does the ball end up where you want it when serving.
If any of these above questions are an issue for you, then your game needs more control. So use a slower bat, go for a rubber combo that gives you more control, and practice all your shots until you can do all the above at least 70% to 80% of the time.
Once you can do all the above most of the time - THEN I would recommend considering a faster / spinnier / more aggressive set-up... but not before.
2: COMFORT:
By this I mean:
IS IT COMFORTABLE for you to use the bat? Does it feel heavy in your hand? Or Light? If the weight towards the tip of the bat, or towards the handle? If you use your wrist a lot, does it strain your wrist to use it? If you WANT to use your wrist more, will the bat let you? How does it feel in your hand? Does the handle fill your hand too little? or too much? If you relax your fingers or playing hand during play, does the blade slip out of your grip easily? does it FEEL like it might slip out at any point, so you find yourself squeezing the bat more? Maybe the handle is wrong for you. Does the handle get slippery when you play? Is the blade too thick for you to do a close gentle push close to the net without hitting the table? How about a pendulum serve? Thicker blades are faster in general play, but can make it hard to execute some service techniques properly. Does it rub on your hand or fingers anywhere? Are you developing callouses? Do you have skeletal problems / muscle issues / coordination issues that require a custom build?
Unless you can honestly say "No, none of the above apply - there are no problems with the blade, I can control it properly and it never feels uncomfortable or unwieldy") then there's a problem with your equipment and you need to recitfy it.
Essentially, any blade that stops you from executing ANY technique at ANY time for ANY reason at all, is probably is not the right bat for you.
If however, none of the above problems are present, but you are still unsatisfied about your blade plays for you (ie; it's too slow / too small etc) that's when I would recommend changing to something faster, better, etc.
New equipment is great, faster equipment is great... but if your new equipment creates a problem for you (or else doesn't solve a problem you have) then once again, its not the right bat for you.
Always start with Control and Comfort... everything else springs from there - and after changing over, if your new blade doesn't work as well for you as your old one did, and the problem isn't rectified, then go back to your original bat and keep searching, rather than persist with a bad blade or else chop and change a lot.
Hope this all helps. Congratulations on choosing TT as your new serious (and highly enjoyable) pastime - you are in very good company.
Best of luck!!
_________________ Wakkibat: Custom Made TT BladesProudly made in Australia from local and imported timbershttp://www.wakkibat.com
|