OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hey! I searched around for a topic related to this and couldn't find a thread about transitioning like this.

I read around a bit about feedback, wood types, and a bunch of other terms that got my head spinning, so I'm hoping some good old custom advice can guide me.

Basically, I grew up playing with sandpaper paddles just like this: https://www.amazon.com/STIGA-Recreational-Quality-Perfect-Beginners-Friends/dp/B0040PWC02/ref=sr_1_11?crid=1T4EIFE8VAPG2&dchild=1&keywords=sandpaper+ping+pong+paddles&qid=1570582832&sprefix=sanpaper+ping+pon%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-11

I got really good with it, can hit all types of shots and mainly love my forehand loop. Anyway, at work I play with a bunch of guys who are also competitive. One guy has played in some tournaments and won a few matches here and there, but nothing crazy. We trade wins and I can beat him with my sandpaper, but I noticed there were a lot of times when I needed more spin and arc on the ball while maintaining pace. The sandpaper hits pretty flat and direct and is definitely going to limit my game at higher levels.

So he recommended I start using rubber. I took his advice and have played with a few types. I tried the Stiga Pro Carbon (didn't like it...too dampened and heavy feeling. Didn't give me a lot of spin. Felt middle of the road). I tried the Stiga Evolution. (also didn't like it. Even more dampened, weird balance, and just not dynamic feeling). Then a buddy gave me a Stiga Xtreme Power Balance which is probably 10 years old. I looked for it on Google and couldn't even find a picture of it. I like it.

It's 1.8mm rubber for sure, definitely a lighter feel and balanced, and I'm just way more comfortable on the table with it. I can feel the snap of the wood on the ball more which is what I like about the hard bat, and I generate decent spin with fast, snappy strokes.

So the kicker is that I'm wondering what kind of bat and rubber combo will provide a good snappy, responsive feel while also generating a decent amount of spin. On the bat, I'm looking for a good amount of vibration and feedback for sure.

Rubber wise, my style is definitely geared toward forehand loops that penetrate and backhands that land deep with spin.

On a scale of 1 to 10, for the FH loop, I envision wanting:
Arc height (with 1 being flattest): 5-6
Speed of shots: 8
Spin: 9

Basically I like to put them deep and spinny with solid pace. I'm sure later once I get more confident, I'll like to flatten it out even more and hit harder.

On a scale of 1 to 10, for the BH loop, I envision wanting:
Arc height (with 1 being flattest): 7-8
Speed of shots: 7
Spin: 10

Basically a little more control desired. Also wouldn't mind hitting some slice and dice on the ball (chops, etc.)

Any help appreciated! I came to the experts on this one because I'm a bit lost!

Hiya,

I occasionally dabble in hardbat (OX short pimples), but not sandpaper! Its going be be a huge change.

From what I get, you want high arc on the forehand and medium-high arc on the backhand. Please let us know if that is on the scale of sandpaper, because ANY sponged rubber will be 10+++ compared to sandpaper (even sponged long pips have higher arc than what you are used to).

Also, it will be impossible to imitate the crisp clear feedback of sandpaper bats with sponge. Even the hardest will feel dampened. You will just have to grow used to it.

For something digestible. I suggest 729 (not because it is excellent, but because you can get them in thin sponges) in 1.4mm.

For the blade, I recommend the Donic Persson Powerplay. It is 1) affordable, 2) relatively hard, 3) fairly thin (for an offensive blade), 4) good feel/vibrations at moderate speed. Its rated as an Offensive blade, but don't worry, not very fast.

So far the change has actually been pretty quick I've played a lot of tennis and know how to play with racket face angle and different things.

With that Stiga 1.8 MM, it has kind of enough crisp feeling of wood. But with the vibration dampeners on the newer Stigas I tried it was like hitting a ghost off the paddle haha. As far as speed with sand paper, I actually worked up to the point where I was hitting hard loops (on the top end of what is possible for a sandpaper paddle). Like I was throwing off people who normally play with rubber with the flat top spin penetrating shots.

That scale is on the scale of rubber, yes. I've been playing very well (in my best estimation so far), and I'd say the Pro Carbon felt not spinny enough and maybe not even fast enough. The Stiga Evolution felt too flat and not spinny enough, and also too slow.

Maybe I wasn't clear on the FH/BH. I think I actually want more arc and spin/drop on the BH and more penetration on the FH.

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll check it out!

Another question...is there a type of wood that might suit what I'm looking for in case I want to talk to people around here to try some things?
And also, one guy recommended the Butterfly Viscaria. Might not be the right blade for me, but I noticed it has carbon. Does carbon dampen or increase feel?

Carbon dampens feedback. ALC (composite used by Viscaria) dampens even more than regular carbon. So no, stay away from it.

Since our veteran member seems to be offline, I can also suggest you get the Yinhe N11 blade, KTL Pro XP for the backhand, and KTL Rapid Speed (smaller arc) for the forehand. Cheap but capable set up.

Most of the pre-made rackets on Amazon are the same ones you find in supermarkets, and are junk, this includes most of those made by Butterfly, Stiga, Donic etc. If you want a pre-made bat order one of these:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1854620589.html

The blade is excellent, has plenty of feel, and the rubber is spinny. And it doesn't cost very much. Forget carbon/ALC/etc. for now.

(For those of you who were expecting me to recommend "that" bat.. it doesn't seem to be for sale anymore, which is a shame.. This one's quite close to it, especially price-wise.)

Iskandar

Awesome, thanks for the recommendations guys. Much appreciated.

It would be interesting to see how you do. There's this other poster who switched over from lawn tennis and found that simple, beginner-level inverted rubber was impossible to handle. Closest to sandpaper would probably be spongeless pips-out, with sponged pips-out being next to that. Inverted would be way different, and would feel absolutely alien.

Iskandar

Honestly, I've been playing with the inverted rubber on a few paddles at work now for a month and it feels fine. It's just a different mechanic on the stroke. Watched some slow-motion vids on YouTube and saw the difference. Not too worried about the change.

Mainly just looking for that nicer feeling of the wood off the paddle.

Not sure what you've tried already, but there is quite a bit of difference between even the hobbyist level $5 rubbers that come from China (729. 868, Yinhe 9000, etc.) and the slow, deadish rubber that comes on Wal-mart/Amazon pre-made rackets (as I said, even ones bearing brand names like Stiga, Donic, Schildkrot and Butterfly). As I said, keep posting. We're interested in how you do.

Iskandar

For sure. I think I’m going to try either heading to the local table tennis club (Either Newport Beach Table Tennis Association or Orange County Table Tennis Academy and try a few different paddles or order that paddle of Aliexpress to start. It’s only $20 after all. And I will keep you up to date!

So I got the paddle recommended from Alibaba and it is definitely a cool experience using it. It's nice all around and I do see a difference in the quality of the rubber for sure. At first use, it does seem a bit head-heavy for my taste, but I'm wondering if that is normal? It's also a bit heavier than I expected.

Is it normal for paddles to be more head heavy? I think naturally I gravitate toward a more balanced feel and a lighter snappier sensation.

Competition grade rackets tend to be more head-heavy than the rec grade ones you find at Wal-Mart for a few reasons. First, the blades tend to be lighter (which means the handles are lighter). Second, the rubbers are heavier (because they are, as a rule, thicker - rec grade bats often have thinner sponge under the topsheet). Third, a lot of the competition grade blades have hollowed out handles (though usually the cheaper ones don't) - this makes them even more head-heavy, and the reason they do this is because they THINK it makes for a better racket.

If you bought the M8 combo, that's based on a relatively light blade (which would have a relatively light handle).

I don't think head-heaviness is a bad thing, especially when serving or when looping. The wrist is held lose and you're supposed to be able to "whip" the blade during the stroke, increasing racket head speed. Racket head momentum would help, so a head-heavy blade would result in more "whip". There are people here who disagree, they actually add weight to the butt end of the handle. I haven't tried this myself, but I don't see how it would help.

Iskandar

Since you mentioned the crisp snap sound, the Stiga LT Sound has a very soft sponge and makes a nice crisp click against the blade. It has lots of control and spin, not much speed. Even with 2.0 sponge, it doesn't create a huge catapult effect. It is pretty forgiving IMO, so good for developing your technique. Also, it is super light so the paddle won't be so head heavy.

I've never been able to figure out this "sound" business. If it's simply the ball bottoming out against the wood, then that makes sense..

Iskandar