tabletennisJunkie.com - table tennis and ping pong forum for equipment junkies!

[ejunkie]

World class players often nowadays use fast composite blades like TBS, SC, Titanium wood, and all the OFF+++ blades out there--with Tenergy I might add, but why are they not for the rest of us mortals? Why is it that you don't need to spend $50 to get a fast rubber with glue feel, or a $200 limited edition of something sitting there collecting dust?

World Class players trains 8 hrs a day, practice 3-4 hrs of table tennis, six days a week. Their energy is limited. It's like running springs 8 hrs a days. They need something fast to save energy. They are consistent enough after long practice day after day and years of practice (since the age of 6) that they can use fast equipment. There are more reasons but do we really nedd them?

How about you, the average club players? You don't get enough exercise to begin with so a fast setup doesn't help get you enough of a workout. You may not even feel tired. Tired is a sign of work done. What is there to be done with a Photino? Secondly, how many hours have you put in for practice to use such a blade?

If you just ask enough questions you will come to the conclusion that for us non-world class players something slow that goes with a 5-ply blade is good enough for us. Money save and a good night sleep from a hard workout thank to yours truly.

[729 fx]

Yes, for most of us, on amateur level, we may not need such an advanced equipment. For the world class player, they are on another level, of which if both opponents are of the same level, the equipment will make the difference.

In my opinion you are correct in saying that most of us do not need the fast composite blades and other advanced equipment like the modern-day rubbers. But I think that for the player in their elderly years, having a composite blade which is faster may assist the player if his body movement has slow down due to age.

[ejunkie]

Most of the older players that I know locally plays very close to the table to save energy, to send returns faster, and not using faster blades, but I think that tenergy would help! I do believe that it's best to get a light setup in this case, probably balsa core, like Dr N Combi Effect. Something as light as 78gr would do.

[729 fx]

Yes, a light set up will definately conserves energy for the elderly players.

[varghese]

eJunkie, good topic and extremely important points in your post.

There is one more reason these world class players are moving towards faster set up. It is a compensation for the speed glue.

Andrei Filimon of Romania, a favorite player of mine was at the US Open. I love his amazing loops. He uses Tenergy too. I had a brief chat with him - very good guy with a clean and decent game.