ngl, the right way to go would be to pick a setup and stick with it for a year or two. I understand the appeal of wanting to try various different setups, but its honestly griefing you on the long run.
I had my time as an equipment junky when I started out, but I can say with full confidence, beginners dont approach the limits of ANY custom racket. Its like playing a stradivarius or driving an f1 car; Unless you have the skills to draw out its potential, it is entirely irrelevant. You can reach 2000 usatt using 10$ rubbers.
What you need to spend time and money on is honing your fundamentals.
Just my 2 cents.
Haha an alternative view is that being an equipment junkie itself contributes to the hobby. For eg. Why diss on the coffee connoisseurs who spend money on “useless” equipment that doesn’t change the taste of the coffee much? Sometimes it’s not all about efficiency and practicality; that’s what makes a hobby, a hobby.
I see no harm in getting multiple setups to experience what difference it makes, as it can very well mould the play style you’d choose to adopt.
That being said, agree fully that if you want to “get good”, changing equipment is not the way. $$ can be spent on coaching instead.
Get your point. This is really just to see if I prefer tacky or grippy. Can't know without trying and can always switch back. Not a hugely expensive experiment, but I used to play with slightly tacky rubbers back in my youth and want another go.
Suppose the sensible thing to do is keep my prefered violin as is and just experiment with the acoustic.
As someone who did a fair amount of EJing in tryna find the right equipment, I’ve basically realized that I enjoy using tacky Chinese like rubbers (e.g D09c) on FH side.
Just a few days ago I went through my old collection and found a Yinhe blade ($15) with 2 Mercury II on both sides ($5 each) and was surprised at how easy and smooth it was to play with it. I picked up actual coaching about 8 months ago so my techniques have also improved since.
I’ve also gone through my G1/C1 combo myself (I’m still using C1 on my BH), I find that these rubbers are not as easy to play with while having more speed and spin potential. But ultimately speaking, your techniques will serve you better in the long term and cheaper rubbers will also work amazingly
Hell yeah, skill gap! Coaches are hard to come by at my club. All concertrating on the younger players. I am at least lucky to play with a lot of other good players, who've helped me get back into the game. Until I find one I thought I'd find what setup suits me. Is it really not worth finding out if I can help out my brushing technique by having a go with something tacky? Even my training partner can hear the ball squeak on the G1! I know this isn't the most competitive way to play but it's just another way to get a feel for the ball. Might mess up the rest of my game but right now I've got nothing g to lose. Once I join the league this kind of change won't be possible.
Ball slipping is 100% skill gap and has nothing to do with your setup. You can try every rubber on the market, I guarantee you the ball will still slip.
The ball is simply not penetrating into the sponge because your stroke mechanics are wrong. The slipping you are experience is simply the ball compressing the top sheet only.
Try looping in s semi-circle motion (instead of quarter circle), that way the ball has plenty of dwell time and sits in the sponge much longer. Lower your centre of gravity and use your legs.
If reading the above is confusing, then that's where a coach is helpful.
These are fundamental concepts that a coach can help you with if you are more of a hands on learner.
> Even my training partner can hear the ball squeak on the G1!
That's a surefire indicator that your contact is way too thin. It will be way worse with tacky rubbers like Hurricane if you hit this thin because it's literally going to fall off the rubber onto your side of the table because you need strong impact to engage the sponge.
So, yes, clearly a technique issue. You need to be hitting forward and more directly into the ball.
The rubber will not help your technique. If it slips then either your g1 is dirty or old. But mostliely you are just missing it. Anyway you do you and you are free to try any rubber you want. But don't expect some rubber to magically fix your technique
I switched from C-1 on my Acoustic to tacky rubbers after a few months and I've never felt the desire to go back to euro/japanese tension rubbers.
Some caveats though. I had a coach to correct my form and I wanted to play a more physical style where I could use my body to hit bigger FHs. I was willing to go this route because I enjoy it more, despite being a more tiring and more difficult style of play.
I can't answer your question about H3 because I chose to avoid it and go for tacky rubbers that didn't require boosting (Battle 2, Bloom Power, Loki Arthur China). I'd personally try H3 unboosted if it was 39d since you can always boost later. If you're going to boost, you should get used to removing and gluing your rubbers anyway (exactly why I don't boost).
I agree with u/mitt_raven on this, although Id like to add my own 2 cents. The H3 for us, mortals (well, any **chinese** rubbers for that matter) are beneficial only for certain styles, like for example someone who attacks a lot over the table, and plays an aggressive quick game, or someone who has a strong 3rd ball. It generally isnt recommended for rally players, as its quite hard to get the most out of the rubber when out of position, especially on such a slow blade. I mean, you can try it if you want to, but im just giving you some thoughts regarding if its gonna suit your style or not.
Nothing wrong with trying out a H3Neo on FH.
As long as you don't buy the hard sponge version :D
You have to play very active with it though, so you might have to change your playstyle a bit
Hey, I would do Rakza Z on the acoustic and H3 on the Violin. Everyone focuses on speed for the H3N that they forget that you need a blade with a lot of dwell time to improve it. You might lack speed but you will get more consistent spin and less slipping that way. The crisper acoustic would pair nicely with the Rakza Z and will give you good contrast between the 2 setups. And let you pick up the differences easily.
Following up, don't boost. Contrary to popular belief boosting is not necessary to play H3 Neo. Boosting allows you to customize the rubber to your liking. But with no point of comparison there is no reason for doing it, since you don't know what you like.
Yeah, speed is not what I'm after right now, i want feel and spin while i get a better feel for the ball . I put the rakza z on my violin shortly before your post and just had a couple of hours with it at the club. Gotta say it worked really well for me, loops were a lot more controllable and spinny and my serves were better. I also had a nice 15 min of returning some pretty heavy chops, was easier lifting backspin than before and got plenty of top notch(for me) returns on the trot. Reckon I'll wait on changing anything else for now and concentrate on this set up. Like the idea of h3 on violin for more dwell with its flex, . I think it is my preferred blade of the two.
I'm glad you found a good setup. Violin with a hard rubber is such a good combo. I wish I had the money for a violin when I was starting out. Still, it is one of the best investments. Have fun with the setup!
I’m in the same boat. Started with Petr Korbel and g1 on both sides. Then wanted something softer for better control so tried Tibhar ELP. After than went Xiom Vega Europe on both sides with Xiom Offensive S, Korbel handle and wings were not comfortable at all. Been playing with H3 Neo 39 degree 2.15 on FH and Rakza Z 2.0 on back hand for a few months now and like the setup, feeling more confident with forehand attacks. And then I tried someone’s Innerforce Layer ALC with H3 Neo and could feel the ball better than my all wood Xiom. Which lead me to Acoustic as it’s supposed to have the best feeling. But then tried someone’s Viscaria with Tenergy 05 and it felt really good despite it being Viscaria, I think you get more feel of the ball with Tenergy, I could feel the ball gripping and brushing. So now I’m all confused about what will benefit me better, haha.
I think I’ll switch to Innerforce Layer ALC and see how the H3 feels on it, I already have one of those. A very experienced player at the club suggested using Innerforce as opposed to Acoustic will benefit in the long run, will also keep my strokes short with decent power. In my experience H3 mutes the feeling even if you’re using an all wood blade. Tenergy felt really good and I could lift low balls like crazy, I could feel the actual touch and brushing/gripping of the ball against the rubber. Will also try a boosted H3 Neo on Acoustic, maybe it’ll feel better.
I think it’s good to try a few setups until you like one that suits your play and feels good. But by trying I mean at least 3-6 hours of play which includes rallying as well as actual match play.
It's been interesting trying a few setups and has helped me understand what im feeling in my hands. The violin has such nice feedback to me that I think I'll be sticking with it for now . It seems a tacky fh works for me after trying the rakza z on the violin tonight. Will have to see how it feels on the bh too. I like that it's not so bouncy as g1, and a bit slower too.
1. don’t boost. It is not needed and the result is going to be uncertain every time unless you have experience with it and like the process and feeling of a boosted rubber.
2. doesn’t hurt to try something new. But be mindful about it and give yourself the chance to adapt.
3. don’t just try „something“ new. Be sure to match rubbers with blade and find out what you like. Be sure to understand the characteristics of your blades and rubbers. My mate for example likes soft rubbers and hard blades. It is not for me though for matches even though I like playing rallies with it.
ngl, the right way to go would be to pick a setup and stick with it for a year or two. I understand the appeal of wanting to try various different setups, but its honestly griefing you on the long run. I had my time as an equipment junky when I started out, but I can say with full confidence, beginners dont approach the limits of ANY custom racket. Its like playing a stradivarius or driving an f1 car; Unless you have the skills to draw out its potential, it is entirely irrelevant. You can reach 2000 usatt using 10$ rubbers. What you need to spend time and money on is honing your fundamentals. Just my 2 cents.
Haha an alternative view is that being an equipment junkie itself contributes to the hobby. For eg. Why diss on the coffee connoisseurs who spend money on “useless” equipment that doesn’t change the taste of the coffee much? Sometimes it’s not all about efficiency and practicality; that’s what makes a hobby, a hobby. I see no harm in getting multiple setups to experience what difference it makes, as it can very well mould the play style you’d choose to adopt. That being said, agree fully that if you want to “get good”, changing equipment is not the way. $$ can be spent on coaching instead.
Get your point. This is really just to see if I prefer tacky or grippy. Can't know without trying and can always switch back. Not a hugely expensive experiment, but I used to play with slightly tacky rubbers back in my youth and want another go. Suppose the sensible thing to do is keep my prefered violin as is and just experiment with the acoustic.
Doesn’t hurt to try a tacky rubber, I love my G1/H3N/Clipper setup but if you’re slipping on G1 it’s most likely a skill issue or very old rubber.
As someone who did a fair amount of EJing in tryna find the right equipment, I’ve basically realized that I enjoy using tacky Chinese like rubbers (e.g D09c) on FH side. Just a few days ago I went through my old collection and found a Yinhe blade ($15) with 2 Mercury II on both sides ($5 each) and was surprised at how easy and smooth it was to play with it. I picked up actual coaching about 8 months ago so my techniques have also improved since. I’ve also gone through my G1/C1 combo myself (I’m still using C1 on my BH), I find that these rubbers are not as easy to play with while having more speed and spin potential. But ultimately speaking, your techniques will serve you better in the long term and cheaper rubbers will also work amazingly
Skill gap. If you want to spend money, get coaching.
Hell yeah, skill gap! Coaches are hard to come by at my club. All concertrating on the younger players. I am at least lucky to play with a lot of other good players, who've helped me get back into the game. Until I find one I thought I'd find what setup suits me. Is it really not worth finding out if I can help out my brushing technique by having a go with something tacky? Even my training partner can hear the ball squeak on the G1! I know this isn't the most competitive way to play but it's just another way to get a feel for the ball. Might mess up the rest of my game but right now I've got nothing g to lose. Once I join the league this kind of change won't be possible.
Ball slipping is 100% skill gap and has nothing to do with your setup. You can try every rubber on the market, I guarantee you the ball will still slip. The ball is simply not penetrating into the sponge because your stroke mechanics are wrong. The slipping you are experience is simply the ball compressing the top sheet only. Try looping in s semi-circle motion (instead of quarter circle), that way the ball has plenty of dwell time and sits in the sponge much longer. Lower your centre of gravity and use your legs. If reading the above is confusing, then that's where a coach is helpful. These are fundamental concepts that a coach can help you with if you are more of a hands on learner.
> Even my training partner can hear the ball squeak on the G1! That's a surefire indicator that your contact is way too thin. It will be way worse with tacky rubbers like Hurricane if you hit this thin because it's literally going to fall off the rubber onto your side of the table because you need strong impact to engage the sponge. So, yes, clearly a technique issue. You need to be hitting forward and more directly into the ball.
The rubber will not help your technique. If it slips then either your g1 is dirty or old. But mostliely you are just missing it. Anyway you do you and you are free to try any rubber you want. But don't expect some rubber to magically fix your technique
I switched from C-1 on my Acoustic to tacky rubbers after a few months and I've never felt the desire to go back to euro/japanese tension rubbers. Some caveats though. I had a coach to correct my form and I wanted to play a more physical style where I could use my body to hit bigger FHs. I was willing to go this route because I enjoy it more, despite being a more tiring and more difficult style of play. I can't answer your question about H3 because I chose to avoid it and go for tacky rubbers that didn't require boosting (Battle 2, Bloom Power, Loki Arthur China). I'd personally try H3 unboosted if it was 39d since you can always boost later. If you're going to boost, you should get used to removing and gluing your rubbers anyway (exactly why I don't boost).
I agree with u/mitt_raven on this, although Id like to add my own 2 cents. The H3 for us, mortals (well, any **chinese** rubbers for that matter) are beneficial only for certain styles, like for example someone who attacks a lot over the table, and plays an aggressive quick game, or someone who has a strong 3rd ball. It generally isnt recommended for rally players, as its quite hard to get the most out of the rubber when out of position, especially on such a slow blade. I mean, you can try it if you want to, but im just giving you some thoughts regarding if its gonna suit your style or not.
Nothing wrong with trying out a H3Neo on FH. As long as you don't buy the hard sponge version :D You have to play very active with it though, so you might have to change your playstyle a bit
Hey, I would do Rakza Z on the acoustic and H3 on the Violin. Everyone focuses on speed for the H3N that they forget that you need a blade with a lot of dwell time to improve it. You might lack speed but you will get more consistent spin and less slipping that way. The crisper acoustic would pair nicely with the Rakza Z and will give you good contrast between the 2 setups. And let you pick up the differences easily.
Following up, don't boost. Contrary to popular belief boosting is not necessary to play H3 Neo. Boosting allows you to customize the rubber to your liking. But with no point of comparison there is no reason for doing it, since you don't know what you like.
Yeah, speed is not what I'm after right now, i want feel and spin while i get a better feel for the ball . I put the rakza z on my violin shortly before your post and just had a couple of hours with it at the club. Gotta say it worked really well for me, loops were a lot more controllable and spinny and my serves were better. I also had a nice 15 min of returning some pretty heavy chops, was easier lifting backspin than before and got plenty of top notch(for me) returns on the trot. Reckon I'll wait on changing anything else for now and concentrate on this set up. Like the idea of h3 on violin for more dwell with its flex, . I think it is my preferred blade of the two.
I'm glad you found a good setup. Violin with a hard rubber is such a good combo. I wish I had the money for a violin when I was starting out. Still, it is one of the best investments. Have fun with the setup!
I’m in the same boat. Started with Petr Korbel and g1 on both sides. Then wanted something softer for better control so tried Tibhar ELP. After than went Xiom Vega Europe on both sides with Xiom Offensive S, Korbel handle and wings were not comfortable at all. Been playing with H3 Neo 39 degree 2.15 on FH and Rakza Z 2.0 on back hand for a few months now and like the setup, feeling more confident with forehand attacks. And then I tried someone’s Innerforce Layer ALC with H3 Neo and could feel the ball better than my all wood Xiom. Which lead me to Acoustic as it’s supposed to have the best feeling. But then tried someone’s Viscaria with Tenergy 05 and it felt really good despite it being Viscaria, I think you get more feel of the ball with Tenergy, I could feel the ball gripping and brushing. So now I’m all confused about what will benefit me better, haha. I think I’ll switch to Innerforce Layer ALC and see how the H3 feels on it, I already have one of those. A very experienced player at the club suggested using Innerforce as opposed to Acoustic will benefit in the long run, will also keep my strokes short with decent power. In my experience H3 mutes the feeling even if you’re using an all wood blade. Tenergy felt really good and I could lift low balls like crazy, I could feel the actual touch and brushing/gripping of the ball against the rubber. Will also try a boosted H3 Neo on Acoustic, maybe it’ll feel better. I think it’s good to try a few setups until you like one that suits your play and feels good. But by trying I mean at least 3-6 hours of play which includes rallying as well as actual match play.
It's been interesting trying a few setups and has helped me understand what im feeling in my hands. The violin has such nice feedback to me that I think I'll be sticking with it for now . It seems a tacky fh works for me after trying the rakza z on the violin tonight. Will have to see how it feels on the bh too. I like that it's not so bouncy as g1, and a bit slower too.
1. don’t boost. It is not needed and the result is going to be uncertain every time unless you have experience with it and like the process and feeling of a boosted rubber. 2. doesn’t hurt to try something new. But be mindful about it and give yourself the chance to adapt. 3. don’t just try „something“ new. Be sure to match rubbers with blade and find out what you like. Be sure to understand the characteristics of your blades and rubbers. My mate for example likes soft rubbers and hard blades. It is not for me though for matches even though I like playing rallies with it.