Basic Understanding in Choosing Blades
Equipment
Kevin Pratama Loputra Asked 4 years ago
Dear Alois and Jeff,
Greetings from Indonesia. I hope you are doing well and still making videos and stuff!
I am trying to get a new blade and many articles from the internet say that do not choose too fast blade since it will affect your feeling while playing a stroke. What does the word "fast" here mean? Is it the speed of the ball after the stroke? The weight of the bat? I still don't understand this.
By any chance, do you have any idea about how good is Stiga's Azalea Offensive? I am a fan of Stiga blades and wanna know more about their characteristics. *And maybe purchase a Stiga blade in the future.
Thank you so much, Coaches!
Alois Rosario Answered 4 years ago
Hi Kevin,
I don't know that blade in particular but it sounds like is does have some speed.
The main thing with the speed of the bat is that the ball comes out very fast which makes it more difficult to control the direction of the ball. This can lead to you compromising your strokes or making them shorter than they need to be. I also, would recommend a slower blade in general.
Thoughts on this question
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Kevin Pratama Loputra Posted 4 years ago
Thank you so much for your answer, Alois! What are the main characteristics of a slower blade?
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 4 years ago
It is usually the composition of the wood. Difficult to tell by merely looking at it so you need to rely on the manufacturer here. There isn't a good scale across all blades but if you go for a slower blade in a manufacturers range you should be OK.
Nigel C Posted 4 years ago
Kevin,
Don't want to confuse you but there is also blade flexibility to consider. A more flexible blade gives more feedback - you can feel a bit of vibration through the handle. I think some people think a flexible blade is also good for looping. The Stiga Azalea Offensive is listed as a stiff blade and so would be better for smashing.
A slower blade will have more control, possibly more spin but the main thing is the control. If you aren't an advanced player and you chose a fast blade your control will suffer and you will miss many shots. Getting a slower - all round, all round plus or offensive minus blade (doesn't have to be slow) will still let you play fast shots. You can always put faster rubbers on a blade to provide more speed.
Kevin Pratama Loputra Posted 4 years ago
Now I get more ideas about it! Thank you so much for your insights, Alois, Nigel! Cheeeersss!