Choosing Table Tennis Rubbers
Table Tennis Equipment
Last updated 11 years ago
Pedja Maric Asked 11 years ago
Hi Jeff and Alois,
I have a question about rubbers. You see, I have Tibhar Samsonov Alpha blade, I got it from a friend. He says it's an excellent blade, I think it is OFF or OFF- rated. I have done some researching, an found on some forum that this racket goes with medium to hard rubbers, no soft or tensions. What does that mean, and what kind of rubber should I use with this paddle. I am more offensive player, but I like certain amount of control in the game, let's say stability when I am forced to defend myself. Can you help me?
Jeff Plumb Answered 11 years ago
Hi Pedja,
I think people spend too much time worrying about what equipment to use and should spend more time thinking about their technique and the game of table tennis in general. I haven't used that blade but it sounds like it is good. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be good with softer rubber or tensor rubbers.
As to what rubber you should use, it really depends on your current ability and what you feel you should be using. There are thousands of good choices out there and I don't keep up with all the different rubbers. We do recommend 3 different rubbers in our store that we know are good. Mark V is an excellent rubber and great for players liking control. If you want something a bit faster, you can try Yasaka Pryde. And if you are after something really fast then give Xiom Vega Pro a go. If you don't have a lot of consistency I wouldn't recommend the Vega Pro as it's important to develop your strokes before moving to something too fast.
What rubbers are you currently using? If you are happy with them, then I see no reason to switch to a different type of rubber. As they wear out, you can replace them with a new pair of the same type.
Thoughts on this question
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Pedja Maric Posted 11 years ago
At the moment, I don't have any rubber, just the blade, that is why I asked you about that, I want to put a good rubber that fits my blade
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 11 years ago
OK. So have you ever had a good table tennis bat before? Have you ever used any other type of rubber that you liked? If not I'd go for the Mark V or something similar like Buttwrfly Sriver.
Pedja Maric Posted 11 years ago
Yes, I learned about those, they are classic among table tennis players. Might give it a try, even though I don't have fast blade, and these rubbers are also slower, maybe it is not a bad way to start with, and afterwards go to faster rubber. Thank you for your help.
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 11 years ago
That sounds like a good idea Pedja. Good luck with it.
Jonathan Huynh Posted 11 years ago
Are there any other recommendations asides Sriver or Yasaka Mark V?
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 11 years ago
There are lots of them. That is the problem. Just get something that has good control.
Pedja Maric Posted 11 years ago
Yes, I agree. There are a lot of rubbers, every manufacturer has a lot of types of them. Control is very important, I will let you know what I have found for my blade.
Pedja Maric Posted 11 years ago
I have found rubbers for my blade. It is Tibhar Rapid, on both sides, and fits great with my bat. Their speed and spin are about 8, with excellent control, block, especially the way Samsonov plays. I will try to improve my game with those rubbers, to learn more about looping, because this blade is meant for that, and, maybe later, try it with some faster ones and with more spin.
Jeff Plumb from PingSkills Posted 11 years ago
Great Pedja,
Now make sure you put all your focus on improving your technique. Good luck!
Pedja Maric Posted 11 years ago
Yes, I agree, will do.
Pedja Maric Posted 11 years ago
Well, I must say, my technique is going quite well, I am very pleased. With your advice about serving and hitting I became very respectful player. Of course, there are lots of things to learn, even though I am an amateur. What I want to know is this: how rubbers effect the blades? For instance, I have Tibhar Samsonov Alpha blade, it is rated OFF-, slower offensive blade for playing close to the table and mid-distance. If I put faster rubbers, and with more spin, would it make certain effect, would my hits be faster and with more spin? The blade has speed around 8, and for instance, Nianmor rubber has speed 9. Would my hits be faster if I make combination of those two
Alois Rosario from PingSkills Posted 11 years ago
Hi Pedja,
The rubber has a big effect on the speed and a major difference on spin. It is much more important than the blade in effecting these.