Finding a light blade
Equipment
mohsen dessouki Asked 12 years ago
Hi couches
I am 64 years old and I like the light racket . could you please help me to chose the lightest one (blade and rubbers ) keeping in mind that i play top and backspins . in addition to a reasonable balance between speed and control .
Thanks in advance
Dr. Mohsen
Alois Rosario Answered 12 years ago
Hi Dr Mohsen,
I think the Balsa blades are the lightest. I don't know about too many of these. I am sure our readers will be able to help you.
Thoughts on this question
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Jon Schroeder Posted 10 years ago
Donic has come out with some new made in Sweeden blades, which are supposed to be super light. It comes in an OFF and ALL+. I haven't tried one yet but they look promising.
Jean Balthazar Posted 10 years ago
I'm on the hunt for light blades and rubbers too, and I spent a significant amount of time trying to find the right "balance".
Here's a rubber weight database, sadly not popular enough judging by the number of recent contributions:
http://tabletennis-reviews.com/reference/rubber-sheet-mass-size-database/
(be careful though, there are variations from one piece to the next for the same reference and sponge thickness, so don't bet everything on a single measurement)
The general rule is that weight is mainly determined by the sponge density (hardness) and thickness. E.g. Tibhar Aurus (48°) will be heavier than Aurus Soft (43°), which will itself be heavier than Aurus Sound (35°), all with the same rubber top sheet. Of course, there are also weight differences between the rubbers, but that's rather marginal. So if you want the lightest possible rubber, choose a very soft sponge and don't take it too thick. Desto F3 BigSlam (32°) in 1.8mm would be an example. Of course, this type of rubber has its drawbacks: they are usually bouncy, so blocking and hitting flat is rather difficult.
For blades, you can check here, although you will have to open each individual record to get the weight information:
http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blade/
Here the general rule is like Alois said: most of the lightest blades are made of balsa. So they are rather soft and flexible, and combined with the soft rubbers mentioned earlier, the result may not be to everyone's taste. It depends on your style of playing. One blade I will consider for myself in the near future is the Andro Super Core Carbon Light ALL+. This one has carbon layers and is therefore stiffer, it has good reviews regarding its level of control, and I know it can be found below the 70g threshold.
Same warning as for the rubbers though: their weight can vary significantly from one piece to the next, up to +/-10%. So if you really want to know the weight of the blade you're buying, go to a non-virtual shop or get it second-hand.
Hope this helps.
J-B.