Query regarding my new bat

Table Tennis Equipment

Last updated 9 years ago

Ashwin Ganesh

Ashwin Ganesh Asked 9 years ago

Few days back , I bought a Butterfly ACB 3000 blade as it was the lightest one among the limited choices I tested. Then, I got two Mark V rubbers and have stuck them quite perfectly for both forehand and backhand .But, suddenly I find this customized one heavier than my old bat, which was cheaper . I can't believe the rubbers added so much weight !  Now , Do I feel this way since the bat is pretty new and will be adjusted to it given some time or did I choose a bad combination or something (I hope not)? . I really like lighter bats compared to heavy ones.


Alois Rosario

Alois Rosario Answered 9 years ago

Hi Ashwin,

The Mark V will make a bit of a difference.  You will get used to the weight.  The better rubber will allow you to develop further.


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Thoughts on this question

Jean Balthazar

Jean Balthazar Posted 9 years ago

Hi Ashwin,

That's one of the surprises you'll get when you start composing custom bats. It happened to me also, as I was used to what I now know was an extremely light racquet (137g). A medium weight racquet is around 170g. Blades range from 60 to 100g, rubbers from 30 to 55g (cut), so if you just chose randomly, it can lead to what will feel like a feather or like a brick. Check here: http://tabletennis-reviews.com/reference/rubber-sheet-mass-size-database/

The Mark V has a quite hard sponge, that's mostly what makes it heavy. If you choose a light blade and paired it with heavy rubbers, the centre of gravity of the racquet will be further away from the handle. That may be why you feel the difference so much, compared with your previous racquet.

That being said, heavier racquets have their advantages too, so try to get used to it. If you can adjust to heavier racquets, that will give you much more choice when you will want to select your next combination.


Ashwin Ganesh

Ashwin Ganesh Posted 9 years ago

Thanks to both of you :)

So Jean , Mark V seems to be heavier than an average rubber. So , just  few more queries.

Q) How hard is it to shift to a heavier racket . I have a feeling that this heaviness , although it is not that heavy might slower down my reaction speed but I haven't played with much though. I know playing with it a lot will help , any other workouts might quicken it up? ;)

Q) It would have been better if I had gone for a Mark V forehand and lighter backhand maybe. Can you suggest some rubbers which have similar features to Mark V but are pretty light ? would be useful for me in the future.

And is there a similar site for bats as well . Sadly, I am unable to find the weight of my Butterfly ACB 3000 .

Thanks a lot.


Jean Balthazar

Jean Balthazar Posted 9 years ago

Hi Ashwin,

Q1) That will depend on your playing style and your physical strength. I find it only harder when I flick, i.e. when fast wrist acceleration is required. I don't know any specific workout you could do to help you there. Just play and give it time. Don't expect to achieve the same shots / same speed immediately and don't try too hard. Don't hurt yourself.

Q2) If there were light rubbers with the same characteristics than hard sponge rubbers, I guess everybody would go for those, but sadly they don't exist. Mark V GPS has a medium density sponge and is accordingly lighter than the regular Mark V. Mark V 30°, as its name indicates, has a 30° sponge, which is about as soft as they get, and is therefore the lightest of the series. But although they share the same rubber layer, they don't behave the same. As you usually don't hit that much with the backhand, it is quite common to see players use softer sponge rubbers on their backhand, like Mark V GPS for your case. Also using thinner sponges will shave of a couple of grams, if you don't need the speed provided by thick sponges. Both softer sponge and thinner sponge will also give you a bit more control. But first check if that would really make a difference for you. If you had a 130g racquet before and now you have a 180g one, shaving of 5 or 10g won't make much difference. Weigh your old and new racquets on a kitchen scale to see where you're at.

Q3) Unlike for the rubbers, bat weights are usually metioned on TT equipment vendors websites. Be aware though that these values are averages, since there is variability in the wood density from one piece to the next. Expect about +/- 5g around the official weight. You can also check here, where you can even sort the bats by weight (even if the website is French): http://www.tennis-de-table.com/materiel/bois/ I couldn't find your Butterfly ACB 3000 anywhere either.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your new bat!



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