Tensor or chinese
Equipment
Ardak . Asked 4 years ago
Hi, coach!
I know, I shouldn't focus on the equipment, I need to focus on the trainig and the technique. But I want to ask a question about equipment again. I need to decide which rubbers should I use.
When I play with chineese rubbers it is very comfortable to receive serves. Serve receiving and push battles don't bother me. I can return many balls safely, hard to attack. But my topspin game worsens. When I play with chineese rubbers, I lose almost every player which have long pimples. But I win many players with inverted rubbers, even though I lose them when I play with tensor rubbers.
When I play with tensor rubbers, I hate to receive some difficult serves, it is bouncy. But with tensors I win many players, especially players with long pimples which I lose them with chineese rubbers.
Which rubbers should I use ? Use chineese rubber and improve topspin? Use tensor rubber and learn serve receiving and other strokes?
Alois Rosario Answered 4 years ago
Hi Ardak,
That is a difficult one because the different rubbers feel good for different parts of the game. For me the serve and return are key so I would favour that but it is for you to make that choice as to what you are completely comfortable with.
Thoughts on this question
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Ardak . Posted 4 years ago
Thank you, coach!
D K Posted 4 years ago
Ardak,the thing which affects the receiving is your own skill.
With enough skill,you can have good receive skills with ANY rubber.
Chinese rubbers,as far as I heard,are more difficult tocontrol when it comes to faster strokes.
Having tested DHS PF4,I think I can confirm that,but I havent played with Hurricanes or other Chinese rubbers.
I have heard that Xiom Vega is harder to control as well. I have no info about Nittaku rubbers,as they are unavailable at my place.
Alois says serve and receive are the most important strokes-that is surely true.
I personally have chosen my equipment based on my style.
Because you use in-rally strokes much more often than a serve and receive....
These are two extremes of choice.
But as wise coach Alois also says,it is your choice,and as usual,the truth lies in-between.
I would say that the best choice is the rubber with which you have balanced rally skills and serve/receive skills.
From your description I feel like you have problems with reading the spins.
Why I think so:
Chines rubbers are hard and usually not so sticky. That iswhy you can receive better with them: they do not react to spin that much,and they rather use thesponge to generate spin. Thanks to that,they allow better variance of spin. BUT: it requires a great technique. Chinese players DO have a perfect technique,it is the first thing they focus on when they start playing,and move forward when and only when they have perfect technique.
Bouncy Tensors,which are usually Japanese/European,use different approach. They tend to have thicker rubber part of the rubber,and are softer,which makes them much more spin-sensitive. The reason is to make the spin-creation easier. That limits the variance. But the spins can be created more easily even without proper technique.
I do nto use Chinese rubber,but I have gone my way from very soft rubbers to very hard rubbers.
What do you think,Alois?
Nigel C Posted 4 years ago
Dk, surley you meant to say chinese rubbers are more sticky than tensors and they use the top sheet to generate spin? Hence chinese players tend to brush loop with longer strokes.
Ardak, Great to hear you have found something that works for you.
Tanya Zhurikova Posted 4 months ago
From my experience, Chinese tacky rubber is only good for controlling in touch play. When receiving, the tacky surface is very spin-sensitive because the ball only need to contact the top-sheet to impact spin. Meanwhile, grippy, tensor rubbers need the ball so sink into the sponge, and the deeper the ball Is sunk, the more spin-sensitive is. You found the spin didn't bother you when playing with Chinese rubber because the opponent's spin is not high enough to really affect your push/receive. If the opponent serve medium or heavy spin to your side, or even side spin, you have to adjust your racket angle. But i think it's not entirely true to say that tacky rubber is harder to use than tensor rubber. In dropshot, tensor rubber is harder to keep the ball short and bouncy twice on the table, and in chopping, it producesa lower arc. ANd in touchplay ,is so tough