Blade and rubbers
Equipment
Purvez Bilimoria Asked 8 years ago
Hi Alois/Jeff,
I am a club level player and have a dominant backhand - push, flick, drive and smash. At times I cover my forehand side with my backhand and manage to use the backhand flick to surprise my opponents. I am working on improving my forehand including the push and loop. I am using an Andro CSV Off blade with Shriver on backhand and Mark V on forehand. To improve my game and to increase the speed of my shots I have tried a number of other blades like Primorac, Gergely and Zhang Jike SLC with Tenergy rubbers like 05, 25, 64,80 and the FX versions but they somehow do not give me the same kind of control I get with my current combination of blade and rubbers. What blade and rubbers do you suggest?
Billy
Alois Rosario Answered 8 years ago
Hi Billy,
The Tenergy will be a bit too fast.
I would keep the same blade you are using and change the rubber to something a little faster. You could think about rubbers like Rakza 7.
Thoughts on this question
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Jean Balthazar Posted 8 years ago
Do you still have some leeway in terms or sponge thickness with the rubbers you're used to? If you do, simply switching to max sponge thickness would probably be the easiest and safest way to gain some speed while minimizing the control loss and adaptation time.
Also, when you're switching from Sriver and Mark V to any modern rubber like Tenergy (or Rakza), you're entering the realm of tensor rubbers. They tend to be less linear than the non-tensor rubbers, and it will take some time getting used to it, no matter what.
Purvez Bilimoria Posted 8 years ago
Hi Jean,
many thanks for your recommendations. I assume your suggestion to increase sponge thickness is in relation to the Sriver and Mark V rubbers I am currently using and not to the Tenergy rubbers. If so, I agree that I should try out the thicker versions of these rubbers.
i also agree that I need to be more patient with the Tenergy rubbers.
I also realise that all my blades are Off+ and I should try out the all round or defensive versions.
I would think that a slower blade with thicker Sriver and Mark V rubbers may do the trick.
Jean Balthazar Posted 8 years ago
Hi Billy,
Yes, I meant keep your current setup (Andro CSV Off blade with Sriver on backhand and Mark V on forehand) and just increase the sponge thickness of both rubbers.
If you still have these Off+ blades you tested, a no-cost test could be to put a used pair of your Sriver/Mark V on those blades and see if the faster blade can give you the increased punch you're looking for. If that comes close but is still not enough, you could try the Sriver/Mark V in max thickness on these Off+ blades.
Also, if you still have your Tenergy rubbers, it would be worth to give these expensive rubbers a second chance on an Allround blade, such as a Stiga Allround Classic for example. I'd start with the non-FX versions, since your reference rubbers (Sriver and Mark V) have hard sponges.
That's if you are able to assemble your racquets be yourself of course. I'm not suggesting to do buy all those combinations new in a shop!
Keep us updated on your progress in your quest!
Purvez Bilimoria Posted 8 years ago
Once again many thanks Jean.
your suggestions are great. I will try them out and let you know whether they improve the speed of my game without affecting the control I presently have with my current blade and rubbers.
Incidentally I have an old All Round Classic Stiga blade on which I will glue the Tenergy rubbers and hopefully they work to my satisfaction.