Progressing to Custom Bat

Karol Szczepanski

Last updated on 30-Jun-2011 08:13:18 AM

Hi Alois and Jeff, I was looking at the PingSkills Touch Mark V bat and I am wondering what is the rating of the PingSkills Touch blade, and which variation of the mark V rubbers does it feature – is it the original Mark V (or is it one of these: 30degrees, GPS or M2)? Last but not least: how would I know when I am ready for this blade??? I am able to perform all of the techniques with fair amount of confidence and pace – but often I struggle with accuracy and I cannot yet compete with the experienced players and frequently struggle against their fast and powerful hits. Based on the above could you say whether I am ready to progress from my pre-made bat? Or should I give it more time? Best regards. -Karol(UK)

and Alois Rosario said...

Hi Karol,

The Touch Blade has the following ratings:

Speed 7.8, Control 8.2 and weight of 83g.

We use the original Mark V rubber.

It sounds like you are close to being ready to progress. If you are finding that you are not able to generate enough pace with your strokes to be effective, and you have really good control of each ball, then it is probably time to move on.

Which pre-made bat are you using?

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Comments on this question

Karol Szczepanski commented...

on the 29-Jun-2011 09:20:17 PM

Alois, Thanks again for your input. I am using bat with the following ratings: Speed: 10 / Spin: 10 / Control: 5. (It is made by a French company, Cornilleau. This is the bat Cornilleau Impulse 3000 http://www.cornilleau.com/competition/produit.asp?id=12&t=r&g=3 .) It is an OFF+ blade with 2.2mm rubber thickness. I find it adequately fast and generating good spin when striking the ball hard, but on the softer strikes and touches with a lot of spin I find it rather unpredictable. I am not sure whether this is due to my low level of skills or is this due to the bat being rated for a more experienced, offensive minded player – any thoughts? I understand that the thicker the sponge and more offensive the blade rating, the more difficult it becomes to control the ball when not striking the ball with enough pace and force – is this statement correct, Alois? I should be able to meet with a local coach soon and so will try to get some advice from him as well.

andrew brand commented...

on the 30-Jun-2011 08:06:21 AM

you are correct. and your bat will be aimed at advanced players that have enough control to tame it. the touch with mark v may feel too slow for you but you will have more control in the short game.

Alois Rosario from PingSkills said...

on the 30-Jun-2011 08:13:18 AM

Hi Karol,

It sounds like you quite a fast bat there. You are correct, it will be difficult for the shorter touch shots and return of serve in particular.

This is a trap many players fall into. Faster is not always better unfortunately. It is great for the open rallies where you are playing topspins but the difficulty always comes in the early part of the rally.

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