light blade vs. heavy blade

Light blades is more suitable for player who likes to use Chinese rubber on both sides. Heavy blades only suitable for soft and light japan/euro rubber.

tdragon has a better description i think.

also, light blades makes for faster maneuver on strokes and also quick returns...

rokphish wrote: tdragon has a better description i think. also, light blades makes for faster maneuver on strokes and also quick returns...

Yes. It is also convenient for two wing fast switching.

Thanks for your info Goldfish, I'll try to look for it then

My experience is that there are no such thing as plus  and minus...

It is all about personal preference!
For me I like light blades

if u swing alot, then light blades r the way to go. fast recovery time is necessary. if u r a cheap player and block more often, then a heavy blade is good 4 the job.

Flicker wrote: The balance of the blade is another important factor too.  I have played with light (<80 gr) and heavy (>90gr) blades and find that I don't like those with the head-heavy feel.  It just gives me the feeling of swinging a club vs. a tt racket.  Blades that are > 90gr but with good balance (like my Clipper Wood @ 91 gr) actually do not feel that heavy to me during play.

turtle wrote: if u swing alot, then light blades r the way to go. fast recovery time is necessary. if u r a cheap player and block more often, then a heavy blade is good 4 the job.

Why is a blocker a "cheap" player?

I find Blade balance and total bat weight, are more important than blade weight; in my experience.

Each of us is different and it is personal preference.

Heavy blades tend to block better than light blades because of their mass. There are the exceptions like stiff lightweight blades, but in genral heavier blades are better at blocking. They also have the power to play better away from the table than a lightweight blade.

Providing you have good touch, I find heavier blades are better for flipping on serve return and short pushes too. I don't find it difficult to control a heavy blade over the table. Whenever I play with a Mazunov, I personally don't find it anymore difficult to control; than when i play with a Stiga Allround. They may be in different speed and control categories, but control is dependent on the player's ability's to control their bat in play.

My favourite blades weigh around 87-103 grams because they suit my game and i play a better overall game with them.

When I first played with the Instinct at 75 grams it felt really light. Did I swing any faster with it? yes, I founfd myself overswiging and had to adjust my swing to get my timing right. It also lacked the power I was used to with the same swing from a heavier blade. I found myself playing a closer to the table than I normally do, to take advantage of it's strength i.e. close to the table play.

Regarding swing speed, I bought a mk1 Wavestone, that in it's original form was a head heavy 88 grams. I've filled in the the hollow handle subsequently and it's now a well balanced 96 gram blade. Although 8 grams heavier, I swing the blade faster now than before. My side to side transition i.e. forehand to backhand is also quicker, as a direct result of the better balance to the blade.

Arash wrote: Regarding the importance of balance, I have something in mind but still not sure if I should do it: I have recently sanded down the straight handle of my Michael Maze blade to even a slimmer one. It has been sanded down 1 mm of each side (top, down, right, and left of the handle) and then rounded the corners as the slimmer handle suits a lot better in my hand. Now the question is "should I also sand down the perimeter of the blade maybe 1 mm from the edges, so the smaller blade plus smaller rubbers that would be cut accordingly maintain a good balance?" Or even shift the weight more towards the handle, as I prefer to play with handle heavy blade rather than head heavy.

To heavy and it affects reaction to stroke and recovery. To light and it effects timing and speed of stroke. Usually heavier blades suit away from table power hitters/loopers." Medium" is such a nice word. I like em around 183gr. Anything over 192gr. feels like CraneStyle said a "broadsword".

When I started 8 years ago to play, I liked heavier blades ... Moving on, I find lighter that I prefer now. Last 3 years I am huge BALSA blades fan !