BH Rubbers for RPB players

First of all, thank you for viewing my post.
Today, my topic is Backhand rubbers for Reverse Penhold Backhand players.

Challenges: There are difference challenges for RPB players at different levels.

1. Their backhand could not get the ball over the net. (Beginner level)
2. Their backhand could not generate enough spin (Novice level)
3. Their backhand could not deliver enough power (Amateur level)
4. Their backhand could not counter attack/loop (Pro level)

The technique to learn is on youtube demonstrated by Wang Hao, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrrIDgT6TnY

Therefore, different rubbers are needed for the backhand at different levels.

1.To get the ball over the net: Fast rubber, eg:  Xiom
2. To generate spin: Soft (in hardness) and slow rubber, eg: Calibra LT/ Tour
3. To deliver power (and block): Soft and fast rubber, eg: Hexer HD, Palio macro Pro
4. To counter attack (and punch/catapult): Medium (in hardness) fast rubber , eg: Tenergy 05, Rakza 7.

If you feel comfortable using Tenergy 05, or Rakza 7, then keep them.
If you don't feel comfortable with them, step down to other rubbers as mentioned in order 1 to 4.
Once you are not happy with them, move up the ladder in order 1 to 4.

Never ever use Chinese rubbers on your backhand with RPB.

I will post a comparison between Tenery05 and Rakza 7 for BH rubber for RPB players if requested.

Not entirely sure if this is what you're saying but I completely disagree with the assessment that you need a different backhand rubber for whatever level you are.

Edited by suds79 - 01/09/2015 at 8:59am

cole_ely wrote: Interesting take.  Do you have any thoughts on the thickness of rpb rubbers?  Should they also be 2.2ish?

wankhao wrote: Hi Cole_ely Thank you for your understand. From my personal experience only (and not a coach's), one should not use 2.2 or maximum thickness of rubbers for backhand when playing with RPB style. To some extents, backhand with RPB can generate more SIDE spin (compared to shake-hand style), and thus set it up for fore-hand attack. RPB's weakness is blocking so Control and Spin are more important than Speed and Power for backhand with RPB. Any rubber that can give the RPB's backhand stroke more Consistency, especially in block-push combination, thus diverting the opponent's ball more to the middle of the table or even the forehand (right-hand side) of the RPB player, is a winning rubber.

I've been using RPB for about10 years now, this is the evolution of my backhand in terms of rubbers:

Butterfly Sriver FX - Tibhar Grip S - Nittaku Narucross GS Soft - Stiga Boost TC - Butterfly Tenergy 64
(~ 2 years)                (~ 2 years)            (~6 months)                     (~4 years)         (~1 year)

I loved the Boost TC, Grip S, and Tenergy 64 so very much.  Boost TC is such an underrated rubber for RPB.  It is soft so it grips the ball extremely well to provide maximum spin.  Grip S is also a fantastic rubber, although hard, but the amount of spin it generated was much better than Tenergy 64 and Boost TC.  Too bad it isn't quite fast for punch blocks.  Tenergy 64 is the newest rubber that I've used for my RPB.  Excellent for mid-distance RPB and counter-looping RPB.  Nice for fast blocks and punch blocks too.  Anyone going with any of these four rubbers except the Narucross, I highly recommend it!

Oh, and all of them are MAX thickness to get the most speed, spin, and power!

I will be making a video of my RPB hopefully in the coming months!


Edited by liulin04 - 01/10/2015 at 11:55am

Hi Coley

Sorry for delaying in response to you. Too busy for other stuffs and playing tt to do posting here.

Firstly, the RPB's side spin. Beginner and Novice RPB players can only do the backhand side spin to their opponents' back hand (left-hand side) (provided both RPB player and their opponents are right handed).

When you start getting comfortable with RPB back hand strokes, a good RPB player can place the ball almost any where on the table with their back-hand flicks and swings. And this is where it can set up opportunity for FH.

Secondly, blocking. There are two main kind of blocking: passive block and active block.
Passive block is just returning the ball back to your opponent, where the ball returns to your opponent is relatively short within the table.

 Active Block, however, has the component of PUSHING. It's a Block-Push combo, where you push the ball back LONG, and DEEP into the opponent. Ideally, this PUSH should be fast, Down-the-line and thus would either upset the rhythm of your opponent or make your opponent move from one end to the other end of the table. In short, in a passive block, the ball returns short, within the table. In an active block, the ball returns long, deep into your opponent, down-the-line in your opponent table. This is done by PUSHING the ball when BLOCKING, which is why I call it PUSH-BLOCK or BLOCK-PUSH.

Now, why bring the backhand PUSHING into RPB? As a convert from handshake style to RPB, I feel RPB style can not SMASH with the backhand as strong as the backhand SMASH done by handshake style. Even you manage to smash very hard with your RPB backhand, you may lose your grip of the blade after the SMASH. Handshake has no issue with backhand smash at all.

Therefore, next level for RPB PUSH is a RPB PUNCH, where instead of big swing with the backhand stroke, you push your backhand straight forward like a PUNCH. Different to its normal SIDE-SPIN swing, this backhand PUNCH is just flat and fast. This Block-Punch could also be deceptive where your opponent may under-estimate it for a Passive Block, and make unforced errors. I've seen Wang Hao perfecting  the three styles of normal passive Block, Block-Push and Block-Punch in his match against MA LONG in WTTC 2011 and WTTC 2013. Added with his backhand side-spin big swing-loop, Wang Hao completely exploited MALONG's backhand to his advantage.

A well implemented RPB is almost entirely similar to SH BH other than pushing, so the entire premise that it requires some special treatment (esp for equipment) is questionable.

Though I guess more novice RPB users have bad technique so they should try rubber that's easier to use, and a really slow blade if they ever hope to loop with it.

"Most" RPB players have terrible technique on the BH and can benefit far more from any improvement form than optimizing equipment for what they have.

The better their RPB, the closer it is to SH. Wang Hao is basically a two wing SH player who grips the blade somewhat differently.

Both have worse BH form because they started late and apparently weren't willing to take time off from competing to fix it correctly. Xuxin form for short strokes actually isn't too bad; he's just not as good at execution and he strongly favors FH which is understandable.

Club amateur players aren't under the same pressure to always perform.

The main point is you should try to learn the right thing, instead of learning other people's failed attempts to do so.


Edited by AgentHEX - 01/26/2015 at 6:07am

He clearly didn't start off playing that way like WH did.

AgentHEX wrote: He clearly didn't start off playing that way like WH did.

http://home.covad.net/~chunglau/042303.htm

Got it.

AgentHEX wrote: Both have worse BH form because they started late and apparently weren't willing to take time off from competing to fix it correctly. Xuxin form for short strokes actually isn't too bad; he's just not as good at execution and he strongly favors FH which is understandable. Club amateur players aren't under the same pressure to always perform. The main point is you should try to learn the right thing, instead of learning other people's failed attempts to do so.

> Ma Lin's BH is tricky, very agile and he can hit a huge variety of shots from his BH but it lacks power and stability!

The traditional BH is quite restrictive at higher levels since the wrist lacks flexibility at the angles necessary to block loops. Contrast to RPB where counters against topspin are automatic and even more natural angle than SH.

Ma Lin's spin pushes will lose out some (and he's really the extreme case) but this is more than made up by better topspin handling and better opening against backspin.

Unless someone's game is based on pushing it's hard to imagine they'd be better off with traditional penhold.