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How long do rubbers last? |
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dingyibvs
Gold Member Joined: 05/09/2011 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 1403 |
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Posted: 08/10/2022 at 1:05am |
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I took a long, 8 year hiatus to pursue my career, but now I'm ready to start playing again. I've played twice the past week, and boy have I been awful. Last time I played a tournament I was rated about 1850, but this week I was having trouble with a kid who's probably rated well below 1000 and another guy who's probably ~1000. Most of that is just me being rusty, of course, but I wonder how much of it may also be my rubber getting old?
To complicate things, I'm playing with the set up in my sig, which I last played with 9 years ago before switching back to SH for my last year before my hiatus I also wonder if anyone's come back from such a hiatus, and how long did it take and what did you do to get back in playing shape?
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Blade: Hurricane Long 5 (968) FL
FH: D09C max BH: D09C max |
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zhuangcorp
Member Joined: 10/30/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 70 |
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I recently came back to TT from a 20 year hiatus. I think you will get 80% of your skill back in just a few days or weeks. The final 20% is a little harder, and may take a few months of specific practice around the area you "forgot" how to play.
I don't think there is anything wrong with your equipment. I mean its freakin' tenergy, its an excellent rubber. Of course, getting new fresh rubbers certainly wouldn't hurt and would feel nice. But the biggest issue is just your rust. I play mostly with cheap $12 rubbers, and they play mostly excellent. |
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Dawei Bio X50
Globe 999 Nittaku Midship |
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haggisv
Forum Moderator Dark Knight Joined: 06/28/2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 5110 |
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The biggest question would be if your Tenergy rubbers still have decent grip, and if the grip is consistent across the surface?
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dingyibvs
Gold Member Joined: 05/09/2011 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 1403 |
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Thanks! I forgot to update my profile, I actually have T05 on both sides! With that said, I had them back when I was a student when I couldn't afford them new, so they're both used rubbers to begin with. Switching back to CPen from SH at the same time probably contributes a bit as well, but I have to say, I was awful when I played a bit with SH as well.
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Blade: Hurricane Long 5 (968) FL
FH: D09C max BH: D09C max |
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skv_lviv
Member Joined: 02/15/2005 Location: Ukraine Status: Offline Points: 44 |
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I used to be around 250-300 in Ukraine, sometimes winning against people around 100-150, and probably once a year against somebody around 80-100. And sometimes loosing to those around 500. So not very high level and not very low. I had a hiatus for 5-6 years. And when I got back, I've started playing with the same rubber I stopped. And played around 1-1.5 years with it. Obviously it was way harder, less spin and feel, but I didn't mind, since it actually didn't matter a lot those times. Normally I wouldn't use that rubber.Now about getting back to playing shape. It depends on age, on playing style, on whether you had physical activity during those hiatus. In my case, first 1.5 years I played 1 time a week, sometimes 2, sometimes 0 with relatively weak opponents (compared to my conditions 5-6 years before). Also tried some shadow practice and movement drills at home almost every day for like 5-7 minutes. I thought that I was doing well, worse than I used to, but not bad at all. Then I started taking coaching sessions. And I found out that I was wrong :) 1 hour of mostly multi-ball drills 1 time a week (well it was like 30 minutes of multiball drills, 10 minutes playing games, 10 minutes of some single-ball tasks, and 10 minutes breath recovery), and I was recovering like 4-5 days after that. Maybe covid was one of the reasons for such a long recovery, but I'm not sure whether it was covid or some other disease and whether it really affected my conditions. Switched to 2 times a week after 6 month. Last year it was 3 times a week and I added 5-10 km running once a week this Summer, since those 3 tt training are not enough for me now, but I cannot add more. So I would say that it took me 1-1.5 years of proper training to recover in terms of long-run endurance. It terms of technique, it took me like 6 month with a coach to get to a similar level. And now technically I'm better than I was before. In terms of moving I'm still not that good and probably won't be that fast as I was before (I'm getting older :( ), but actually I'm satisfied with how it goes. The only thing in terms of shape that still bothers me is that I'm loosing my breath when in looping rally especially in tournament play after playing against ~4 opponents. So fifth or sixth opponent has all chances of winning just because I cannot keep up my usual tempo, cannot move and loop at the same time, cannot win most of the points by looping (it was second opponent a year ago, so I think it is a good progress for me). And since I play tournaments like 6 times a year now (instead of 5 times/month), I don't have an option of winning while playing slowly, still don't play well enough, still worse than it was 9 years ago, loosing to weaker opponents but sometimes winning against stronger ones. I'm now very style-depend. To summarize, if I had to recover as fast as possible, I would go and find some coach and started some additional physical training at home in free days at least some light ones. After 5-6 month I would add some regular tournament play. And I think I would recover most of the skills in 9-12 month. If I had enough free time to do that way... |
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dingyibvs
Gold Member Joined: 05/09/2011 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 1403 |
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Wow, good to see you still active on the board! Don't see too many familiar names now. I have no idea if they still have good grip. Really would need a new one to compare with. I guess the advantage of having a job now is that I can finally afford to get new equipment . I will say this though, almost all my loops are going off the table, they're never into the net. It was strange to me that I would so consistently miss long every shot. My blade was a gift from a practice partner. He had the same model and it felt amazing, so he bought one for me as well and it felt nothing like his unfortunately. We would switch back and forth between our blades, and whoever had his blade could instantly loop much better, especially on the backhand. I guess that's why the cheaper DHS blades are cheaper, the quality control is just awful and variation is way too high. It didn't feel right to not use his gift, but now that I've moved to a different city I'll probably try a different blade. I had quit EJing my last year playing, settling on TB ALC/T05x2, but maybe I'll be starting a new journey?
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Blade: Hurricane Long 5 (968) FL
FH: D09C max BH: D09C max |
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dingyibvs
Gold Member Joined: 05/09/2011 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 1403 |
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Thanks for the advice! I'm also playing soccer weekly, and I've been lifting weights fairly consistently, so I'm actually in better physical shape than before, even though I'm a few pounds heavier. I don't have a practice partner like before, so I guess I may have to sign up for some coaching lessons to get back my technique. Heck, I never had coaching before so it'd really be like learning new technique. I was never as good as you, I'm sure, so hopefully it won't take that long!
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Blade: Hurricane Long 5 (968) FL
FH: D09C max BH: D09C max |
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igorponger
Premier Member Joined: 07/29/2006 Location: Everywhere Status: Offline Points: 3252 |
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A POOR CRAFTSMAN QUARRELS WITH HIS TOOLS.
What is the meaning of "a bad workman quarrels with his tools" -- Workers who lack skill or competence blame their tools or equipment when things go wrong. MATTER OF FACT. It is not meant to offend people, just a matter of fact. @Tenergy-05 was specifically designed to better satisfy Timo Boll needs. It does not agree with those casual players with infirm body and legs. Be happy. |
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tom
Premier Member Joined: 11/18/2013 Location: canada Status: Offline Points: 3016 |
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dingyibvs
Gold Member Joined: 05/09/2011 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 1403 |
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You mean to tell me that all those times I missed hitting the ball entirely wasn't due to shrinkage of the rubber? Infirm body and legs are very right, pretty sure I pulled my hamstring a little last night... Ah the joys of getting old(er). With that said, I'm gonna get a Hurricane Long 5 Cpen with new T05s! Will I play better? Probably not, but Ma Long has been my favorite player since he was a teenager. Even during my hiatus when I mostly stopped watching TT I still made sure to watch him finally win his first grand slam, then share his joy of winning his 2nd. Too bad my physique just doesn't allow for good wrist cocking for BH when playing SH (my wrist can't turn well when more pronated and my shoulder gets strained when my elbow is lifted). Even with a Cpen blade though, I'm excited to finally own a blade bearing the dragon's namesake! It's only right to pair it with new rubbers as well I chose the Long 5 because it's carbon and I need the larger sweet spot of carbon blades. I also want a slower blade with good dwell at the same time. Based on ttgearlab's tests it seems like the Long 5 is significantly slower than the TB ALC overall (the last blade I played with, in SH), but had a similar profile in that harder loops result in more dwell.
Edited by dingyibvs - 08/10/2022 at 4:38pm |
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Blade: Hurricane Long 5 (968) FL
FH: D09C max BH: D09C max |
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skv_lviv
Member Joined: 02/15/2005 Location: Ukraine Status: Offline Points: 44 |
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Edited by skv_lviv - 08/11/2022 at 5:46am |
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tom
Premier Member Joined: 11/18/2013 Location: canada Status: Offline Points: 3016 |
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dingyibvs
Gold Member Joined: 05/09/2011 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 1403 |
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So I got a coaching session today. Boy was it exhausting! This is the first time I got coaching, and it was so much more intense of a work out than practicing with my previous practice partner. Multi-ball is no joke.
As for the rubber question, I guess it's answered. My coach asked to see my racquet, I didn't say anything, but he took one look at it and said it's completely dead. After 30 mins, he had me work some multiball with another coach, and after a few balls slip into the net, he asked to see my racquet as well. He wiped it a couple times and told me "it's totally dead, totally". Anyhow, I rented one of their racquets, I forgot the name of the blade but it was a popular 5-ply wood blade with T05s on both sides. It was the only blade with T05s so I chose that one. It made a very, very big difference, though I also confirmed that unsurprisingly I'm also very rusty still.
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Blade: Hurricane Long 5 (968) FL
FH: D09C max BH: D09C max |
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tom
Premier Member Joined: 11/18/2013 Location: canada Status: Offline Points: 3016 |
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fmarek
Silver Member Joined: 09/08/2018 Location: Sydney Status: Offline Points: 525 |
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You cannot go wrong with long 5 blade :) Cannot comment on T05, these days harder rubbers are in more favour which makes a big sense on inner carbon blade like long 5. But rubber is something you will have to settle on based on your game. Long5 - yes yes! LOL
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729 Green Goblin 5, FH: 729 Battle II National H39, BH: Palio HK1997 Gold.
DHS Long 5, FH: 729 Battle II Gold H40, BH: Nittaku C1 |
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fmarek
Silver Member Joined: 09/08/2018 Location: Sydney Status: Offline Points: 525 |
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Haha, reminds me how I felt after my first coaching session. All wet, wobbly legs, tired shoulder and back. Now, after more than 3 years, I do 1 hour social play in the club, then go 30 min intense coaching and finish it off with one more hour of social play, and hey ready to come back the next day for more :) I felt like during first 2-4 months coaching sessions where useful but not super efficient when it comes to technique, as I was running out of breath quickly. However, initial coaching still helped me to get my stamina and legs into a better shape. Only after 6 month of regular coaching with coach who does only basics for kids (I am 40+ LOL) the real coach welcomed me "to teach me how to play TT". Keep on training. When it comes to dead or old rubbers. Do like me, if any doubt - change. You will not get bankrupt if you change every 3 months, right? Unless you are infected by di*nics virus LOL
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729 Green Goblin 5, FH: 729 Battle II National H39, BH: Palio HK1997 Gold.
DHS Long 5, FH: 729 Battle II Gold H40, BH: Nittaku C1 |
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BH-Man
Premier Member Joined: 02/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5042 |
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How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop ???
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