About Rubbers and Why I Don't Talk About my Equipment

The question I (unfortunately) get asked the most, is what rubbers and racket I play with. You might have asked me that and you might have got a bit annoyed that I didn't reply. In this video, I explain my reasoning and the uselessness of hyperfixating on table tennis equipment and rubbers.
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Picture: Bernard Comeliau

[@OlavKTTT]

Something not too visually demanding this time, almost like a podcast :) Follow me on social media 👉 Facebook: TT Technalytics facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550500131168 YT: Olav Kosolosky kzbin.info/door/YfdcqB9YNKF-8iLXKqlxsQ Instagram: olav.k.ttt instagram.com/olav.k.ttt/ Check out the webshop of my sponsor Killypong: www.tafeltennis.be/

[@writing_my_name]

The blade in your video is the Tibhar Fortino 😉

[@Luis-hu4yr]

And either the Force, or the Performance, not the pro 😅

[@manfredschaefer1414]

@@Luis-hu4yr And it seems to be not the Force ;-)

[@senya6095]

I can speak from my own experience here, I feel like it's likely that a lot of amateur players, especially those who didn't have the chance to start playing and training in childhood, turn to trying to optimize equipment because it's often not possible to train as much as one would like in an ideal world due to real life responsibilities. I'm the kind of person who, if I didn't have to worry about school or work, would be fully willing to train for many hours every single day. But that is just not possible for me, and it's not possible for most people who aren't already very high level players. If you really love the game your mind will always be thinking about more ways to explore table tennis, and all the different stuff that's out there offers limitless paths for exploration. The focus on equipment rather than game knowledge and techniques is partially born from inexperience, after all you don't know what you don't know, and we can't really blame low level players for being low level. However, even if you do focus on learning more about technique and strategy, just knowing about it will only be minimally useful unless you can actually go practice and solidify the concepts shown in the videos. It can also just be fun to try new stuff and see what all is out there. After all table tennis is just a hobby for most people, and it's not like just because you play a competitive sport, that everything you do related to the sport must always be in pursuit of increasing your playing skill. Anyway this is not me saying that trying to use equipment to fill gaps in training is a good thing, it certainly isn't, but I just wanted to volunteer my thoughts as someone who started table tennis as an adult, but has prior experience in other competitive games.

[@ramonbmovies]

Unfortunately, you are correct. In fact, I fall into that trap. I change the rubber and improve, only to find another shot is lacking. So I change the rubber again, and so on. Recently I decided to go back to a rubber that I know how to use and with which I have had success. One of my coaches often said, "Who cares about rubber? I'll make you 10 times better by teaching you skills."

[@struppihuppi]

I totally agree with you even though I had my own fixation on blades and rubbers for three years. My best improvement I achieved since I am playing table tennis (about four years now) was while staying calm and playing with the same equipment for more than half a year. Best thing is: I found out that I get to know my equipment much better by just sticking to it. Thanks a lot for your podcast-like opinion.

[@lucaslupus1]

Sometimes we find this out the expensive way hahah just stay away from super hard and tacky rubbers if you are not a semi pro IMO , stay simple and don’t think too much, once you find what fits you, even if the market says it’s 20% better or so, it’s not worth it. The only thing that I don’t agree is the coloured rubbers, I don’t use them but if it brings engagement and more people to sport, I can’t be annoyed by that

[@GuoJing2017]

Hi Olav, did you see Ma Long Wang Chuqin game just now? Ma completely changed his game from banana flicks, reverse pendulum serves (harder to banana flick fast as lefty i think) and controlling from the BH a lot more, hitting that angle to wide FH was just fantastic. Would be a good one for an analysis video for you

[@oe1freak]

Thank you so much! My favourite TT-channel!!!!!

[@Piehax]

What you're saying makes a lot of sense. The process of picking a rubber today is needlessly complicated and more often than not people expect equipment to solve their skill issues. Good vid, thanks for your honesty.

[@grindercap]

I agree with you generally that equipment should not be the focus for players in general. The blade should something that provides reasonable control and the rubbers should be good quality. After that you should learn how your equipment behaves during play and adapt to it. Maybe six months with the same rubber and blade and having made progress in your playing level you might consider changing something that is lacking in the equipment for your playing style; yet you should only change one thing at a time. Different blade? Stay with the same rubbers. Change rubber? Only one side of the rubber, fh or bh keep the same rubber on one side while changing rubber on the other and keeping the same blade. I started playing when there were only two real choices in high performance rubbers, Sriver or Mark V. I had Sriver yet when I joined a club every higher level player there was using Mark V, so I tried Mark V. Should have stuck with the Sriver as it suited me better than Mark V. What other people are playing with really doesn't matter.

[@duncanwraight]

Butterfly Joo Saehyuk blade - played by tens of thousands of defensive players because Joo Saehyuk is our idol - yet he actually played with an old Butterfly Diode (discontinued) and even then it was probably custom to him

[@matteoiannone8663]

I'm not a professional player and I'm doing exactly what you said in this video, and I think that is the best way to play at my level, so I agree with you 100%

[@alekssbelskis3544]

I completely with the points that you raised, please could you make a related video about how aspiring pros and semi pros can court different manufacturers for sponsorships and the extent of the custom specifications available to players that reach that level due your insider knowledge.

[@cecemel2836]

Very interesting videos ! I like this kind of videos where we can have a more honest view of the pro world, that, I think do not seem open contrarily to other sports. I don’t know if I agree at everything you said simply because It is not in my scope (at my intermediate level). Also very funny that everybody is making of me because i change rubbers (when they are fucked up) with almost a différent brand everyyear only because of the discounts (still staying in the same type). Concerning hybrid rubbers, I had the chance to play one session with the tibhar one and I honestly liked it for the control or the lack of uncontrolled catapult but still feeling that my arm movement was too slow and my timing too bad to very enjoy it. I dont think i’ll be less good with it, just a different, more frustrating and more expensive setup (except in backhand It is unplayable at my level) And finally, what do you think about grip, do you loose feelings with it ? Or is it well compensated ?

[@Equaaz]

Do you recommend to have something different between FH and BH ? For Exemple 42° FH and 40° BH ? Or for amateur it's better to have the same ?

[@parcm]

It's an interesting point you make. Professional players often have an endorsement from a certain brand, but don't even play with it. I once noticed how Ovcharov lent his name and image to Donic material, wood and rubbers, but he actually plays with Butterfly. (during a match they made a close-up of his bat) So you understand what advertising has to do with reality. Also... we all know the lower level players who carry a bag full of table tennis rackets with a bunch of different rubbers to take on any opponent. They usually make the wrong choice of materials, funny enough.

[@edwingosens8798]

I agree with your point. I used to try all kind of different rubbers and blades. Alot of them because they were used by pros. This caused me to be never satisfied with whatever I was playing with. Nowadays I don’t buy any of the pros equipment anymore. I go by the rule: “If a pro is playing with a rubber or blade, then its not for me”.

[@SleepyMasterrr]

Very interesting thoughts. For me, regular non professional, hobby player, little bit tacky rubber like Rakza Z, Sieger PK50, Dignics 09c on the forehand side, have helped me in developing my strokes, not the opposite. I remember when i just started, I tried to loop with Rakza X in 2.0 it was almost unreal for me - the ball comes out so quick off the racket. So i came to hybrid forehand and that was it for me. But many my training partners finds out, that regular T05 or T05fx, or some Donic Baracuda are better for them and thats okay - everyone have their own preferences and capabilities.

[@cgonzalezcon]

I completely agree with you on this video. When people want to learn and hear advice I will tell them of what I know, but some people are like just tell me which is better, obviously it doesn't work that way. Also they assume that for some reason you know how all rubbers play which is crazy, like if you have experience owning or playing the absurd quantity of combinations. Worst of all they go to sites and take subjective opinions as fact and then get disappointed. The only advice I always give is start with something slow, an all wood blade and not soft and springy rubbers. You want to develop the full stroke and proper weight transfer for power. Sometimes a carbon and fast rubbers create the illusion that you are hitting when in fact you're just doing a "half-stroke".

[@blueheart9873]

I completely agree. I've tried a carbon blade for years and it was difficult to play. It was partially my skill level but also in competition matches people play differently. I went back to my OFF- all wood blade with hard rubbers and truly believe this is the best combo for 90% of skill levels. Beginners can play a medium hardness rubber but never too soft. Pro's actually need the carbon blade because power and speed wins the game, consistency comes from the player in this case

[@Mallgar]

Maybe also a good advice is trying to stick one one brand. E.g. BTY (roundell tenergy dignics) Or Donic (Bluefire Bluestorm Bluestar) Or andro tibhar xiom ... Basically doesn't matter. What i want to say is, that you can develop yourself together with the technology of a brand. For example, as a beginner you personally start at the bottom, same with equipemt level (also lower cost). As you progress, you can also progress with the technology of rubber you play with. 2nd adventage: as long as you stick with one brand, the possible rubbers you want to test are getting less.

[@duncanwraight]

it's a mad problem in table tennis. similar to golf what works for you isn't what will work for me. I tend to use a softer rubber because I can't generate as much force as someone like yourself who has more muscle mass/power and better technique I also play further away from the table than most players, so I have different requirements again so when players say "what do you play with?" I just tend to say "ah just a rubber, it's ok"

[@TP-mp5lk]

I really do enjoy playing Hybrid K3 (which probably is one of the rubbers you are referring to) on both sides despite being a hobby player. But indeed, they just don't last long enough and I don't want to put on new rubbers each month. So I am searching for new rubbers for next season...

[@Mallgar]

Another important advice imo would be to never use too thin rubbers (no matter the brand) On BH never less than 1.8mm and FH 2.0mm. With too thin rubbers your contact time is too low and once hitting a bit harder you go through to the wood and it will be unstable with low rotation. (For allround / offensive players of course)

[@blueheart9873]

Yes, thin rubbers are only good for chopping or blocking. 2.0mm can be OK but if the speed is too much it one can change to a less bouncy rubber or a slower blade

[@duncanwraight]

the other major problem I find is that players have the _wrong_ equipment for them. doesn't matter whether it's Dignics, Rasanter or Hurricane I think a _lot_ of players have combinations that are too fast for their capabilities. even an "average" OFF- blade with tensor rubbers is probably too fast for a player whose footwork isn't great or whose loop technique isn't great what then tends to happen is that players are unable to develop the proper loop technique (kinda happened to me) because when they use their technique with fast setups, the ball misses. instead they play "half loops" to control the ball on to the table but, just like in golf, retailers' marketing relies on "fast fast fast, power power power, spin spin spin" to sell new rubbers and make more money

[@OlavKTTT]

Yes, more people will make the mistake of playing with something too fast than something too slow..

[@user-bp5jv1fp4t]

I’m done with my ej days, I think. But, I want to have 2 additional extra rackets with the same set up. 😂

[@jeankevin3260]

Great video, a discourse that should been shareed on ytb more often but because obvious reason (contract and promoting). I disagree with the second part of the video tho, as I think at amateur level almost every rubber is playable. Chinese tacky rubber are reliable enough and much cheaper (except h3 neo ultimate giga blue sponge WCQ version), aliexpress rubber are a perfectly reasonable option. The most common mistake I see is going for too fast rubber and blade, possibly hurting their consistency. I think testing other people's settings is important (for more than 5 minute if possible) but may be problematic for smaller club. Also I would like to point out that between 2 similar rubber, they will be more difference between the same rubber 1 or 2 month older than the other rubber within the same time period.

[@OlavKTTT]

Yeah, if it works for you, then use those rubbers for sure! I just notice with many people that they aren't at the level that they can go full power on a shot (because of irregularity/too many mistakes), and that defeats the whole purpose of having those tacky rubbers.

[@ConstantijnII]

I've been playing for about 16 years now. For 12 years I've used the same allround blade, all wood, with the same (fairly cheap) rubbers. In the last years I've improved a lot and I've upgraded to slightly better equipment. First the rubbers and since last year the blade. It's still an all wood blade, no carbon. I've never been as obsessed with equipment. And I've never understood why people (I can name quite a few I've played against), who are now lower level than I, buy for example a Cybershape Carbon.

[@jonyer1980]

Another concern for me is that weight has turned out to be a great issue for amateurs. We can't simple yield setups over 190grms otherwise we might end up being injured with such super heavily combos. Anything roughly 47 degree on FH and a couple of agrees less on BH should fit the bit for 95% amateurs/recreational players.

[@agniveshizm]

I like keep a carbon blade around just to periodically try it out and convince myself once again that I definitely don't have the skills to play fast and hard material. That being said, using H3 on the forehand has been a net positive for me.

[@saulorodrigues3373]

here in brasil people are very fixated in butterfly, and i See them changing rubbers like crazy wasting a lot of money just trying fo reach something that is only reachable by training

[@cosgg940]

also can you talk a little bit about boosters like falco? notice a lot of players are using it.

[@OlavKTTT]

I don't know much about the difference in boosters, apart from Haifu, which is a booster that doesn't soften your rubber when you use it. Some other boosters have that tendency, which is why you can't really go berzerk with the amount that you can put on rubbers. Also, banning boosters is silly to me. It gives a small advantage, but a lot of people really blow it out of proportion. And it has downsides, even (i.e. the softening of your rubber).

[@cosgg940]

to be honest i dont give a f about local sellers, as a customer i care about buying with good prices. also your videos are not for the "total amateur guy" and there are many people that watching your videos that are caring a lot about improving and ofcourse equipment is important, and you could address more things like boosting rubbers, how frequently should we change rubbers or blade for optimal performance,

[@OlavKTTT]

I get that. I try to be more knowledgeable and reach and come with a bit more in-depth content, but from the questions I get asked + from the current state of table tennis, I feel that I'm mainly people who play second division in their country **at best**. And even to a lot of those players I'd recommend the same advice, which is to stay away from tacky rubbers etc. I might make another video on those topics you mentioned, but I think that's not absolutely necessary content. I feel there are other topics which aren't very available as of now.

[@akfsx]

Especially if you go into ESN rubbers. Pick a suitable thickness and hardness and difference between rubbers will be very marginal.

[@OlavKTTT]

Yeah, a lot of people don't know that, but all ESN rubbers (Tibhar, Andro, Donic,...) are produced in the same place in Germany

[@SanderSchepens]

7:00 "It's a bit of a mockery of the sport." Had het niet beter kunnen zeggen.

[@coleely9307]

I was with you until you said tacky rubbers wear out faster. They tend to stay stickier so do you mean sponge softening, delamination? I know decent players who use a tacky rubber a long time. I find they're better with a lot of breaking in.

[@baxi3838_SG]

here in our, there is a saying: that's in for Indians, not in his bow and arrow

[@henrikwikstrom5705]

I’m not surprised about what you are saying, but how is this possible? The rubbers needs to be ITTF approved and if you make costum rubbers how do they get approved? I might be naive, but not giving everybody the same oppertunety is bad for the sport.

[@henning.hoffmann]

Only the topsheet gets the ittf certification. That‘s why the sponge can vary in its hardness as Olav pointed out in his video.

[@henrikwikstrom5705]

@@henning.hoffmann boosting is not allowed and is only affecting the sponge, strange rules…. What is the difference?

[@henning.hoffmann]

@@henrikwikstrom5705 there are also boosters, that can be used on the topsheet In my opinion you shouldn‘t put too much thought into that whole topic. Way too many „plot holes“ 🤣

[@orlandoescobar5174]

@@henrikwikstrom5705 Boosting is allowed if it comes from the company, I believe.

[@user-oj6dl1ck9r]

@@henrikwikstrom5705 Boosting is not allowed but cannot be detected by machines. When it is detected, it is often by the fact that the rubber has swelled to the point that it now exceeds 4mm. It is not correct to think that it only affects the sponge. By swelling the sponge, it adds tension to the topsheet. So even if your rubber does not exceed 4mm, it is still illegal since you have changed the properties of the rubber. You just don't get caught.

[@chebkhaled1985]

honestly you are wrong on the last part, club player here and I play with dhs 3 neo, very happy with it and I actually couldn't play with anything else in my forehand. Maybe because this what I started with but I agree that it is a bit different than the European ones

[@user-vc7zk9tv4d]

The first shot make very easy, but after very hard

[@OlavKTTT]

We can agree to disagree. Sure, there are people who are used to it because they've played with it for so long, but you need much more speed and acceleration to make those rubbers work. And if you don't play the game at high speed, it's hard(er) to reap the benefits of those rubbers (because they aren't meant to be played with passively).

[@landersteurs7732]

Is dees een personal attack ofzo wa hebt gij tegen roze lappen😂

[@esmolol4091]

It's better to pump 1000 bucks into a professional trainer and learning the techniques than wasting that money on blade/rubber experiments. Thank me later.

[@bryanwells4063]

Oh you are 100000000% correct