Ask The Experts: Brian Pace, No. 266
Butterfly Table Tennis Question and Answer

Question:

Hi I’m an attacking player on both wings currently ranked 20 in england I punch and block on the backhand and more of a top spin player on the forehand was thinking of changing backhand rubber to tenergy 80 as 64 is good for speed but when I try and backhand topspin away from the table the ball ball just about clears the net what tenergy are players playing with nowadays also I find tenergy on forehand good for spin but lacks a bit of speed compared to 64 so would tenergy 80 be a good choice on both wings thanks

Answer:

Your Ask the Experts question was answered by Brian Pace. Coach Pace is aNational Level Table Tennis Coach with Dynamic Table Tennis and his response is as follows:

Lee, Thanks you for your question, and it is one that we often get. As your game evolves you start to become aware of exactly how the equipment choice is affecting your shots. Understanding the Tenergy’s Of the 4 Tenergy rubbers, it is theTenergy 05 FX that has the highest travel path over the net. The Tenergy 64 and Tenergy 80 both have a sharper trajectory where the ball will stay closer to the net. This can be a problem in extended rallies when you start to step back to get more space to play on the backhand. I would suggest that you put the Tenergy 05 FX on your backhand. The ‘FX’ stands for more flexible sponge, which produces a long trajectory of your backhand. Because the sponge is softer, it won’t take an all-out effort to activate the rubber to produce the ideal travel path that will clear the net. If you are happy with how your forehand is currently performing, then you can stay with the Tenergy 05 on the forehand. Equipment Set-up 1 Blade: Mitzutani ZLC Forehand Rubber: Tenergy 05 Backhand Rubber: Tenergy 05FX What to expect: The Tenergy 05 has the highest travel path, and that is ideal for your forehand. What you can expect with the Tenergy 05 FX on the backhand is to produce the same travel path with regards to height over the net. This will allow the travel path of both of your shots to be as close to each other as possible. It will eliminate your distance from the table from changing too much from forehand to backhand. Equipment Set-up 2 Blade: Mitzutani ZLC Forehand Rubber: Tenergy 05 FX Backhand Rubber: Tenergy 80 FX What to expect: The Tenergy 80 FX has the second highest travel path, and this is the choice you can change to on the backhand if you feel like the Tenergy 05 FX is sending your ball too long. Investment in Time The most important thing you have to do is monitor exactly how the set-up you have chosen if performing. You have an understanding of how your shots perform based on where you are standing. Over time you will be able to choose the set-up that best suits your style of play. Good Luck My Friend, Coach Pace