Sounds crazy?
Not really. In my previous two minute table tennis tip, I was advocating making changes to your techniques, tactics, or physical or mental capabilities. A change in any of these factors, when diligently practiced for 3-6 months, will almost always result in a change for the better, provided the change was the result of an intelligent and well thought out decision making process. All too many players get stuck in a rut and refuse to change anything about their game, leading to a playing level plateau.
On the other hand, there is a certain type of player who just can't resist making changes to their table tennis game, sometimes almost on a daily basis. This is what is commonly known as the equipment junkie - a player who is constantly searching for the perfect blade and rubber combination for their game. They are always trying something new, hoping for another 1% improvement.
Of course, one problem that they find is that every combination of blades and rubbers acts a little differently to each other (and some are very different indeed!). And it's pretty rare that any particular combination is better than another mix of blades and rubbers in every facet of play. So depending on the player's style of play, and the opponents style of play, different rackets will be better or worse at any given time.
A second issue is that every time the player changes his rubbers and blades, it's natural for the player to pay much more attention to what he is doing, since he is very carefully monitoring what the racket feels like, so he can adjust for any differences in feel, power and spin. This intense focus almost always results in the player playing a little better, and the player decides that the latest racket is "the one". Then, a few weeks later, the player feels comfortable with his new racket, and his concentration drops a little. Suddenly he isn't playing quite as well as before, and he decides he was mistaken about the racket and it must be time to try something new again. He tries a new combination of blade and rubbers, focuses intently once more, and the cycle repeats.
Breaking the Chain
If this sounds anything at all like you, then I strongly suggest you break the never-ending cycle of new equipment. The money you are spending would be much better put to use in some coaching sessions with a qualified coach, where you spend your time improving your technique. I guarantee for the same amount of money spent, a qualified coach will do more for your game than a new racket or two (or three!).If you absolutely must try new rubbers and blades, I would recommend using two or three months in your off season to test one or two new blades and one or two new rubbers. Give each combination at least a month to give yourself the chance to get used to the new racket, with the exception that if a racket feels wrong right at the start, trust your instincts and stop using it straight away - it's unlikely to get better. If it feels like an improvement, then give it a month to get over the new racket concentration period, as well as the disillusionment period when you lower your concentration and play a little worse. After about a month you should have a reasonably accurate idea whether your new combination is a true improvement or not.
Once you have decided on a new racket, stick with it during your main season through thick and thin, unless you are having a complete shocker of a season due to the new racket (and make sure it is the racket, and not you!). If that is the case, go back to your racket from the previous season, and try some new combinations in the next off season. Don't start trying a number of new combinations in the middle of the year in the wild hope that you'll somehow strike paydirt - go back to something you used to play well with.
If you like to experiment with new blades and rubbers because you find it fun and like trying new things, then by all means please yourself. But if you are continually searching for the perfect racket in hopes of improving your table tennis, I'd say it's 99% likely that you'd be better off getting off the equipment treadmill and only trying a few combinations in the off season, and using the money you save for some coaching lessons.
