Butterfly Table Tennis Question and Answer

Question:

Hi I’m looking for suggestions on a Japanese penhold blade and rubber combination. I recently resumed playing about 3 times a week, after having stopped playing for many years. Currently using an old pre-assembled racket and the rubber feels a bit “dead” eventhough it can still generate some decent spins. I’m an recreational player, about intermediate level. My strength is in my forehand smash attack, backhand mostly block. I would like a rubber with some control, lighter blade and a softer feeling to the sponge. I’m thinking of the Hadraw JPV-S blade, not sure which rubber to combine it with, maybe a Striver RX or Rozena? I have also wondered if I should just get another pre-assembled racket with striver or flextra before upgrading to non pre-assembled. Please advise. Thanks.

Answer: 

This the Experts question was answered by Coach Jun Gao. She is the head coach at California Table Tennis in Rosemead, CA. Coach Gao’s response is as follows: