Insights From Felix Lebrun and Qiu Dang, and the Many Sides of Chinese Penhold
Didn’t Qiu Dang switch blades a while back? From the original Boll ALC custom to the current Viscaria custom. Because these two have different face sizes — the Boll ALC penhold is 161 by 150mm, the Viscaria penhold is 158 by 150mm. So I guessed at the time: was this out of a consideration for speed? A smaller face makes loop-driving easier on both sides, with faster quick-exchange. For his style, he does need to emphasize linking speed more. Of course, we are reasoning from retail versions. A player’s custom face size is not necessarily the same as retail.
From the late 1950s to the 1980s, Chinese players basically all used Chinese penhold, with relatively larger faces. Later, Japanese table tennis brands used this as a prototype and made and sold large-faced Chinese penhold. By the mid-1990s, some Chinese penhold players began gluing rubber on the reverse side and played quite well. To control the bat’s weight, brands shrank the face a bit, giving the current size. But ultimately it is still a bit larger than shakehand.
Felix Lebrun: I value “weight” and “balance” more
That said, Felix’s blade is not light — his bat weight is 92g. He says the Tibhar Felix’s face is on the large side, but he finds it quite good, with nice balance. This blade grips the ball well, but he values its “elasticity” more. Among inner aramid-carbon blades, it really is one of the more ball-releasing ones. His grip: thumb and index finger both grip deep, with the reverse-side fingers forming a circle, to let the wrist be more flexible. Lebrun stresses this, saying it maximizes the use of the wrist, to ease receiving and to make some over-the-table variations. The blade shoulder he ground down a bit, just enough not to dig into the hand. His gluing is also special — fully glued.
Qiu Dang: Prefers a front balance point
Qiu Dang mentioned late last year that he has no demands on the blade handle. He tried Butterfly’s various Chinese penhold handles and found them all quite good. But he likes a heavier blade with a more front-leaning balance point. This way, it is more favorable for attack. Blade choice is entirely personal. For example, the Heima-tuned KLC penhold has a face about the same as the Blue Label, with a balance point slightly toward the head. Looping on both sides this way really has more punch. But some players prefer a centered balance point. In that case, consider a thicker handle or a smaller face. Qiu Dang’s grip also has the thumb fairly deep, with the index finger hooking the handle. The reverse-side fingers are not extended and not too circular, relatively moderate. This is reportedly learned from Wang Hao.