How Does Backhand Rubber Affect the Forehand?
This is something many players wanted me to write before: how does backhand rubber affect the forehand?
1
First, the backhand rubber’s support for the forehand. For example, the forehand rubber is the same, and on the backhand you choose between T05FX and T80. Relatively, if the backhand rubber is softer, like T05FX, then the forehand also becomes easier to loop-drive and drive through. If the backhand is relatively hard, say you chose T80, then the forehand becomes more solid, with a higher absolute bottom-power ceiling.
But the question is whether you can drive through — that you have to ask yourself. For example, generally, choosing Hurricane on both sides, 40 degrees forehand and 37 degrees backhand suits average players. If you raise the backhand to 39 degrees, besides the backhand being not so easy to drive through, the forehand actually becomes harder to drive through too, though also more solid. A former national player who is my WeChat friend chooses 42 degrees forehand and 40 degrees backhand — the average amateur cannot play that.
2
The lightness or heaviness of backhand rubber. The effect here is a bit like the first point. If you choose a lighter backhand rubber, the forehand is easier to drive through, free and unrestrained. If you choose a heavier, more solid backhand, the forehand grips the ball well, but loop-driving is also more tiring.
The more balanced your two wings — like Liang Jingkun or Hugo — the harder both rubbers can be. If your backhand is only transitional, scoring mainly with the forehand, then to highlight the forehand, the backhand should generally be softer and lighter.
Of course, everyone is an individual, and feelings can be quite divergent; decide everything by reference to yourself.
3
The thinness or thickness of backhand rubber. This actually resembles the first two points. Your backhand is choosing between 1.9mm and 2.1mm D09c. If you choose 1.9, the forehand is easier to drive through and quick-exchange is very fast. If you choose 2.1, the forehand’s solidity and energy-storage feel improve greatly, with stronger absolute bottom power.
Of course, besides the differing support for the forehand, choosing 1.9 or 2.1 ultimately requires considering whether 1.9 or 2.1 suits you. On one hand, can the backhand drive through 2.1, will it feel too heavy? On the other hand, if you mainly flick, borrow pace and defend, you can consider 1.9, because it transmits power well and is lighter. If you mainly lift balls with friction and add spin, consider 2.1.
4
The effect on the forehand of choosing German or Japanese rubber on the backhand. Many German rubbers now, especially tacky German ones, are increasingly solid too. We can only compare traditional tensor German rubbers and Butterfly rubbers, because many Japanese rubbers, like Spell H, actually drive through as easily as German rubbers.
Generally, the sponge toughness of Butterfly flagship rubbers is often stronger; placed on the backhand, their support for the forehand exceeds many tensor German rubbers. For example, gluing a V22 on the backhand supports the forehand less than gluing a T80. Gluing Butterfly on the backhand gives the forehand more loop-drive bottom power and a stronger energy-storage feel.
Gluing a tensor German rubber on the backhand often gives the forehand less sense of power than gluing a Butterfly flagship rubber. But relatively, the forehand also drives through more easily. Easy driving-through, besides affecting your swing speed and ball-release speed, also affects error-tolerance. Generally, when you feel it drives through easily, your landing rate rises. This still affects real-match performance a lot.
The last point: with an inner-fiber blade, the backhand rubber’s effect on the forehand is relatively large. With an outer-fiber blade, the effect is smaller.