Coach EmRatThich explains the secret of Ma Long’s equipment. Ma Long’s personal blade is the DHS code W968. Is this blade similar to DHS Hurricane Long 5? Ma Long’s playing style and why Ma Long is so strong in table tennis.
Ma Long biography
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Ma Long is considered one of the best, or even the best table tennis player in history. He is the 5th Grand Slam table tennis player, just after Zhang Jike (the 4th).
You can find some information about Ma Long 马龙 here:
- Ma Long’s childhood and education
- Ma Long’s forehand rubber
- Ma Long’s wife
- Ma Long’s forehand techniques
- Ma Long’s backhand technique
- Ma Long’s unique feeling in block
Especially, you can find the history of Ma Long table tennis racket, blade, and rubber below. Understanding the equipment of top Chinese table tennis players will help you choose the right Chinese forehand rubber for you.
In the 2019 World Table Tennis Championships at Budapest, Ma Long is the legend in table tennis.
In this WTTC 2019, no one can win Ma Long more than 2 sets. He is the real captain of the China Team. The most trusted player in history right now!
- 1st round VS Aleksandar Karakasevic 4-0
- 2nd round VS Kanak Jha 4-1
- 3rd round VS Vladimir SAMSONOV 4-1
- 4th round VS Hugo CALDERANO 4-1
- quarterfinals VS LIN Gaoyuan 4-0
- semifinal VS LIANG Jingkun 4-1
- final VS Mattias Falck 4-1
If he wins the Olympics Tokyo 2020, he will be the only legend in table tennis. The first player who can win the DOUBLE GRANDSLAM in history. Let’s see!
What is Ma Long personal equipment?
What rubber does Ma Long use?
Update 2022:
Ma Long is using the W986 national long 5 blade
Update 2021:
Waldner is the first foreign player who visited the Chinese National Team training hall. He is the first Grand Slam in table tennis.
He asked about the personal equipment of Ma Long.
The personal blade of Ma Long is the DHS W968 (Hurricane Long 5 National).
The forehand rubber is the Hurricane 3 (National Blue Sponge version 42 degree Hardness, 2.15 mm).
The backhand rubber is the Hurricane 3 (Orange Sponge, 37 Hardness, 2.15 mm)
Here you are the first 3 Grand Slams in table tennis.
Number 1: Waldner
Number 2: Liu Guoliang
Number 3: Kong Linghui
Number 4 Grand Slam was training in the background.
Watch the full video here: “Waldner asked to see Ma Long personal equipment”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Ns6ZLD95o
Ma Long forehand rubber
This is Ma Long equipment in the LIEBHERR 2019 ITTF WORLD TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS (WTTC 2019):
Well, Ma Long uses national hurricane 3 blue sponge rubber, 40.5 to 41 DHS hardness scale, 2.15 mm thickness, used with the booster. Ma Long personal rubber is not available to the public. They are designed based on Ma Long’s physical strength, the sponge is much harder than a commercial one.
Watch this video:
It’s not the sponge but it’s the top sheet that Ma Long’s rubber is different than the commercial version.
The topsheet of Ma Long personal forehand rubber is much more elastic, consistent. The pimples structure is also different: denser, smaller than the commercial one. The tacky topsheet with this pimple structure provides the maximum of spin to Ma Long’s shot.
You can see that both Ma Long and Zhang Jike use National Hurricane 3 (Blue Sponge) on their forehand side. The blue sponge is 1 to 2 degrees harder than the commercial Orange Sponge DHS Hurricane 3 rubbers.
You can Order the DHS Hurricane 3 (Old version) directly from Double Happiness Shop here. [Order Now] Or you can buy the DHS Hurricane 3, combined with the LANDSON Rubber Protector Film of DHS. Order here.
Or the new version, DHS Hurricane 3 (Neo) (black) which is recently used by Ma Long, and the Chinese Team. (read review)
Ma Long backhand rubber
Like many top Chinese table tennis players, Ma Long used Japanese Butterfly rubber on his backhand: Tenergy 05 Professional version, harder, and faster. The normal Ten05 rubber has a hardness of about 36-37 ESN Scale. Ma Long backhand rubber is 39-40 hardness ESN scale (around 35 hardness Chinese scale).
With the new poly ball in table tennis since 2017, Ma Long switch back to custom hurricane rubber, red side on his backhand. Japanese rubber is not hard enough, so Chinese players search for more direct feeling rubber on their backhand.
Order the real Butterfly Tenergy 05 (red, 2.1 mm) from the Official Butterfly Amazon Shop here. You can also use the Tenergy 05 Hard to for the new plastic ball. Here is the review of Tenergy 05 Hard.
You can also use the Red DHS Hurricane 3 for the new poly ball.
Ma Long’s equipment: blade
Ma Long has changed many blades from 2005 to now.
- 2005-2008: Ma Long tried some Nittaku blades: Violin, Acoustic, and Rutis.
- 2009-2011: Ma Long’s blade is Timo Boll Spirit and Timo Boll ALC.
- 2013 – 2018: Ma Long uses DHS 968 and DHS 997 table tennis blades.
- Since 2019: He is using Hurricane Long 5x
This is the resume of rxng for the table tennis equipment used by Ma Long.
Ma Long’s equipment 2019
At the WTTC (World Table Tennis Championship 2019), Ma Long is using Hurricane Long 5x.
Hurricane Long 5x has +0.5mm thicker core than the normal Hurricane Long. The normal Flared handle is very comfortable. The blade is 89 ∓ 3 (g), the thickness is around 6.0 mm. The Speed is very fast OFF ++, the blade composition is similar to the normal Hurricane Long.
You can order the blade from the Official DHS AZ Shop. This blade is one of the top 10 professional blades in modern table tennis. Or you can also buy the complete racket setup assembled by DHS staff: DHS DIY Assembled, Hurricane Long-5 blade, Forehand rubber is the Neo Hurricane 3 Black Rubber (Blue Sponge, Provincial), and backhand rubber is Neo Hurricane 3 red Rubber (Orange Sponge, Provincial). This is a very good racket for advanced players.
DHS Hurricane Long V is a very good table tennis blade for looping style:
- 5 Wooden + 2 Arylate-Carbon Speed OFF++
- Looping machine – a dreaming blade for those who want to loop kill the ball
- Powerful core
- Good feeling in the short game
- Hurricane Long V – DHS 997
Here is another photo of the person setup of Ma Long of the World Championship 2019. You can clearly see that Ma Long is using the Hurricane Long 5 with 2 ALC layers. This blade is faster than the classical Viscaria, despite that the composition is rather similar to the Viscaria.
Should I buy personal Ma Long rubbers?
So why DHS does not commercialize the rubber of Ma Long? Because it’s not a good commercial plan. Not many players can use a very low throw rubber in a real situation. You must have a full and strong stroke to use this type of rubber. So making a medium-high throw angle rubber can fit a wide range of players, and using the commercial strategy to sponsor the top player is a better plan.
Should I buy Ma Long’s national Hurricane 3?
I have explained to you 3 reasons that you should not buy Ma Long’s national Hurricane 3 rubbers.
Please read “the myth of national version Chinese rubbers“.
Ma Long’s playing style
What is Ma Long’s playing style?
Ma Long is the all round table tennis player in the world. He masters every skills in table tennis at the highest level. His main strength is the forehand topspin with a 95% accuracy and consistency.
Ma Long plays with his right hand and is known for being an aggressive player. Coach EmRatThich confirmed that his playing style is to use a lot of topspin with a very smart placement. This helps him put his opponents right on the defensive. His serve is very good too. It’s very hard to judge the amount of spin of the Ma Long’s serve. Some pro players claim that Ma Long sometimes hide the ball behind his head.
His game is built around his good forehand. He wins most of his points with his forehand topspin. When the ball comes to his backhand, he will make a solid backhand topspin control or maybe put a bit of topspin if he has more time, but then he will try to get around to use his forehand as much as possible.
Ma Long has the best setup serve in the World Tour. His set up serve is the best for his forehand. He changes up his serves so that he can hit strong shots on the next few balls. Like the rest of the Chinese national team, Ma Long has great footwork and balance, which lets him get into position to hit a forehand.
The most famous moment of Ma Long
There are many famous athletes in China. Being a torchbearer of the opening ceremony of the National Games is a pride for any athlete. Ma Long is, no doubt, one of the most famous athletes in China.
The most famous moment of Ma Long, is when he brings the Olympics torch in the Chinese National Games, and also the moment he gets the Double Grand Slam title. Ma Long won the second Gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO5ylRBsgOU
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