Hi all, I just got Bray pro mod and the balance for it is way off Ken 83gr/Tama 62gr How bad is it? I'm kind of a beginner so I don't know what is the impact for it Should I return it? Thanks, Eli
Just because a kendama isn't "weight matched" doesn't mean that it is unplayable. If you're just starting out just play and don't worry much about it. If you end up liking kendama you'll likely get another kendama in the not-too-distant-future anyway. If it really bothers you you can ring up KUSA to ask them about it. They're generally pretty good to deal with. FWIW I've got a setup that's nearly 30g off, tama heavy, and I still play and enjoy it.
As a beginner it’s not something you should worry about right now. Even then, there are players who prefer tama heavy setups or ken heavy setups instead of it being close to/perfectly weight matched. Once you figure out your play style that’s when you figure out your own weight preferences, but like @goenKendama said, mismatched weights do not mean a kendama is unplayable.
Thanks guys, that's good to know What bothers me is that when you have a style, how do you buy your kendamas? As apparently there's no real control of its weight and balance
Some of the higher end companies either aim for "balance" within XX-XX grams or sometimes you can make a request. It's also quite possible that the more you play the less it matters. You'll still have a preference but you can play anything and still have a blast. You might start out by not weighing your kendama at all and save yourself a lot of grief. For additional reading: At what price point do you expect a weight matched kendama?
When I get a weirdly-weighted kendama, I always remember words that @goenKendama said to me once: "The kendama determines how you play." When you have an extremely ken-heavy kendama like your BrayMod, it may be a wake-up call for you to focus on other aspects of kendama. Sure, juggling will be much more difficult, but cup tricks, stalls, balance tricks, and spike tricks are all still perfectly fine. The mark of a good kendama player is that he can play kendama with whatever is put in his hands, whether it be a TK16 or a Modern Kendama, and of whatever weight or paint.
You make me sound like some toga-clad, cave-dwelling, kendama guru up on a mountain somewhere. But to follow-on I'd just say that at least in my case I have different kendama for different moods, play modes, and training etc. Like a toolkit I pick whatever matches my moment and go with that. The "be able to play anything you pick up" thought I've heard echoed by players infinitely more skilled than myself; might be confirmation bias but it works for me.