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Từ những thông tin trước nay mình được biết thì mọi VĐV đẳng cấp thế giới đều được hãng của mình làm cho cây vợt đặt chế riêng, Butterfly cũng vậy. Nhưng bây giờ mới biết người làm ra những cốt vợt đẳng cấp cho butterfly là Satoru Chihara. Mời mọi người coi bài viết này: 
TOUCH COMPETITORS: Hard to beat
While millions of his countrymen and women were glued to their TV sets last summer watching Japanese athletes pile up a record number of medals at the Athens Olympics, Masamichi Kubo was keeping tabs on a South Korean pingpong player.
Kubo's firm, Tamasu Co., makes the paddle used by the South Korean, Ryu Seung Min.
``Nationality doesn't matter,'' Kubo says. ``I feel like I win when a player who uses our equipment wins.''
On Aug. 23, Kubo was far from Athens attending a junior high school table tennis tournament in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture. Out for a Korean barbecue meal with two colleagues, Kubo used his laptop right in the restaurant to follow Ryu's championship match in real time through the official Olympic Web site.
When Ryu downed his Chinese opponent, Kubo whooped with joy. Despite the attention lavished on rising 15-year-old star Ai Fukuhara, none of the medals Japan claimed in Athens-16 gold, nine silver and 12 bronze-was in table tennis. Aya Umemura and Ai Fujinuma, a women's doubles pair, came in fifth.
About half of all top-flight international players use Tamasu's Butterfly brand equipment. The company has a 60-percent share of the overall global market.
Unlike sports equipment giants like Adidas and Nike, Tamasu, with about 100 employees, has focused on making and developing only table tennis gear since its inception in 1950.
In addition to gold medalist Ryu, China's Zhang Yining also grabbed gold medals in the women's singles and doubles at last year's Games with a Butterfly paddle. Fukuhara and Umemura, as well, use Butterfly paddles.
Tamasu rules both the domestic and international equipment markets.
According to Kubo, one of Tamasu's strong points is that the company has its own manufacturing plant, in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, where it turns out products for the top players. The Tamasu head office is in Tokyo's Suginami Ward.
One of the manufacturer's ``secret weapons'' is veteran factory hand Satoru Chihara, who's been in the business for 45 years.
Over the last decade, the 67-year-old master has devoted himself to creating custom-made paddles for the top players.
Despite his mastery of the craft-his paddles are so nearly identical that they differ by not so much as even a gram-he is modest about his skills.
``I can produce any custom-made paddle in about an hour,'' says Chihara. ``But the real knack is figuring out the right materials. I always take a lot of time checking the wood.''
He adds: ``Customers have many requests, such as the paddle size, weight, material, strength and thickness. Sometimes, their requests are a little contradictory, like `hard but light' or `compact but heavy.' I try to come as close as I can to fulfilling those requests.''
The best wood for a paddle comes from 150- to 200-year-old hinoki, or Japanese cypress. But it's difficult now to find it, he says.
``For example, only one out of every 100 pieces of hinoki I check is good enough to go into the 100-gram paddle used by Athens champ Ryu,'' said Chihara. ``He is fond of heavier-than-average paddles.''
Healthy for his age, Chihara appears ready to carry on for another 10 years.
``Just as I learned from my predecessor, I have to start passing on my knowledge to the next person,'' he said. ``But I'm worried that global warming is going to have an impact on the chances of finding good hinoki.''
It's Kubo's job to act as the intermediary between Chihara and the top players, who are important for raising the brand's popularity.
``Tamasu isn't a big company,'' notes Kubo. ``We don't even have enough salespeople to cover every corner of Japan.''
Instead, Tamasu has its eye on a handful of top players at home and abroad who can influence the buying habits of the legions of ordinary players.
``Table tennis players take a keen interest in the brands used by strong players,'' Kubo said. ``Even a prefectural champion attracts a lot of attention.''
Simply put, Kubo's job is to spot the rising stars faster than his company's rivals. Once a contract is signed, Kubo keeps the player well-stocked with Butterfly brand products and relays any comments to the developers back at the plant.
Though mainly in charge of handling domestic players, Kubo sometimes gets e-mails in English from foreigners asking about paddles or other gear.
The 34-year-old started playing table tennis in junior high school. His skill got him into an Ibaraki high school and a Chiba university, after which he moved to the United States.
Although there are relatively few registered players in the United States, Kubo got the chance to play with experienced players from several countries while learning English in Maryland.
``The experience I gained in the United States helps me in my dealings with foreign players. Some of them were excellent players from China. I learned a lot from them-their skill and mentality,'' Kubo said.
``Players, both Japanese and foreigners, often blame their equipment when they don't play well,'' he said. ``It's important to listen carefully to what they say and offer as many options as possible.''
Athens Olympic champion Ryu expressed satisfaction with Butterfly products in a telephone interview with The Asahi Shimbun.
``Tamasu has provided me with paddles and rubber faces that suit my style of play,'' Ryu said. ``They're helping me to develop an aggressive and powerful style of table tennis.''(IHT/Asahi: January 8,2005)
TOUCH COMPETITORS: Hard to beat
While millions of his countrymen and women were glued to their TV sets last summer watching Japanese athletes pile up a record number of medals at the Athens Olympics, Masamichi Kubo was keeping tabs on a South Korean pingpong player.
Kubo's firm, Tamasu Co., makes the paddle used by the South Korean, Ryu Seung Min.
``Nationality doesn't matter,'' Kubo says. ``I feel like I win when a player who uses our equipment wins.''
On Aug. 23, Kubo was far from Athens attending a junior high school table tennis tournament in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture. Out for a Korean barbecue meal with two colleagues, Kubo used his laptop right in the restaurant to follow Ryu's championship match in real time through the official Olympic Web site.
When Ryu downed his Chinese opponent, Kubo whooped with joy. Despite the attention lavished on rising 15-year-old star Ai Fukuhara, none of the medals Japan claimed in Athens-16 gold, nine silver and 12 bronze-was in table tennis. Aya Umemura and Ai Fujinuma, a women's doubles pair, came in fifth.
About half of all top-flight international players use Tamasu's Butterfly brand equipment. The company has a 60-percent share of the overall global market.
Unlike sports equipment giants like Adidas and Nike, Tamasu, with about 100 employees, has focused on making and developing only table tennis gear since its inception in 1950.
In addition to gold medalist Ryu, China's Zhang Yining also grabbed gold medals in the women's singles and doubles at last year's Games with a Butterfly paddle. Fukuhara and Umemura, as well, use Butterfly paddles.
Tamasu rules both the domestic and international equipment markets.
According to Kubo, one of Tamasu's strong points is that the company has its own manufacturing plant, in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, where it turns out products for the top players. The Tamasu head office is in Tokyo's Suginami Ward.
One of the manufacturer's ``secret weapons'' is veteran factory hand Satoru Chihara, who's been in the business for 45 years.
Over the last decade, the 67-year-old master has devoted himself to creating custom-made paddles for the top players.
Despite his mastery of the craft-his paddles are so nearly identical that they differ by not so much as even a gram-he is modest about his skills.
``I can produce any custom-made paddle in about an hour,'' says Chihara. ``But the real knack is figuring out the right materials. I always take a lot of time checking the wood.''
He adds: ``Customers have many requests, such as the paddle size, weight, material, strength and thickness. Sometimes, their requests are a little contradictory, like `hard but light' or `compact but heavy.' I try to come as close as I can to fulfilling those requests.''
The best wood for a paddle comes from 150- to 200-year-old hinoki, or Japanese cypress. But it's difficult now to find it, he says.
``For example, only one out of every 100 pieces of hinoki I check is good enough to go into the 100-gram paddle used by Athens champ Ryu,'' said Chihara. ``He is fond of heavier-than-average paddles.''
Healthy for his age, Chihara appears ready to carry on for another 10 years.
``Just as I learned from my predecessor, I have to start passing on my knowledge to the next person,'' he said. ``But I'm worried that global warming is going to have an impact on the chances of finding good hinoki.''
It's Kubo's job to act as the intermediary between Chihara and the top players, who are important for raising the brand's popularity.
``Tamasu isn't a big company,'' notes Kubo. ``We don't even have enough salespeople to cover every corner of Japan.''
Instead, Tamasu has its eye on a handful of top players at home and abroad who can influence the buying habits of the legions of ordinary players.
``Table tennis players take a keen interest in the brands used by strong players,'' Kubo said. ``Even a prefectural champion attracts a lot of attention.''
Simply put, Kubo's job is to spot the rising stars faster than his company's rivals. Once a contract is signed, Kubo keeps the player well-stocked with Butterfly brand products and relays any comments to the developers back at the plant.
Though mainly in charge of handling domestic players, Kubo sometimes gets e-mails in English from foreigners asking about paddles or other gear.
The 34-year-old started playing table tennis in junior high school. His skill got him into an Ibaraki high school and a Chiba university, after which he moved to the United States.
Although there are relatively few registered players in the United States, Kubo got the chance to play with experienced players from several countries while learning English in Maryland.
``The experience I gained in the United States helps me in my dealings with foreign players. Some of them were excellent players from China. I learned a lot from them-their skill and mentality,'' Kubo said.
``Players, both Japanese and foreigners, often blame their equipment when they don't play well,'' he said. ``It's important to listen carefully to what they say and offer as many options as possible.''
Athens Olympic champion Ryu expressed satisfaction with Butterfly products in a telephone interview with The Asahi Shimbun.
``Tamasu has provided me with paddles and rubber faces that suit my style of play,'' Ryu said. ``They're helping me to develop an aggressive and powerful style of table tennis.''(IHT/Asahi: January 8,2005)
đối với bác thì bình thường nhưng đối với mình không bình thường chút nào nó làm rõ rất nhiều nghi vấn mà mình chưa khẳng định được từ trước.