are you saying the unconventional methods they adopted
lead to " More consistency and less susceptibility to breaking down under pressure "
so should be adopted by everyone ??????
or they just worked better for shane and mika
I think mechanical presets are fantastic for locking in consistency but which particular ones to use and how will be player dependent. Schmidt has a funky grip/wrist preset that obv works great for him. Orcollo has the most absurdly pronated grip you'll ever see. Also works awesome for him. So these guys and SVB all stray from convention and apply the same mechanical concept yet it ends up looking completely different in each case.
The beautiful thing about a conventional neutral hang is that it is easy to communicate and apply for just about everyone. But can it be improved upon as players lean into their own preferred feels and tendencies? Of course. And these top players, among countless others, have developed setups and little moves that make their strokes go, that do make them better and less likely to break down.
As far as Mika's stroke goes... it is radically different from a conventionl stroke in terms of force production. As are many pinoy strokes. The major advantage of that stroke type is speed control and effortless power. I think strokes of this nature when married with a reliable mechanical structure have the highest ceiling of any in the world. But that is a matter of opinion and personal preference I guess.
Earl, SVB, Mika, Efren, and Busty are 5 of my favorite players and arguably all in the top 10 all time. None are conventional. Their strokes are not full of flaws that have been overcome by countless hours of play. They are better.
