what do you think is the best rod/blank for pencil popping in the 9-10'range?

Depends on preference....but I like my Lami 1081L for pencils and poppers to 2 ounces!:happy:

Like Larry says preference.
My favvorite stick is a XRA 132 2.
Then again i rarely thro pencils less than 3 oz.'s
I like to throw far.

A pencil rod SHOULD ALWAYS be at least 11'. I dont really like long rods either, i like 10 and under, but to work a pencil the right way, and to make it really fly all over the place, you need 11 feet. If you havent tried a pencil with an 11 footer give it a try, youll be happy with the results.