Giving a quick review of this new long pips so the EJ's can get their fill...
First off, sponge is VERY soft of course. 20 degrees? Feels softer than feint 3 and similar to curl p4. I'm using the rubber in 1.5 (max) thickness. The sheet weighs about 32 grams uncut. Almost feels like you've got a big, cozy pillow glued onto the blade
Playing characteristics:
-Quite grippy! I think it has less surface grip than feint 3, but more than curl p4. With the sponge this thick, I am able to accomplish what I was looking for - a long pip as close to short pips as you might hope to get! You can vary the chops from pretty heavy, to low spin floaters. It doesn't have enough friction to take a no-spin/low-spin ball and have your opponent dropping it into the net every shot... but there is enough to draw out mistakes commonly. It certainly has more than enough grip to warrant respecting the variations! I doubt most players could 'pin you down' on this rubber, since it offers the ability to dictate play itself.
-Soft, flexible pips -- far more flexible than feint long 3, and even more bendable than p4. To me they are about the same as the pips on d.tecs, flexibility wise when dragging a ball across them.
-Need to be more precise when returning serves. It kills off SOME of the spin, but nothing like a sheet of d.tecs in OX or rubbers of that ilk. Just like with feint long 3, you must be aware of the spin and not simply stick your paddle out there. Having said that, I was able to basically push/chop back any serve I received. The only tricky ones here are very short and heavily spun balls. Those do require stricter precision.
-Can hit accurately, not overly quickly -- you may 'block' from far off the table, or fish the ball back when caught out of position and have it go where you intend.
-Kills the pace of the ball very well! Fast drives and smashes can be absorbed by the slow, dampening sponge and sent back repeatedly to infuriate any stalwart attacker! I had great fun playing, when the attacker would fire over a blistering shot followed by a cheer of victory -- only for me to send it floating back to them with a quick "It's not over yet!" jibe. (Note, we don't strictly follow the no talking during points rule
)
Overall, I like this one a lot for what I wished to get out of it. A grippy LP that was capable of changing spins, messing up opponents through those alterations, yet still held onto enough LP traits to be forgiving when in the hands of aspiring choppers! I won't call the SP-like attributes a negative. But be sure that is what you want. A harder time in the short game, with better off the table chopping. I personally like the short game style (essentially weak inverted) -- you will definitely need to be comfortable using grippy rubbers for serve returns to enjoy this piece.
I feel it goes into that niche category (at this sponge thickness), where most people will dislike how SP-like it is and think... why don't I just put on a sheet of short pips then?!? Since you are giving up so many of the factors that people look for in LPs. If you're a long range bomb-chopper who finds SP too exacting, then you'll most likely love these! Although I think the 1.0 thickness would be sufficient.
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