OOAK Table Tennis Forum

What's the best short pip for flat hitting,blocking and pushing?

The least spinny short pips are better for blocking, like Galaxy Pluto. I've also heard that Double Happiness 651 is good for blocking.

The grippiest short pips are better for pushing, like Dawei 388B, though flipping is a better option as the spin isn't enough to surprise anyone, so pushes had better be well placed, either short, long or angled.

For flat hitting, I prefer softer sponge pips (like Friendship 799 or Globe 889) while for opening I prefer a harder sponge, higher throw pip like Friendship 802-40, Globe 889-2, Dawei 388 B1 or Galaxy Uranus.

If you haven't tried short pips before, some good all around pips include Globe 889, Friendship 799 or 802, preferably in 1.5-1.8 sponge. If you've used long pips previously Pluto gives you some nice options.

If you are moving from a looping game with inverted, Uranus, 889-2, 388B, 802-40 or 388 B1 in 1.8-2.0 will make the transition easier as they are grippier and the throw angle is higher compared to the above.

-- Andrew

For purely flat hitting, blocking, and pushing, I'd go with Globe 889, as Andrew recommended. It was my first sheet of short pips, but it still ended up being my favorite.

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Jpen: Galaxy 982 juniper 8mm- Darker Provine Tension-50 2.2 or Tibhar Torpedo Soft 2.2
Shake OFF: Galaxy T8 ST- FH: Darker PT-50 2.2, BH: Juic Varites 1.5
Shake DEF: modified Joo- FH: Reactor Corbor 2.2, BH: Globe 979 1.5

It may well depend on whether you are a penholder or shakehand, and if shakehand, if you are going to use the sp on forehand, backhand, or both. I use them only on my backhand, and I am very aggressive with them and actually like to use them to spin on openings. I have not tried as many rubbers as others, but for my purposes I have found Butterfly Raystorm to be an excellent transition rubber if you are used to inverted. I thought Hammond FA was similar. 802-40 was not bad. My guess is that the rubbers that I like with my style me be the ones you want to avoid!

I found Butterfly Flarestorm to be harder to use, but David Zhuang raised his already formidable game to a higher level after switching to those pips. He is the epitome of blocking and flat hitting! My wife is a penhold blocker with a style reminiscent of Gao Jun. She likes Stiga Radical and uses it very effectively, but I find the stuff completely unuseable with my style.

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Butterfly Viscaria Black tag
2.2 mm Nexy Karis M on FH and BH