OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hou Yingchao purportedly uses the standard TSP Spectol topsheet with a softer sponge made "just for him". Found this out via a few Chinese friends at my club.

Do we know.. what sponge he uses? Is it custom made?

Does anyone have any experience of using Spectol with a separate sponge (something like the UpUpUp Air sponge)?

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My blog: "Learning to play: as a modern defender": http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=22254
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[Other gear I've used]
Blades: Butterfly Defence 3, Butterfly Defence Pro, Butterfly Innerforce ZLC, Butterfly Innershield, DHS Power G7, Stiga Offensive Classic Carbon
SPs: Friendship 802 (1.5), TSP Spectol (1.3, 1.8, 2.1), TSP Spectol Speed (1.3), TSP Super Spinpips Chop Sponge 2 (0.5, 1.3)
LPs: Butterfly Feint Long II (1), Butterfly Feint Long III (0.5, 1.3), Tibhar Grass D.TecS (OX), TSP Curl P1-R (0.5, 1, 1.3), TSP Curl P4 (1.3)

The sponge is already quite soft, rated 35deg.

Perhaps it's the same sponge used on the "TSP Super Spinpips Chop Sponge 2", which is only 25deg!

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What would a softer sponge do to SP, haggis? I've got SSPCS2 and it's almost uncontrollable against heavy spin, but I suspect the mega-soft and grippy topsheet also has something to do with it?

_________________
My blog: "Learning to play: as a modern defender": http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=22254
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtazeX ... oICGS9bqNg
Join the OOAK Discord!: https://discord.gg/Yw2hYUdz3g

[Other gear I've used]
Blades: Butterfly Defence 3, Butterfly Defence Pro, Butterfly Innerforce ZLC, Butterfly Innershield, DHS Power G7, Stiga Offensive Classic Carbon
SPs: Friendship 802 (1.5), TSP Spectol (1.3, 1.8, 2.1), TSP Spectol Speed (1.3), TSP Super Spinpips Chop Sponge 2 (0.5, 1.3)
LPs: Butterfly Feint Long II (1), Butterfly Feint Long III (0.5, 1.3), Tibhar Grass D.TecS (OX), TSP Curl P1-R (0.5, 1, 1.3), TSP Curl P4 (1.3)

Chop down fast on the back (not under) the ball. Against super heavy spin, blade can actually be angled slighting forward as you chop down almost diagonally backwards on the back of the ball.

I can do it against a ball machine, but not in real life. Few chop with SP because the technique is harder to learn, and it's less forgiving if your footwork isn't fast enough. Softer sponge gives you more margin for less than perfect technique. (No chopper has perfect technique against high level oppenents! Feet just can't move that fast.)

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