OOAK Table Tennis Forum

She's one of the best sp players I've seen. Nowadays, inv-sp combo seems to be doing well for many women players, esp. Koreans and Singaporeans. I was impressed by their games and being able to win over Chinese players like Guo Yue and Wang Nan.


That's pretty special, and sounds really good for an sp. I'm guessing your setup would be breaching 180g with it?

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.:[:. YEO : H2 - Coppa JO-G .:]:.

Yes, right about that. I might try inverted at some point on BH, but it will have to be a very light sheet.

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-- Andrew

Spintech All Around Penhold blade
Spinlord Keiler II 1.5 black
Nittaku FastArc G1 red

729 all around blade
Tibhar Grass D-Tec S Red
Nittaku FastArc G1 black

110 g

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

I know you are passing on in good faith what you have heard but I dont believe this for a second.

LJW hits many forehands that are basically fast counter loops from several feet behind the table. It's amazing that she even uses short pips much less thin sponge. I'd bet a lot she uses heavily glued max thickness sponge.

I was surprised too, but saw it in one of the ITTF magazine articles here: http://www.ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_fu ... ID=105324&

"A fast attacking player she uses short pimples TSP Spectol 1.00mm, on the forehand and reversed rubber, TSP XFI 2.15 on the backhand; the rather unusual part of her play being that she always serves from the backhand using the reversed side of the racket in order to generate spin on the ball."

It's perfectly possible it's a typo though. She does get plenty of power and spin on her forehand, where her pips are. Doesn't look flat to me.

Still, with my brief exposure to Spectol Speed (the gray-white sponge 45 degree version) unglued on a fast blade that 1.8 was plenty even 4 feet back. Speedglued on a fast blade, thinner sponge might still be effective.

My Chinese coach (#16 in the U.S.) prefers 2.3 max supersoft sponge (30 degree) and thinks thin sponge (like my 1.6-1. is too thin. But of course he's a top player and former Chinese National Team prospect.

_________________
-- Andrew

Spintech All Around Penhold blade
Spinlord Keiler II 1.5 black
Nittaku FastArc G1 red

729 all around blade
Tibhar Grass D-Tec S Red
Nittaku FastArc G1 black

Well, the important thing for every player is what works best for them. Just cause pros do it doesn't mean it will work for lesser players. For a lot of people thinner probably is better, as a general rule.

The one thing I might add, though, is that what feels best is not always the thing that will win you the most points. Thin sponge on my pips feels better, but after video taping matches played both ways, I discovered with analysis of winners and misses that I played better with the thicker, even though it didn't feel as good.

I think also that penholders play sufficiently differently that my experience will not translate to that style of play.

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

If you can tell the difference between 1.00-1.3mm short pips and 1.5 (or 1. from a picture then you have sharper eyes than I do. You could always post a link though.

Keep in mind that Lia Jia Wei probably speedglues her short pips, which expands the sponge, so they might end up being a lot thicker when she puts them on her blade. That said the only evidence I have that she uses 1.00 Spectol is the article by Ian Marshall, but he doesn't have any reason to make it up. Could be an issue with translation though.

Since some of the female Korean defenders use 1.7 Tackifire-Drive and some of the short pips penholders use 1.5 Spectol, that someone uses 1.00 short pips isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

_________________
-- Andrew

Spintech All Around Penhold blade
Spinlord Keiler II 1.5 black
Nittaku FastArc G1 red

729 all around blade
Tibhar Grass D-Tec S Red
Nittaku FastArc G1 black

she let the pips dries EXACTLY 30 minutes after she pours glue

you will see the spectol is as thick as the inverted

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54006453@N00/2531821750/


wouldnt be 1st time ITTF post unprecisse information

Thanks for posting the photo but telling the precise thickness of the sponge from that photo is beyond me. We're looking at most at 1 mm difference. All I can tell is that there's significant overhang on both sides.

_________________
-- Andrew

Spintech All Around Penhold blade
Spinlord Keiler II 1.5 black
Nittaku FastArc G1 red

729 all around blade
Tibhar Grass D-Tec S Red
Nittaku FastArc G1 black

Andrew, where in US do you live?

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

Western edge of West Virginia, where Ohio and Kentucky meet.

Houston would be a bit of a hike, I tend to play in Ohio.

_________________
-- Andrew

Spintech All Around Penhold blade
Spinlord Keiler II 1.5 black
Nittaku FastArc G1 red

729 all around blade
Tibhar Grass D-Tec S Red
Nittaku FastArc G1 black

Thanks much for the close-up. For me there is some optical illusion, the pips sponge looks thicker than the inverted at one end of the bat but thinner at the other. Overall the picture raises my confidence that Li doesnt play with 1.0 from 99% to 99.99%

One ittf report listied a choppers bh rubber as feint long 2.1mm
what was meant was feint long 2 1mm

I have family in Reston VA. I guess thats still hundreds of miles from you?

Yeah, about 400 miles. If you were driving from Houston, it might be on the way but I bet you aren't

_________________
-- Andrew

Spintech All Around Penhold blade
Spinlord Keiler II 1.5 black
Nittaku FastArc G1 red

729 all around blade
Tibhar Grass D-Tec S Red
Nittaku FastArc G1 black