OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hi

I'm a new convert to SP's. I'm playing with them on the FH having recently switched from "normal" inverted rubber. I've tried a few different types but not yet found the perfect fit for me.


Essentially what I'm looking for is a modern, fast, spinny/grippy SP that is towards the inverted rubber end of the SP spectrum. I basically want a rubber that behaves pretty much as an inverted would, and can play all the same sort of strokes, but just that you contact the ball with a slightly more open bat angle.


I'm trying to play a Mattias Falck sort of game, but I've tried the Rakza PO rubber that he uses and think that its maybe not quite grippy/spinney enough.


I currently have bats set up with the following:


Firestorm (max sponge) - feels a bit too hard and plastic and not sure the grip is high enough - pimples are smooth so I wonder if the ball might be slipping a bit on contact.

Flarestorm (max sponge) - not as hard and plastic feeling as firestorm but is along the right lines, I think but seems a bit slow.

Joola Express Ultra (max sponge) - probably the nicest one I've tried so far. nice and soft top sheet which I think is what I need, but the sponge is a bit too soft and seems to feel like its bottoming out a bit.


From my research I think Spin Pips Red and Impartial XS might be worth a go, but would welcome other recommendations.


Thanks

Stuart

Have you considered Spinlord Waran?
There are two versions available: Waran features a hard topsheet and a very soft sponge, and Waran II has the same topsheet but the sponge is much harder.

try the cheapo chinese ones like friendship 802-40

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Custom Defense::: Friendship 802 : Dr. Neubauer Super Block

Haifu dolphin is awesome. But i am looking for something else, because it seems like they are not doing it anymore and quality issues.

Tried spinpips blue. Good spin, but no power. So i would stay away from red. Do not know much about impartial.

Why do you need so much spin? i also like grip for serve and first opening loop, but on the other shots you want to flathit but maybe hard in the beginning. Looping with a short pimple is not good.

+1 to gus_goose's suggestion. Look for the softer sponged versions.

My first 802-40 I bought from China (Directly from Eacheng, IIRC). Fairly firm sponge like most chinese rubbers, some version of "Mystery sponge", I think. OK, but nothing special.

Now I am on my second sheet, bought from tabletennis11. It had a softer and more springy sponge. Packaging says "Special super soft pro version". I play more consistently with this one, and like it better than the first I had.

Sounds like Victas 102 may suit you. See the recent thread on this rubber.

Or you could go with a low throw inverted rubber which would require a less closed blade.

The Question for you is, which is more important creating topspin or hitting through spin

I also think a softer sponge will make it easier in the beginning, and proably a good first step coming from inverted because they are more close to eachother. But i think, that with all soft sponge rubbers, you can cheat much much much more with technique and footwork, because you get more for free from the sponge so i think it is better for your technique to use harder rubbers.

IMO 802-40 has the similar plastic feeling.
Waran has very nice feel and it was easy to convert from FH inverted for me.

Waran has balanced speed to spin ratio to play direct attacking game.
More spiny pips-out rubbers would not be necessarily more effective, nor easier to control.

As someone coming from using inverted on my forehand for almost all of the last 20-plus years, the rubber that I've found the most easy to use is DMS Firestorm Soft. It has a nice soft sponge for control, I can counter-hit fairly decently with it (not a ton of power, but still a solid hit) and it is really spinny. I feel like I can do a number of my old loop strokes with them. Not that I necessarily want to, but as I learn the short pips game, if I get in a tight spot it's good to have that option. For me, Waran regular was a good but not great option, and Waran 2 was far too hard of a sponge for my taste. It sounds like Victas VO>102 is also similar in that it's a softer sponge spinnier type short pip, or one of the soft 802-40 versions. Spinpips Red was pretty spinny, but I wasn't skilled enough right now to handle it.

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"The greatest teacher, failure is"
USATT Rating: 1725
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Dr Neubauer ABS3 1.5

People at rating and higher aren't gonna get "killed" with a smash. imo, the short pips game from 1700 usa rating and above is placement. Your stroke should be the same in all types of rallies so you can really focus on moving on and jamming your opponent. After your opponent realizes you can smash everything he/she will adjust and that's how the game is played. Weird placement and basically the same hit for everything is the way I played.

For me that's why this conversation on specific pip characteristics, ej-ing, is overblown. You basically need to get used to your rubber and that's life, boring to some but effective. If you are looking for short pip rubber to do everything - flat hit, spin, block, chop - i think you'll always be looking and never settle on a set-up or a style.

The point of pimples is to mess up some opponents. it is a different style if you play the rubber that way. If you just play your same style with a different set up why not stick to your old set up. I'm not directing my comments at you specifically just the short pip thread recently in general.

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Custom Defense::: Friendship 802 : Dr. Neubauer Super Block

I think that's a good point (and was also mentioned by kees or ian in one of their threads). Where some people imagine short pips as being the POWER HAMMER rubber to smash everything full force... that works at lower levels where people pop the ball up far too high, far too often! As you go up, these easy smash kills get fewer and farther between one another - so you must use less power, focus on angles and redirection of the ball, then pounce on any high balls to smash home. What they were saying was, short pips actually force you to use LESS power than inverted since the spin is reduced and the safety margin along with it. So in their view, this deterred others from starting up the style as it could be viewed as 'less manly' that you must exercise control and patience, rather than power looping anything within reach.

But man, it sure is fun to SMASH that ball

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SOULSPIN CUSTOM BLADES
Fh: Spinny rubber
Bh: Not so spinny rubber...