OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Since I'm far from being an expert on SP (and not afraid to admit it ), I was wondering if one of you guys would like to take a stab at generating a review proforma for Short Pips? It basically needs to identify the more important properties of short pips, which I'm sure would be different to that of inverted or long pips.

I think a lot can be based on the Inverted or Long pips proformas, so you won't have to start from scratch...

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

Okay, so based on the inverted proforma then:

1. The reviewer
A little about your level and style, and blade used to test the rubber.

Makes sense, may also want to clarify how long you have been using short pips and whether you came to short pips from inverted (as I did) or long pips.
To generalize, people who come to short pips from inverted seem to focus on ability to create service spin and attack long balls and focus on speed. Long pips users seem to focus on control of spin and deception when blocking and focus on control.

2. Physical Properties
Mention colour, sponge thickness, sponge hardness (guess or compare to similar), quality of sheet, grippy or tacky/sticky, any unusual features (eg dome), unusual packing, etc

Discussion of pip height, width, spacing and topsheet hardness or softness as well as texture on top of the pips would be helpful here. For sponge, it would be good if people could discuss the effect of different hardnesses and thicknesses if possible as they can radically change the properties of the pips.

3. Speed:
- Speed on slow strokes (eg rolls, loops against underspin)
- Speed on blocks (eg can you block short when you want to, fast when you want to or one or the other)
- Speed on smashes (eg how fast does the ball go when you hit flat) [/color]

4. Spin:
- Spin on attacking strokes
Ability to generate flat versus spinny balls on attacks would be good, as well as the tradeoff between shots that are hard for an opponent to return and shots that go on the table.
- Spin on serves/pushes
For serves, ability to generate heavy spin. For returns, ease of stopping spin (as a push against a push) or continue spin (as a flip against a push or continuing with with sidespin) would be helpful.

5. Control:
How easy it is to control the rubber on blocks, pushes (short game), placement, etc

6. Other Playing properties:
Mention the Throw (ie for a loop, at what angle does the ball come off compared to other rubbers... ball going higher means higher throw), sensitivity to incoming spin, glue effect/feel, sound, rubber bottoming out on hard loops, etc

Trajectory/throw angle would be useful as would sensitivity to spin, though subjective impression will have to do with whether reviewer is originally an inverted or long pip player and their strokes.

7. Reference:
Comparison with at least one rubber on some of the factors above.
Good idea

8. Other comments Other unique properties...
Likewise, ability for long pips user to use or inverted user to use would be helpful. Also ability to play off the bounce or away from the table would be helpful.

9. To cut a long story short.
A brief summing up of one or two sentences. Makes it easy to get the gist of the review.

It would be good if an experienced long pip reviewer added to this as I may have left some things out. I also couldn't find the pro forma for long pips reviews, just reviews.

The background of the reviewer seems to make a huge difference when reviewing short pips, and I have learned to discount what people say about short pips depending on whether their background matches mine or not. One players fast and spinny might be another players fslow and non spinny.

Style would also be good. I tend to attack when possible, a blocker will have different needs than I will.

_________________
-- 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

Excellent summary, Andrew

_________________
NITTAKU SEPTEAR cpen | FH: 729 802, 1.5, black | RPB: CORNILLEAU PILOT POWER, 2.0, red
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Wow that is excellent Andrew, thanks a lot!

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

Glad to help...

_________________
-- 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