OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Here is some info on the New Rubber From Dr. Neubauer.

I was in Germany for 6 weeks in Nürnburg in January-February 08 with Herbert Neubauer. I was helping film the new DVD and did some testing of the new rubber he is producing. In the past I have played with Monster LP. The new Antis he has produced are easy to move to. One should expect around 20 - 25 of practice with this new rubber prior to using it at a tournament. However one's play style has to change very little with the new Antis.

The Gorilla comes with a minimum of .6 sponge. This is the slowest of the two new antis. The sponge is cream in color.

The Grizzly comes with a minimum of 1.0 sponge. The sponge used is the one from their Pistol short pips.

As I like to hit with LP I like the Grizzly. It plays more to my liking. The Gorilla will have a bit more spin reversal however. So those that used Supper Block should move to this (Gorilla).

With both of these new rubbers it is much easier to return long dead serves to the backhand.

I have posted some clips from the new DVD online at www.pechnique.com

David Pech
pechnique.com
Dr Neubauer USA Technical Representative

Dear David,

Welcome to the forum. Lots of Dr. Neubauer fans here and I loved the videos you put on your site. Since you've tested the Gorilla, which I've already ordered, can you answer a few questions about it?

1. On a scale of 1-10 (with Super Block being a 10), what number would you give Gorilla in terms of spin-reveral?

2. On a scale from 1-10 (with Super Block being a 1) what number would you give Gorilla in terms of speed.

3. Are the current Dr. Neubauer balsa blades well suited for the Gorilla, or would something like the plywood and normal size Gladiator blade (which I noticed that the good Doctor was using on the video), or even something slower be more appropriate.

I understand that that you're a Dr. N. representative, but I'm hoping you will be willing to give us some "straight talk," to coin a phrase.

_________________



The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

As to your questions here is the real stuff( "straight talk" )

1. On a scale of 1-10 (with Super Block being a 10), what number would you give Gorilla in terms of spin-reversal?

Answer: 8 - 10 pending if it's a power loop or a soft spiny loop
(7 power Loop)
(10 Soft Spiny Loop)
The power loops tends to sink in more to the rubber surface and will diminish the spin reversal, where as the Soft spiny loops can be bumped back and leave more of the incoming spin on the returned ball.

There are times when one can also give a dead ball by just pushing flat with this new rubber. This is what make this a very devastating rubber to your opponents they will not know what to expect, till they learn the new aspect of this Anti. Some things will have to be learned on how to play someone with this new rubber, compared to playing against Frictionless Long Pips.


2. On a scale from 1-10 (with Super Block being a 1) what number would you give Gorilla in terms of speed.
Answer:
The speed of this new rubber is defiantly faster 4 - 5. The player need to learn to block with no forward component to maintain the ball on the table. I would defiantly advise a all-around blade speed or a combination blade for use with this new rubber.
I have also found applying a piece of Virgin cork 1.5 mil to one side of one's blade will slow down a Off - blade to be controlled very nicely. Please note this is not particle cork but virgin Cork.

3.. Are the current Dr. Neubauer balsa blades well suited for the Gorilla, or would something like the plywood and normal size Gladiator blade (which I noticed that the good Doctor was using on the video), or even something slower be more appropriate.
Answer:
As you all know blades are a mater of preference. I have been using the new Combination Effect by Neubauer. The balsa gives more feeling to me than other blades. However I have tried the Gladiator also with this new rubber and it works also very well. Fore those who like a small grip then, Gladiator is a better fit as the Combination and Special are a larger handle then the other Neubauer blades.

As a side note please take care once one has attached this new Anti to a blade and then tries to take it off. Do not BEND the rubber and pull it off. Keep the rubber as close to flat when removing it from the blade, as it will form micro cracks in the top surface of the rubber if streched in this way. This does not make it unusable but it will not be pristine like many of us like our blades to be.
Using a brush and Bestine rubber thinner works great in separating rubber from the blade.

We should expect this new rubber to arrive here in the US sometime by the end of April, beginning of May.

I will be also suppling this virgin cork from our new store, www.pechnique.com.

As I read the rules concerning this, so-long as the cork covers the entire playing surface of the blade and is not a composite cork, than it should be legal. There are now many blades that the top sheet does not cover the entire length of the blade like the Donic Dortec blades with the cork handle. And as cork veneer comes from a tree it must me considered wood!

David
pechnique.com
Dr. Neubauer USA Technical Rep

That's great information! Thank you for the fast response. I can't wait for the DVD.

_________________



The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

Great info, thanks David!!!

_________________
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

Hi David,

One more question. The black and red versions of different rubbers often have different attributes. Can you comment on the differences between the red and black versions of Gorilla?

_________________



The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

My whole set-up costs less than a sheet of Butterfly Dignics

This is great information - thanks for sharing it with us. The spin reversal is so surprising - it's so high, I can't wait to get my hands on this.

The speed is unsurprising as from testing other rubbers I knew this was going to be faster as an anti. But my recent Mirage test on a slow Barricade blade tells me enough to know that the Gorilla on a slower blade is probably going to be my best choice.

_________________
Tango Ultra 2mm black, DMS Storkraft 1.6mm red, DMS Invictus
Well done bat!

Thanks for your contribution David.

BTW, is the Pistol/Grizzly sponge faster or slower as it gets thicker?

_________________
Custom Re-Impact OFF
Hexer HD 1.9
Hexer Pips 1.9

Member of Anastasia's Fan Club

I find no difference between the two (red,black). Please also keep in mind that the other new anti is Grizzly. This is also a better attacking rubber from Neubauer. I feel it is more of an Anti surface that Gorilla, but has a different sponge, so its a bit faster. It has better control back from the table.

Faster and less spin reversal.

Sorry if I am a bit behind the times with this question, but is the production of these anti's as a response to the ITTF ban on frictionless LP a way of getting around the new rules (ie. a loophole), that the ITTF will perhaps plug as they cotton on to it. If not, why has the response not been to produce LP's that sit at the boundary of the friction limits?

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

There are some few people who are very creative and enjoy developing new things. Dr Neubauer is one of them.
We also know that Table Tennis is "Just a Sport" not a Religion that many people enjoy from young to old. Just because one is Older or handicapped and can not loop and move like a young heathy fit person should not disallow them from still competing in this great sport. If ITTF thinks this is just a loophole they should change the rules to have only ONE type of Rubber that they produce, and one one kind of blade and make every one play with it. If all table tennis players played only one style of game, many would think it would be very boring and would find another sport or start a new federation. They are now doing this in Austria.

As to your question, many players have learned this style of play with frictionless LP. This new Anti now gives them a chance to continue their play style and keep the game of Table Tennis interesting.

I am sure there are LP out there already that comply to the current friction level. No need to be creative about copying every one else.

Thanks David, I appreciate the answer and let me say I wholeheartedly agree with you. In fact there is another forum where I had a very long debate about allowing creativity into TT to cater for all walks of TT player. I think I even used very similar words that you have in that debate. And all it showed me is there are some people in this sport that can't think past their own circumstances and desire not to meet someone who might get an advantage on them. So long as they have an advantage that is obtained by using "acceptable" equipment that big money has been spent to obtain, then thats ok.

Some people think that TT should only be for rich people who can afford to hunt down the best rubbers for their game no matter what the cost. I think it seems the ITTF wants to screw the rules down so tight on things that only certain types and classes of players survive. I am all for creativity in TT and I don't think it should only lie in the domain of the manufacturers. In this forum there has been lots of discussion about things that can be done to improve rubber and sponges, and it seems that has died down because people are afraid to be seen to be over-stepping the rules and be criticised for it. But I think some short-sighted people that run the ITTF are making rules that cast out people who are willing to try things that can broaden the reach of TT, rather than constrict it. Tightening things up, and ostracizing people for their equipment is not the way to bring more people into the game. Its a way to kill off the game, IMO.

I applaud the Dr. for being creative, because I don't deny the manufacturers from doing this, I just don't think they should be the only ones allowed to. The proposed rule about banning anything that changes the rubber chemically etc etc, IMO is just a way to stop people finding a rubber for themselves by experimenting with products. Fair enough to ban harmful agents that can be dangerous (although TBH, I think the VOC ban is a bit of an over-reaction to this because the smell of VOC glue is no worse than someone writing with a new whiteboard marker, or walking into a freshly painted room). But banning things that can stop people using their ingenuity to survive in the game is like saying, buy new TT products or get out of the game!

What on earth right does a federation that is supposed to be about the encouragement of a sport have to do things that deter people from the sport? I think there should be some form of rebellion and if this is happening in Austria, I wish them well! It has occurred to me that something like this needs to happen to shake things up. Certain rules are required in this game sure. But it should not be like a gestapo! The rules should be for how gameplay should flow, and then set certain guidelines on equipments, not prescriptions to follow.

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Thanks for the info dave. i have the gorilla on order.

how about cleaning/maintenance of the new anti's? what is recommended to keep them at least as slick as they come out of the wrapper. legally, at least marginally legally.

Nice site: http://www.pechnique.com./ but I do notice when I click on the picture of the rubbers I get an ad for coffee beans from Panama.

The menu on the left seems to work fine however.

_________________
-- 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