OOAK Table Tennis Forum

From playing other peoples setups I have decided that I like a softer sponge on the FH as I really like when I can get the ball to dig right in, so I was thinking that the Cream Transcend would do this nicely on an ALL blade? (I have the transcend on the BH of an OFF blade but I can't really tell how it would perform for forehand looping on a slower blade)

I have the 729 Super FX on my FH of the ALL blade right now which is my main setup, and its getting a bit old and I was wondering whether replacing it with a Transcend would give me a little more dwell time for some slowish but spinny and controllable loops? If you guys don't think this would be the case then I'll stick with the Super FX as I like how that plays well enough (except I would like a little more sponge softness). And for reference I'm using them in 2.15 thickness

Thanks

I once hit with SP ULTRA tack with Transcend sponge. Didn't like it at all. Felt the Transcend sponge was far too stiff for my liking. I think this sponge is generally regarded as being hard. See these first few reviews. I tend to agree.
http://www.tabletennisdb.com/rubber/729 ... scend.html

You have 729 Super FX now so that's a pretty tacky topsheet. If you want a fairly tacky topsheet with a soft sponge, they're hard to find. Seems like generally it's one or the other IMO. (non tacky & soft... or Tacky & hard)

LKT PRO XT for the money is absolutely the best blend I've tried for a cheaper rubber. $14. Pretty tacky (maybe not quite as much as your Super FX but close) and very soft. Great feel.

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Stiga Clipper Classic
FH - TSP Spectol Red 2.0
BH - Dawei 388D-a 1.5

Interesting, I hadn't looked into the LKT you mentioned. Tackiness isn't really a feature I care too too much about but it does look like it would fit the bill in the sponge properties. From what I've felt the transcend was a bit softer than the super fx but I have them on different blades so its quite hard to tell (I don't really have the experience to compare rubbers when ones on an ALL and ones on an OFF blade). But it looks like the LKT is quite softer so maybe I'll try that and if its too soft I'll try to find something in between.

Or maybe I'll just get a few different sheets and compare, for the prices that these rubbers are there's really no point in saving $10-15 to play with something that I don't care for. I think this is how the EJ starts

I think you'll like the Pro XT. It was a favorite of mine. Looping is a breeze with this.

If you find that sponge to be a hair too soft, then you're looking for RITC GeoSpin Tacky. Just a hair tackier and ever so slightly firmer sponge.

Can't really go wrong with either IMO.

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Stiga Clipper Classic
FH - TSP Spectol Red 2.0
BH - Dawei 388D-a 1.5

Surely trying Transcend on your FH on your OFF blade give you a prety fair indication as to whether it is suitable or not?

Not sure if this topic is no longer of interest, but from my experience, the best soft sponged tacky rubber sheet is the 729 FX Super Soft. This seems to me to feel the same top-sheet as the 729 Super FX which I also love, but gives much better control and softness with the white sponge behind it. This enables a great looping game (allbeit slightly slower) where the ball really embeds itself into the sponge with the right technique. I can also chop very consistently with good spin which is the main reason I used this.

I am generally a defender chopper on backhand long pips (D-Tecs), with forehand being the Super Soft (has to be in black as it seems to make a difference).

Hope this sheds some more light on this topic, as some seem to think you cannot get a soft sponged, Chinese, tacky top-sheet rubber. In fact this is imo a great combination!

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LPM

Buttrtfly Grubba Pro, FH: Butterfly T05 (Blk 1.9mm), BH: Tibhar Grass D-Tecs (red 1.2mm)

Invincibility lies in the defence; the possibility of victory in the attack.
Sun Tzu

Link to my Review of 729 Super FX (blue sponge) rubber, 729 755 Tack-Speed rubber, and Darker Hinoki Mai Gouban 3-ply Blade: http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=25334&p=270267#p270267

Tacky with soft sponge - there are varieties of CJ8000 with softish sponge (33 degrees, 35 degrees IIRC), also Yasaka ZAP (which is a lot less tacky, same company makes it). I don't like these rubbers because they're a pain to glue on the blade, having a lot of "dish".

I bought a sheet of LKT Pro XT Green Dragon some time back - this a little more expensive than the regular Pro XT which can be had for under $10 including shipping ($8.53 for the next 4 hous.. ):



http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shi ... 48540.html



http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shi ... 57335.html

The thing that really struck me about the Green Dragon was it's weight - it only weighs 48 grams uncut! And this is for 2.2mm sponge. Seems to play OK, if a bit slow. I can't really tell the difference between a lot of Chinese rubber. Still haven't tried Seamooning it.

Iskandar

Yes those KTL/LKT XT rubbers are always very light, the sponge quite soft and topsheet quite thin. The 729 FX super soft also has a thinner and less tacky topsheet compared to the original 729 FX. Both the 729 FX Super soft and the LKT/KLT XT are only mildly tacky... if they were very tacky they'd be even slower.
Many years ago I speed glued the LKT XP, which played very nicely, although the rubber bottoms out too easily.

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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

Heh.. technically all 729 Super FX topsheets are supposed to be the same, but that's never stopped anyone..

Have you tried the Green Dragon? There's also the even more expensive Silver Dragon. Not to mention the non-tacky XP series.

Iskandar

I agree, on both counts


Yes, different versions with different colour sponges...not a lot of differences in performance I would think. The XP is virtually identical to the XT.

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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

For what it's worth, the Green Dragon sponge (which is green!) is of the large pore variety. Which seems to be in fashion these days (because the Tenergy sponge and the sponge under the most expensive Tensors have large pores).

Iskandar

Although I have not tried any of the 'large pore' Chinese rubbers, I have my doubt that performance will be anywhere near German/Japanese 'large pore' rubbers. Large pores are easy to copy, but that does not mean it comes with the added performance.

_________________
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

Yeah, it's a fashion. 729 Battle, KTL Green Dragon, Palio Hidden Dragon 40+... not to mention the special edition 729 Super FX.

I've decided the Green Dragon's just too plain slow for my Yinhe Kiso 7 blade - I'll either try heavily Seamooning it or replace it with Emperor Dragon, or use it on the backhand. It's even slower than Yinhe 9000, which might be a good thing for a backhand rubber. Sort of a shame, it's so light.

Iskandar

Oh boy... Two applications of Falco Long 24 hours apart. A week later, a very mild dome. Then I try gluing it back on the blade.. and it's expanded.. well, about 3/8 inch (9mm) at the top!! Haven't had a chance to hit with it yet.

Iskandar