OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Oh, learninTT, I see from your sig that you have already done business with Zeropong. Let me urge you to ask him about this!
Then tell us what he says.

While I respect your suggestion I do not think Tom, from Zeropong, will change my views. My personal requirement is to find a tacky, reasonably hard, forehand rubber that will allow me to learn and improve in TT without having to worry about boosting it or having to change it every so often when the factory boost wears off.

I did read your earlier post before you edited it and know you feel similarly as well.

Maybe I should go for the Hurricane 3 (non Neo) but the provincial/national ones with the not-so-hard sponge are too expensive. Perhaps I will try the Gambler Burst with Thor's hammer sponge next to see if that meets my requirements.

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Thanks!
LTT

Paddles
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Primary: Sanwei Fextra, Sanwei Target National on FH, Palio AK47 red on BH
Backup: Sanwei Fextra, Palio HK1997 Gold on FH, Sanwei T88-Taiji on BH
Motto: Always Learnin'

I didn't mean he would change your mind. I meant he can probably answer your question.

Oh sure. Uncut sheets never exceed 80 grams (and if it's above 72-73 grams you probably wouldn't want to use it anyhow.. ). A scale that can handle 200 grams is plenty for rubber, blades and assembled rackets. I think the .01g scale in that ad goes to 500g.

By the way, coins are a handy way to check the calibration (not that I've come across any cheap scales with calibration that's off as yet.. and I have some lab-grade analytical balances around to compare them with).



I use a 8 oz. paper cup. Put the cup on the platform, tare, then place the rubber (or blade) on top of the cup.

The extra resolution is great if you're anal enough to weigh balls...

Iskandar

Why not something like Yinhe Mercury II? Or one of the $10 729 sheets, like 729FX? (Check out the "big pore sponge" version - that's probably a little TOO fast..) How "advanced" does this rubber have to be? I mean, somehow, "learning", "improving" and "provincial/national" somehow don't seem to go together... (I do think Retail H3 IS too slow for most people..)

Iskandar

Loki GTX Pro.

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Other setups:
SDC Custom Blade/Butterfly Dignics 80/Butterfly Glayzer
BTY Viscaria/Tibhar K3/Tibhar K3

To learninTT (and others):

Speaking of SuperFX and Zeropong, and speaking of a non-boosted rubber with good performance that will stay stable, and with this thread in mind, I pulled out a Mazunov with SuperFX on one side and 802-40 on the other, and I know for certain that the rubber is at least four years old. When I mounted it I was using VOC glue on the sponge but that must have been completely gone years ago. Also, I probably rejuvenated the top sheet several times with baby oil, also more than four years ago. I feel about .1% of its original tack, along with some oxidation or whatever on the topsheet. (It has been sitting without a protective sheet for years.)
I just took it without cleaning it and hit a few balls, and I posted to tell you that you would probably be surprised by the speed and spin (on a Mazunov Off+). Too lazy to make a video, sorry.
SuperFX was what I was using immediately before I fell in love with H2 (non-NEO), **BUT**, at that time I was using VOC glue on the sponge without fully realizing what I was doing. I am *pretty sure* (don't sue me) that with non-volatile glue (or glue completely dried before assembly), SuperFX might surprise people when compared to Hurricane/Skyline non-NEO, which I already mentioned as rubbers that were (I've read) intended to be boosted.

At the very least, it could serve as a reference point, a stable baseline for a good unboosted rubber.
A stable baseline is a good thing.

EDIT: Of course (as I'm sure you know) it takes a lot more physical effort to play with this kind of rubber.
EDIT: As more evidence, it also hasn't shrunk. I see zero shrinkage.

Using plain old VOC glue (e.g. Elmer's Rubber Cement or the old Butterfly Chack) shouldn't make the rubber any different compared to water based glue. If you wanted the speed glue effect then you really had to use speed glue (very thin VOC glue with special solvents, applied in prodigious quantities - as in, you'd pour it from the can onto the sponge in a HUGE puddle, which you'd slosh around with the brush to get a reasonably uniform thick layer. And then you'd wait about 15 minutes for it to dry off and the dome to develop before slapping it on the blade). And the effect would only last an hour or two before you had to tear the rubber off and repeat the process. (And you'd have to remove the rubbers from the blade after each playing session. What a major pain it was.. ) So yeah, your FX would definitely be "unboosted", VOC glue or no VOC glue.

Iskandar

Apparently, Sanwei has produced 2nd generation of the Sanwei National Target with the picture of Gavin Rumgay on its front cover. Has anyone try this new STN? How is it differ with the 1st generation of STN?

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HL5, Neo H3 Prov BS, Neo H3 Prov
Maze ALC, Neo H3 Prov BS, Rozena

I use Sanwei Target National inverted rubber (the one in the blue package like in the picture, with or without Gavin face on)

I love it on BH. It is too soft for me on FH. I prefer classic feel of H3 on FH.

STN is good quality product. Tacky. Tackiness comparable to H3 or H3Neo. Tackiness lasts forever, given that you wash and cover rubber as you should.

No smell.

Consistent. Throw angle is a little higher than H3 commercial, so it is easier to play BH.

It is not factory boosted, and who needs booster on a cake sponge anyway?!

As mentioned, it comes with the blue cake sponge. That is the reason I use this rubber. In the past I tried just two porous sponges. Never liked them. The one on the STN is good. As we know tiny air pores in the sponge compress to the degree and then boom! explode. So this rubber is not linear, and also it is not a tensor. Up until you hit hard it acts as normal linear tacky Chinese rubber, softer than H39 (DHS scale). So on short delicate game it is perfect. Your BH serves will be loaded with spin. Blocks are controllable. But once you hit harder sponge comes into the action and fires ball out with nice "click" sound. This click sound is produced by exploded air in squeezed pores. I use it as a guide to fine tune the force I put into my BH stokes. If I am attempting to attack and there was no click sound, I know that it is very likely ball is going to come back to me, as I did not do a good job. However, if there was a "click" then ball is catapulted like it should.

Topsheet is delicate. After just one intense week the topsheet will look like horses were dancing on it, yet it was just 3g ball. It is easy to leave permanent marks on the topsheet, like small bruises, scratches and etc. Mine did not tear. And weary appearance does not affect tackiness and game quality.

STN rubber will open up it secrets on the second week of use. If you patient enough you will appreciate it after 10hrs of play. As mentioned, given that you wash properly, it will be tacky. It does not look like tackiness comes from some substance sprayed onto the topsheet, but rather it is built into the topsheet. Once you wash away all dust, ball powder and sweat tackiness is there again.

For me personally STN is a find of the season. Very glad I purchased it. I showed it to my friend, he played, then started using it as his main BH rubber too. Then ordered 2 more red sheets. Yeah, the amount of spin he is putting on the ball makes me regret my decision to recommend it LOL. Just $30 AUD.

EJ or not I dont know ... but if you are not putting your racket on the scale to see whether you are above or below 190g then you are yet to discover the whole new world.

STN uncut - 64g, cut to a bit oversized blade - 54g

HI fmarek, did you notice any difference between the rubbers with and without the face on the package?

I did not notice any difference. But I would ask for newer if I knew which one is newer LOL. I was getting them at random. Currently playing with the one without face on the package and love it.

Hello, thanks for you amazing review. I have couple of questions: which is the best way to clean it? And after years, will you continue recommending it?

Regards.

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