OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Wow, this was a blast from the past. I think what I actually said at the end was that I hoped the results shown in the video would confuse people because there are just too many factors to consider in the performance of a rubber to say control is down to just one factor eg sponge thickness. And importantly, unless you consider all the factors eg sponge thickness, hardness, weight, topsheet tackiness, thickness and hardness, pimple structure and size under a topsheet, the type of glue used, the blade and the elasticity of the sponge and top sheet together you'll not be able to identify why a rubber performs as it does only what that performance is ie faster, throw angle, reaction to incoming spin.

What I find frustrating from all my testing is that manufacturers generally quote spin, speed and control figures. And those ratings don't change for the same type topsheet even when sponge thickness does. Is someone seriously telling me that a Max Sheet of Butterfly Tenergy has the same speed, control and spin capability as a sheet of Tenergy with a sponge of 1.7mm. There has to be a difference in performance otherwise there would only be one thickness of sponge on offer.

Bottom line, you can compare two sheets of Tenergy05 in different sponge thicknesses and you can conclude for example that Tenergy in max is spinnier than Tenergy in 1.9 and you could even argue that as the only difference between them is sponge thickness the difference must be caused by that difference in sponge thickness. But, you cannot make the sweeping statement that because sponge thickness made a difference to your tenergy comparison that all rubbers in max will all be spinnier than all rubbers in 1.9 sponge thicknes and that's why the comparisons I do are relative only to the rubbers on test.

As for control, it's too personal and subjective to test in a video like this. Control is only considered when I do testing with "humans" and even then I get differences of opinion on the same rubber. And we've not even touched on "feel" and that to me is the biggest factor in whether I like a rubber or not. Does it feel right when contact is made with the ball - and now we're also introducing the blade and the role that plays.

The shorter arc for MAX vs. thinner sponges on the same rubber has been consistent on all rubbers I've tried. Has anyone ever found this not to be the case?

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

Not so much shorter more a steeper incline and decline with Max sponge. As it goes higher it is possible for it to travel further depending on the speed of the incoming ball and amount of spin on it.

But a more interesting question for me is has anyone found 1.5mm sponge to have a higher arc than 1.8mm sponge with different top sheets. I have and in this case, the thickness of the sponge couldn't have been the only factor affecting the arc of the ball flight.

One day I'll get round to gluing all the different sheets of short pimples I've got on to the glass backing I use clamped in a suction vice and then use the robot to fire, combinations of fast and slow and high spin and low spin balls at them. And then motion track the return ball flight to see how the rebound arc differs along with the speed.

Problem with that of course is that my sheets of short pimples are different ages and have had different amounts of use and I'm not prepared to go out and buy lot's of new sheets to satisfy curiosity. That and the time it will take.

Hi, before this,im a long pips player,and now i change to med pips. My playing style is blocking,hitting and counter hit..and control. Which one the thickness sponge good for me? I want more disruptive and deception on med pips..

Hi, before this,im a long pips player,and now i change to med pips. My playing style is blocking,hitting and counter hit..and control. Which one the thickness sponge good for me? I want more disruptive and deception on med pips..

A bit of a I want it all with this, not possible!

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