OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Adding Sponge: Gain vs Loss

My current setup is
Gambler Zen shakehand blade, rated speed ALL.
Yasaka Cobalt short pips hardbat (no sponge) both sides.

I have been enjoying this setup for a few years now.
I am past 60-years-old and my playing style gravitates toward hitter-blocker.
I play 2 to 6 hours per week at my local club.
20% of the time I win.
20% of the time I lose but my opponent has to work for it,
60% of the time I am out-classed ... such is life at a winner-stays-at-the-table club.
I feel like I'm improving, but at a glacially slow pace...3 steps forward then 2 steps back and so on ...

Hardbat minimizes my greatest weakness: reading and reacting to spin during return-of-serve,
and
it facilitates my best shot: flat hitting.

I am considering trying new rubbers with thin sponge:
Gambler Vintage short pips with 0.6mm sponge on both sides
while using the same blade.

So, I seek “Wisdom of the Crowd” to answer

WHAT WOULD I GAIN FROM ADDING THIN SPONGE
AND
WHAT WOULD I LOOSE?

I am especially curious about the gains-vs-losses for
passive blocking against top-spin
and
active blocking against top-spin.

I’m also interested in what differences I would see
during other situations.

What would I gain from adding thin sponge and what would I loose?

Thanks in advance.

Adding 1mm sponge + strong legs is the best effctive combination to make you a king of the hill.

Be happy.

https://clck.ru/sRpAR

Of all the playing equipment strong legs is the best worth having.

Be happy.

It sounds like your situation is very much like mine. I alternate between these 2 setups:
Gambler Oversize Kevlar blade with RITC 802 (no sponge) both sides
Stiga Allround Classic with Globe 889-2 (1.2mm sponge ) both sides.
Here is my opinion on the differences:
1. It is much easier to block heavy topspin with sponge. Without sponge, heavy loops often slip on the pips and drop into the net (or even onto my side of the table!).
2. Returning serve:
a. Hardbat: it is easier to get spinny serves back onto the table, but your service returns will be weak.
b. Sponge: it is more difficult to return spinny serves, but your returns can be more aggressive and effective.
3. I find flat hitting, especially against underspin, to be easier with hardbat.
4. I find hitting/driving against topspin easier with sponge.
Right now I play more without sponge because I enjoy flat hitting so much!

MIND THE LIMITS
Thin sponge layer underneath going to banish you much troubles when passing through the racket control. We have now a Rule 2.4 in force
--- Overall thickness for sandwich rubbers may be up to 4mm. On the other hand, those "overpraised" rubber sheets without sponge (known as rubbers of OX type) is an unsafe choice for you, -- it shall incur penalties once it found over 2 mm.
I once happened to deal with TIBHAR Dtecks OX that came far over 2.5 mm because of an extra layer of cardboard material underneath It was banned from play, of course ...

What you gain by adding sponge: ability to attack more balls mainly

What you lose by adding sponge: you will have a learning curve as your game adjusts to something new.

If you are still playing with short pips I think it will do little to hurt your serve return and may even help it. I think flat hitting with 1.0 sponge is fine. You will hit through that thin sponge very easily.

In terms of game play/outcome, if you have not done it filming your matches can be of tremendous help. I like to analyze how I won points, how I lost points etc.

Spending more time on your serve should help your serve return. People don't focus on serve and serve return enough. You can work on it even without a table (search the forum or youtube or google)

Good luck.