OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Hi everyone,

I have learned some time ago (from EmRatThich blog) that Chinese players switch sides of their racket when smashing. It is due the different nature of a hard and low catapult Chinese rubber on forehand (like Hurricane) and often a softer and with more catapult rubber on backhand (usually Tenergy 05). Videos with Ma Long or Fan Zhendong switching to a red BH rubber when smashing can be easily found on YouTube.
Higher catapult and springier nature of e.g. Tenergy 05 helping by smashes seems reasonable.

As far as I know Timo Boll uses Tenergy 05 on both sides. I was totally surprised when I watched the European Championships Singles Final (23.09.2018) live and immediately noticed that Timo was switching to his red rubber when smashing. Here is the evidence (2 cases).

https://youtu.be/-0qTZdfqhvA?t=247
https://youtu.be/-0qTZdfqhvA?t=365

Please notice it happens in two situations, so it's rather not a one-off decision. Looks like a trained action.

If it is true that Timo Boll uses the same rubber on both sides, then why would he do that?
One explanation could the be the alleged (though marginal) difference between red and black rubbers. As for me, rather unlikely.
Another explanation - maybe he can get different hardness Tenergies 05 to set up his racket the aforementioned way.
Tenergy 05 Hard was released two months after the ETTC - so this answer we can exclude, can't we?

I am really curious what your insight is on that. Glad to hear your thoughts.

The conspiracy theorists indeed do say that there has always been a "hard" T05 available only to pros. No one's actually gotten a verified sample of it, neither has there been any real evidence that I've seen so far, just supposition. I HAVE seen supposed sheets of it one sale on web sites that also purportedly sell "personal versions" of H3 from various players for astronomical prices.

The thing though, is - if there were a harder version, wouldn't Herr Boll use it on his forehand? If so, why switch when hitting? Unless he wants to hit with the SOFTER of the two rubber, for reasons of control???

Iskandar

The point being is that they do smash with the softer rubber, so it'd totally make sense for Boll to twiddle the racket if he was playing with T05H on the FH.

Another video showing Timo twiddling his racket before smashing (at 2:19).
Interestingly enough, at 6:23-6:24 he was smashing with the red rubber but then twiddled to the black one for one smash and then back to the red