OOAK Table Tennis Forum

For the testers between us
New topic for reviews and comments

The new disruptive weapon with half-long pimples

In addition to our existing half-long pimple rubber Dr.Neubauer K.O. we have developed a faster version named K.O. PRO.

K.O. PRO enables to produce an even more dynamic game while counter-attacking and straight hitting.

At the same time this new version also provides a bit more ""sinking effect" of the ball than the original version already has.
This holds true for all active shots but also for passive blocking.

This makes it a good alternative for players who enjoy using K.O. but need more speed to produce their attacking game, without any limitation in the disruptive effect obtained.

K.O. PRO: The faster alternative for a highly disruptive pimple-out game

Category: Half-long pimples
Colours: red +black
Sponge: 1.3 + 1.5 + 1.8 + 2.0mm
Speed: 94
Spin: 82
Control: 92

Available from June 2018
Let the reviews begin in this topic from Dr Neubauer KO PRO

Probably rushed on sale due to reviews saying KO was more suited to passive rather than for attacking play.

KO was introduced as an easier to play MP than Aggressor. So the big question is not only how does KO pro compare to regular KO but how does it compare to Aggressor

It has already been said on the Dr. Neubauer website.K.O pro is the K.O on steroids.More sinking effect, more speed.I guess more speed to be more dangerous on the attacks,I mean, so the opponent cannot return a slower hit by regular K.O . It also means K.O pro features will be dependent on the blade too.

Dr Neubuaer KO PRO 1.5 black review: 5 months used.
Blade: Donic WSUC.
A very good pip.

Push:
Low and medium fast, average backspin, a bit like inverted.

Service and service return:
Not much affected by opponents spin when service return
Good variation possible when you serve yourself

Blocks: This is were the rubber is al about:
Passive block with good deception, ball goes low and floats. Not heavy backspin but a good deceptive floater, just like normal KO. You can remove the speed in a fast really but keep the pressure on with the deceptive slower block you give.
Active blocks are very good too. A good hit that gives a no spin ball to the other side of the table. A bit like Aggressor but less speedy. Very good to make direct points with it.

Chopping:
Chop blocking: possible but not heavy reversal. Against fast speedy loops not recommended. Block or hit is a bitter option.
Chopping: good and controlled. Good backspin can be created if you can bend the thick pips and when you have time enough. In a faster really when you have less time mostly the reversal is average.

Against no spin ball and backspin.
Against backspin: Good for opening up with a topspin stroke or a more open bat. Ball goes medium to low on the other side. Speed is good. Not as fast as Aggressor and Power Pipes. A good ‘reserve grip’ for opening up.
Against no spin ball: you can create a bit of your own spin but not that much. Always difficult with any pip to handle no spin balls. I suggest to loop with the forehand than Push or hit is possible.

Good against LP players

Deception:
Good deception in this MP: Not deceptive as AGGRESSOR. But certainly deceptive enough for my taste. Block hits and attacks can be very weird. Attacking gives a medium to low ball on the other side of the table. When you chop with it i can’t say for sure that I gave a high or low backspin ball which can also be disturbing for the opponents.

CONCLUSION:
This one suits my style completely on backhand. Passive and active blocks. Sometimes attacking play (opening up / hit) and in emerged situation to go backward a good control with average to good backspin when you make a good chop.
For my style of play, it is the best MP I have ever tried so far. Good allround opportunities. But suitable for attacking play and all sorts of deceptive blocks.
It is less deceptive as Aggressor in general, but it is certainly deceptive enough. It is also easier to play with. Passive blocks are more deceptive than Aggressor and Power Pipes. The speed is slower than Aggressor and Power Pipes.
I can only keep up with higher level players with KO PRO, POWER PIPES and AGGRESSOR. All 1.5 black.
It is my personal view of course, and everybody has his own style of play. For my style of play it’s my best choice this moment.

Can you attack top spins reliably with it? Is it grippy enough for that?

_________________
SOULSPIN CUSTOM BLADES
Fh: Spinny rubber
Bh: Not so spinny rubber...

For my taste: yes
But you have to make sure that you have the right angle.
Passive + Active blocking incoming topspin / hitting incoming topspin is very good + disruptive.
Topspin to incoming topspin is possible also.

All comes and goes with training of course.

Played Aggressor 1.3 black several weeks and then tried KO Pro 1.3 once on Neubauer Matador Texa Balsa.
Sponge seems identical, rubber chemistry seems identical (very elastic). KO pips are bit smaller and more dense populated.

Speed, control and effect are similar. K.O. is better in attack with my LPs technique basis, but Aggressor is safer in blocking (all variations). I do not feel that KO better or worse then Aggressor in passive game. KO throw is lower but it is as spin sensitive as Aggressor. As for me Aggressor and KO are very similar in style but adjustment bettwen them was not easy.

So in my hands K.O. Pro is better in attacking and Aggressor is better in blocking contrary to official description.

Well K.O.Pro is slower then Aggressor, so KO plays better on the fast blade. When I play on my usual defensive blade the choice becomes less obvious. KO is dumpening incoming speed and Aggressor has catapult effect. Aggressor is more effective in attacks if you can control faster rubber.

While KO Pro makes possible to play like LPs (chop block, rolling) the more I play the more my style shifted to SPs technique(closed racket punch block, flat smash).

A good KO/KO Pro comparison video.

In my search for a backhand rubber to replace keiler that has a good blend of defensive and offensive capabilities I have been experimenting with Dtech S 1.2mm black on my slowish Black & White blade. What I really like with the Dtech is the ability to block both passive and aggressive and also to drive back topspin with a low fast ball with some spin reversal. However the inability to create as a variation or against slow low spin balls, any topspin leads me to a hybrid LP/MP such as KO Pro.

To those who have used KO Pro and also an LP with sponge such as DTech S will KO PRO be a good option for me to try and if so should I first try 1.3mm or 1.5mm? Also how does KO PRO compare to Power Pipes. I did once briefly try Aggressor in 1.5mm but it was too hard for me to control consistently but that was before I starting training with the DTec S.

Personnally I play KO Pro 1.5 or Aggressor 1.5

I switched recently to Aggressor back because i love the deception and the variability of Aggressor.
But it takes a lot of time to master the Aggressor. I read a few reviews on this forum (topic, aggressor or MP comparison Aggressor, shockwave and millital) Maddrag told us how to vary the spin and more important how to defend away from the table: fast ripchop vertical to bend the pips and make backspin, the various attacking possibilitys / blocks active or passive or block chop did i found myself already)

I did already a good review of the rubber KO PRO 1.5 in this topic. I can’t say anything more.
Sometimes I switch back to the KO PRO 1.5 when i feel I have a period when i am not playing active at the backhand. It is good for an allround game + if you like to push and block. Also against defenders I play KO Pro. It has more control in the passive game. KO Pro is also better when you have less spin on the ball from the opponent.

Also played D tecs 1.2 and Power Pipes 1.5
Power Pipes plays like a fast Glanti sometimes, It is for me a good allround MP with some deception.
But I stopped playing with it because i found it sometimes too spindependent from what your opponant gave you. A good MP but not my style.

I stopped playing D tecs 1.2 because LP on my backhand was good, but i could not attack with it very well, i was a little bit ‘stuck in defence’, could not put any pressure on my opponent on that side. I had the deception ofcourse, but it is just not my style of play at my backhand. I go back only in emerged situations. I mostly block passive or active and try to attack fast every slower ball i can.

I only can advise you KO PRO 1.5, Its a good rubber, but you also have to learn with it. It is slower as the keiler but the deception is higher.

For me these are the things I want in a MP:
- Deception: I do not want an easy rubber to play with, deception en variability is important.
- Opening up backspin with hit or topspin stroke
- Passive block with good deception
- Good active block and shoot abilitys (ball skids fast)
- Insensitive for incoming spin for service return
- Control in defense (only in emerged situation, it is not the intention to go backward)
- Rather something more fast than medium speed


For me KO PRO 1.5 and AGGRESSOR 1.5 does the most things good with the right technic.
Maybe they can make Aggressor PRO for even more speed but with the same deception of course

I also liked playing Keiler 1.5 (fast, hitting ) and Power Pipes 1.5 (allround with some deception) but stopped playing them.
Armstrong attack 3 1.5 (MP) is also good, but slower as the medium pips above.

May I also say that i play a FH game mostly and try to attack everything with the FH. Backhand only for disruption and opening up.
Too much backhand for me, means that i do not move good behind the table. I try 70 - 75% FH and 25-30% BH game
Of course everybody has his own style of play, so it is just a review how the pimple works in my hands.

Good luck, hopefully you find your own way to a good MP.

Always play my pip on my Donic WSUC.
My USUATT Rating is 2300-2400

Great reply thank you BJ. Agree that it is important not to be over controlled in what you can hit by what your opponent feeds you. That is perhaps the main problem I am finding with dtecS 1.2mm

My list of requirements is more or less the same as yours but will trade a bit of deception for control as long as I get some sink or reverse on blocking top spin. Think it may be a choice between PP and KO pro on my Black & White blade but Attack 3 or maybe Hass in 1.5mm to replace Keiler on my much faster and harder Bloodhound blade.

I just found that attack 3 1.5 is not so good for hitting (pips a bit more flexible) and chopblock
But it does all the other things quite well. Deception less than Aggressor or KO Pro but still pretty good for a MP.
Attack 3 shines when it comes to normal blocking with deception, opening up backspin balls and attacking serves of your opponent (low throw on the other side of the table)

Overall a good choice too.

What I am finding essential for the plastic ball is to have enough speed on the BH to be able to put pressure on my opponent when attacking and to to be able to hit winners when an opening appears. Also if the rubber blade combo lacks speed there is not much you can do once away from the table. My old sheet of Keiler 1.5mm on the Bloodhound gives me this with also good blocking capability.

Non tensioned Rubbers like Hipster and 388c1 on my black & white blade are just too slow when attacking, so balls were coming back that should have been winners. As a result they really only work for short angled blocks. So I am hoping that a faster rubber like power pipes or KO Pro will be more effective on the blade.

I totally understand you.

Speed + deception in a rubber is important for the plastic ball nowadays.
Searching also for a low throw (or skids fast) on the other side of the table, so the opponent can not really counterattack it fast.

For me Aggressor and KO Pro do the job quite well
Power Pipes plays the most effective as a GLanti style. But you can play it also as inverted style,
but than it is less effective / less deception I found myself.

Attack 3 is also non tensioned but it had a lower throw and pretty good 'deception' , but speed is medium. that's why
I also searched for something faster.

But make sure that you will need a period to adapt. KO Pro is easier to play than Aggressor. Deception a bit less.

Personally I think that Dr Neubauer and Der Materialspezialist have good MP,
Maybe they come one day with something even better than Aggressor, KO Pro and Power Pipes.
They are one the right track with their deceptive MP