OOAK Table Tennis Forum

I think they should allow thicker sponge and longer pips to compensate for the larger ball. We are still using specifications intended for the 38mm ball! Time for an update.

Also allow frictionless for all rubbers. It's unfair that inverted can be frictionless but not pips.

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My blog on being a LP defender beyond 2000 USATT and the pips discrimination that comes along with that

My two cents after coming back to TT last season:

I played since 38mm era as a spin based player, and it has never been as easy as now for an attacker to open up my backspin shots close to the table, now they just can shot through it without even lifting the ball. As I predicted when 40mm ball came, direct play will come back on top and SP players will rise again, and this is even more accurate after the shift to ABS balls. What surprised me more was that it wasn't China who made the move (probably because they are still a galaxy above mortals), but Sweden with Matthias Falck.

China will have soon SP hitters @ international level.

As for defenders, someone said amateur level is still there and I agree with that, I've never played so much against pip players as I did this year on lower leagues (only one team didn't have a single "material" player, meaning LP, MP or anti). It's sad to admit, but all changes since the ratio restriction on LP's have hurt defensive players more than the attackers.

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Darker 7P-2A.DF - SpinLord Marder I 1.8mm/TSP P1-R 0.6mm
Darker 7P-2A.DF - SpinLord Marder II 1.8mm/TSP P1-R 0.6mm
Above 65% W/L ratio this season, YAY!

Er, I think it's dangerous to make predictions based on ONE world champs... and second place at that. Did Yoo's second place so many years ago result in a flood of choppers? If Falck repeats again next year - or even gets into the top four - then I'd say there might be a trend towards short pips. I'd be even more convinced if he makes it into the top five ranking-wise in the next year. Even so it'll just be a few players who take it up - we're not going to regress back to the late 1960s where the Chinese all played with short pips.

Iskandar

Not until the best Chinese will be defeated by a flat hitter. In that case China will adapt or adopt. I think Nittaku is right: there'll be Chinese SP hitters again soon, but not within five or ten years.

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There's always stuff to improve!

My blog on being a LP defender beyond 2000 USATT and the pips discrimination that comes along with that

I think the Chinese situation is a lot more fluid than you make out. Who gets to play isn't solely based on the coaches and managers, or who gets beat by other international players. Players actually do come up through the ranks, the good ones are the ones who beat other players at the provincial level, and then make a name for themselves playing for provincial teams in national tournaments and leagues. The national coaches and managers do make selections and determine which of the best players get onto the international stage, but they'll pick the ones who beat the others. And at the provincial levels, there will be a number of choppers and a ton of short pips hitters. If this new ball means that the short pips hitters suddenly start beating the other players, then these players will appear on the Chinese National Team. So far I have not seen any indication that this is the case. If it does happen you'll see one or two of them being given a chance to appear internationally. I can't think of any, and we've had plenty of time with the 40+ ball already.

Iskandar

There is at least one, though. Yan Sheng.

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There's always stuff to improve!

My blog on being a LP defender beyond 2000 USATT and the pips discrimination that comes along with that

Can you make out the rubber? RITC something... 802? And wonder what's on the reverse.. probably Tenergy like everyone else..

Doesn't look like he's in the top 100 yet, or if he's even been given a chance to play for China as yet.

http://results.ittf.link/index.php?opti ... Itemid=206

Shock!! Zhang Jike is now.. number 90??????? Wow.. Last played in July 2018. And took second place at the Japan Open in June 2018.

Iskandar

Defenders are doing well in the new list. http://results.ittf.link/index.php?opti ... Itemid=206

WANG Yang (112735) 33
GIONIS Panagiotis (103107) 36
FILUS Ruwen (102761) 40
MA Te (117805) 167

I am not sure why European players are so much higher than Ma Te, Since I have a feeling that I have seen more Ma Te in big tournaments than others...

But how long ago?

Have to look up Joo's ranking... hmm.. he doesn't come up. Wonder if he's not played in a while.

Iskandar