OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Well, today I have a sheet of Sriver L on my bat for the first time since 1983. Much has changed I guess, my playing style for one, ball size, waist size etc etc. At xmas I decided to slow my backhand rubber and play more actively with a setup that requires more effort but has more control. I had been using varispin which was effective but I didn't like the ball feel and for some reason suffered some pop-ups. Tried Sriver today and, wow! A review will follow, but frankly these classics are far better than the forum mentions they get. The quality of the sheet is outstanding, it is very spinny indeed and responsive just as you know it will be when gluing it (it is clearly elastic) and the feel and control first class. Cost about £25. I felt at home with it in seconds. Not blazingly fast of course but not slow either. Far more control than Mk V.

Don't overlook these proven solutions just because they aren't new fangled!

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Timo Boll ALC ST
FH Tibhar Evolution MX-P Max
BH Tibhar Evolution FX-S 1.8
185g

That's VERY interesting. AND it doesn't surprise me. This approach probably can work for many players. In a recent TT catalog for Paddle Palace in America, Butterfly has a one page ad that says "Back to the Basics" and it advertises 6 classic rubbers, Sriver L included.

Last week I played against a Chinese penholder that had an incredible RPB and his BH rubber was Flextra. And WOW! he had loads of Side and Top spin!

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My paddle has a weird shape, looks like the one in my avatar image.

Blade: KTL Instinct+

Rubbers: BH Friendship 802-1 Short Pips 1.0mm
FH Gambler Reflectoid 1.5mm inverted

@ so_devo
Whats your experience in looping with a sriver vs a imbuilt glue effect rubber? I also like to try a more controlled bh rubber.

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Blade: Joola greenline medium
Fh: Stiga mendo 2.0
Bh: Stiga mendo 2.0

I've heard once that butterfly flextra wass also very useful for chopping.
For somehow this doesnt sound very interessting.
Has somebody uses the flextra for chopping?

It loops just fine, perfectly spinny and you get out what you put in. There is no free speed! I'm still playing with it and am very happy with it, and am having some very good results. You just need to remember to stay active and play committed shots.

If my backhand style were 100% offensive then an SGE effect rubber would likely be a better option, but to be able to mix it up and still attack effectively I far prefer the Sriver.

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Timo Boll ALC ST
FH Tibhar Evolution MX-P Max
BH Tibhar Evolution FX-S 1.8
185g

Good post - I think my backhand my end up back with Sriver eventually...can't beat the 80's!

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Match set up: Nittaku Violin, JP01T, JP03

I agree with you so devo. Nothing wrong with sriver or scramble. Technique, technique, technique!

I use a Sriver-like rubber on BH for most of my setups, XP 2008 Super Power, a poor man's Sriver. Of course Sriver is a better rubber in every way, but I can make XP 2008 do what Sriver does for the most part and at such a low price, why not? I value a control rubber for BH, I make enough speed when I need to, I have a good timing and snap at impact, I also make good spin grazing, I need CONTROL rubber on BH for how I play, so a Sriver-like rubber it is.

I will continue to ignore Sriver until the current price of $30-$35 a sheet drops to $10 - $15 price range.

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Yep I think you can easily find cheaper substitutes to these classic rubbers. I've been using LKT's Rapid Sound for almost a year, paid it $15 and very happy with it. But I suppose the main idea here is you can play very well with classical rubbers, even if they do not have those fancy new technologies that are supposed to make you a better player

I thought xp2008 a bit less spinny and very heavy....but I take DE's point.

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Timo Boll ALC ST
FH Tibhar Evolution MX-P Max
BH Tibhar Evolution FX-S 1.8
185g

I'd rather pay for Sriver than feed China, and that's what I can get for $10-$15. You can have it. It's not about cost alone for me.

I just put some Mark V on a racket which I haven't used in some years...brought it back to life. Similar in price to Sriver.

GN

I kind of know what you mean.....but how do you know this unless you try these Chinese rubbers?

Also, it is a cheap why to try different styles...with subtle differences....I used to play sriver and mk V....but could not afford to try even their variants and toss aside / give to kids to use as I can with for example the DHS Hurricane rubbers....without speeding much, I found the TG3N is perfect for my forehand. Sometimes, I think people spend a lot of a rubber, and stick with it coz of what they paid even if it isn't right.

If I can find similar rubber for my b/h I am laughing.........otherwise, I know sriver is there waiting for me, like a comfort blanket!

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Match set up: Nittaku Violin, JP01T, JP03

I think they make perfectly fine products in many cases, but China has had a terrible imbalance with the rest of the world as America gives all of their manufacturing to them.

To some it doesn't make a difference, but my wife is Japanese, and I try to suppor them when I can. Quite honestly they make some of the best table tennis products bar none, so it's not as if I'm buying inferior product. Just that it is not the cheapest. Well, that is nothing new, cheap price often means cheap product. You even admit that it's easy to try it out as it doesn't cost as much. I don't want cost to be a factor in all cases for me, sometimes it is.

That said, I have 2 Andro rackets, and a Schoeler Mick, so I don't have only Japanese product. Whether I pay $15/sheet or $30/sheet is not a big deal to me.
That's fair, and it sounds like it works for you. I would tend to buy German rubber before Chinese. I know it is not as cheap, but it's cheaper than Japanese rubber. My point was that Shriver and Mark V are still decent rubbers at about $30-$35.
Definitely proven over the years. I agree that the price could come down, but I was happy to buy Japanese rubber. Oddly the new Rakza is made in Germany...but the Mark V is still made in Japan. I speak as a person who lived in Japan for about 5 years, it is NOT cheap to live there...and the products are just as expensive there as they are elsewhere. It's a shame that Japan is being forced out of their own country because it's too expensive to manufacture there...but I still try to support them when I can. Japan definitely makes good rubber.

GN

Very interesting post, thanks for sharing.

Well I have found Palio Macro Era - this looks to be my modern day sriver for my b/h.

I am a big fan of sriver and Mk V still.....partly coz of that's what I was bought up on - think they are good value actually, given their durability too.

I guess the manufacturing excellence of Germany and Japan compared to China reflects in TT equipment too...

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Match set up: Nittaku Violin, JP01T, JP03

Sriver L is a classic and for me probably the most underrated. This rubber for me offers the best control on my BH. Very good for service returns, blocks, controlled short push, chop, flick, flat hit, . . . it is practically good in many strokes without specially excelling in one.
Another thing I love about this rubber is durability. I have a black 10+ year old Sriver on the BH of one of my setup and the blocks, service returns and pushes are just phenomenal for something this old. Not sensitive to incoming spin and yet can dish out some heavy underspin pushes.

Does Wang Hao still use a Sriver red on his BH?

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Joola Rosskopf Emotion, FH T05 black, BH Nittaku Moristo DF red