OOAK Table Tennis Forum

The reviewer:
I’m I guess an above average player – Unsure what my USATT rating would be, but in AUS I’m a Top 100 Player. I play an aggressive Long Pip Blocking/ Forehand Attack game, with some chop defense in there for good measure. However due to lots (and lots) of coaching I’m capable of playing with just about any rubber. When playing with Short Pips I play a slightly more active version of above.


Physical Properties:
Black – 1.5mm Sponge. The Sponge is very soft and floppy, so to speak. Smells VERY strongly of old speed glue. Nearly got a head spin when I opened the packet. As is standard Dr Neubauer, This is a very high quality short/Med Pip – the pips just bend very slightly on touch and are tightly packed together. They are aligned horizontally and are grippy on contact also. My initial reaction when gluing this sucker was “This feels very interesting, and very unlike any of the Chinese Med Pip’s out there”.

Speed:
This Rubber tends to behave very much like a short pip as far as speed goes. Much like the grippy pips such as Raystorm and 802-40, The speed depends on your effort. If you’re actively punching, the ball zips, with a very low throw and skids off the table. For a flat hit/smash this rubber is extremely effective, one of the most effective I've used.
Blocking –This rubber has 2 types of blocks – active (short pip) and Passive (Long pip) and is capable of both. The active block sinks into the sponge and springs back reasonably quickly. A long pip block IS POSSIBLE with this rubber. This is unusual for a medium pip. I was standing at the table chop and drop blocking back big nasty loops from my training partners. They tend to go back high and slow, but are hard to keep short. Spin details below!
Rolling and Looping – which surprised me – was possible both against top and backspin. However a roll against backspin – more like a short than a long – needs to be more active and you can’t afford to be half hearted in your stroke.

Spin/ Spin Reversal / Effect:
- Spin on Attacking strokes – This sucker generates spin on the aggressive roll. This surprised me as a rubber that is also capable of reversing. I’d say this is closely related to the length of the pips vs the high density. As far as a recommendation though, It’s probably not recommended IMO to be used as a spin generating short pip, as it is far more effective at the fast and low block and punch.
- Spin on serves/pushes – This generates similar spin to the grippy pips on serves. While not as much as an inverted, you can comfortably serve a short backspin serve. I also found on push returns you can vary between the no spin and backspin push. Again – Spin generated is not high however there is enough of a difference to notice as a receiver.
Reversal/Effect on block and punch: On Punching, as noted above, the ball sinks low and fast. For the other side of the table, they had to really get down low to lift it up. However due to not having a large amount of spin or reversal on the fast punch, the lift didn't have to be particularly heavy. But if I had to loop against this thing, I’d get pretty tuckered out!
On Blocking long pip style- As stated above, it DOES work. However it is not a high level reversal rubber. What I find most interesting is that you can change from a punch block to a chop-block against an attacking topspin from your opponent. This took me a fair bit of practice and trial, and one must be committed to your stroke IMMEDIATELY because an In between block will inevitably fail. I found this happening to me quite often.

Control:
This is the biggest downfall of this rubber by quite a way. It isn’t a beginners pip by any shake of the sauce bottle, and while I found it exciting to use, it seems that every action had to be precise. You had to commit to your strokes immediately, sit behind the ball, be active in your follow through, and be in the right position – and it’d do what you want it to. Any slight slip up and you’d be likely to error.


Chopping – This rubber isn't listed as being made for chopping – god knows why. It’s Fantastic away from the table, with variety between no spin and backspin chops very comfortable to navigate. It took me quite a while to get the trajectory on the float chops, but once sorted they’re quite evil! Again, like playing at the table, one must really contact the ball fully to get the desired effect. Probably not for the faint of heart to use.


Reference: This rubber doesn't compare to the other Med Pips out there that I’ve used. The only way I could describe it is like using Dtecs with beefy sponge and short pips. I Can’t really find any other way to legitimately describe it.

In Conclusion! This rubber has it all – It REALLY does. I've never had a medium pip that I can long pip block with and chop and float so with comfortable variety. But It comes with a price tag, and it comes with a fair bit of caution to the wind – Put in the hours and the effort to use this rubber and it will reward you. If you’re lazy in your technique, if you’re not prepared to get comfortable with it and learn the intricacies, you won’t be able to reap the benefits and put it to best use.

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Yasaka Sweden Extra
Yasaka Rakza PO 2.0mm
TSP Curl P-1R OX

"slappy slappy slappity slap"

Very nice review SuperHappyFunSlider!

What blade did you use the rubber on?

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I used my MS pro alpha - I'm going to update this as i'm lending it to somebody with a much Harder blade.

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Yasaka Sweden Extra
Yasaka Rakza PO 2.0mm
TSP Curl P-1R OX

"slappy slappy slappity slap"

@SuperHappyFunSlider

Great review !

A stiffer, harder and faster blade (=> as typical for Neubauer) may show a somewhat different view of the described features.

I take it you used the rubber on the backhand wing?

Bulldog

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Tibhar Stratus Power Defense
Tibhar Evolution ELP
Tibhar Grass DTecS Ox

Hi Guys,

yep - on a stiffer blade I'm sure the effects may be a bit stronger. because of the soft sponge and soft pips.

Bulldog - yes i used it backhand wing mostly. I did trial on forehand as well probably about 15% of the time just to make sure what I was getting was correct.

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Yasaka Sweden Extra
Yasaka Rakza PO 2.0mm
TSP Curl P-1R OX

"slappy slappy slappity slap"

I agree with everything SuperHappyFunSlidersays, except the pips on my red 1.5 sheet are vertically aligned.
This rubber has almost everything I am looking for in a SP/MP. Great blocking with disturbing effects. The most annoying part is when blocking you really need to get the angle right. A little variation will result the ball going into the net. Hopefully more practice will cure this.

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The Dark Side: "Quicker, easier, more seductive" - Yoda

Hi Guys

I am interested to know whether anybody on the forum is using this rubber as their backhand rubber on their main setup. If so could they state what colour, which sponge thickness and upon which blade they are using it.

I have a Dr Neubauer Gladiator blade spare for a bit of experimentation over the summer.

Bulldog.

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Tibhar Stratus Power Defense
Tibhar Evolution ELP
Tibhar Grass DTecS Ox

I'm intrigued by this rubber but also confused. In Dr Neubaeur's video below, the opening sequence is described as "aggressive pushing against chopped balls". Chopped balls typically have backspin on, if you're pushing against backspin, you'll return backspin. When I watch Dr Beubaeur, his "push" seems to be more like I'd call a roll, certainly not a push and he's returning light top spin, again, if he was pushing against backspin, that would be backspin being returned.



I've used 563 in the past and if I tried doing what I call a push, moving the bat forward and down behind the bottom third of the ball, the ball would pop up high - basically I really struggled to do a "traditional push" with it.

Can anyone who has used this rubber confirm if it is possible to "push" with this rubber.

Secondly, he is using the rubber with 1.5mm sponge. The advertising says, in 1.5mm it is possible to play chop blocking and drop shots against top spin, others have said in 1.5mm version you can get some spin reversal, like an LP. If that's the case, why would this rubber be offered in 1.8, 2 and 2.2mm sponge versions - what does buying this rubber with the thicker sponge give this rubber which compensates for the loss in chop blocking and spin reversal effect of the 1.5 mm sponge and that also makes "Killer" a better option than 802-40, Tango Tango Ultra and Butterfly SP's when used with a thicker sponge?

its not a long pimple, so its not really a push...its a short pimple with a severe effect when you hit as the ball will tend to drop off the opponents bat into the net, it also doesn't react much to spin. the benefit of the disrupting effect is balanced out by control issues.

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Blade: Barna Original Triumph Forehand Yasaka Razka Po Backhand Der-Materialspezialist Störkraft 0.8
http://www.instagram.com/dragontattooguy

Thanks for the reply AA, but If it's not really a push, why does he call it pushing?

Is "Killer" capable of generating it's own backspin, or is that only possible by the reversal technique which relies a lot on incoming top spin? Also, if the ball is dropping off the opponents bat, that's usually typical of a no spin ball, which again suggests this rubber isn't capable of generating much spin, yet the reviews seem to suggest it's good at that, especially when people talk about it in the same breath as something like 802-40.

AA, are you saying that the thicker the sponge, the easier it is to control the ball with this rubber and that the thinner sponge version of Killer is more difficult to control? Is this based on your experience of actually using this rubber, or based on your understanding of sponge thickness - I know there are topics on short pimples and sponge thickness.

I'm asking because I need to make sure if your comments are based on your own experience of using this rubber especially when the "decisive factor" as described by Dr Neubaeur's own site is "the disruptive effect obtained" which only seems to be present in the 1.5mm version. If this is the case, it seem to me to defeat the purpose of selling this rubber with a sponge greater than 1.5mm as other rubbers are better placed to generate spin with thicker sponges and it loses it's main weapon - the disruptive effect.

Cheers.

i didnt refer to the sponge thickness at all and have no other experience than killer in 1.5., but i am very sure that a thicker spoke will make it harder to control. the shots produce dead no spin balls that also drop off the bat due to a low trajectory. the sheet itself is able to generate spin when you serve or loop. if what you are looking for is a sheet for pushing like with a long pimple this isn't it. its a great sheet for attacking and disruptive blocking...the blocks primarily are disruptive because of the weird trajectory and dead balls its a bit in-between short pimple/medium pimple, but has nothing to do with a long pimple sheet. my best advice for you would be to simply try it.

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Blade: Barna Original Triumph Forehand Yasaka Razka Po Backhand Der-Materialspezialist Störkraft 0.8
http://www.instagram.com/dragontattooguy

Hi AA,

You have continued to use Leopard. Did you ever give serious consideration to switching to Killer? Can one use it for forehand attack? I don't mean loop but drive and smash and aggressive blocking.

Bulldog.

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Tibhar Stratus Power Defense
Tibhar Evolution ELP
Tibhar Grass DTecS Ox

i only tried it in one training session, but it was too fast on my blade and isnt available under 1.5 so it wasnt an option. however its great for attacking/offensive strokes

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Blade: Barna Original Triumph Forehand Yasaka Razka Po Backhand Der-Materialspezialist Störkraft 0.8
http://www.instagram.com/dragontattooguy

Thanks. I currently use inverted but keep being drawn back to short pips. It certainly sounds too quick for my backhand but I may give it a try next summer on my forehand.Against the top veterans in my County I could use a disruptive rubber on both wings.

Bulldog.

_________________
Tibhar Stratus Power Defense
Tibhar Evolution ELP
Tibhar Grass DTecS Ox