Why so much hate against boosters?

[Archosaurus]

The real technological and pay-to-win advantage is having access to quality trainers and practice partners that you can train with all day, the best sports psychologists and doctors to manage your mental and physical condition, and the best physical trainers to etc.

I can't help but feel like a minor performance difference in the equipment is that much of a problem that you'd need to spend tons of effort and money on regulating it for fairness when some people already step onto the court with a completely different context to the sport.

I know the excuse was harmful health and environmental effects, but I find it weird that we'd change to a more hazardous ball material in that case.

 

[Lula]

I thought it was illegal? do not know if it makes it better if everyone does it? Hiding the serve is illegal aswell. Is it then a difference between booster and hiding serve? who decides what is okey and what is not?

 

[Conehead]

To all those posters that seem to walk on the ethical path, may I ask you a couple of questions:

- Are you always providing your tax declaration in an honest and correct way? You claim boosting is against sticking to rules, and the same applies to rules from the tax authorities, right?
- Are you always sticking to the speed limits of public roads? Also here, there are rules that strictly need to be followed.
- Are you always honest with your partner?

We all know the answers, correct? So please stop pretending to act as advocates of honesty and integrity as you also cheat in other areas of your personal life.

Besides that, as a customer I feel pulled over the table by the rubber manufacturer industry. They are allowed to boost, but I am not, so once the boosting effect disappears after a couple of plays, I am supposed to buy a new rubber? Yes, right ... love to do so.

That is why I boost the shit out of my Hurricanes and I feel good doing so.
And yes, I am also cheating in my tax declaration.

 

[Lula]

But is it not different in a sport where you have an opponent and compete with others?

 

[jk1980]

- Are you always providing your tax declaration in an honest and correct way? You claim boosting is against sticking to rules, and the same applies to rules from the tax authorities, right?
- Are you always sticking to the speed limits of public roads? Also here, there are rules that strictly need to be followed.
- Are you always honest with your partner?

What are these BS comparisons? None of your examples describe a situation where you test your skill against somebody else in a setting where both agreed to play by the same rules.

 

[SwingRobo]

If that means they have a legally low amount of voc content, then you can use it.

Of course, it already does not comply with ITTF rules, but the harm to the human body is not as great as some people say. I have a Butterfly Iolite, with Bryce Hard on both forehand and backhand sides. After applying speed glue four or five times using the 'Russian method', the hitting feeling is incomparable to any rubbers and blades nowadays. It's really amazing.

 

[jonol]

I have no strong feelings about it, but there's a few things about it that I think make it detrimental for the majority of players. Mostly in the ways it makes the sport less accessible.

1. A lot of rubbers are boosted by the manufacturer because it alters the performance. This means that the durability of many high end rubbers is extremely poor, but this is not reflected in the price (if anything, many of these boosted products demand a premium price for below average durability). There's also very little transparency on how manufacturers boost their rubbers.

2. Some rubbers are simply better when boosted, such as H3 or Battle II. If you have ever used one of these rubbers without booster vs. booster, it's clear that if booster did not exist, far less people would use these rubbers (there would still be some people who like it though, I do know a few unboosted H3 enjoyers).

3. There is similarly not a lot of transparency on how players should boost, probably because it's also illegal. This creates a bit of a grey area, where normally if someone is using say, a Tenergy 05 - you know what to expect. If they use a specific long pips or anti-spin, you may not like it, but at least you can fairly gauge what you are playing against.

When booster is added to the equation, this becomes a little bit less clear. My opponent is using H3, but is it boosted? Which booster? How many layers? Of course at the end of the day, it doesn't change that you are just hitting a ball on a table and there are other variations in equipment that you would also need to account for like different blades etc.

Again - I have no strong feelings either way. I understand that the existence and usage of booster in the current environment means that for many people it goes against the spirit of fair competition. Whereas other people simply like to use hard, sticky rubbers that are all but designed to be boosted, and a significant number of players at all levels prefer this.

I think the current iteration of the rules is somewhat pointless, as it is quite obviously there is no intent to actually regulate usage of boosters.

Either the ITTF does not mind the usage of boosters, so long as they are VOC free. Or maybe they cannot find a way to reliably check for it.

Or they simply accept that boosting is well and truly an established practice in the culture of the sport and they realise they cannot seriously restrict it without alienating a huge number of amateur and professional players.

The way I see it, regulating manufacturers and ensuring transparency and compliance with specific rules in regard to factory boosting, removing the need for players to do it at all would be ideal. That will never happen, so player boosting is here to stay and overall is not a big deal.

 

[Conehead]

But is it not different in a sport where you have an opponent and compete with others?

The others have the same options and chances as me.

 

[Conehead]

What are these BS comparisons? None of your examples describe a situation where you test your skill against somebody else in a setting where both agreed to play by the same rules.

See my answer on the post above.

My point is also that I hate being presented the mirror of morality by someone who pretends to be integer and picking rules according to liking.

 

[Conehead]

Either the ITTF does not mind the usage of boosters, so long as they are VOC free. Or maybe they cannot find a way to reliably check for it.

Boosting should either be allowed for everybody or forbidden for everybody.

The solution as we have it right now, opens the door for cheating and is not in the interest of a fair sport.
Again, no one understands why boosting is allowed in the factory but no longer after purchase.

And I don't need anyone to tell me that I am a bad guy because I boost.

 

[Airoc]

I know the excuse was harmful health

True for speed glueing, but I´ve seen pro players boost their rubbers with baby oil, so any harmfulness discussion was dead in the water for booster

 

[Archosaurus]

I don't know where the idea that boosting specifically is illegal has come from. I re-read all the rules a while ago and could not find anything that's precise enough. The closest is:

"2.4.7 The racket covering shall be used without any physical, chemical or other
treatment."

If one was to follow this rule literally, you're not really allowed to wash the surface or cover it with a dust protector either, nor are you allowed to leave it out in the environment for an extended time. You're also not allowed to cut, trim or otherwise modify it, so technically, you should be gluing the rubber sheet on as-is as a square.

Clearly people don't do it like this, so it's probably too vague if the goal is to ban boosting.

 

[scousebr]

To all those posters that seem to walk on the ethical path, may I ask you a couple of questions:

- Are you always providing your tax declaration in an honest and correct way? You claim boosting is against sticking to rules, and the same applies to rules from the tax authorities, right?
- Are you always sticking to the speed limits of public roads? Also here, there are rules that strictly need to be followed.
- Are you always honest with your partner?

We all know the answers, correct? So please stop pretending to act as advocates of honesty and integrity as you also cheat in other areas of your personal life.

Besides that, as a customer I feel pulled over the table by the rubber manufacturer industry. They are allowed to boost, but I am not, so once the boosting effect disappears after a couple of plays, I am supposed to buy a new rubber? Yes, right ... love to do so.

That is why I boost the shit out of my Hurricanes and I feel good doing so.
And yes, I am also cheating in my tax declaration.

What a weird comparison! I do provide my tax declarations in an honest and correct way, respect the speed limits and I am always honest with my partner. I also don't really care about boosting because I don't really take part in competitions, and of the people who play with me, no one really boosts.

Are you trying to say that people who do boost should also be ok with these other actions? Where would the line be, though? Speeding ok, stealing depends on amount, murder not ok?

I also think the rules are badly written, and should be more specific if they are to target boosting. There's no way to accurately tell if a rubber was factory boosted or boosted after sale, and we must live with what we have now.

 

[thisisit]

I don't know where the idea that boosting specifically is illegal has come from. I re-read all the rules a while ago and could not find anything that's precise enough. The closest is:

"2.4.7 The racket covering shall be used without any physical, chemical or other
treatment."

If one was to follow this rule literally, you're not really allowed to wash the surface or cover it with a dust protector either, nor are you allowed to leave it out in the environment for an extended time. You're also not allowed to cut, trim or otherwise modify it, so technically, you should be gluing the rubber sheet on as-is as a square.

Clearly people don't do it like this, so it's probably too vague if the goal is to ban boosting.

this is not true!
"gluing the rubber sheet on as-is as a square" at least qualifies as physical and chemical treatment!

 

[Archosaurus]

this is not true!
"gluing the rubber sheet on as-is as a square" at least qualifies as physical and chemical treatment!

You're right, my mistake.

Would holding the sheet on with psychic telekinesis count as "other"?

 

[Conehead]

Are you trying to say that people who do boost should also be ok with these other actions?

No, that is not what I say.

I clarified my point also here: https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/why-so-much-hate-against-boosters.37864/post-570563

 

[scousebr]

No, that is not what I say.

I clarified my point also here: https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/why-so-much-hate-against-boosters.37864/post-570563

I understand your point, I just thought it was a confusing and overly defensive way to present it by comparing it to moral and law standards.

 

[JackJohnson]

I have no strong feelings about it, but there's a few things about it that I think make it detrimental for the majority of players. Mostly in the ways it makes the sport less accessible.

1. A lot of rubbers are boosted by the manufacturer because it alters the performance. This means that the durability of many high end rubbers is extremely poor, but this is not reflected in the price (if anything, many of these boosted products demand a premium price for below average durability). There's also very little transparency on how manufacturers boost their rubbers.

2. Some rubbers are simply better when boosted, such as H3 or Battle II. If you have ever used one of these rubbers without booster vs. booster, it's clear that if booster did not exist, far less people would use these rubbers (there would still be some people who like it though, I do know a few unboosted H3 enjoyers).

3. There is similarly not a lot of transparency on how players should boost, probably because it's also illegal. This creates a bit of a grey area, where normally if someone is using say, a Tenergy 05 - you know what to expect. If they use a specific long pips or anti-spin, you may not like it, but at least you can fairly gauge what you are playing against.

When booster is added to the equation, this becomes a little bit less clear. My opponent is using H3, but is it boosted? Which booster? How many layers? Of course at the end of the day, it doesn't change that you are just hitting a ball on a table and there are other variations in equipment that you would also need to account for like different blades etc.

Again - I have no strong feelings either way. I understand that the existence and usage of booster in the current environment means that for many people it goes against the spirit of fair competition. Whereas other people simply like to use hard, sticky rubbers that are all but designed to be boosted, and a significant number of players at all levels prefer this.

I think the current iteration of the rules is somewhat pointless, as it is quite obviously there is no intent to actually regulate usage of boosters.

Either the ITTF does not mind the usage of boosters, so long as they are VOC free. Or maybe they cannot find a way to reliably check for it.

Or they simply accept that boosting is well and truly an established practice in the culture of the sport and they realise they cannot seriously restrict it without alienating a huge number of amateur and professional players.

The way I see it, regulating manufacturers and ensuring transparency and compliance with specific rules in regard to factory boosting, removing the need for players to do it at all would be ideal. That will never happen, so player boosting is here to stay and overall is not a big deal.

When ITTF do allow players to boost rubbers themselves (hopefully they elect more people who are for boosting) they should have a certified list of which boosters can be used on the rubber. Of course there is no way to detect what booster a player uses but at least there can be some control to the boosting process.

 

[jonyer80]

I'm 45 and I've been boosting throughout my life from speed glue to boosters. However I'm no longer boosting nowadays. Why?

Lack of time: even though I still play quite well at an advanced level, it's undeniable it's a quite time consuming task. The least thing I want to hassle nowadays is to waste my precious time with alchemy and at my age, I came into terms that it wont take my game to the next level training less than 6<h a week.


On the other hand, boosting is a painstaking procedure that you have to be totally aware with: you have to consider the hardness of the sponge your treating with, the temperature, humidity even the whole brand/model. So to make the things worse, the procedure varies depending on this factors.

As a matter of fact, a wrong boosting job might turn your rubber unsuable before competition. In case you don't let it dry properly or you can also simply shorten dramatically the life span of the rubber.

On top of that: a boosted rubber will never turn back to it original properties: after the boosting effect will fade away sooner or later, but the rubber will never behave as it just brand new our of the package. In other words: every day you'll have to get used to different speeds since boosted speed gradually diminished after a few weeks.

 

[Tyce]

When ITTF do allow players to boost rubbers themselves (hopefully they elect more people who are for boosting) they should have a certified list of which boosters can be used on the rubber. Of course there is no way to detect what booster a player uses but at least there can be some control to the boosting process.

So then you create another rule that is not enforceable. Good idea in spirit, but in practice you just shift the problem slightly