New Service tactics with the plastic balls

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Hey Folks,

I recently played in a tournament with plastic balls. It required some technical adjustments but I think I am getting used to them. But my Service kept either being too high or having basically no spin. I lost many points because of that and it kept frustrating me. And it wasnt just me. I asked other players how they feel about the plastic balls and they told me they had to either change their eq or their playing style. I think there is no doubt that we will keep using plastic balls in the near future.

So my question is wether you have some tactics or just some advice for players who struggle with the plastic ball.

thanks in advance
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
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I agree with vvk1.

At this point, the only reason this question could come up is if you are not playing with one of the plastic balls. And when you play with the plastic ball enough, this question simply doesn’t come up because you get used to what to do with the plastic ball.


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In Germany celluloid balls are still allowed for the 2018/2019 season. Only from Oberliga up plastic is mandatory (which is a really high level). So one week you play celluloid, then ABS and the next week CA balls.

Thank god it’s only one more season like that.
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
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In Germany celluloid balls are still allowed for the 2018/2019 season. Only from Oberliga up plastic is mandatory (which is a really high level). So one week you play celluloid, then ABS and the next week CA balls.

Thank god it’s only one more season like that.

Man, ITTF really has screwed things up with how bad the switch to the Poly Ball has been handled.


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I think the DTTB, the German association, is to blame. They could have set a date without mixed balls and I would actually prefer that the association selects the ball for the season and everyone plays with the same ball. That’s how they do it in tennis here. Of course manufacturers pay a lot to have their ball selected.
 
What is a celluloid ball? I haven' touched one for about 2-3 years? All practice sessions and tournaments in the US are 40+ (qualifying that with 'what I have encountered). Now there are 40+ balls I like (Nittaku 40+ Prem and DHS D40+) and ones I don't like (Bty G40+

Bottom line: no adjustments to make.

So why wouldn't the clubs buy the 40+ now to make their players stronger in 2019? I know it's been reported they have an inventory of the old Celluloid balls, but, they have to determine their own future.
 
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Hey Folks,

I recently played in a tournament with plastic balls. It required some technical adjustments but I think I am getting used to them. But my Service kept either being too high or having basically no spin. I lost many points because of that and it kept frustrating me. And it wasnt just me. I asked other players how they feel about the plastic balls and they told me they had to either change their eq or their playing style. I think there is no doubt that we will keep using plastic balls in the near future.

So my question is wether you have some tactics or just some advice for players who struggle with the plastic ball.

thanks in advance

Same tactics exactly. You just have to learn to execute them with new balls. It takes time to figure it out. Know that opponents will find anything you do with serves a little less difficult to deal with so be extra ready for the third ball.

They've been out since 2014 and it is now nearly half way through 2018. So you have a lot of catching up to do.
 
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In the my part of the US club's don't provide balls. So here you would not find celluloid ball in use for a few years now. People buy their balls and try to use good ones. Essentially all tournaments here now use seamless or ABS balls of some sort.
 
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Man, ITTF really has screwed things up with how bad the switch to the Poly Ball has been handled.


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Yes but by now dumb holdouts only have themselves to blame. Probably ITTF should have decertified celluoid a year or two ago. But the insistence of some national federations and I individual club's to persist with this is a self-inflicted wound hard to blame on ITTF at this late date.
 
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It‘s actually not going to be much better in the future. While Celluloid won’t be allowed there still are CA, ABS and seamless balls and we are probably going to switch between them all the time soon. I can play with ABS and with seamless but CA is just horrible. I like that they take spin but I hate that they don’t bounce. They jump a lot lower than all the other balls.
 
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