Hi!
im quite interested in short pips right now, the pips im focusing on is the Stiga Clippa because i heard it can produce spin for a Short pip Rubber, has speed and i heard Liu Guoliang uses it too!
Do you guys out there have any suggestions? xD
Thanks in Advance
Hey LuigiTT
If you are just starting out with short pips, I wouldn’t go for Stiga Clippa. It would be a bit hard to control, I would guess. I’d say it’s a bit too hard to start out with.
Normally people recommend 802 or 802-40 as a first SP. They are very cheap and good enough to start with, but also good enough to keep the rest of your table tennis life.
802 (and 802-1) is a more hardcore SP and meant for hitting and blocking as mentioned above. It has a hard topsheet and a medium sponge. (802-1 usually has a slightly softer sponge than 802). Both of them have are fast, have good control and feel very crisp when hitting. Both are capable of producing spin, but you have to use a lot of effort and really dig into the sponge.
802-40 has a softer top sheet and a soft sponge. It’s capable of producing considerable spin, but still not close to inverted. (Remember that no SP’s are capable of matching inverted when it comes to producing spin. It’s all relative.) 802-40 is fast, spinny and has good control. You do not need to adjust your strokes very much coming from inverted. In other words it’s easier to play with. The backside of that is that you are not forced to adjust your strokes and will probably not learn how to use the full potential of SP.
Dimitry Raspopin mentioned Tuttle Summer 3C above. That’s a great suggestion and the one I would make too. It’s slightly faster and spinner than the 802 series, but has a great quality modern non-tension sponge underneath the top sheet which allows for great control. The top sheet is quite hard so you will need proper strokes, but the sponge makes it easy to spin up the ball. Serves are great, for example. And again, the control is fabulous.
In short, I’d recommend Tuttle Summer 3C for you. It’s not as cheap as the 802-s, but still very cheap compared to most rubbers.
Another thing - don't look for another blade. You don't need to. The T11 is very stiff and will suit SP's very well. The stiffness helps you feel the ball when hitting and blocking. The one problem with it may be that it will make for a very, very fast setup.
Anyway, a transition to SP isn’t easy, but with hard work it can be done successfully. IMHO, you should allow for at least 3-4 months of stroke adjustment to make a proper transition. And don’t give up - it’s very rewarding once you understand, feel and use SP to it’s full potential.
Good luck!