Should homemade blades be banned ?

Everyone else now seeing how needless over regulation hurts the small guy and makes things more expensive - a real net negative outcome.

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Der, I guess they are really affected by the pandemic that they need to have other sources of income for the association. My memory is rusty but for a rubber approval alone I think it is about 2-3K USD for 2yrs??? If the blade approval will be implemented with the same price, that will be an income for them too.

 
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Sorry but did i not read a thread here in this forum titled : ITTF IS DEAD 😎

frank%20zappa%20ittf.jpg

 
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Claudia Herwig in fact is the counselor of ittf equipment department. In their last video report she talked about the fact that they are checking to make blades subject to ittf approval.

To be honest this is nothing completely new. In Japan this is already the case. Blades need jtta approval. Self made blades are not allowed. You can see a „JTTA“ stamp on every „made in Japan“ blade. This is their sign of approval.

As a frequent customer of Sergio, I would really suffer from this kind of rule. Not all kinds of combinations and especially shapes of blades are available in the market and this is where blade makers come in place.

Other questions coming up with this potential rule:
- some people use their blade 20+ years. How to get along with these guys?
- if the approval stamp is on the blade, am I not allowed to customize an approved blade? E.g shortening the handle -> stamp would be gone
- there are so many pros that play with e.g. Viscaria blade but with e.g. Stiga handle (like Fan Zhendong). What about these guys? Is the handle part of the approved blade or can it be exchanged?
- what could still be customized in terms of handle, shape, etc?

so many question marks... I personally think that this new rule would be too stupid
 
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I heard ITTF is going to be requiring people to wear ITTF approved socks and underwear as well. :) And the standard issue CNT National Team socks and underwear won't be up to spec. :) I have heard that this is how they plan to prevent Ma Long from winning his second consecutive Olympic Gold.

But they gave me a stamp that says ITTF Approved to stamp onto all my handmade blades and my socks and undies. :)
 
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Seriously, I think, they can try this. But they will look totally foolish. Could you imagine if major league baseball required people to only used baseball bats that were MLB approved? It's a piece of wood. :)

Are tennis rackets ATP approved?

I mean, to me, it sounds like ITTF is run by a gaggle of fools in the first place. If they try that, they will look that much more like buffoons.
 
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To be fair with Claudia, I do not think this is her decision alone but the ITTF Committee itself.

Collective stupidity is still stupidity. And if an ITTF committee even considers this, one wonders if the stupidity will be so concentrated that it collapses on itself, like a black hole, into a singularity that warps the fabric of spacetime.

 
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Collective stupidity is still stupidity. And if an ITTF committee even considers this, one wonders if the stupidity will be so concentrated that it collapses on itself, like a black hole, into a singularity that warps the fabric of spacetime.

The collapsed name for ITTF/WTT is ... ?
 
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Collective stupidity is still stupidity. And if an ITTF committee even considers this, one wonders if the stupidity will be so concentrated that it collapses on itself, like a black hole, into a singularity that warps the fabric of spacetime.

i agree with this only that she is not the only person to blame but the whole committee itself.

 
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I'm in two minds about this. Firstly, of course there is a feeling that people should be allowed to make their own blades and if this was removed then something that adds a lot to the culture of our sport would be lost. The myths and fetishes surrounding table tennis blades is definitely a unique and valuable aspect of our sport.

However, thinking from the perspective of elite competition, it definitely makes sense that equipment needs to be approved for professional play. Imagine a scenario where only one set of players has access to a type of blade using a secret material that performs just slightly better at the top level (as many say is already the case with rubbers of course).
 
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However, thinking from the perspective of elite competition, it definitely makes sense that equipment needs to be approved for professional play. Imagine a scenario where only one set of players has access to a type of blade using a secret material that performs just slightly better at the top level (as many say is already the case with rubbers of course).

You mean this super-conductive fiber made from carbon nano-tubes grown with cold fusion and mixed with unobtanium, right?

Pardon me for being sarcastic, but I am convinced no such thing will make a difference.
 
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I'm in two minds about this. Firstly, of course there is a feeling that people should be allowed to make their own blades and if this was removed then something that adds a lot to the culture of our sport would be lost. The myths and fetishes surrounding table tennis blades is definitely a unique and valuable aspect of our sport.

However, thinking from the perspective of elite competition, it definitely makes sense that equipment needs to be approved for professional play. Imagine a scenario where only one set of players has access to a type of blade using a secret material that performs just slightly better at the top level (as many say is already the case with rubbers of course).
You mean this super-conductive fiber made from carbon nano-tubes grown with cold fusion and mixed with unobtanium, right?

Pardon me for being sarcastic, but I am convinced no such thing will make a difference.
Actually, I think he means how nobody can get the actual equipment that the CNT use (which was part of my joke about CNT socks and underwear). And, yes, people think they are buying National H3 or ML's personal H3 or ML's personal W968 blade. But I am not so sure they are getting what they think they are, and look at the prices some sellers try to charge for things like these.
...

However, this won't stop pros from using a blade from one company with a handle from another. And if it does not do that, then it is totally pointless and will only serve to punish club and tournament players WHO WANT TO play by the rules.
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No, I am not going to get rid of my 35 blades and buy a new blade that has been approved by WTF (Oh, it is not "what the f-ck": ITTF/WTT). :) hahahaha.
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Balls, to me it makes sense. I think in Baseball, Football, Basketball, Tennis, they are using balls that meet certain qualifications.
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Rubbers: TT is unique in that, there was a lot of interesting stuff going on with what certain people did to their rubbers and the extent to which that impacts speed, spin and deception. I don't know that they can really stop this because some of it is still going on even if, not to the same extent. But it makes sense that, given the history, they can try to regulate rubber usage.
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But a blade....there is not much you can do with WOOD; SO, if the blade adheres to the rule about the percentage of material that can be in the blade face that is not wood, I am not sure there should be more to it than that.
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Corked bats in baseball are against the rules. But the bat does not have to be MLB approved. There is no intelligent reason that a blade would need approval aside from passing the inspection of an umpire, to meet requirements and be good for play.
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I mean, the rules do not even specify size of blade face. And I am pretty sure a player like Xu Xin uses a blade with a larger blade face than the standard version of the blade he "supposedly" uses. The idea that they would try to do this is really, actually, laughable. But it is okay. Nobody will pay attention to it. Or, at least I won't.
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Nate: I will continue using the Nate Special Vortex Spin Machine even after I have been banned by ITTF, WTT, USATT and WTF! hahahahahaha. Hipnotic: we are going to have to work out you making a blade for me soon. :)
...

This really is too funny.
...
 
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Nate: I will continue using the Nate Special Vortex Spin Machine even after I have been banned by ITTF, WTT, USATT and WTF! hahahahahaha. Hipnotic: we are going to have to work out you making a blade for me soon. :)
...

This really is too funny.
...

Admirable when people stay in good mood, while still having that bunch of corrupted greedy assh... in the corner of their minds.
 
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Admirable when people stay in good mood, while still having that bunch of corrupted greedy assh... in the corner of their minds.
Honestly, it is so silly and ridiculous that I just can't take it seriously. And it certainly would not impact what I use in play in any way what so ever. So, all I can do is laugh at how pathetic ITTF is if they are even considering this at all.

 
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Honestly, it is so silly and ridiculous that I just can't take it seriously. And it certainly would not impact what I use in play in any way what so ever. So, all I can do is laugh at how pathetic ITTF is if they are even considering this at all.

Yes, but what about all those small scale manufacturers, who practically devoted their lives to it? Some of them do it for living...

Edit: Of course I know you are the first one to think about them. It's just I think if this passes, it will have negative impact, regardless of what you, me and many others may comission next.
 
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I gonna have to trust you about that, or as my good ol mate Franky said:

" I know when I am licked - all over. 😂


That's why Yogi should warn Claudia:
"A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it's not open."

But we all know that with ITTF nowadays stupidity has a certain charm (ignorance does not though).

 
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Should this happen, it would be a fine example of government making a perfectly legal activity that contributes to commerce and society and turn it into an illegal thing with the single pounding of a hammer in session.

ITTF is not government, but in the area of table tennis, they are actually in the role of government (they "govern" the sport) and wield the power of government.

Since USA TT Assn (USATT) rubber stamps all ITTF stuff and does not exist to serve the common member (they exist to serve themselves and the elite athletes) it would be better for USA to make a seperate TT assn just for the amateur players that is not influenced by ITTF and exists to serve the interests of the membership.

Doing such a thing at the national level if it is already not done (Sweden for a few years REFUSED to implement frictionless LP removal from authorized list) would ensure the freedom and facility of commerce.
 
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