Article about the advantages and disadvantages of using Tacky rubber

[anchorschmidt]

https://thoughtsontabletennis.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/on-tacky-rubbers/

 

[Machine_Head]

Thank you very much for the very informative post. I was about to create a thread asking why I need more effort in lifting backspin with harder, tackier rubber (Yinhe Moon provincial tuned) as opposed to a softer less tacky rubber (DHS H3-50, KTL Red Diamond Mechanical, Adidas P7 and Tenzone).

Let me see if I got this right, with tacky rubbers you need a more forward motion in lifting backspins right? Also, would engaging the sponge be better or just doing a thin brush on the ball?

 

[Kokain]

When you boost rubber, do you affect the tackiness? Supposedly by reducing it due to stretching the rubber...?

 

[Liten]

My short findings using H3 neo and TG2 neo are:
1. You need to follow trough your strokes more than with euro-rubbers.

2. The tack might be affected when boosting, but not in an extent that I can notice..

 

[Shuki]

great read, never knew all the specifics. Just knew that i don't like tacky rubber.

 

[Baal]

https://thoughtsontabletennis.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/on-tacky-rubbers/

Interesting and informative, thanks for posting. Makes perfect sense to me. I think one takeaway is that tacky rubbers can punish you badly if your footwork has problems for whatever reason.

 

[vvk1]

From the article:

Tacky rubbers are especially good at receiving short, the first attack and counterattacking with the forehand side, while being demanding at the same time in terms of a proper technique and the basic understanding of the game.

Hence the recommendation to use nontacky rubbers for amateurs, nontacky rubbers for intermediate players with the option to upgrade to a tacky forehand as a long term investment and finally the tacky forehand plus nontacky backhand combination of (semi-) professional players.

100% agree.

 

[anchorschmidt]

Thank you very much for the very informative post. I was about to create a thread asking why I need more effort in lifting backspin with harder, tackier rubber (Yinhe Moon provincial tuned) as opposed to a softer less tacky rubber (DHS H3-50, KTL Red Diamond Mechanical, Adidas P7 and Tenzone).

Let me see if I got this right, with tacky rubbers you need a more forward motion in lifting backspins right? Also, would engaging the sponge be better or just doing a thin brush on the ball?

I'm not the author but I think that the meant that doing a thin brush with a tacky rubber can lift the ball very well but you have to engage the sponge to let the ball move forward. Otherwise, you will just lift the ball.

"To sum it up, a nontacky rubber is easier for looping backspin if you’re caught off balance but limits your options in terms of the possible placement length. For very thin contacts you also have a higher change to miss the ball due to slipping."

"Since we have a lack of speed in tacky rubbers, the stroke must be made slightly forward with a contact point above the balls equator. A nontacky rubber doesn’t lack this forward speed and we can just swing upward and hit at the equator of the ball."

 

[Machine_Head]

I'm not the author but I think that the meant that doing a thin brush with a tacky rubber can lift the ball very well but you have to engage the sponge to let the ball move forward. Otherwise, you will just lift the ball.

"To sum it up, a nontacky rubber is easier for looping backspin if you’re caught off balance but limits your options in terms of the possible placement length. For very thin contacts you also have a higher change to miss the ball due to slipping."

"Since we have a lack of speed in tacky rubbers, the stroke must be made slightly forward with a contact point above the balls equator. A nontacky rubber doesn’t lack this forward speed and we can just swing upward and hit at the equator of the ball."

That makes sense. I will give it a try.