Awkward state of boosting

[sky500]

Hi,

I'm currently playing in the amateur league in a European country and boosting is regarded as illegal due to the rules.

But as far as I understand many players in Asia and even the top professional players are playing with boosted rubbers. Some rubbers are even not playable if not boosted like H3.

Why is boosting not made legal again because the health aspect of speed glue is not an argument anymore. Also, many players are already boosting their rubbers. If you want to play by the rules, you have currently a disadvantage because you can't play Chinese Rubbers.

On the other hand if it is illegal and planed to be so. Why is it not more penalized?

The current state just feels awkward and gives an unfair advantage for players who play by the rules. In my mind, if it's illegal then enforce it for every player to the same degree or just legalized it, so every player are on equal footing again.

 

[Lazer]

The simple answer is, it’s virtually impossible to detect if it does not contain VOC. Boosters I know of don’t…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[sky500]

The simple answer is, it’s virtually impossible to detect if it does not contain VOC. Boosters I know of don’t…

Cheers
L-zr

And as I understood, VOC has been the reason why speed glueing has been forbidden because of the bad health effects. But this argument doesn't stand anymore with boosters without VOC.

It's also like an open secret that Ma Long and other Chinese Players are boosting their rubbers. If ITTF really want to enforce the rule they could monitor the racket glueing process. Otherwise just legalize boosting if you have no means to enforce the rule?

 

[Lazer]

They don’t boost them self’s they get their (special) rubbers from factory then it’s allowed as long as no VOC’s are allowed. The European players get the same, but they are sponsored mostly by Japanese and ESN rubbers and they don’t benefit as much from boosting.
I boost, don’t see a reason not to ( other than maybe laziness)…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[sky500]

They don’t boost them self’s they get their (special) rubbers from factory then it’s allowed as long as no VOC’s are allowed. The European players get the same, but they are sponsored mostly by Japanese and ESN rubbers and they don’t benefit as much from boosting.
I boost, don’t see a reason not to ( other than maybe laziness)…

Cheers
L-zr

But they are still boosted. So why not just legalize it?

Also during the ITTF World Team Championship Team USA has been disqualified because one of their player high likely boosted his rubber, resulting in the rubber being bigger than acceptable. So personal boosting seems to still happen.

 

[ZFT]

On the flip side why not ban composite fibers and just allow all wooden blades like in the good ol days?

 

[desertman]

As a person returning to the sport after many years away, I find the whole idea of boosting repulsive. I missed most of the era of speed glue, so I don't miss what I guess many players are trying to recreate by boosting. With that admitted inexperience and naivete as a backdrop, boosting just seems no better than PEDs, and the fact that so many players seem to do it anyway (if I am to believe what I hear) is both discouraging and a stain on the sport.

That being said, if someone needs to boost to beat me, that's on their conscience, if they have one. If you beat someone by cheating then you are a loser.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Hi,

I'm currently playing in the amateur league in a European country and boosting is regarded as illegal due to the rules.

But as far as I understand many players in Asia and even the top professional players are playing with boosted rubbers. Some rubbers are even not playable if not boosted like H3.

Why is boosting not made legal again because the health aspect of speed glue is not an argument anymore. Also, many players are already boosting their rubbers. If you want to play by the rules, you have currently a disadvantage because you can't play Chinese Rubbers.

On the other hand if it is illegal and planed to be so. Why is it not more penalized?

The current state just feels awkward and gives an unfair advantage for players who play by the rules. In my mind, if it's illegal then enforce it for every player to the same degree or just legalized it, so every player are on equal footing again.

Just go ahead and boost

 

[Lazer]

As a person returning to the sport after many years away, I find the whole idea of boosting repulsive. I missed most of the era of speed glue, so I don't miss what I guess many players are trying to recreate by boosting. With that admitted inexperience and naivete as a backdrop, boosting just seems no better than PEDs, and the fact that so many players seem to do it anyway (if I am to believe what I hear) is both discouraging and a stain on the sport.

That being said, if someone needs to boost to beat me, that's on their conscience, if they have one. If you beat someone by cheating then you are a loser.

Tell that to a pro 🤣🤣🤣

Cheers
L-zr

 

[dingyibvs]

As a person returning to the sport after many years away, I find the whole idea of boosting repulsive. I missed most of the era of speed glue, so I don't miss what I guess many players are trying to recreate by boosting. With that admitted inexperience and naivete as a backdrop, boosting just seems no better than PEDs, and the fact that so many players seem to do it anyway (if I am to believe what I hear) is both discouraging and a stain on the sport.

That being said, if someone needs to boost to beat me, that's on their conscience, if they have one. If you beat someone by cheating then you are a loser.

PEDs are frowned upon due to their deleterious health effects. Boosters are more like protein powder or vitamin supplements.

 

[desertman]

PEDs are frowned upon due to their deleterious health effects. Boosters are more like protein powder or vitamin supplements.

Right. It's got nothing at all to do with giving an unfair advantage, Mark McGuire

 

[gordonluvsu]

Right. It's got nothing at all to do with giving an unfair advantage, Mark McGuire

Whats the difference between me boosting my rubber and the factory boosting it for me?

 

[desertman]

Tell that to a pro 🤣🤣🤣

Cheers
L-zr

I'd be happy to. I have no filter when it comes to ethics and sportsmanship. .

 

[desertman]

Whats the difference between me boosting my rubber and the factory boosting it for me?

Someone else can probably answer that better than me. As a recent returner to the sport I'm still in the stage of initial shock and revulsion that this is even an issue in TT.

Maybe I'll eventually come around and see it all as OK, but I hope not.

 

[dingyibvs]

Right. It's got nothing at all to do with giving an unfair advantage, Mark McGuire

Does an athlete who take protein powder have an unfair advantage over those who don't? It's not unfair if it's accessible to all.

 

[TackyForehand]

Perhaps it's unfair. Although it makes no difference whether the rubber is boosted by the factory or by you, the final product of manual boosting is not readily available to the general populace. But even so, players should already use the best rubber available to them, boosted or not. Since boosting softens the sponge and add catapult, you can just buy the degree of hardness and catapult you want in a rubber without doing any witchcraft.

 

[desertman]

It's not unfair if it's accessible to all.

Not all people are dumb enough to risk their health or reputation for better performance, and they rightfully believe they shouldn't have to compete against those who do. It's called sportsmanship, and its a disappearing ethic in the age of winning and money is everything.

 

[Lazer]

Not all people are dumb enough to risk their health or reputation for better performance, and they rightfully believe they shouldn't have to compete against those who do. It's called sportsmanship, and its a disappearing ethic in the age of winning and money is everything.

“Risk their health” ???

Cheers
L-zr

 

[lodro]

the final product of manual boosting is not readily available to the general populace.

Yes it is. It comes in plastic bottles with a little brush attached to the inside of the lid and it is sold everywhere. 😁

 

[Lazer]

Yes it is. It comes in plastic bottles with a little brush attached to the inside of the lid and it is sold everywhere. 😁

Or you can buy a similar product called “baby oil” at the grocery store…

Cheers
L-zr