Has anyone gone back to reversed both sides after an extended period using pimples?

[MOG]

Hi

imo the abs ball has pretty much made the mid pimple i use obsolete, the reduced spin in the game and speed just means I have to actually wallop the ball to win a point.
my pips are basically ineffective and just play like a really rubbish reversed, I even played someone the other day who did not realise I was using pips?

This leads to my next question?

Has anyone successfully reverted back to reversed both sides?

 

[ejprinz]

After 10 years inverted as a teenager I did as 60yr old 1 year each of inverted, 1 year of short pips backhand (max sponge), 1 year of inverted, and now long pips backhand (1mm sponge). I also have a 1.3mm sponge medium pips for comparison. I am playing much better against long pips now as I understand the spin progression from playing them myself. I am playing more defensive but as a modern defender (no inverted f/h chop, topspin instead). I also found that the Victas Swat (OFF-, almost my slowest blade) is the right blade for me, and I can play inverted backhand with twiddling (on a Hurricane 3 Neo) although I am not doing it much (except b/h serves) in the tournaments. I see the rubbers as a continuum, my short pips Yinhe Uranus Pro is like an imperfect anti or an old Sriver.
Each rubber change needs about 8 weeks of daily 1-2 hour machine practice to get the timing re-adjusted. It is different between short/medium pips and inverted, the inverted is more forgiving as you don't have to hit on the highest spot necessarily.
I tend to win against folks who don't know how to play against long pips (i.e. the basic knowledge). I have to get much better now against my training partners who have adjusted to the long pips.

 

[Comodoensis]

Being experimenting with short, medium, long pips, and even going back to inverted on the backhand side (well, the forehand never change though, hard tacky chinese rubbers. Except when using short/medium pips, expect some FH pips whacking to give some surprise), somehow it feels beneficial. Using pips means less margin of error, resulting in forcing one to do any strokes as optimal as possible.

When I came back using inverted, it takes 1-2 hours of practice, and that's it. As long as keeping the footwork active, remembering the basic rules of pips ('on time' you may whack as you like, but when it's 'late', the more it is, the more you brush/lift, resulting less quality/pressure) and 'translate' it properly ('on time' you may spin the ball with adequate impact, but when it's 'late', the more it is, the more you brush the ball), it seems fine. Somehow it feels easier to do solid contact with balls. Though, it does takes more time to end rallies, unlike using pips; whether outblast them with some whacking, or outplaying using off-tempo blocks/placements.

Even after 5-6 years away from the table, and recent urge to whack some balls and trying to get back in shape, until now, it feels no issue to pick which material for my backhand side (for my level, of course. Consider me as an amateur with huge curiosity in the past which has been slightly cured, except for the EJ virus of course ). But from personal evaluation and suggestions from coaches which a bit surprised due to the fact that I've tried almost all playstyle (except being a long pips pushblocker. A big no no, I feel vulnerable being a pushblocker somehow, since I somehow enjoy playing against one), I somehow performs better with short pips (incorporating twiddling of course. Against partners who loves to play away from the table, once they go away, simply go with some short pips FH whacking. Against those who stays close to table, I prefer take a step or two, and try to 'break the wall' using FH topspins and BH whacking)

Long story short, perhaps it won't hurt to try going back to inverted for a while. Though, in my personal view, the pips are always addictive

If I may ask, what medium pips are you currently using?