How do I know the spinniest topsheet. 🔎

[igorponger]

NOTE. It is a popular misbelief with table tennis folks that tacky topsheet is the very best option to generate spinny balls. Nop, it is tensile elasticity of rubber material that foremost accounts for amount of spin. This all appears from laboratory experiments using a tensile apparatus, -- the greater elasticity of topsheet the greater spin it can generate upon impact.

All you need is the factory log of elasticity testings, the resulting numbers, Tensile Force by kgf (N). It is important to understand once and for all:
🔔The lower TF (N) stands for a greater elasticity.

Regretfully, manufacturers all did always withhold the real elasticity values from public view. So yet, we have now devised our own testing stand to measure elasticity on a separate topsheet. The findings came out rather unexpected.

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Be erudite of everything

 

[haggisv]

The findings came out rather unexpected.

Science 101: A hypothesis is meant to be tested against data: if the data don't agree with the hypothesis, you reject the hypothesis

 

[lodro]

I do not completely rubbish this way of testing as complete crap, I do appreciate the efforts that have gone into it.

However, I would prefer the top sheets removed from the sponge and glued on to a neutral surface and then tested how much spin can be produced.
The video comes to mind with the robot that actually holds the bat and it could be used to repeat the same action with all the different test objects.

But frankly my dear ...............

 

[Scifer]

I'm a materials scientist, I characterize elastomers, and I've tested tens of thousands of similar specimens shown in that video. Always open to being wrong, but what you said about 'tensile elasticity' that accounts for spin makes no sense.

What do you mean by tensile elasticity? This isn't a term used in industry. Do you mean modulus or stiffness? And it does not follow at all that it accounts for spin - by that theory then rubbers should have some of the lowest spin potential, given that rubbers have some of the lowest elastic modulus values.

** woops misunderstood that OP actually said that low "TF" means more elasticity and better spin.
It still does not make sense though, "TF" (never heard of it in industry, and I assume you mean tensile strength) is not always inversely proportional to elasticity (I am assuming you mean how much it can stretch).

The metric that is relevant would probably be coefficient of friction, specifically against ABS.

 

[lodro]

The metric that is relevant would probably be coefficient of friction,

There are two schools of thinking , one that wants to make the spin using the rubber surface's grippiness or tackiness and I assume would be expressed with coefficient of friction. The second way of thinking wants to make the spin using the softness of the rubber and therefore the chance of the balls to think into the rubber and "kinda" grabbing the balls.I just pray that this thread is not "resurrecting" old friend BB 🤣🤣🤣

 

[Gozo Aruna]

I am a proponent of the second school of thoughts, that is, soft rubber that sinks upon contact, grab the ball and allows me to spin it away.

 

[lodro]

I am a proponent of the second school of thoughts, that is, soft rubber that sinks upon contact, grab the ball and allows me to spin it away.

I think it is a bit of both

 

[haggisv]

Yes, the amount of spin that you get depends on so many variables, causing Igor's test to produce wildly unexpected results. Apart from the quality of the stroke, the pimple length, shape, thickness of topsheet and sponge all contribute greatly to the spin you can produce, so just testing the "elasticity of topsheet" material won't offer much meaningful data.

 

[pong99]

Rubber will be more elastic if you use the ab roller booster on it first

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Rubber will be more elastic if you use the ab roller booster on it first

with russian made very round 5 star balls, the spin will make ma long want to retire

 

[zeio]

Sigh...

Tensile strength is just one of many factors and like CoF, a higher value doesn't necessarily translate to more spin.

 

[Jan_]

Spin generation is entirely depended on technique. A rubber with a better hold on the ball and longer dwell time will allow a good player to spin the ball better than a rubber that holds it less but deforms more. One has a ceiling that limits its potential because the deformation will allow for only a set amount of rotation.

Tacky rubbers are spinnier for that reason, and that's why everyone and their grandma is using one, whether it's ma long and ovcharov, or beginners and intermediates.

These researches are bull done by companies to justify higher prices or researches done by people who have no idea of the sport.

 

[lodro]

These researches are bull done by companies to justify higher prices or researches done by people who have no idea of the sport.

Yes, I think it is a conspiracy 😂😂😂

 

[Jan_]

Yes, I think it is a conspiracy 😂😂😂

It's not about conspiracy. I don't trust players reviewing products of the company that pays their bills. Am I crazy to think that?

 

[riemsesy]

Tacky rubbers are spinnier for that reason, and that's why everyone and their Grandma Long is using one, whether it's ma long and ovcharov, or beginners and intermediates.
.

 

[Jan_]

@riemsesy Very mature

 

[lodro]

Am I crazy to think that?

Maybe, I just wonder how many of these 🤣
🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 I have to add for you to recognize a joke ?

 

[igorponger]

©SIMPLIFIED ELASTICITY TEST

How to best prepare rubber strips for the testing.
1️⃣ Trim up a factory rubber sheet as shown.
This is the best reasonable cutwork to get both --a testing strip and a rubber sheet well-fit to cover all over blade surface.
2️⃣ Now then, cut the strip in halves.

OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE
-- Take care that you get ALL rubber strips of a standard size 10 mm x 50 mm.
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Have a happy endeahvour of rubber elasticity tests.


EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR ELASTICITY TESTS.
-- Digital dynamometer with metering range 30 N is the first necessity so as to accurately measure strain force on the rubber strips.
ANNOTATION: Give the sample strip a linear strain untill it takes a standard elongation of 15 мм (shown in green). Take up the resulting numbers as they displayed on digital screen.
NOTE THE CORRELATION : The lower numbers (=tensile force) will stand for a better elasticity.

KEEP IN MIND
📌 Highly Еlastic rubber should generate spin a lot. Stiff topsheet will go a crap.


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Ве happy all.