I want to try mid pips on BH. Can anyone give me some advice?

[Taute]

Hello. I have tried quite a few long pips, but after slightly adjusting my playing style (bringing more attack to my BH), thinking more and more about mid long pips. With long pips attacks are too complex and unpredictable, which is why I make a lot of mistakes. I think I would rather sacrifice a little deception by choosing mid long pips, but I will have better opportunities to attack. At least I want to try it..

Can you help me choose mid-long pips that I can use to receive serves and block fairly easily, but at the same time have decent attack capabilities?

The selection is huge, it's really hard to choose, especially when i haven't played with mid long pips..By the way, I would try to glue them on Re-Impact Rapier 44.

So far, the most interesting options seem to be:
-Spinlrod Keiler II (or maybe Keiler);
- DMS Flashback
- Spinlord Orkan (or Orkan II)

Thanks for any advice and insights.

 

[The Pong Professor]

Gipfelsturm

 

[Tony Funk My Racket]

I concur with Pong Professor (who does super test videos by the way): gipfelsturm.

 

[TTAntiPlayer]

If you want to try mid pips without investing much money, just to decide if they suit you, you can try Dawei 388C-1. You can find it on AliExpress for around €10 in different thicknesses (1.0mm - 1.8mm).

 

[Taute]

What thickness of Gipfelsturm sponge do you think I should start with?

 

[tzifos]

Dawei 388C-1 and Friendship/729 563 is a very good start. There are many mid-pips available, some more defensive some more attack-oriented. These two are quite "neutral"
For more defensive you can try Do Knucle / Super Do Knuckle / Curl P3
for more attack you can try Armstrong Attack8 M or L, Giant Dragon 612

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I seen few players around me using 388C-1
Its low cost, so I agree you can give it a try

 

[JJ Ng]

I have played medium pips before and I don't like it. Medium pips to me is worst of both short pips and long pips. However, some people on the forum really like medium pips so everyone is different.

If long pips are harder to control for you, then I would suggest anti. Anti just has no spins but with its absorbing sponge, it has a lot of control. Attacking using anti is difficult though.

 

[Taute]

I have played medium pips before and I don't like it. Medium pips to me is worst of both short pips and long pips. However, some people on the forum really like medium pips so everyone is different.

If long pips are harder to control for you, then I would suggest anti. Anti just has no spins but with its absorbing sponge, it has a lot of control. Attacking using anti is difficult though.

As long as it's only about defending with long pips, everything is fine. However, higher level players, noticing that I can't apply pressure with BH, only defense, start using it. And attacking with LP is complicated..

 

[tzifos]

Check some Hashimoto and Sato videos. They are both defenders using Nittaku Do Knuckle mid-pips but also use them for attack when they are sure for the ball!
Check also some Ai Fukufara videos that uses Armstrong Attack8 mid-pips for blocking (defence) and hitting (attack) and for opening some back-spin balls.

 

[Taute]

Check some Hashimoto and Sato videos. They are both defenders using Nittaku Do Knuckle mid-pips but also use them for attack when they are sure for the ball!
Check also some Ai Fukufara videos that uses Armstrong Attack8 mid-pips for blocking (defence) and hitting (attack) and for opening some back-spin balls.

Thanks, I'll definitely take a look.

 

[Lula]

I think regular Keiler is more suitable.

 

[Tony Funk My Racket]

What thickness of Gipfelsturm sponge do you think I should start with?

You might start with 1.5mm to learn the rubber then switch to 1.8mm for a more aggressive play if you want to attack or play fast. The thinner sponges are good for passive or defensive styles but attacks are pretty slow.

 

[Taute]

You might start with 1.5mm to learn the rubber then switch to 1.8mm for a more aggressive play if you want to attack or play fast. The thinner sponges are good for passive or defensive styles but attacks are pretty slow.

Thank's 👍

 

[Roy1983]

I play the Keiler II on the backhand as attacking rubber (opponents really hate it when you attack with it). Keiler II is more to short pips then long pips so I think you need to adjust a lot coming from long pips, which takes a lot of practice time (months to master it properly). The DMS flashback is similar to the keiler II but with softer sponge, more catapult, more disruptive but also harder to control. Both rubbers want to be played aggressively to get the max out of it. If not, you could be a sitting duck with these medium pips.
The Orkan I don’t know, never played it. Gipfelsturm i heard good things about and offer more lots control on passive play. But see if you can try a few medium pips and feel what suits your style

 

[WingTT]

For attacking, you cannot beat Friendship 563 for the price and possibly any price. Start there.

 

[Brs]

You can play DMS Flashback basically just like short pips. It attacks quite well. If you lived in the US I would send you a sealed sheet for the postage.

I can't say how well Flashback defends because I have zero defensive skills. This is also why I gave up on MP and went back to Moristo.

 

[blahness]

I have played medium pips before and I don't like it. Medium pips to me is worst of both short pips and long pips. However, some people on the forum really like medium pips so everyone is different.

If long pips are harder to control for you, then I would suggest anti. Anti just has no spins but with its absorbing sponge, it has a lot of control. Attacking using anti is difficult though.

I got classic anti like Butterfly Super Anti and attacking with it is easy af, especially against underspin, but i can in fact do countertopspin with it. I would think frictionless anti be a lot more difficult to attack with. There is a whole spectrum of antis which all behave differently lol.

 

[JJ Ng]

I got classic anti like Butterfly Super Anti and attacking with it is easy af, especially against underspin, but i can in fact do countertopspin with it. I would think frictionless anti be a lot more difficult to attack with. There is a whole spectrum of antis which all behave differently lol.

I agree with you. Just like all the long pips play differently and people have their "favorite" long pips for their own styles of play.

I have a sheet of Butterfly Super Anti. I like playing with it. I just don't play with it long enough because I am trying to improve my attacks from both sides using double inverted.

I have a sheet of anti from Yasaka as well that I have not put on a blade yet.

From my short time with Super Anti, I can see its potential and maybe anti could become more popular in the 40+mm plastic ball era.

 

[blahness]

I agree with you. Just like all the long pips play differently and people have their "favorite" long pips for their own styles of play.

I have a sheet of Butterfly Super Anti. I like playing with it. I just don't play with it long enough because I am trying to improve my attacks from both sides using double inverted.

I have a sheet of anti from Yasaka as well that I have not put on a blade yet.

From my short time with Super Anti, I can see its potential and maybe anti could become more popular in the 40+mm plastic ball era.

Yeah personally it gives me a fighting chance against ppl with much more advanced spin game than me. My goal is to upset an ex-pro some day haha. With anti I can drag them into the mud (ie uncomfortable, unfamiliar territory) and use their own spin against them. Whereas with double inverted against someone with a more advanced spin game (esp serve/receive) it would almost be an automatic loss since I can't overpower their spin but they can do it so easily against my spin. It is the same when i play someone with weaker spin when i was still a 2 wing inverted player. One heavy spin loop = 1 close to automatic point. Their heaviest spin is still so easy to control for me.