ITTF Equipment Webinar

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Active Member
Mar 2013
910
1,174
2,593
Read 3 reviews

Some interesting things in here. Blade and table approval discussions. Also some detailed discussion about the recent pilots of their efforts to detect boosting by the pros, with some revealing images...jump to the 56min mark to start the piece about racket control, and to 1h06m to see the juicy stuff.
 
Last edited:
says Fair Play first
says Fair Play first
Well-Known Member
Jan 2012
1,285
406
1,760

© ITTF Equipment Committee
Rufford Harrison (USA) and Odd Gustavsen (Norway)

THE CONTROL OF RACKET COVERINGS

23/07/2002

As everybody must know by now, there is concern about the lack of attractiveness of our sport. When most rallies last only two or three strokes, there is very little opportunity for the spectator to see what is happening, to understand the tactics employed by each player, even to know why a player lost a particular point. A possible reason for this situation is that the ball is so fast that virtually every return is a stroke in desperation; the player just has time to reach the ball, but very little time in which to think about making a good return. Even if he does get the ball back, his opponent will have exactly the same problem, so that the probability of the ball going of or of winning the point is probably higher than that it will be returned. This is not a good situation and it has resulted, of course, from the development of spinny, speedy racket coverings. The obvious solution is to control those racket coverings so as to reduce the speed and spin slightly, but not too much; we do not want to change the character of the sport entirely. <....>
With that in mind, the ITTF Council (*) at its last meeting instructed the Equipment Committee to develop control methods for limiting the properties of the racket coverings. But that is all that the Council said, and it is our job to determine how best to do it.

* The ITTF Council Meeting aforementioned took place within the WC 1999, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
** All then Council proceedings still remain in force 'de jure'.

[size=+3]MISSION NOT ACCOMPLISHED, AS YET.[/size] Sorry to say so.
 
Last edited:
says toooooo much choice!!
says toooooo much choice!!
Well-Known Member
Jul 2020
1,755
1,192
4,409
Read 11 reviews
Very interesting about both the tables and racket coverings!!

Standardising the table as far as bounce and reaction to spin is a good idea, and should be far easier to implement!!

sanding the blade, naughty!!!;);) But so is boosting!!

Also interesting that not so many boosted rubbers were found!! Either these players don’t boost or as this was a forewarned trial, they just didn’t boost in order to look good and protect their perceived reputation!!!
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Oct 2019
1,854
851
3,212
Read 4 reviews
The statement : "Better to leave the control in the hands of the rubber -manufacturers " is disturbing and shows the actual incapability of the organization to control the boosting .

From what I understood they limit the manufacturers in terms of speed and spin their products can achieve (lady said that in the video). Boosting is just a way to cheat and circumvent that I think.

I also don't get that they want to protect players. They should then enforce some sort of unified metrics about rubber performance and enforce minimal deviation between rubber sheets. That is what would made difference and truly protect players as.consumers.
 
says toooooo much choice!!
says toooooo much choice!!
Well-Known Member
Jul 2020
1,755
1,192
4,409
Read 11 reviews
I think she said that they would regulate speed and spin etc, It would be like ‘Ping Pong’ where the equipment is standardised. Is ping pong more entertaining to watch??? Rallies are definitely longer!! I wonder if they tried boosting the sand paper back in the day!!!
it’s sort of F1 v Indy Car!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kuba Hajto
says Table tennis clown
says Table tennis clown
Well-Known Member
Apr 2020
3,315
1,763
7,133
From what I understood they limit the manufacturers in terms of speed and spin their products can achieve (lady said that in the video). Boosting is just a way to cheat and circumvent that I think.

I also don't get that they want to protect players. They should then enforce some sort of unified metrics about rubber performance and enforce minimal deviation between rubber sheets. That is what would made difference and truly protect players as.consumers.


..................and then there are of course the "rumors" that the manufacturers make special rubbers for special , contracted players. How could that possibly protect the players and the ""level playing field"" ???
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Oct 2019
1,854
851
3,212
Read 4 reviews
..................and then there are of course the "rumors" that the manufacturers make special rubbers for special , contracted players. How could that possibly protect the players and the ""level playing field"" ???

I specifically said that this protects players from the customer perspective. Getting special treatment from the manufacturer itself is a different topic I think.
Also I think enforcing advertised parameters might have contributed to two things, either furthering the general level of all tt gear or the introduction of B stock that is not allowed to be used for tournament play. That is just the speculation although the higher repeatability of rubbers would be great.

I would love if the manufacturers would at least be mandated to state the hardness publicaly. Or at least hardness range.

Pto players will always get a premium treatment. Anyone who picked a blade knows what I am talking about. Even within single brand + model + weight their still will be differences. To be honest I don't care whether players get special rubbers from manufacturers since that does not really affect my play or life in any way. At my current level equipment does not matter, and I guess it won't in next 10-20 years. The issue for me is, I want to get what I pay for. And variance in rubbers does happen (that's why people pay for national and provincial hurricane, they are suppose to be picked...).
 
Last edited:
Haha. This will just create a new arms race for rubber manufacturers. Use a 2.0mm sponge with a new type if booster so that it does not exceed 4.0mm with topsheet but booster effect is still giving extra performance.
 
says Fair Play first
says Fair Play first
Well-Known Member
Jan 2012
1,285
406
1,760
DO NOT SPARE THE ROD.

Yinhe manufacturer is now reported to have made a notable improvements to the Big Dipper blue sponge. It is now got thinner to 2.0 millimeters, and they now using a new non-tacky topsheet of single layer of rubber. The impatient warning from ITTF proved a good impeller upon Yinhe..
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Jan 2020
487
316
1,244
They’ll just preboost and vacuum seal everything to sell to John and Janes and all that adds to the cost. At the end of the day, tightening the rules certainly favours the better off. Here in Europe we may just complain but think about the kids in Asia and Africa.
 
says Fair Play first
says Fair Play first
Well-Known Member
Jan 2012
1,285
406
1,760
I had friendly communications with mr Harrison since tha late 90s. and I had very nice time to duscuss the many equipment questions with him.
 
says Fair Play first
says Fair Play first
Well-Known Member
Jan 2012
1,285
406
1,760
[SIZE=+3]THE PIG IN A POKE. NEVER MORE[/SIZE]

VICTAS is now employed by ITTF as a role model Company, so as to teach all the others the new Rubber Branding Lineup that is now declared to be as follows:
One Rubber Brand ---> One Only Sponge Type.

This is a clever move by ITTF designed to INDUCE manufacturers to enter into and keep up more rubber brands in the LARC, with the view to collect more approval fees..

Again, it is hoped the strict Limits of the Sponges should discourage Chinese Companies from marketing the many "pig in a poke", no-name sponges impossible to recognize.
----------
Some more facts about the fraudulent tradings
As an utterly blatant example, DHS has never been entitled for marketing their Hurricane NEO under the label of ITTF approved product. The package of NEO RUBBER that bear Ittf logo is a gross fraudulence and shouldl be excluded from all marketplaces. .
 
Last edited:
Top