How about setting up REALLY USEFULL measures against CNT's cheating ? i.e. boosters and custom DHS rubbers not released on the worldwide market.
All sorts of rumours abound!!
Boosting maybe far more common than you may think!! (and not only restricted to Chinese type rubbers) I was surprised to learn that players boost their T05 etc
If my memory serves me right there’s a thread on here somewhere with photos of German League players bats, the majority were using T05 and the pimple pattern was very prominent when compared to a ‘standard’ sheet, this could be a sign of boosting!! Some admitted they boosted.
Pros have bespoke blades that may not be generally available.
Sponsor issues?? Stiga blade BTY Viscaria handle !!!??
Butterfly have versions of T05 etc that are available in Japan, not sure but there’s either an ‘S’ or another letter on the sheet to denote it’s ‘special’ it seems these aren’t generally available ‘worldwide’
Are the top sheets ITTF approved but not necessarily the sponge?? I think this is the case.
so manufacturers use different sponges with a standard top sheet, H3, H3 Neo etc etc, T05, T05fx, T05 hard etc etc, all with the same ITTF approved number code. So if a player wants a certain sponge???
SP/MP/LP players buy separate sponge and then glue on an OX top sheet!!
I believe that the ITTF have / are looking into better tests to identify boosting, I think the problem may be in the testing equipment required becomes more specialist, expensive and may not really be ‘user friendly’ or practical.
Factory tuning is allowed, so all that will happen is that the factory will ‘tune’ or ‘boost’ the rubbers specially for each players requirements and express ship them to the tournaments for the players!!! Maybe they do already??
This would make the testing pointless unless the ITTF remove the ‘factory tuning’ clause, this could then also screw up ESN!! as ESN rubbers are likely to have been factory tuned, hence the rapid drop off in performance and durability that many complain of !!! Of course this is hotly disputed!!
At present it’s the VOC levels that are tested for, VOC are I believe classed as a hazardous to health, increased chance of cancer etc, but I read somewhere that the boosters are still pretty bad, they may not have the high VOC levels but still contain plenty of chemicals that are definitely not good for you by any means.
The privately applied boosters are really the issue as far as health is concerned, I’ve used them, and will now treat them with far more caution, mask, gloves etc when / if I use them again. If booster / tuning is done in the factory at least there’s a chance that it can be controlled better, well in some countries more than others.
At the end of the day, if you want total equality of equipment, then play PING PONG!! Which could be seen to be similar to a ‘Formula Ford’ race car. Same cars, team mechanics can tune up to a certain extent, but the driver ability is more of a deciding factor.
Table Tennis is more ‘Formula 1’ in that there’s a ‘technology race’ between manufacturers. (Player ability isn’t really decreased in importance though and is still the major deciding factor)
Speed Glue !!! Was this a ‘closed shop’ closely guarded secret at first???
all good fun !!!
Just suggesting it may not be as cut and dry as some think!!!
