Service with non-tacky rubber

[hclnnkhg]

Hi, I recently switched from Jupiter 3 to Rasanter R47 on my forehand. Whilst the R47 is lovely in many aspects, my short spinny backspin serve disappeared. Two questions:
1) Any tips on technique for me to adapt to serving with R47?
2) Any non-tacky rubbers (not hybrid) that makes it easy to serve with same technique with Chinese rubbers?

 

[blahness]

This is why I always use tacky rubber for FH - it's all about the length control on serves

One tip is to think of it as a momentum transfer, if your arm moves backwards and/or sideways after the serve - it will take away forward momentum and make it easier to shorten the serve.

Either that, or you need a very precise thin contact (personally I find that hard to do).

 

[mocker88]

I think you need a firmer top sheet that interacts more directly with the sponge. That's the thing for me anyway.
Sanwei Gear Hyper is a almost totally non tacky rubber with these properties.

Rubbers similar to this one are 729 Presto Max Spin & Speed, but these have a slightly softer bounce.

LOKI Arthur Europe Diamond is also a rubber in this category.

 

[Topspinslinger]

Hi, I recently switched from Jupiter 3 to Rasanter R47 on my forehand. Whilst the R47 is lovely in many aspects, my short spinny backspin serve disappeared. Two questions:
1) Any tips on technique for me to adapt to serving with R47?
2) Any non-tacky rubbers (not hybrid) that makes it easy to serve with same technique with Chinese rubbers?

Nittaku hammond z2 is pretty close, It is bouncy and a bit harder to use. But the serves are loaded and you can get the ball short on table. Obviously tacky rubbers always win out on ease of use in service, but the quality in serve is similar with Hammond z2.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

Hi, I recently switched from Jupiter 3 to Rasanter R47 on my forehand. Whilst the R47 is lovely in many aspects, my short spinny backspin serve disappeared. Two questions:
1) Any tips on technique for me to adapt to serving with R47?
2) Any non-tacky rubbers (not hybrid) that makes it easy to serve with same technique with Chinese rubbers?

Friend,

Rather than seeking a holy grail where a rubber can do everything perfectly, you should ask yourself why do you switch to ESN in the first place?

There must be a reason you switch to ESN. Granted a non-tacky ESN rubber cannot out-perform a pure tacky rubber in terms of spin generation and keeping serve tight.

However, you need to develop a game play / tactic that revolves around the characteristic of the rubber you chose.

To my mind, one thing come up, that is to say, since a ESN rubber cannot produce as much rotation in comparison with a tacky rubber, then your serve, instead of thinking of serving a uber spinny serve for an ACE, why not consider thus:

Let me serve a bait service, i.e., a not so spinny serve so that it is easier for my opponent to return but I am mentally ready to counter-loop / drive. This is also a viable tactic.

Consider the above thus. A perfect holy grail rubber where it can do all things well, simply does not exist.

 

[Haito]

Its hard to not agree with most of the points listed here. But I have a hunch that the issues is not rubber. Can you record yourself serving? (if possible with sound)

 

[IB66]

Sure it can be harder to keep the ball short with non tacky rubbers, its touch, feel and contact that is key here.
As far as spin levels are concerned, I feel that tacky and non tacky can both produce high spin levels.

People really underestimate practicing serves, they generally don’t spend enough time on serves.
If you train for 3hrs a week, split something like (as a basic example)30 mins FH Drive, 30mins FH topspin, 30 mins BH Drive, 30 mins BH topspin, 30mins irregular BH and FH, 30 min serve receive. AND NO time specifically on serves, then don’t be expecting your serves to be excellent!!!
Even when doing routines such as short backspin serve, push receive and then topspin open up, its rare that the server uses one of their ‘match quality’ serves, fear of showing their practice partner what they can do, or just because they see it as practice and a basic serve is good enough, which I suppose it is!! Means 3 hrs of general practice 0 hrs ‘real’ serve practice.
1 hr practicing serves each week is just about adequate!!!
If you have 3 serves - FH pendulum, FH hook and BH serve, suddenly an hour looks pretty tight!! 20mins per serve action.
3 mins short Backspin, 3 mins short Topspin, 3 min 1/2 long backspin, 3 mins 1/2 long topspin, 3 mins fast long Backspin, 3 mins fast long Topspin - 18mins so far!! 2 mins left to pick up balls !! (opps!! No spin serves left out!!!)
split those 3 mins segments down to different placements, say Right, Centre, & Left and you are down to 1min per spin type, serve length and placement!!!!!!!
That’s tight to say the least!!!!

Sure, we don’t all get enough time to practice serves, but in a match, you are guaranteed at least 5 or 6 serves per game, you are not guaranteed anything else!!!

 

[jk1980]

With ESN rubbers you mainly generate spin when the ball penetrates the topsheet and activates the sponge.
Depending on the thickness and kind of topsheet that will be easier(soft topsheet) or harder.

On a serve you need the ball to activate the sponge and that needs some energy. One way of doing that is by throwing the ball "into" the blade on the serve. it is not legal, but still many people do it to a degree. Another option is to throw the ball up very high, so by the pure force of gravitiy it will have more power when it finally hits your rubber and probably generate more spin that way.