The long pips challenge

[andymagata]

Do you feel like your table tennis journey is stagnant? Want to have some fun for a while? Do you freak out if your oppo has long pips? Do the long pips challenge! It is not very complicated, just go all in on long pips for a certain amount of time. In my case it was three months, September to December. I suggest that you don't end your challenge before you have played competitive matches with your pips, but of course it is entirely up to oneself.

Level does not matter. I am a beginner myself, but can imagine that the experiment is even more fun if you are a better player. It will be good for you - you will no longer freak out if you meet a long pips player and you will renew your appreciation for inverted rubber. You will increase your ball control, feeling of the ball and relaxation. You will experience the pure joy of sending out float balls with wobbly trajectories and return spinny balls to sender with interest! In the rare case, you will want to continue with it.

 

[neon]

Hello, I started playing with long pips on 06.12.2025 - 4 days. After preparing for about a month. I bought 3 defensive blades, three long pips and three stronger inverter forehand rubbers. So far I like it a lot and I think I will continue. I play with a lack of tension and with pleasure. I like to return topspin with a chop rather than doing it. Good luck.

 

[belllfador]

Hello, I started playing with long pips on 06.12.2025 - 4 days. After preparing for about a month. I bought 3 defensive blades, three long pips and three stronger inverter forehand rubbers. So far I like it a lot and I think I will continue. I play with a lack of tension and with pleasure. I like to return topspin with a chop rather than doing it. Good luck.

What blades and pips you chose?

I spent some time with SP in the past, but this year I test some MP and LP on stiff blades. Waiting for 980XX to try them on more flexible blade.

Overall impression of MP and LP that I tried:
955 ox - terrible;

388D-1 0.5mm - medium speed, low control, high spin, high disturbance;

Pimple Slide 0.5 + 0.7 - low speed, high control, low spin, medium disturbance;

Super Do Knuckle 1.4 - high speed, medium control, medium spin, low disturbance;

Update 1:
388C-1 1.2mm - very hard, almost unplayable, probably old stock;

388C-3 1.3 - for 2026;

Ilius B 1.3mm - close to SDK, a bit less control, slower, higher spin, easier to attack, medium disturbance.

 

[neon]

Hello, I bought two blades Donic Defplay 88, 89 grams of innerfiber, good feeling. One Nitaku Escuder 2, very slow and elastic blade - 86.5 grams. Long pips Victas p1v 0.5 mm 2 pieces and one 1.0 mm. It turns out well. The thicker rubber comes really fast, there are many subtleties now I'm learning, thanks.

 

[andymagata]

What blades and pips you chose?

I spent some time with SP in the past, but this year I test some MP and LP on stiff blades. Waiting for 980XX to try them on more flexible blade.

Overall impression of MP and LP that I tried:
955 ox - terrible;

388D-1 0.5mm - low speed, low control, high spin, high disturbance;

Pimple Slide 0.5 + 0.7 - medium speed, high control, low spin, medium disturbance;

Super Do Knuckle 1.4 - high speed, medium control, medium spin, low disturbance;

388C-3 1.2mm - for the next year;
Ilius B 1.3mm - for the next year.

I was one click away from ordering a 980xx blade. Let me know what you like about it later, and if you think it could be of use for double inverted close to table block, roll and flick style play.

 

[blahness]

Problem is time....

 

[Matteones]

Love this!
I have put a Feint Long III for 8 months last year and had a lot of fun with it. I find modern defenders to be the most fun type of game to watch and I just wanted to try it.
I can't recommend it enough for people who struggle with unconventional styles, it will help you understand how it works and that certain styles (I'm talking low level pushblockers who only use the long pimple and have little else going on for their games) are actually much easier to play against once you figure them out as they don't have many solutions.

 

[andymagata]

Love this!
I have put a Feint Long III for 8 months last year and had a lot of fun with it. I find modern defenders to be the most fun type of game to watch and I just wanted to try it.
I can't recommend it enough for people who struggle with unconventional styles, it will help you understand how it works and that certain styles (I'm talking low level pushblockers who only use the long pimple and have little else going on for their games) are actually much easier to play against once you figure them out as they don't have many solutions.

Yes, at least try it a few sessions. The kids 10-14 years old I played against just said ”never played aaginst long pips” but went ahead playing there usual game undisturbed. Some men though freaked out and played much worse…without reason…

 

[_JW]

This is a great idea, definitely something different to how I would normally play!
I've never played with short/long pips, ever. Would I be alright just buying any cheap sheet of long pips from Ali Express and putting it on a spare blade or would I need to get a cheap defensive blade also? How different, if at all, is glueing long pips?

 

[belllfador]

I was one click away from ordering a 980xx blade. Let me know what you like about it later, and if you think it could be of use for double inverted close to table block, roll and flick style play.

Short answer - yes. But there are probably better blades: 980 can do the job for 1/3 of the 980XX price, Victas Blockman is recomended by many. I really enjoy NB Gladiator in a similar role + chopping. If you need even more control and can operate 200++ grams raket - Goriki Danshi is a piece of pure heaven.

980XX is in my hands. I will compare it to 980, bare blades without rubbers:

Quality issues - very sharp edges. The middle layer (core) is not made from a single piece of wood. There is a visible line that shows where the manufacturer glued two pieces of wood just to provide enough cover surface. That is something related with cheap blades and is expected to reduce some of the control stats. My old 980 has the same "type" of cheap core, but even worse — it is made from 3 pieces.

Weight 980XX- 83g, 980- 83.4g;

Thickness 980XX - 5.6mm, 980 - 6.3mm;

Frequency 980XX - 1170Hz, 980 - 1210Hz;

Speed 980XX - ALL- , 980 - ALL+;

980XX has a softer feel (softer top layer), with more flex than 980;

Balance 980XX - 41mm, 980 - 33mm;

Both handles are similar, but I like 980 handle more because of the rough surface. 980XX has a handle made of a single piece of wood that looks better, but is too smooth for my liking.

Overall first impression: 980XX is not as flexible as classical defense blade. It has some flex but is stiffer than what I hoped. I expect it to play slower than 980, with more control, but not completely different.

Will I recommend these blades? 980XX - too soon to say. 980 - yes, it is a very cheap and solid blade for allround play. Good for block and contra, for chopping is so-so. Intermediate players will not be affected by the multi-piece-puzzle core, also considering the low price.

I will update the post after some play time. First with 388D-1 0.5mm and H3. After that marder 2 and slice 40 cs, or maybe 388C-1 with double sponge... Let's see what the EJ demons bring.

Eddit 1:
980XX with H3 work so good that I will not try another rubber on FH. The speed is lower than Dr. NB Gladiator (ALL), but the extra flex during looping is so beneficial for H3. On the BH side I tried 388d-1 0.5mm, Degu 2 1.8mm, Ilius S 1.3mm and Pimple Slide 0.5+0.7mm, that I like the most. Unfortunately, all of these rubbers don't play as well as on Goriki Danshi and the reduced weight can't compensate for the difference. So, next try will be with inverted on BH.

 

[belllfador]

This is a great idea, definitely something different to how I would normally play!
I've never played with short/long pips, ever. Would I be alright just buying any cheap sheet of long pips from Ali Express and putting it on a spare blade or would I need to get a cheap defensive blade also? How different, if at all, is glueing long pips?

In general, pips are fun to play. Start with spiny SP 1.5 - 1.8mm. 802-40 is classic, but I would recommend Degu 2. After that, try LP, for example, 388D-1 OX and with 0.5mm sponge. Gluing OX rubbers is a rocket science - just use sticky sheet. A slow blade will give you more control. Stiff blade with a hard top layer will maximize the reverse effect of OX rubbers. But for first experiments with pips, any blade can do the job.

 

[MORTtheORT]

LP are particularly great fun if you have a killer FH. Not fun for your opponent, but great for lower and mid tier tournaments if you are stuck playing against players who feed you rubbish to win.

 

[merlin el mago]

Victas Blockman is a nice blade but lacks power, I think is designed to play close to the table, isn't stiff like D.MS. The Wall Carbon so less reversal, about control is very good but not more than The Wall Carbon, choice is what you like more: allwood blade VB are more soft than carbon blades TWC and have more dwell time so can be more dampening for LP, both share a high control close & far from the table but far from the table it's necessary to be in good shape especially for VB for TWC is more easy but not like using OFF blades 5 or 7 plies with or without fibers, last TWC have more sweep spot due to the carbon an large size than VB.