The Pro's Equipment - Discussion!

[Baal]

Hi!

Racket control is a 2 step validation process:

1. The umpre and the assistant umpre inspect the racket for visible defects and shininess. Then they send it to instrumental control. Players must hand over their racket 60-30 min before their match, or right after their match.

2. The instrumental control is carried out by an "expert". They only measure thickness and VOC (volatile organic component) contamination in the racket. If they smell something, they can do nothing, because there is no measurement available to prove that at this time.
(Such process exists, but cannot be applied without taking a sample from the right part of the racket.)

The procedure looks like this exactly:

I only have these info, because one of my friend is a racket controller. Once (1-2 years ago) he mentioned to a still world top 10 player, that his racket smelled funny. The player asked: "Does your nose have a licence?". The controller can do nothing, because it is only cheating if you can prove that with a validated measurement the rubber was modified.

Additional info:
Umpres and inspectors are not permitted to remove the edgetape from the racket, they have to ask the player to do so. The player can refuse.
If the rubber surface looks a bit different, the player can claim, that he uses custom made rubbers as many other players. It is known that players are given slightly modified rubbers from their sponsor factory, that suits them more.

Given that new rubbers like MX-P smell like booster from the factory, it is good that they have to use an instrument. I think ITTF should eliminate this stupid booster rule anyway (except for thickness, which they can readily measure). Bear in mind that ITTF only regulates topsheets, not sponge.

 

[Baal]

The picture of Vladi's blade certainly doesn't look like any Btfly ALC blade I have, but it could be that my monitor distorts color and I can't really be sure. I am interested that he uses MX-S on backhand. I can't tell what people see that makes it look boosted (I don't boost my MX-P, so don't know how it changes the appearance).

Thanks for posting the pictures of all of these. Very interesting.

 

[Baal]

True, I had accidentally assumed that in the original post he was asking about why ZJK doesn't use the Super ZLC.

Good point!

With that said, for a flared ALC blade, in my mind it really is impossible to improve on the Viscaria. And ZJK has the kind of personality that seems like he is not going to be change just because his sponsor made a blade with his name on it! (Actually two ALC blades, the Blue Dragon one, which I thought personally was not very good, and the newer one, which I think is very good).

 

[AndySmith]

The picture of Vladi's blade certainly doesn't look like any Btfly ALC blade I have, but it could be that my monitor distorts color and I can't really be sure. I am interested that he uses MX-S on backhand. I can't tell what people see that makes it look boosted (I don't boost my MX-P, so don't know how it changes the appearance).

Thanks for posting the pictures of all of these. Very interesting.

Many thanks from me too, and I can't wait for the full list to appear!

No idea on the blade from me either, but it's most likely some sort of new Tibhar thing - their version of the Donic Ov True Carbon or something like that. When I first saw it I actually wondered if it was a DHS blade of some kind, but it seems unlikely.

 

[Suga D]

Quick question, how can you tell the rubber Is boosted? And if it is illegal to boost, why was this not picked up at racket control? (I am aware that all pros boost I am just curious as to what racket control look for!)

I can't tell what people see that makes it look boosted (I don't boost my MX-P, so don't know how it changes the appearance).

Thanks for posting the pictures of all of these. Very interesting.

It also looks boosted to me.
Can you see the pimples shining through so extreme? 'Untreated' rubbers look a little differently. At least the ones i had.

This pic is a nearly brandnew Soulspin P16st after a little treatment, 'cause it wouldn't behave the way it should've. Forgot to take pics before the treatment though

 

[qvoliszz]

Hi All!

So I posted that Vladi's blade is an ALC first, but then I had to correct myself, because the composite layer in the blade is clearly not blue, but sort of yellow/orange/golden stuff. The photo is not very true to the colour. Tibhar as far as I know does not produce anything like that, yellow-ish colour represents some sort of Zylon. Also the top veener coulour and material is not typical Tibhar, more like Butterfly. So it may be a sort of Butterfly ZLC blade or a brand new Tibhar prototype just made for Vladi.

How to tell if a rubber is boosted:
1. You know how the normal rubber looks of that type. (Originally on MXP and MXS pimples are not visible, the rubber is usually not flat when glued, it has little humps, it is only flat when you glue it with a layer still wet glue then press, or boosted before.)
2. Observe the edges of the rubber and the sponge, they cannot be sharp or curling upwards or some sort of geometric distortion, like the bottom of the sponge is more wider then the rubber. (It is possible to cut a rubber this way, but you have to be a real genious or a complete amateur.)

On the other hand Jakub Dyjas used several blades. In his last match (semifinals) he clearly used a Donic blade with bright yellow handle. Yesterday I asked my friend for pictures, but he showed me something strange. He only played his last match with that yellow blade. He played the rest of his matches with a custom blade that is similar to Waldner Dicon, but there was no sign on the handle which tells the brand or type, only the traditional Donic colouring. Also there were no holes in the side of the handle, that is specific to the Dicon handle.

Feel free to explore the other player's setups, with a bit of statistics:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1l927dwwEKqZXdLX3Q1a0NTajA

Disclaimer: I do not own and I did not create the list.

Cheers!

 

[RajaLoopah]

Aaaaand the list says Tenergy 05 lol

 

[Liquid Sky]

...Bear in mind that ITTF only regulates topsheets, not sponge.

Which is not correct. This is a myth!

See the technical leaflet for details.
Manufacturers have to send topsheet and sponge combination to get authorization.

 

[qvoliszz]

Which is not correct. This is a myth!

See the technical leaflet for details.
Manufacturers have to send topsheet and sponge combination to get authorization.

But in many cases it is possible to have a whole set of rubber coverings listed as one product, like XIOM series, which have different topsheets and sponges.

 

[Liquid Sky]

The racket covering
It should be noted in particular that:
Authorisation is given to the top sheet plus the top sheet / sponge combination...

To me this sounds quite unambiguous.

 

[FloKing]

Hi All!

So I posted that Vladi's blade is an ALC first, but then I had to correct myself, because the composite layer in the blade is clearly not blue, but sort of yellow/orange/golden stuff. The photo is not very true to the colour. Tibhar as far as I know does not produce anything like that, yellow-ish colour represents some sort of Zylon. Also the top veener coulour and material is not typical Tibhar, more like Butterfly. So it may be a sort of Butterfly ZLC blade or a brand new Tibhar prototype just made for Vladi.

How to tell if a rubber is boosted:
1. You know how the normal rubber looks of that type. (Originally on MXP and MXS pimples are not visible, the rubber is usually not flat when glued, it has little humps, it is only flat when you glue it with a layer still wet glue then press, or boosted before.)
2. Observe the edges of the rubber and the sponge, they cannot be sharp or curling upwards or some sort of geometric distortion, like the bottom of the sponge is more wider then the rubber. (It is possible to cut a rubber this way, but you have to be a real genious or a complete amateur.)

On the other hand Jakub Dyjas used several blades. In his last match (semifinals) he clearly used a Donic blade with bright yellow handle. Yesterday I asked my friend for pictures, but he showed me something strange. He only played his last match with that yellow blade. He played the rest of his matches with a custom blade that is similar to Waldner Dicon, but there was no sign on the handle which tells the brand or type, only the traditional Donic colouring. Also there were no holes in the side of the handle, that is specific to the Dicon handle.

Feel free to explore the other player's setups, with a bit of statistics:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1l927dwwEKqZXdLX3Q1a0NTajA

Disclaimer: I do not own and I did not create the list.

Cheers!

Thanks a lot for the list and your pics!!!

 

[FloKing]

The picture of Vladi's blade certainly doesn't look like any Btfly ALC blade I have, but it could be that my monitor distorts color and I can't really be sure. I am interested that he uses MX-S on backhand. I can't tell what people see that makes it look boosted (I don't boost my MX-P, so don't know how it changes the appearance).

Thanks for posting the pictures of all of these. Very interesting.

Really interesting indeed, i thought he was playing with MX-P both sides.

 

[Anshu Yadav]

tony's blades

That is what my friend did, but you always get your non-believers
For the ones who want to believe - trust me, FZD is using Viscaria-blade with Infinity handle
This is really common knowledge in Chinese forums, but in English forums, people are forever doubting

Hey are you the tony who makes M.I.T custom blades as i want a custom 1 ply kiso hinoki blade in excellent quality in both shakehand and chinese penhold. So how can i contact you in regards to the custom blades?

 

[Baal]

To me this sounds quite unambiguous.

Actually it does to me also, now that you mention it.

 

[Topspinner]

Are there pro players who use classic rubber( sriver, mark v , mendo etc.) on 1 or both sides?

 

[ajtatosmano2]

Are there pro players who use classic rubber( sriver, mark v , mendo etc.) on 1 or both sides?

I don't know about that, but in the past Wang Hao used Sriver topsheet on Bryce sponge (on RPB side).

 

[Mazda6GT]

Zhu Yu Ling switch from intensity NCT to Carbonado 45 at this year's WTTC.

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

 

[bobpuls]

see here just from the beginning you can see how the boosted rubber looks like, transparent and edges are pushed out when strong boost is applied.

 

[iamme]

Hi All!

So I posted that Vladi's blade is an ALC first, but then I had to correct myself, because the composite layer in the blade is clearly not blue, but sort of yellow/orange/golden stuff. The photo is not very true to the colour. Tibhar as far as I know does not produce anything like that, yellow-ish colour represents some sort of Zylon. Also the top veener coulour and material is not typical Tibhar, more like Butterfly. So it may be a sort of Butterfly ZLC blade or a brand new Tibhar prototype just made for Vladi.

How to tell if a rubber is boosted:
1. You know how the normal rubber looks of that type. (Originally on MXP and MXS pimples are not visible, the rubber is usually not flat when glued, it has little humps, it is only flat when you glue it with a layer still wet glue then press, or boosted before.)
2. Observe the edges of the rubber and the sponge, they cannot be sharp or curling upwards or some sort of geometric distortion, like the bottom of the sponge is more wider then the rubber. (It is possible to cut a rubber this way, but you have to be a real genious or a complete amateur.)

On the other hand Jakub Dyjas used several blades. In his last match (semifinals) he clearly used a Donic blade with bright yellow handle. Yesterday I asked my friend for pictures, but he showed me something strange. He only played his last match with that yellow blade. He played the rest of his matches with a custom blade that is similar to Waldner Dicon, but there was no sign on the handle which tells the brand or type, only the traditional Donic colouring. Also there were no holes in the side of the handle, that is specific to the Dicon handle.

Feel free to explore the other player's setups, with a bit of statistics:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1l927dwwEKqZXdLX3Q1a0NTajA

Disclaimer: I do not own and I did not create the list.

Cheers!

samsonov probably using this
https://tt-shop.de/de/neuheiten-2017/hoelzer-2017/tibhar-kinetic-speed.html

as for boosting, the pimples become visible, just like when a rubber becomes old and in the middle it's transparent.

 

[laistrogian]

just like when a rubber becomes old and in the middle it's transparent.

Say that to my 3 weeks old Tenergy 05. The pimple in the middle part already starts showing white dots