I’m a long pips player. Every tournament and any club I go to, there is at least someone who comes to me and asks about what long pips I use, what sponge size I use, and occasionally I hear they would be changing to long pips. There are people who have changed to long pips after watching my game. They all want to generate “crazy spin”, confuse the opponents and win matches easily. Nothing that has been easy for me, but they think it is easy with long pips – some call it “magic pips” to win matches.
I would like to talk about the OX version of Long Pips in this article, but not to any brand specifically. I have tried many OX versions of rubbers – from Chinese to European. The OX version is also called no-sponge. There is no sponge on the rubber. The expensive long pips rubbers that you get in the market for $35 or above comes with a glue sheet on the back of the rubber. The Chinese long pips that you can buy for like $10 don’t come with a glue sheet. With regular glue, it is difficult to fix such a rubber on to the blade – the rubber will come out easily. You need to use glue sheet in case like that.
If you are a good blocker close to the table on your backhand or forehand, this version of long pips will suit you. Your other strokes should be close to the table also. For a top spin looper who is playing few feet away from the table, this rubber is not suitable at all.
The long pips comes with friction as well as frictionless. Dr.Neubauer rubbers are frictionless – other manufactures also make frictionless rubbers. With the frictionless rubbers, you can not generate any spin of your own. You have to depend on your opponents spin. If your opponent is going to play with no spin or underspin you will be in great trouble in returning effective defensive shots – in essence your opponent has become defensive now.
The frictionless long pips without sponge can reverse the spin to the maximum. Here is how I can explain this. Your opponent is hitting a ball to you with top spin. You block the ball with frictionless rubber. As soon as you hit the ball, the ball will turn into an underspin ball with the same amount of top spin that your opponent has put on it. Now your opponent may think the ball is coming as top spin will become destabilized. He may push the ball little high which you can take advantage of hitting.
The long pips which have friction can’t reverse spin like frictionless do. This is because the pips will respond to the spin that comes from your opponent. The no sponge friction long pips will grant you more control for ball placement – it will grip the ball better than a frictionless. The ball will return with no spin unless you know how to brush the ball to generate various spin on the ball.
The OX version of long pips will suit the players who have short strokes – from back-lift to follow-through. The OX versions suit well for block chops.
The long pips rubber and the blade work in tandem to have the best control and speed. I have seen differences in spin and speed with different OX versions of long pips. The Chinese OX versions of Long Pips are fast. The speed of the blade and wood type also should be considered.
Mastering long pips will take at least 1 to 2 years. With friction long pips, you can execute all the table tennis strokes. Now all the frictionless rubbers are being banned, there are still rubbers available which can reverse the opponent’s spin very well. It is your choice whether you want to reverse your opponent’s spin, or generate your own spin through friction rubbers.
If you are planning to use long pips, you may have to try different brands to suit the best one for you. Have a question on long pips, and would like to receive my advise, simply write a post on tabletennisJunkie forum.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Varghese….I also prefer to play OX long pips. I like to employ spin reversal to slow down the relentless attacks of aggressive players. I have used the Dr. Neubauer frictionless pips for the last few years. Of course, now I have to change, and I have been experimenting with different long pips rubber. What, in your opinion, would be the best long pips (that will be legal after July 2008) for spin reversal?
Weiland, I would wait until May when Dr.Neubaur will come out with new friction long pips rubbers. Dr.Neubauer told me the new ones that are going to be released will be very similar to the frictionless rubbers.
I am now playing with dr neubauer leopard 1.5 (short pimples) on my backhand and tibhar nimbus sound 2.0 on my forhand. I have an allround/offensive game, i attack with both my forhand and backhand. Now i am thinking of using the butterfly feint long II 1.3 on my backhand because i have trouble with my backhand when i am forst to defend (chopping). With the leopard it is very hard to control the chop balls. Do you think it would be the right choise to make or do you have other suggestions.
Dear Berry, please post your question in our forum / discussion area under the long pips section. I would be glad to reply there by considering the technical difficulties in the blog section. Thanks.
I entirely agree with Mr. Varghese.I am using Yasaka’Phantom 007 rubber without sponge on Stiga 2000 All Round blade which is in use by me from last 27 years. I never play any top spin or any kind of power play. Simply I remains close to the table all the time and used to play mild FH and BH flicks with excellent placement. I can block any attacking stroke from near the table with speed variations. I am used to rotate the side of blade very quockly during rally, and I think that players playing with such kind of rubbers must be able to rotate the sides of his racket during rallies. It will add more confusion to your opponent. Kshitish Purohit (India)
Dear sir, I read about above matter and I remember during my Saudi Arabia ( JUBAIL ) days, one of the player Dr. Mark Kobernick used to play with long pips, being as over 50 years old, he use to play with it wonderfully and get diffiernt kind of return. I hope he must have some personal view regarding this. He is still active palyer/coach as well as club president in VANCOUVER CITY or PORTLAND. (running successfuly the tournament ” Pecifice reem”). REGARDS, Kailash