Welcome to the website of New Zealand's most active provider of professional quality table tennis equipment and accessories. Your need for quality table tennis equipment at the right price will be satisfied here.
Categories
Our Newsletter
- Home
- Rating Systems
- Rubbers
Rubbers
Ratings for ball speed, ball control and ball spin.
Minimum rating: 1-
Maximum rating: 10+
Play Style
The first step in selecting a blade is to analyse your playing style: What type of player are you? A general distinction can be made between the following playing styles:
| DEF |
You are a defensive player who prefers sliced balls.
| AR |
You are an allround player who uses all table tennis techniques: block, spin, smash and chop. You prefer tactical playing and exact placement of the ball over a speedy game.
| SPIN |
You are a strategical player who uses pimples-in sponges. The main feature of your game is the top spin shot. Playing close to the table, you try to win your points with spin strategies.
| SMASH |
You prefer speed to spin. The main feature of your game is precisely placed or hard blocked balls and smashes. You usually play with pimples-out sponges on the backhand.
After having found which category of player you belong to, find out whether you are a Classic or Progressive player:
Classic
You prefer exact placement of balls to speed. Your movements are slow, and you return the ball when it achieves maximum height. Your aim is safe ball control.
Progressive
You prefer to speed up your game. You like to put your opponent under pressure. Your movements are fast and you return the ball in its rising curve or at its maximum height. You take advantage of any possibility to win a point, even at a high risk.
Type
We distinguish four types of rubber:
Normal : These rubbers are a pimples-in design, and are the most widely used type in the modern game. Western players usually play with pimples-in ("normal") rubbers.
Short Pimples : These rubbers are a pimples-out design.Sometimes used on the backhand by speed players.
Long Pimples: These rubbers are a pimples-out design. For defensive players.
Anti-spin : These rubbers are a pimples-in design that reacts minimally to spin on the ball. For defensive players.
Character (Normal rubbers only)
The elastic properties of the rubber sheet are important for the control of the ball and the character of your rubber. We therefore distinguish the following categories according to the character of the rubber sheet:
FRICTION & CONTROL: These rubbers are not very fast, but provide high grip. Their control is excellent. Due to the weak elasticity the grip can develop its effect on the top spin only when you play slow balls. Low spin dynamics in the fast top-spin game.
STICKY : This rubber sheet offers high control and is very sticky, which provides plenty of spin when playing slow balls e.g. service, first spin.
CONTROL-ELASTIC : This rubber sheet category has been developed in Germany. They develop spin elasticity even at a low speed, and give you more control and more fun. Suitable for control-minded players.
STICKY-ELASTIC : Slightly sticky rubbers with very good spin dynamics and ball control while playing at a high speed. Very sophisticated technology.
OFFENSIVE-ELASTIC : Fast, offensive rubbers. The speed predominates the spin dynamics. Interesting rubbers for speed players.
SPIN-ELASTIC : Professional rubbers for modern top table tennis. They are as fast as the offensive-elastic rubbers, but have an additional spin component.
Thickness
Sponges are available in several thicknesses. The thicker they are, the more difficult it is to control the ball, but the more spin you get in the topspin, and the less spin you get when chopping.
The right sponge thickness for each player type. We recommend...
| PLAY STYLE | Classic | Progressive |
| DEF | 1.0 to 1.2 mm | 1.2 to 1.8 mm |
| AR | 1.2 to 1.5 mm | 1.5 to 2.0 mm |
| SPIN | 1.5 to 2.0 mm | 1.8 to MAX mm |
| SMASH | 1.5 to 2.0 mm | 1.8 to MAX mm |
Hardness
Today's rubbers usually have three different categories for the sponge hardness:
SOFT : Soft sponges provide better ball control. The spin remains the same while the speed is slightly reduced.
MEDIUM : The standard top sponge. Balanced relation between control, speed and spin characteristics.
HARD : These sponges provide optimum speed, but less control of the ball.