December 2012 Monthly Newsletter

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Recent Reviews

	Xiom Sigma Europe Absolutely great rubber. I used to play with T05 and I think Sigma Europe is even better: control and spin are fantastic, speed more than enough (not the fastest, just perfect). I just love this rubber after 3 months of playing with it. Xiom seems to be the future of the high quality rubbers. Reviewed by CornelTT on December 4, 2012
	Donic Desto F3 Perfect for a developing player to transform from hitting to looping mechanics, since the gripping feel is really delicate and accurate, and speed of hits are not as slow as the review shows if you're using a 2.0mm version , which is a better transmitter of power between blade and ball. And most importantly, price is ideal comparing to what it can provide for a beginner. I would rate its overall at 9+ if for a beginner only. (This might differ according to region, in my country F3 is about only 30 USD, being at the same price level of Mark V.) I recommend this one more than the beginner's "go-to choice"-- Mark V, since it is softer and more versatile, while Mark V need a harder/stiffer blade to penetrate if you are a beginner, and a harder/stiffer blade demands more skill, which makes Mark V a little bit self-contradictory for a beginner, especially who are self-taught. (I paired Mark V with YE first and couldn't even figure out why people think it is soft and biting). This one is a honest mediator between you and your blade; it makes you feel your blade and makes your blade reflect how good your skills are. A blade decides quality of shots much more than a rubber, so don't chase a more expensive, more powerful rubber while developing; save money for a proper blade. But do notice that if a rubber as soft as F3 and as thin as 2.0mm is paired with a stiff/hard enough blade like Kinetic Supreme Off-, control will deteriorate, pushing and looping will lose control more easily. A max version will improve; it will bite the ball a little longer, which is better for looping, but also transmit less vertical force from blade to ball, which is worse for hitting speed but better for control. So the choice between 2.0/max version is a trade off between speed (better in 2.0) and control (better in max), or between hitting and gripping; which one is more suitable depends on your style and skill. Generally 2.0 for softer blades and max for harder blades. I paired 2.0 with my YE and max with Temper Tech Off-. Reviewed by david777783 on December 4, 2012
	Donic Bluefire M3 Played with Desto F3 back in the day and loved it. Then F3 Big Slam came out and switched to it and loved it. Noticed I didn't have quite as much spin though as other rubbers. Then Acuda S3 comes out and first rubber I found in years that I could replace F3 and F3 Bigslam with. Better speed/spin and still pretty good control. Now comes along Bluefire series and decided to give M3 a try. It's heavier but got used to it. First thing I noticed right from the very first loop was that it had much more spin. This rubber produces some serious spin! It's quite firmer than S3 IMO and didn't think I could play with a firmer rubber like this but decided to play with it for another week. Finally went back to Acuda S3 and first thing I realized was that it didn't have nearly the amount of spin that Bluefire did. It's also is more springy like Andy Smith said. Made up my mind right there that I was putting the Bluefire back on and that was that. Played a tournament with it after about using it for 2 weeks and lost 3 close matches to 2250 - 2300+ players. Just played 2nd tournament with it and won the event. Beat a 2250 - 2300 player in finals and one of the best matches I've ever played. The spin I was able to generate with it really caused problems for my opponents, and the blocking was superb. I blocked many outright winners with it. This rubber is really great! Reviewed by destodave on December 3, 2012
	Butterfly Matsushita Pro Still looking for the perfect blade and still trying to come up with a review appropriate for this blade. Thin, flexy but not too many vibes. Faster than what most people think can block long at table with bh lp. There is a flex factor. I think its slow on slow balls but once the flex kicks in, you can launch a ball too far. How do the pros deal with the flex? Reviewed by pippy on December 04, 2012
	Dawei R2 rewrite#1: This is my personal favourite out of the 15 blades I own after 9 years of tt (serious basement hacker then to 3 clubs). It deserves a better review because it has served me well. Control: playing chops, chop-block, pushes, side swipes on the bh with ox lp is predictable and consistent. I can't say this about my other blades. It has a hard feeling, not as hard as my bomb, for these kinds of passive shots. Very low on vibes which I prefer unlike the instinct. The ball goes where you want it to go and it stays low and follows a linear path. There is no kick feeling like my flexy toxic. You can drop it short behind the net and vs the majority of hard fast top spins, chop blocks will land deep but not long. Closed OX LP Blocks: Faster top spins can be closed blocked and will land on the table even if you are close to table. Yes they will land high but the opponent's swing will be warped after hitting such powerful stroke. The bomb can't do this as well...too fast. Toxic 3 difficult to close face. FH CounterHit: With my 1.8 Dawei Xp, it just delievers a great feeling counterhit even the close to the table fast counter hit drills that are low. Again little vibes and there is some dwell to give you breathing space. Xp is a slow medium hard rubber there is no springy feeling like my bomb with 1.5 xp. I would guess that the gears are very gradual such that hitting is directly proportional to the strength you put into it. The dawei gts which I also like in contrast has many gears but is probably requires more skill than I currently have. FH LOOP: It can loop! The dwell is more obvious when rubbing the ball and on the 1.8xp there is no springy effect which I like. It does not feel dead like the instinct but blade speed is a factor here. Most people would describe the loops as slower than average but again its what you put into it - its strong enough for producing top spin! The blade feels softer when looping so it has some flex. FH BLOCK: it really shines here! A fast top spin or side spin is easily blocked back fast with good control with the 1.8xp. You'll catch the other guy off guard! Blade Construction: 5 ply, regular egg shape offensive style. 6.7 mm thick which I like for blocking with lps...crisp feeling. I look at the ox lp a lot to see a BIG circular shadow made from all the lp hits. I am proud to say that i made most of my bh dead on the sweet spot! I cant say this for my defensive blades! Blade Speed: All+ to OFF- Reversal: My coach says it has alot more reversal than toxic 3 for ox lp. Personal Notes: This is a great cheap blade that outshines all my other blades for ease of use and control. I have played hackers thro to tourny 1800 players. I have clawed my way to division two because of this gem! Three full years with R2. Bought 5 from colestt. EDIT: I thought my BBC was better for a short time as I cycled through my collection...its not. No blade is perfect for all situations but this little blade is the closest for me, just puts the ball where you want it, even though its faster,wherever you are. Others are too flexy or lose control at higher speeds. The toxic gave good results but vs really hard loopers, they ripped through the short slow sitting balls. I've come around in a circle????Long chopping vs hard smashes and loops went back on the table but my bbc threw them long - wtf? Reviewed by pippy on December 03, 2012
	Galaxy Venus V-12 Good allround blade with two Carbon-kevlar layers, so it has power when you need it, but feels and sounds like an all wood blade rather than carbon. Medium-fast ALL+ with good control. Reviewed by blackbird74 on December 03, 2012

New Videos

• Chinese Footwork Part 1 - Forehand From Half Table
• Collective Table Tennis
• CTM Ribarroja vs Alzira TT
• The surprising play of Jan-Ove Waldner
• Training match, me and my friend

Equipment Added Last Month