TSP Spectol Blue

My preferred short pip is usually the Waran II, which has a hard sponge and is quite fast but somewhat linear. Soft sponged pips are often way too catapulty for my taste, so with that in mind I went for the Spectol Blue. Upon delivery I glued it to my Yasaka Goiabao and started goofing around with it. I noticed the topsheet was at once able to produce a decent amount of spin while at the same time being largely insensitive to it. Also, the hardness of the rubber and sponge seemed adequate. In matchplay I noticed it is very easy to hit with and very linear, more so than the Waran II with just a touch less speed. This translated to a greater control in the offensive game. Additionally, the topsheet was able to produce way more spin on the serves. Therefore, I feel that the Spectol Blue is an all around better choice, as it increases my efficiency and adds an extra weapon. Beware however, in the max version which I play, I did not notice a lot of deception. It is however, very consistent and predictable, a quality which I value greatly. Along with the Waran II this is now my favorite short pip, and I absolutely recommend it to players who value these qualities as well.

Too bad this rubber has been discontinued! It's a very good all-around short pip. I tried it in 2.0 thickness on the forehand side of a penhold racket with balsa core and hinoki outer plies. Feels great for hitting, pushing, and serving (as mentioned by other reviewers) and it seems to have a good number of gears. Flicks can be done without much trouble, and if you miss your chance to counter, you can still get a little bit of an arc on your drive (although not much). For me, this rubber has the same characteristics of Hammond FA Speed, except that it feels more springy, which I don't like. Still the best version of Spectol so far. Hopefully the manufacturers can build on the successes of this rubber with the new S2 and S3 versions of Spectol.

I am Penholder, Spectol Blue with my Joola Falcon Medium on backhand is really spectacular for smash and serve.

great allround pips, no very fast or very slow, you can do everything with it