Booster banned???!!!

fiveplyian wrote: This is getting really tedious.   Like a number of others I have approached the distributors / manufacturers to understand the current situation. It appears that the manufacturers have been warned by the ITTF that they are not happy with the booster situation and intend to make it clear that these will become illegal. Date unknown but the manufacturers have been put on notice of the likely direction.   Despite these warnings from several contributors the majority seem to ignore the warnings and are hell bent on finding another chemical enhancement regardless.   This is not the manufacturers fault but reading these threads it becomes ever more clear to me that it is the players fault:   1) Thread after thread describing massive boost using 20 zillion layers on topsheet plus sponge. The whole culture of doing anything a player can get away with to get a fast bat.   2) Players trying any substance they can lay their hands on ...... how hard is to see that the ITTF do not want to encourage a sporting culture that requires training from an early age but still to be reliant on every day application of chemicals to your bat.   3) These same players whinging about frictionless pips because they haven't the wit to learn to play a full range of strokes and learn how to play against different styles ...... but you still want to retain the 'right' haha to do whatever you want to your bat just so you can loop loop loop.   4) The frictionless guys are taking a hit ...... they will have to improve.   5) Speed gluers ....... just take the hit and learn to play with something else legal ...... you have so many choices of quick rubber what is your problem ? Its supposed to be a sport; a test of skill; yes counter looping (for one) will be harder amongst other things; deal with it.   I am adding block variations, topspin variations etc etc to my game ready for next season. The ITTF are just trying to apply some control to the equipment that can be used rather than having the wild west proliferate.   It will still be a test of skill probably more so.   There will still be cheats just like now (you and they will know who they are ..... just like now).   Get ready

1. At the professional level banning tuners isn't going to have a long term effect because all those guys are sponsored and have access to the latest rubbers, whether it be Tenergy or Bryce Speed or Elite 999 Nano Tuned or whatever else is coming out next, there will be suitable replacements eventually; probably sooner than later. You're not going to just magically see longer rallies without glue. If anything, at first, we're going to see some players struggling to adjust and playing weaker, which is just going to be unpleasant to watch. But like I said, I don't think pro-level players are going to be without good alternatives ASAP after glue(and probably now tuners) gets banned. If the ITTF is trying to slow the game down for marketing and television purposes then this is not a solution. The 40mm ball didn't make them game more marketable; in fact you could argue it emphasized 3rd ball attack more and actually shortening the rallies. Of course the ITTF has declined to share its vision with it's community so we don't know.

2. No, it's not the players fault that this is a problem. It's no one's fault at all. Gluing your rubbers has been an accepted practice for over 20 years now, and all of a sudden because of a rule change(or rumor of a rule change) some posters act as if gluing is inherently unfair and insidious and  are now jumping at the chance to call others cheaters and to say "GET USED TO IT". Gluing is not about trying to get an unfair advantage, or "doing anything a player can get away with to get a fast bat", that's laughable. It's about trying to get the best out of your equipment and have fun with what you have.

3. "It's going to be all about skill now". Why is that, because some people can't tune their $15-30 rubber? So now we're all even keel? I don't see how one guy can glue his rubber up and he's suddenly this skill-less bum, but the guy who went out and bought Bryce Speed FX for $80 is O.K. Quit trying to vilify a certain group of players. Do you honestly go to tournaments and spend your time wondering if your opponent is soaking his rubber in camel pee or something? Does that scare you?

I just don't think the rule changes are necessary, nor will they bring about any significant change except inconvenience and expense. I happen to enjoy the sport as it is, and if there are going to be changes they should be proactive and player friendly. It seems like all of the changes that occur are bans on one thing or another or making things illegal, be it glues, serves, cleaners, rubbers or whatever. Taking things away from the sport to make it better I suppose. How about instead of restricting facets of the game for ostensible reasons the ITTF spend their time and energy on promoting the sport for what it is and going out and making it better. Table Tennis isn't going to become better or more popular by taking things away from it. I agree that the ITTF is trying to exert some control over what it's players use, and in principle that is a fine enough reason all on it's own, however this is just very impractical and invasive.

No, I don't glue. Also, I like raisins.

Ausquared wrote: Gluing your rubbers has been an accepted practice for over 20 years now, and all of a sudden because of a rule change(or rumor of a rule change) some posters act as if gluing is inherently unfair and insidious and  are now jumping at the chance to call others cheaters and to say "GET USED TO IT". Gluing is not about trying to get an unfair advantage, or "doing anything a player can get away with to get a fast bat", that's laughable.

if the enez is so good why didn't it detect a dollop of glue on a piece of paper at British League this year???

Ricardote wrote: Guys: My son is playing at a World Junior Circuit (ITTF). Of course he played with his rubbers glued with a water based glue. It was the booster who set up the alarm. It seems that 1) the ITTF set up new rules: "Gas Pressure <0.3", and manufacturers and us trying with LO, etc, tried and played with that rule. 2)But now, ENEZ does not work with gas pressure, but with "air contamination", regardless of the danger of that contamination, meaning that Enez does not care about the contamination coming from Toluene or a harmless oil, but with anything that is on the air of the chamber of the detector after 60 seconds. Tibhar, Stiga, Falco,etc. MUST work on new formulas fast, or the players will have to play with the new >U$S 60 rubbers only. Was it hot where the Enez test was performed.  Higher temperatures raise the vapor pressure and outgassing rate of solvents and this could account for the failed test, or the system was not calibrated correctly.

Sooo...bring two raquets to the tournament for testing? One to screw up the machine's calibration, and one regularly glued that you intend to play with?

Ausquared wrote: 3. "It's going to be all about skill now". Why is that, because some people can't tune their $15-30 rubber? So now we're all even keel? I don't see how one guy can glue his rubber up and he's suddenly this skill-less bum, but the guy who went out and bought Bryce Speed FX for $80 is O.K. Quit trying to vilify a certain group of players. Do you honestly go to tournaments and spend your time wondering if your opponent is soaking his rubber in camel pee or something? Does that scare you?

Buying these so called tuned rubbers like Bryce Speed FX (Although this rubber is not a good example of inbuilt speed glue effect) does not give you the solid Blocking and the 20% increase in spin that fresh Speed Gluing does. If it did then the pro's would already be using them now. Cant you see that the players that spend the time speed gluing have a definate advantage over the one's that dont. My own game is about 10 - 15% better when I Speed Glue. And yes their are players out there that can still beat me without any glue or other modifications to their rubbers.
What that means is that Speed Gluing makes good players better.

I'm aware there isn't a rubber made yet that can replace glue, yet. But using expensive $80 rubber or Tensors still gives you an advantage over say a regular sheet of Sriver, my point being is that there is still going to be players out there who will have the advantage of better equipment. Atm, you can take the time/money to glue which is the best option performance-wise, or you can take the extra money and buy expensive tensor rubbers, but after the ban the only option will be #2. It's taking away one advantage and emphasizing the use another one, but it's not going to level the playing field.

What ITTF says at Junior Circuit Events' Prospectus:

According to the ITTF Board of Directors decision, as of 1st January 2008 the
ITTF will implement at youth events a new racket control programme and
protocol, using the Enez instruments to ensure that all rackets used by players
are free of harmful volatile solvents (see the rules in the ITTF Handbook 2007-
2008: 3.2.4.1 and 3.2.4.2).
Players will be invited to voluntary tests before the competition starts.
The ITTF Equipment Committee strongly recommends all players to make certain
that new coverings are aired 72 hours before use.

Facts sound stronger to me then speculations. ENEZ is a fact. Banning boosters is a speculation.

pingpongrob wrote: And since when do Tensors cost $80.00, is this an exaggeration just to make your point easier to get across. The way I look at it is as follows: 1 x sheet of Plasma 430 = $45.00 1 x Sheet of Sriver = $40.00 not much of a differance is there.

pingpongrob wrote: Speculations can also turn to facts. Reading between the lines of the current ITTF rules and comments made by ITTF equipment members, suggest that if I was a betting man, I would put my money on a complete ban.

7plywood wrote: Facts sound stronger to me then speculations. ENEZ is a fact. Banning boosters is a speculation.

Stavros wrote: A friend of mine is sponsored by Andro. He uses Plasma 470. He changes rubbers every 20 days because the durability is very low. Of course he doesn't care because he gets the rubbers free of charge.

And Stavros, How often do you think Waldner use to change his rubbers, I bet it was after every match.

So what lasts longer Plasma or a heavily speed glued regular rubber. Compare Apples with Apples. For a Sponsored player to get 20 Days out of a Factory tuned rubber is good - How many hows a day does he train.

I have some feedback about the ITTF decisions (sorry if it is redundant information).

pingpongrob wrote: Stavros wrote: A friend of mine is sponsored by Andro. He uses Plasma 470. He changes rubbers every 20 days because the durability is very low. Of course he doesn't care because he gets the rubbers free of charge. And Stavros, How often do you think Waldner use to change his rubbers, I bet it was after every match. So what lasts longer Plasma or a heavily speed glued regular rubber. Compare Apples with Apples. For a Sponsored player to get 20 Days out of a Factory tuned rubber is good - How many hows a day does he train.

Don't get me wrong , but buying  a tensor  rubber  is like  throwing  your  money.  30 tensors are needed for just a year !