Tuners still legal?

The health concerns were the catalyst for the ban to be introduced. The ITTF made it clear they were banning VOC glues back in August last year, thereby giving players and manufacturers to find alternatives before September.

What they didn't really predict was the development of VOC free boosters and tuners, to replace speed glue and I think they let it go on too long before using rule 2.4.7 to ban them, via letters to umpires. I think they should have made it clearer a lot sooner to both the manufacturers and players.



 

Peter C wrote: In my book it would make more sense if rule 2.4.7 read as follows "The covering material of sponge and ITTF authorised topsheet, should be used straight out of the packet without any physical, chemical or other treatment, changing or modifying playing properties, friction, outlook, colour, structure, surface, etc." That change in the wording would then make it obvious that the sponge and topsheet shouldn't be altered in any way.

7plywood wrote: Peter C wrote: In my book it would make more sense if rule 2.4.7 read as follows "The covering material of sponge and ITTF authorised topsheet, should be used straight out of the packet without any physical, chemical or other treatment, changing or modifying playing properties, friction, outlook, colour, structure, surface, etc." That change in the wording would then make it obvious that the sponge and topsheet shouldn't be altered in any way.   That would be indeed more clear. However they cannot do that now, because ITTF does not authorize sponges in any way. Since the sponge has not been approved to begin with, altering a sponge is definietely allowed.   As to stretching the topsheet due to sponge stretch - well you can also stretch the topsheet while gluing it normally which I presume would not be counted as altering the topsheet in anybody's mind.

You can stretch the Topsheet, but what will happen when it shrinks back, and you blade is then illegal.

See, how people try and circumvent the rules.

If it was as simple as stretching the topsheet, then speedglue would never have been invented.

The rule clearly states that any modification to the topsheet renders it illegal.

As for rubber being poisionous, I highly doubt that one would get sick if he ate a sheet of table tennis rubber. Then again I'm no doctor. Be fun trying to flush it down the loo, in a million pieces though

Juan King Carlo wrote: JimT wrote: Juan King Carlo wrote: I'm pretty sure they could ban boosters on health grounds if they wished. Does anyone fancy drinking a bottle, or giving a bottle to their kid to drink to find out just how safe they are. Hmm... no smilies here, so I presume you were serious. Are you considering then, for instance, to give a sheet of Sriver or Mark V or Inspirit to your kid to nibble on it? that would have serious health consequences, as we all can assume. But we are not banning the TT rubbers based on that, right? Ramming a blade down someone's throat would be pretty unhealthy, too...   There are no smilies because it would not be funny to find your kid had been drinking your booster. Or maybe you think it would. One less extra chemical lying around the house seems a good thing to me. At least you took your speed glue out when you played but boosters are likely to be kept at home.

But you have other glues at home, you have a bottle of Drano, you have Windex, you have bottle of cognac (I presume) etc etc. You keep them away from your kids, correct? then why are you not doing the same with the booster?

pingpongrob wrote: 7plywood wrote: Peter C wrote: In my book it would make more sense if rule 2.4.7 read as follows "The covering material of sponge and ITTF authorised topsheet, should be used straight out of the packet without any physical, chemical or other treatment, changing or modifying playing properties, friction, outlook, colour, structure, surface, etc." That change in the wording would then make it obvious that the sponge and topsheet shouldn't be altered in any way.   That would be indeed more clear. However they cannot do that now, because ITTF does not authorize sponges in any way. Since the sponge has not been approved to begin with, altering a sponge is definietely allowed.   As to stretching the topsheet due to sponge stretch - well you can also stretch the topsheet while gluing it normally which I presume would not be counted as altering the topsheet in anybody's mind. You can stretch the Topsheet, but what will happen when it shrinks back, and you blade is then illegal. See, how people try and circumvent the rules. If it was as simple as stretching the topsheet, then speedglue would never have been invented.

People only try to circumvent or bypass the rules, when the rules are bad - when they don't make sense, when they are confusing. For the rule to be a really good rule, it has to comply with a few simple mini-rules

a) rule must be clear and comprehensible, it cannot give cause to different conflicting interpretations
b) rule must be more or less easily enforceable
c) rule must make sense and be logical
d) rule cannot be overreaching, too wide (possibility of abuse) but it shouldn't be extremely narrow as well

When these mini-rules are broken, people break rules and often not because they want to cheat but because they are confused by interpretations, because they don't feel that the bad rules are important or even help the game etc etc.

I am not saying, let's break  the rules - I am just explaining the underlying causes. You can see cases like that in everyday life all the time - people breaking speed limit on the highways, people not respecting some strange regulations introduced in their condos etc.

pingpongrob wrote: The rule clearly states that any modification to the topsheet renders it illegal.

This is an example of a bad rule because it is a) unclear (some modifications are certainly allowed), b) too wide (because on the face of it, it disallowes breathing, wiping, cutting topsheet etc), c) illogical (because it is simply not needed, after 30 years fo speedgluing there is no extraordinary circumstances which would require this rule now)... I say, get rid of this rule right now in its entirety, there is no need even to change it.

I dont know how this works out, but i heard something about the DHS #1 intensifier still being negotiated, i dont know why this would be, but i used some last night for 2 hrs and it seemed to work really well. Maybe theres that???

Oh well Jim, it makes no difference to me either way, I've never used it so never became reliant on it. The only thing that can change for me is that a few players will come back a bit in spin and speed but I doubt it makes as big a difference as people say it does, it's not as drastic as a ball change and I've had to live through that. If I can do that you can learn to adapt to no glue

Well I agree with that, I hate (strong word maybe) the ITTF, the sport gains little if nothing from them being around, it's my opinion that it's gone backwards ALOT in the last 25 years

Someone from here allready wrote to the ITTF, they replied and said anything that modifies the rubber is illegal, even the Chinese national teams spit I think :D

if it came down to a point where it depends on each player to control himself, it would be something really funny.
rivals saying to each other
"hey man you tuned that rubber!"
"no i havent, what are you saying?"
"yea man you have!! that prrruipi prrruipi sound!"
"prrruipi prruipi your grandma!"
"oucchh!!