802-40, 802 or Spectol?

Sorry for this question since I know that there are lots of info about these rubbers around, I just can't seem to decide what to go for atm and just want some quick opinions on the differences.

A while ago, about 5 weeks now, I switched to SP on my BH and just a week ago I got my P700 which I really like already. It's only the SP that I still feel a tad uncertain about, so far I've been using 802-40 Super Soft 2.2mm which have worked much better than I expected. Actually the whole switch have been going very smooth considering that I come from an OX LP FH-dominated game like Fabian Åkerström/Liu Song.

I would be fine with keeping the 802-40 but sometimes it feels a tad slow and a tad grippy, on the other hand sometimes I really like those characteristics as well. I think that I could get rid of the speed problem by boosting it (which I've planned to try but haven't yet) but I fear that it would make it play even more like inverted than it already does.

My game on BH is pretty aggressive and mostly consists of driving/lifting on backspin and aggressive counterhitting close to the table. I really like the 802-40 on beckspin but feel like it grips a bit much over the table sometimes when I try to flick/punch on a short serve for example.

I've done some research and I think that I'm gonna restrict my choices to either keeping the 802-40 or trying the 802 or the TSP Spectol. I suspect that the 802 would need boosting as well, just like the 802-40. I prefer to stick to the classics that I know are good rubbers since I've been deep down in the EJ swamp before and I'm trying my very best not to end up there again this time.

Any opinions on these?

Yeah it seems to be the default choice at higher levels for the game I want to play. There's a lot of players using other SP's as well of course but those seem to be pretty widely and evenly spread out amongst other popular SP's.

If you just switched to short pips and are using 802-40 already, keep using 802-40 for a few months at least so you can fully get used to short pips. Pretty soon, TSP is going to release Spectol Red and Spectol Blue. Maybe once those are released you could switch to that.

TT newbie wrote: I´ve already hit with both SP.  Spectol is much less spinny them 802-40. But if you like the softness of the DHS you could try Spectol 21. Its sponge is softer and faster than regular Spectol. Personally I don´t like any of these. I like more tension SP like Yasaka Xtend PO or Rakza PO.

I have tried more than 30 different pips. Nittaku Hammond FA is the best by far. It works surprisingly well with the new elephant 40+ ball. Like the old Resilon but more durable and faster.

Edited by ChichoFicho - 05/11/2016 at 2:44pm

Spectol with a thin sponge ~1.7 is very good for both chop and attack. 

Edited by ChichoFicho - 05/11/2016 at 3:50pm

ChichoFicho wrote: If you are an allround attacker who uses chop blocks...then Hammond FA 2.2 is simply great.

Could somebody please explain to me how you chop block with 2.2mm short pips? Do you have a video of that?

Like I said, I'm not going into the EJ world again, at least not willingly hehe. Seems like Spectol gets most love and since I need to buy another sheet to use while I boost the 802-40 I might try Spectol during that time, or I'll just by another 802-40, have to give that some thought.

Many Pros are using Spectol or clippa.

TT newbie wrote: mjamja wrote: TT newbie wrote: I´ve already hit with both SP.  Spectol is much less spinny them 802-40. But if you like the softness of the DHS you could try Spectol 21. Its sponge is softer and faster than regular Spectol.<div id="drop-to-share-hint" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToShareHint.png; -size: 67px 327px;" ="drop-hint"=""><a ="share-btn-"=""></a><a ="btn-s"=""></a><div id="drop-hint-bubble-share" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToShareHintBubble.png; -size: 253px 79px;" ="drop-hint-bubble"=""> <div id="drop-to-search-hint" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToSearchHint.png; -size: 67px 327px;" ="drop-hint"=""><a ="search-btn-"=""></a><a ="btn-s"=""></a><div id="drop-hint-bubble-search" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToSearchHintBubble.png; -size: 215px 79px;" ="drop-hint-bubble"=""> Personally I don´t like any of these. I like more tension SP like Yasaka Xtend PO or Rakza PO. What is different about the tension SP's and what types of shots/tactics are they better for and what types of shots/tactics would they have problems executing.<span style="line-height: 1.4;"> </span> <span style="line-height: 1.4;">Please notice I am a SP penhold player, so I will tell what works for my style of play. Things might be different for a shakehand player with BH SP.</span> <span style="line-height: 1.4;">Right now I´m testing Rakza PO with a Waldner Senso Carbon Cpen blade.</span> <span style="line-height: 1.4;">This rubber is faster than most SP I´ve tried. I found it faster than Xtend PO, Zava, Raystorm and Moristo SP. And of course is much faster than old-fashioned SP like Spectol or 802-40, which are not tensioned. Spectol seems completely dead for me.</span> <span style="line-height: 1.4;"> </span> <span style="line-height: 1.4;">Pros: FH smash, FH counter at the peak, quick and long serves, active blocking fast balls.</span> <span style="line-height: 1.4;">Cons: reception of spinny serves, blocking spinny and slow shots, short balls near the net.</span> <div ="drop-hint"="" id="drop-to-share-hint" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToShareHint.png; -size: 67px 327px;"><a ="share-btn-"=""></a><a ="btn-s"=""></a><div ="drop-hint-bubble"="" id="drop-hint-bubble-share" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToShareHintBubble.png; -size: 253px 79px;"><div ="drop-hint"="" id="drop-to-search-hint" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToSearchHint.png; -size: 67px 327px;"><a ="search-btn-"=""></a><a ="btn-s"=""></a><div ="drop-hint-bubble"="" id="drop-hint-bubble-search" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToSearchHintBubble.png; -size: 215px 79px;"> <div ="drop-hint" id="drop-to-share-hint" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToShareHint.png; -size: 67px 327px;"><a ="share-btn-"></a><a ="btn-s"></a><div ="drop-hint-bubble" id="drop-hint-bubble-share" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToShareHintBubble.png; -size: 253px 79px;"><div ="drop-hint" id="drop-to-search-hint" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToSearchHint.png; -size: 67px 327px;"><a ="search-btn-"></a><a ="btn-s"></a><div ="drop-hint-bubble" id="drop-hint-bubble-search" style="display: none; -: chrome-extension://cipmepknanmbbaneimacddfemfbfgpgo/s//dropToSearchHintBubble.png; -size: 215px 79px;">

How is rakza po against spinny loops and do the oppponents get nasty balls? What pro plays with clippa? Is clippa spinnier than 802 and moristo sp?

It actually worked out pretty well yesterday as I received my spare P700 and got to borrow a sheet of Spectol 21 1.8mm from a club mate. I had a long 3 hour session and could compare it side to side with my main bat, same blade and FH rubber but with 802-40 on BH.

At first I felt that Spectol actually worked better than 802-40 but as I played more with Spectol I could feel that I wasn't as consistent or as confident with it as I am with the 802-40. Opening/Driving on backspin worked just as well but I missed more of the aggressive counterhitting, this is of course down to technique but I feel that the 802-40 has a wider margin for error.

The sponge was also way too soft for my taste, I've always liked hard sponges and the 802-40 is just on the limit, any softer and I start to feel less confident, and the 21 sponge was a lot softer than that. My partner put more balls in the net though and I could feel that it played a lot flatter than 802-40. I won't choose the 21 sponge, but maybe a Spectol version with harder sponge could be a choice.

With all this said I still think that my level with these rubbers are very Close, it's just that I miss a bit more with Spectol. Speed wise they were about the same but the 802-40 is 2.2mm and the Spectol was 1.8mm.

I also borrowed a sheet of 802 Mystery from my club mate, I'm contemplating trying that as well but I'm not sure I'll gain much effect compared to 802-40.

I kinda wonder what sponge/version most top level Spectol players use, I have a hard time believing a top player would use something this soft.

Edited by auzcar - 05/13/2016 at 3:16am

bbkon wrote: I nevee knew about a pro player with spectoo soft sponge

Yeah that's my point, they most likely have some sort of special sponge, definitely harder than the 21 sponge. I felt like the 21 sponge, at least in 1.8mm, didn't hold up when stepping on the gas and IMO it lacked top speed. Sure it was bouncy when not hitting hard but it topped out very fast when hitting hard.

Maybe a newer pip that's not made for speed glue is the way to go, sadly they are a lot more expensive than Spectol and especially 802-40.

All those new high tension short pips like Flarestorm II, the Victas pips, Royal and so on are one dimensional, i.e. they are good for strong smash but bad for touch shots, blocks, pushes, rolls and so on.

Edited by ChichoFicho - 05/13/2016 at 4:54pm

I see a lot of differing opinions when it comes to 802 compared to Spectol. Some say that 802 is spinnier and some says that Spectol is spinnier. Can anyone here who have tried both give a good comparison? Which one has more spin? Plays flatter? Most "effect"? The only thing I've gotten a clear and unison comparison on is that Spectol is faster.

802 sponges are very low quality. The last time I got 802 with Mystery Sponge it was thinner at some places and thicker at others. 

Edited by ChichoFicho - 05/14/2016 at 12:55pm