What is the key to utilising a Chinese rubber well

Acceleration is key. In China, we talk about 透板/打透, or through the racket, when making a quality, strong fast loop. To do that, you need 爆發力, or explosive force, and for that you need a substantial amount of acceleration to get the racket up to speed.

Size of the stroke - as large as necessary but also as small as possible. The key here is to "liberate" the elbow. Let the elbow take part in adding speed to the stroke. It doesn't have to be straight like a pole, but it should never be bent like a chicken wing.

BTW, pay attention to having the trunk initiate and lead the arm throughout the stroke, from the backswing to follow-through. The arm should work like a pendulum moving on inertia alone.

Edited by zeio - 06/08/2017 at 11:04pm

patrickhrdlicka wrote: Blue player would have no difficulties in using H3 Neo. Red player would have a harder time switching. Rather than boosting, consider using a (significantly) faster blade (e.g., from OFF- to OFF or even OFF+).

Switch to H3neo and play.  You will figure out how to use it.  Book smart can only get you so far, like trying to learn to swim by reading an instruction manual.  

Thanks guys I've just ordered a 41 deg 2.2 H3 Neo, should be fun, will have to boost cause the 41 degree hardness would be unplayable without apparently!

SmackDAT wrote: Thanks guys I've just ordered a 41 deg 2.2 H3 Neo, should be fun, will have to boost cause the 41 degree hardness would be unplayable without apparently!

I play with 41 degree. It will be very different from Tenergy. It is much slower and has a totally different trajectory. It blocks and pushes a million times better. You can put a lot more into your shot and have it stay on the table. I found my hand grip is critical with H3 to maximize it's potential for me personally the looser I can keep my hand but still have good finger pressure the faster and spinnier it plays. I would not boost till you have played with it. H3 is going to play different after a few hours of playing than right out of the package. It does have a break in period. Last keep it clean and covered. Good Luck!

jpenmaster wrote: I play with 41 degree. It will be very different from Tenergy. It is much slower and has a totally different trajectory. It blocks and pushes a million times better. You can put a lot more into your shot and have it stay on the table. I found my hand grip is critical with H3 to maximize it's potential for me personally the looser I can keep my hand but still have good finger pressure the faster and spinnier it plays. I would not boost till you have played with it. H3 is going to play different after a few hours of playing than right out of the package. It does have a break in period. Last keep it clean and covered. Good Luck!

Edited by SmackDAT - 06/10/2017 at 9:52pm

I am still puzzled that people always go to H3 when switching to chinese rubbers; assuming they do so inspired by the success of Ma Long & Co.

Top chinese players are not using H3 - their rubbers are very low throw, while any H3 version you can buy is high throw. Even the official product description of H3 reads ""Hurricane III" was designed for the players who mainly adopt control method or have relatively weak attack power when playing 40mm ball." Doesn't that sound a bit suspicious, Ma Long weak attack power? Anyways, IMO H3 is just the watered down, easy to play version of H2, which is faster and has true low arc, making it the closest to an actual pro chinese rubber you can get. It also makes it impossible for average players to counterattack your loop. H2 is easily the superior rubber - provided you can use it.

I don't want to dishearten you, try H3 and if you like the characteristic, you can still upgrade.

Hozuki wrote: I am still puzzled that people always go to H3 when switching to chinese rubbers; assuming they do so inspired by the success of Ma Long & Co. Top chinese players are not using H3 - their rubbers are very low throw, while any H3 version you can buy is high throw. Even the official product description of H3 reads ""Hurricane III" was designed for the players who mainly adopt control method or have relatively weak attack power when playing 40mm ball." Doesn't that sound a bit suspicious, Ma Long weak attack power? Anyways, IMO H3 is just the watered down, easy to play version of H2, which is faster and has true low arc, making it the closest to an actual pro chinese rubber you can get. It also makes it impossible for average players to counterattack your loop. H2 is easily the superior rubber - provided you can use it. I don't want to dishearten you, try H3 and if you like the characteristic, you can still upgrade.

Edited by SmackDAT - 06/11/2017 at 3:38pm

jpenmaster wrote: H2 makes no sense for the way Ma Long or any if the new players play. You need the higher throw for more margin of error at distance. H3 is a far superior looping rubber. H2 is great at the table but I did not like it anywhere else. Compare the way Wang Liqin played vs Ma Long.

zeio wrote: An enthusiast from Taiwan has measured and compared the pips of H3 Neo topsheets and his findings showed that H3 Neo is closer to H2 then it is to H3.

I thought H3 and H3 Neo was the same top sheet and sponge with the only difference that the Neo has a glue layer on the sponge, and if there was a difference in the pip structure would'nt they have to use a different ITTF number on the top sheet ?

Roger Stillabower wrote: zeio wrote: An enthusiast from Taiwan has measured and compared the pips of H3 Neo topsheets and his findings showed that H3 Neo is closer to H2 then it is to H3. I thought H3 and H3 Neo was the same top sheet and sponge with the only difference that the Neo has a glue layer on the sponge, and if there was a difference in the pip structure would'nt they have to use a different ITTF number on the top sheet ?

It is way different. The topsheet base of H3 is much thicker and tougher. H3 was released in 2001, way before the serial number was implemented, in 2008/9? The H3 now comes with the topsheet of H3 Neo, but without that layer of glue.

Edited by zeio - 06/11/2017 at 7:44pm

jpenmaster wrote: H2 makes no sense for the way Ma Long or any if the new players play. You need the higher throw for more margin of error at distance. H3 is a far superior looping rubber. H2 is great at the table but I did not like it anywhere else. Compare the way Wang Liqin played vs Ma Long.

Sorry, but I think you are not making any sense here. I was in Düsseldorf and I can safely confirm that all Chinese pro players, including the ones from HK were using extremely low throw setups. Although they use upward motion when hitting, the ball leaves the blade straight and goes only a few inches over the net. Very different from something like T05 of Timo Boll, for example. Just watch Ma Long vs Timo Boll for a display of the extreme difference in throw. Chinese players always use the tackiness for brushing from close and flex of the blade from far from the table to create their own throw angles.

Compare WL and ML? Both are using more of a loop driving style, in contrast to ZJK's looping style. This has been confirmed by LGL. That's why ML was using TG3 in the past, it's better for loopdriving. There is not much difference in their FH style. WL just could afford to have a little lower throw because he had more power than ML.

Since the topsheet only has to get approved, not the sponge, even if ML uses H3 topsheet, the sponge is completely different and makes the throw much lower. Sure, H3 gives you more safety, but the lower throw of H2, or TG3, H8, will make it much harder for you opponent to play any kind of active stroke against your loops and your countertops won't overshoot the table.




Edited by Hozuki - 06/11/2017 at 8:24pm

jpenmaster wrote: Since all H3 have the same top sheet the sponge can change the throw . The harder the sponge the lower the throw usually just like a blade. From what I understood is Ma Long uses at least 41.5 degree sponge which is harder than what he use to use a few years ago. H3 has always been a lower throw than Tenergy its not even close. T05 has a ridiculous arc. I personally play with 41 degree H3 on my FH and 37 on my BH and there is a slight throw difference but not to make it play like H2

This. I don't agree that harder sponge means lower throw. It does at low looping speeds.   Also, the speed of the stroke affects the throw.   The funny thing is that harder sponge actually makes the throw higher all things being equal, but at the speed that the CNT are looping, the arcs don't look that high.

The idea that Ma Long uses a low throw rubber is just silly. Throw is not only about the rubber, it is also about the stroke. A faster stroke gets a higher throw with a harder sponge.

That's why Hozuki's original comment had me scratching my head. H3 is a fine rubber for aggressive looping.   You just have to decide whether you want to out in the effort as just about any European rubber is easier to spin with
The real advantages of H3 are the top end power and the short game control and deception.

Edited by NextLevel - 06/11/2017 at 8:48pm

NextLevel wrote:   The idea that Ma Long uses a low throw rubber is just silly. Throw is not only about the rubber, it is also about the stroke. A faster stroke gets a higher throw with a harder sponge.