Equipment
hello pingskils
i was reading some questions on the website and I read something that alois said that caught my attention. He said something along the lines that 2.2 mm sponge generates more spin. How does this work? Because I thought a thinner sponge would allowed the ball the sink into it and get more spin. I also thought the 2.2mm extra little speed would eliminate some spin
thanks a lot!
Hi Bryan,
Because the thicker sponge allows the ball to sink into it further, more of the ball comes into contact with the rubber and therefore it gets more grip and can spin the ball more.
Become a free member to post a comment about this question.
Rohan Keogh Posted 7 years ago
But does the thicker sponge also impart more speed? Almost all pre-made bats indicate faster speed ratings for their thicker sponge/rubber combos with thinner ones delivering more control and less speed.
Jean Balthazar Posted 7 years ago
For most rubbers, a thicker sponge produces more speed, because it has a spring effect. Some specialized defense antispin rubbers react differently though. Their sponge is made to absorb the speed, like a cushion, so for those rubbers a thick sponge actually slows them down.
Rohan Keogh Posted 7 years ago
Thanks Jean. So is there such a thing as a sponge and rubber combination that will absorb the speed and spin of on incoming ball but allow you to return it with a lot of spin?
Jean Balthazar Posted 7 years ago
I'm not aware of any grippy rubber that would be designed to absorb the incoming speed by means of a thick cushioning sponge. Usually slow grippy rubbers used for defence are fitted with thinner sponges, like 1.2 or 1.5mm. If you're just looking for something that will have very little bounce and that is grippy, maybe try out some Chinese rubbers, like for example a Friendship 729FX.