Gambler Outlaw - new sheet vs an old sheet

A friend made a video doing a comprehensive comparison between an old and new sheet of Gambler Outlaw. The results are quite fascinating:

Think you're an expert on table tennis? Check out these riddles!

OOAK forum is running another little competition, this time about riddles related to table tennis.

I'm really enjoying these (both making up mine and solving others) so I thought I'd share some with you here:

JimWeiland:
What is it?
It's a part of some table tennis bats. Some people will occasionally sniff it. Others would rather throw it out on the water. In some homes, I can run vertically or horizontally. Know what it is?

haggisv:
I am always nearby, yet no-one can see me
I bring chaos to my enemies but fun to my friends
I go higher than my brothers, though I have little experience
Who / what am I?

These are some of the tougher ones, although there's a few hints given along the way. There a prize for the person who solves the most riddles, and one for the best riddle.

Fun competition with prizes at OOAK forum

The OOAK table tennis forum has started some fun little competitions recently with a prize (free rubber or blade) for the winner. The challange of this first competition was to write a funny poem about the OOAK forum itself. Congrats to member JimWeiland who won the first competition, and his poem was:

Away across the ocean where the kangaroo calls home,
And the emus and koalas and the wild dingos roam,
Lies the online info Mecca for us table tennis folk,
It's run by HaggisV (a most accomodating bloke).
It's called OOAK, and if you should need advice,
Here's information for you that's both expert and precise.
The much-maligned dark sider, he will find a haven here,
The short pip and the anti guys can post stuff without fear.
And even welcomed are inverted players (yes, it's true!);
From seasoned pros to ping-pong nubes--this web site is for you!
They've got top-notch equipment that will much improve your game,
And forums where the guys will teach you how to use the same.
The names are strange, but worry not, on them you can rely,
Whether the guy's named Hookshot, Reb, Fattchoi or Tatlwei,
Or Silver, Speedplay, Metal Monkey, Dwruck, Dingwol2,
Mynamenotbob, or Grumpy Joe--you'll learn a thing or two!
So, whether you're a looper, blocker, chopper or EJ,
Get on the web and find the OOAK site today!

You can read the other entries and details in the thread here, there were some other really good ones too!

Competitions will be run monthly, and the next one will start shortly. So if you want to be part of a bit of fun with fellow table tennis enthusiasts, check it out and you might even win something in the process...

TSP Curl P-H review

Finally got to try this rubbers, and after 2 sessions I thought I'd give a little review.

1. Blade/Style/Level
I tested this on a TSP Balsa Plus 4.5. The sheet was OX red. Although I've always been more of a chopper, I've concentrated a lot on my close to the table blocking game and have tried quite a few LPs for this style, so I've got a few things to compare it to.

2. Physical properties
The sheet is top quality. The pips are very stiff and closely spaced together, and feel very grippy. The whole sheet feels quite stiff, and the basesheet feels quite thick, and comes with an adhesive backing.

3. Speed:
a) The speed of the rubber at low impact, such as return of serves, short pushes is very low... it is one of the slowest, if not THE slowest I've tried.
b) The speed when blocking against fast loops is a little hard to define, due to a quite unique property;
Holding the bat perpendicular to the path of the ball makes it come off at medium speed, a lilttle lower than the average LP. However this pip is quite sensitive to spin (although considerable less at higher impact), forcing you to close the bat a little... and when you do this the ball comes off much slower and the pace gets taken right off, creating a very slow no-spin ball. I think most LPs do this to some extent, but the closely spaces and very stiff pips really makes this stand out! I think this property could easily be exploited, making it quite deceptive.

4. Spin and reversal.
Reversal on this rubber is quite low, although it improves at higher impact. However you can generate quite significant spin with this rubber, among the best I've seen. This property alone seems to draw a lot of errors from my practice partner, partially since he did not expect it...

5. Sensitivity to spin:
The rubber is quite sensitive to incoming spin, but lower at higher impact. Even against backspin you need to be careful as it can grip causing you to land the ball into the net. Hewever when you do adjust, you can return quite a lot of backspin, which is remarkable for a LP.

6. Control:
The slow speed of this rubber gave it very good control, the only think you need to adjust for is some sensitivity to spin. The ability to generate some spin actually gives you more choices of returning the ball, as you can flip or attack the ball as well as block it short.

Chopping against loops gave decent control, but the stiff pips gave it bit bit of a hard feel, whereas I think most people would prefer something softer. However it was quite easy to either chop back heavy or return a float, so perhaps with a bit more practice this could be used quite effectively. Chops came back slow and low, a lot of time my partner could not loop for a second time as it was too short.

7. Other properties
I think one of it's greatest properties was that it was very easy to attack no-spin or slight topspin balls.. a bit of wrist allows you to really grip the ball and actually generate some topspin... in this respect it felt like OX short pips or hardbat.

8. Reference:
I've not come across a pip anything like this... all the really grippy LPs seems to be very soft.

Great table tennis Slow - Mo clip!

Awesome clip of slow motion table tennis video! If you want to learn to chop, this is well worth watching!

TSP Balsaplus Offensive 4.5 Review

I’ve been keen to try this blade, as I really liked the feel of 8.5 version of this blade (but much too fast). I was hoping for a more controlled version of the FW+, and so far I’m very happy with its performance, so I thought I'd write a little review:

TSP’s description:
The TSP Blade with the so-called “intelligent“ core. The heart of the patented TSP Balsa-Series is the middle layer. The combination of the elastic fibreglass layers with the vertical wooden fibres leads to a round and especially large hitting area (sweet spot). The result is an extremely precise bounce of the ball, free of vibration and an amazingly high rate of control.

As you probably know, there is quite a range of these blades, namely the 8.5, 6.5, 5.5 and 4.5 Offensive, and the 3.5 and 2.5 defensive. What I did not realise I that the 2.5 and 3.5 are actually of different shape, ie wider near the bottom, and come with a ST only, whereas the others come in a more standard shape and with FL handle. The number is supposed to refer to the thickness of the inner balsa layer.

Blade looks of top quality, as with most Japanese made blades.

Outer ply of this blade feels a little hard, and with the fibreglass layers not far from the surface, this blade has a harder feel on soft contact comapred to most balsa blades (eg FW+), which tends to make it quite suitable for pips. Still the feel of the blade is relatively soft compared to most non-balsa blades.

For the low impact part of the game, the blade does not feel that fast, probably ALL+. With the pips this gives good feel and control, and really helps in putting the short or taking the pace off the ball. With the BT it felt slower compared to the Meteor on the FW+, and the meteor is quite a bit slower pip.

For looping the blade seems to have quite a bit of flex, and it really feels like a looping blade to me, not at all like any balsa blades I’ve used. Speed would be around OFF-, reminded me a bit of the Energy Wood blade, which I used for a long time.

You can clearly feel the pace of the blade pick up, as you start to hit/loop harder… this seems to be where the balsa kicks in. At this point it is no slower than the FW+ and feels similar, although with lower throw.

Hitting hard with this blade surprised me, it was really quite fast, and considerably faster than the FW+. I’m not sure if it was the balsa, fibreglass or the combination, but on hits it was fast, and definitely less sensitive to spin compared to the FW+.

Although I’m still hitting a few edges (of the bat) with the new blade, due to the smaller shape compared to the oversize FW+, I’m very happy with the performance so far, and will stick with it…

Factory Tuned Rubbers - are they right for you?

The latest craze in rubbers seems to be factory tuned rubbers. Despite being undetectable (for most tuners) by ITTF devices, tuning or boosting was deemed to be illegal under ITTF rules, as they change the characteristics of the rubber. However if the rubber is tuned at the factory, as part of it’s manufacturing process, it is quite legal, as long as the VOC content is low enough. VOC based glues are still used at the factory to attach topsheets to sponges, and as long as they are aired before they are shipped out, they are perfectly legal.

So ever since the ITTF ruling regarding tuners (or boosters) was clarified and put into action, some of the Chinese manufacturers have started working on rubbers pre-tuned at the factory, so that elite players can play with rubber that are close in performance with the former speed glued rubbers. These rubbers have tuned/boosted at the factory, and this effect is (to some extent) preserved by an adhesive layer and plastic sheet attached to the sponge.

I’m sure some of you have heard about some of these factory tuned rubbers, which have now made their way to the public as well. As soon as word gets out that the Chinese National team is testing or using some of these rubbers, there is an immediate demand for them. Haifu’s Blue Whale II was among the first, and more recently Tuttle’s Beijing II and DHS’s new tuned Hurricane rubbers have all been much talked about…

So the question is, are these rubbers worthwhile, and how do they compare to some of the latest glue effect rubbers? The answer is not so simple, as it really depends on your level, your budget, availability and whether you are going to re-tune the rubbers. So let’s discuss these issues one by one;

Level: These rubbers are designed for a fast attacking style game, giving you a high level of power and spin. The fact that these are usually only released in MAX thickness supports this. It is my opinion that these rubbers are really only suitable for the higher levels of table tennis, starting around the top club levels and upwards. I’m sure players below this level can enjoy playing with these rubbers, and if you’re playing mainly for enjoyment then perhaps you might like these, but otherwise you likely don’t have the skills to control these rubbers, nor can you take advantage of their full potential.

Budget: Although all the current factory tuned rubbers are Chinese made, they are not exactly cheap, and prices approach some of the Euro/Japanese made glue effect rubbers. Yes they are still cheaper, but the tuning effect typically only lasts 2-4 weeks, at which point you need to change them over as the effect has worn off, and re-tuning is illegal. Inbuilt glue effect rubbers would typically last 4-6 weeks, which makes them comparable, although a few more recent ones (eg Tenergy and Air Condle) last significantly longer than this. When these factory tuned rubbers are in their tuned state, they will most likely out-perform the glue effect rubbers, so for the top players, it’s most likely worthwhile. For those players that count performance as much more important then price (and you can afford it) then it’s most likely worthwhile as well. For the rest of players, I think it’s probably not worth it…

Availability: Up to now, these factory tuned rubbers have had limited availability, as most dealers seem to only carry small numbers. Only a few dealers carry them, who would normally get them from a distributor or manufacturer within China. I believe the pre-tuned rubbers have a limited shelf life, which is far shorter than a regular rubber, so dealers need to ensure they can sell the rubbers before they expire. I’ve read a few reports from players who tried these rubbers, and found the performance was not there… this may point to the rubber being past its shelf life, although it’s not proof.

Re-tuning: Perhaps you’re considering buying these pre-tuned rubbers, and include the re-tuning liquid as well to be used when the effect wears off? Although tuning is illegal under IITF rules, it is often undetectable and it’s become well known that it’s become very common at the elite levels. So if you don’t play competition or events that come under ITTF rules, or you simply choose to ignore this rule, then re-tuning is a definite option. Of course if you’re going to tune, you can tune ANY rubber with ANY of the tuners/boosters that are still available on the market, so you’re no longer restricted to using the factory tuned rubbers.

So would I recommend against buying these factory tuned rubbers? Not at all, I have nothing against them and think it’s a great innovation by the manufacturer, to come up with something that is legal and offer the high performance that speed glue used to offer. What I would say though, is that you carefully consider the issues discussed above, to see if they are worthwhile for YOU!

If you decide these rubbers are right for you, you need to carefully consider where you buy them as well. Shopping around for the best price is no longer the most important, as dealers may have these rubbers on special because they are close or past their expiry date. Ideally you want a rubber that’s fresh from the factory, so make sure you pick a dealer you can trust, even if their price is higher. It costs the dealer money to keep a constant supply of only fresh rubbers, so a higher price is justified.

Comments on this article are most welcome!

(Please do not copy articles from this blog. If you wish to post or publish them elsewhere, either just use the link to this blog or article, or ask the author for permission first. Thank you...)

Japan solves Tensor durability issues?

The Germany based ESN factory has always been at the forefront of the speed glue effect technology with their rubbers, offering by far the closest feel to a speed glued rubber. The Technology is most commonly known as Tensors, although some manufacturers use the same technology under a different name. Although several of the non-German brands offered good speed glue effect rubbers, they actually had them made in the German ESN factory as well. While speed glue was still legal, using a much cheaper rubber with speed glue was always a viable alternative, but since the ITTF has since banned speed glues, this option is no longer available.

One common problem with ESN made rubbers has always been the durability of the surface of the topsheet. At the higher levels of club competition people would usually get 4-6 weeks out of a sheet, although some get a lot more, but some also less. Compare this to your regular non-speed glue effect rubber, which would typically last you at least 3 months. The feel and glue effect was always an accepted trade-off for the higher cost of having to replace the rubber more often.

However in the last year or so, Japanese factories seem to have finally worked out how to make rubbers with glue effect similar to that of the German Tensor Technology. The only two rubbers that I’m aware of using this technology are the Butterfly Tenergy and JUIC Air Condle. These rubbers not only have a glue effect similar to that of the latest generation Tensors, but also have Japanese-made topsheet, which appears to be much more durable than the Tensors.

The high price tag of the Butterfly Tenergy has certainly put off a lot of people, but when you consider they are more durable than Tensors, the cost over time becomes comparable. The marketing for the JUIC Air Condle has been virtually non-existant outside Japan, but since the cost of this rubber is similar to the cheaper Tensors, it’s likely to become very popular as well. For some more information on these rubbers, see the Butterfly Tenergy and JUIC Air Condle reviews.

Of course all these rubbers have their own little unique properties, which makes them hard to compare. Whether a particular one suits your level or style is yet to be determined, they are all worth considering on their own merits, and for many the cost is also a big consideration.

OOAK table tennis forum - Major Upgrade

As some of you know, I administrate the OOAK table tennis forum, as well as being an active member there. In the last few weeks I've spent a lot of time on the software, and have finally completed the upgrade of the forum software and graphics.

With the help of a friend (thanks Brab!) the new forum looks awesome, and thanks to the new software, it's rich in new features too! Now come the fun of discovering all the new features and learning how to use them...

If you're already a member there, make sure you update your bookmarks/favourites to the new URL (which is http://forums.oneofakindtrading.com.au), since a few people have reported that the re-direct that is in place (from the old forum URL to the new one) is not working for them.

If you've not been to this forum before, why not come and check it out, and tell me what you think?

Testing 4 different long Pimple rubbers - Part 2

Next test, the Palio CK531A versus the Double Fish 1615

Speed:
Again I glued both onto the FW+ blade. Bouncing the ball on the blade, the Palio was little more bouncy and faster, but not a great deal... perhaps 10%.
Blocking against topspin revealed pretty much the same, which give me confidence in the bounce test...

Ability to generate spin
The test was throwing the ball in the air, flicking the bat on contact, and catching the ball to see how fast it would spin. This may seem rather crude, but I repeated the test probably 50 times, until I was sure of the results. The 1615 could definitely generate a little more spin when you flick it hard.

Sensitivity to spin
I set the ball machine on heavy backspin and fairly high speed, and pushed the ball back. The angle of the ball coming off is a good indication of how much the ball grips, and you can actually feel it bite.
From the test the Palio does grip less, and it felt less sensitive to the backspin.

Reversal on blocks
I set the ball on topspin and blocked the ball back passively. I observed the ball bouncing slowly on the other side of the table to see how much backspin was on the ball.
On low impact the 1615 had clearly more reversal, as balls bounced back more and faster. At faster speeds this became less noticable, but I'm uncertain if I just could not see it, or of the difference was less.

Chopping away from the table
I set the ball machine on heavy topspin and I chopped away from the table.
The 1615 was easier the control and more effective for this. It had a little softer feel on the blade, and just offered a little more feel. It was easier to keep the ball lower, and also produced more reversal.

It was quite interesting that the 1615 seemed to produce more reversal when the ball was hit or blocked perpendicular to the path of the ball, but when the ball is brushed more, the Palio offered more reversal... This ties in with the fact that the 1615 grips more when you push a heavy backspin. No wonder opinions on reversal varies so much... it really does depend on the stroke...

I'd like to hear if you think my testing methods are effective, and if you come to the same conclusions as me, from the results... I think this might lead to a set of standardised test, allowing me to retest all my other pips, and catagorise them...
_________________

Comparing 4 different long pimple rubbers

I'vejust received 4 long pimple rubbers and will do a comparison between them. The rubbers (all RED, OX) are:

1. Milky Way (Galaxy/Yin-He) Neptune
2. Double Fish 1615
3. Palio CK531A
4. Meteor 8512

First the bounce test

I drop the ball from about 25cm and see how high the ball bounces. I've taken a video of it, which I'll upload later. The results are as follows:

In order of height, starting at the highest rebound

1. Neptune / Palio - very close
2. 1615 - a little lower and slower
3. Meteor 8512 - a LOT lower and slower!

The Meteor was dead compared to all 3 of the other... I'm a little amazed how much slower this one is!

Next tests will be against the ball machine.

I propose to test

1. Reversal on soft blocks
2. Reversal on harder blocks
3. Sensitivity to spin
4. Ability to generate spin

Are Online Table Tennis Stores Ripping You Off?

Why is it that there is such a wide range of prices, for seemingly identical products among the online table tennis retailers. Are the expensive ones just ripping off their customers, or are there good reasons for their higher prices? Should you just shop around for the best price, or are there other things to consider? Well to answer that we need to discuss quite a range of issues, which I’ve summarized below.

1. Physical location and import charges
Although for online shops, the physical location should not matter, it does make quite a difference to the cost price for the distributor or dealer. For a distributor to import table tennis goods, they need to pay for exchange rate costs, shipping, import duties, customs fees and charges and taxes. All of these tend to considerably cheaper for Asian importers compared to western importers. This obviously adds to the cost of the goods. If the goods are locally produced, then almost all of these costs would be much lower.

2. Labour costs and rent
Running an online shop still requires staff and storage facilities. For some countries, like most Asian locations, particularly labour costs are MUCH cheaper than in most western countries. Rent or storage facilities can also vary a lot depending on the physical location.This obvious make the running costs of the business higher.

3. Margins
For a successful business the dealer/distributors needs to set the margins, to ensure that it covers ALL their costs, but also to make enough money to make the business viable. This margin can also vary depending on the location, as the costs and standard of living can vary wildly.

All three of these points make a case for the Asian shops to be the most viable, and since their costs and margins should be lower, their list price for products is generally lower as well. If western shops have higher prices, it certainly does not necessarily mean they are ripping you off, they may simply be determining price based or cost price and running a viable business.
Now as a consumer, you might well say that you really don't care about the costs of retailers, as it's their business not yours. You would simply shop around for the cheapest price regardless. However there are a few other important issues to consider, listed below, which may affect your decision on where to buy from.

4. Shipping costs and custom charges
Shipping costs can vary wildly, and some retailers may work out more expensive when you take this into account. In some countries, occasionally customs will hold the parcel and decide to charge import duty on it. In Australia for example, personal goods under AUD$1000 will not attract taxes and customs duties, but over this amount you'll have to pay 5% duty, 10% GST plus processing fees. All countries have different structure for this.

5. Information and extra services
Many online stores provide a no-frills sale, meaning all they do is handle the payments and post the goods. This reduces their costs, as their staff don't need to understand the goods or offer advice. However some stores will offer you lots of expert advice and information on the products. Although their costs may be higher, you're much more likely to get the right products first time, instead of having to try a few. Some stores also offer other services such as gluing, sealing, selecting products of certain weights, etc. Of course if you don't require the extra service, you can simply get advice from the stores that offer it, and still buy from another cheaper store.

6. Reliability and reputation
For some stores the cheap prices are enough to ensure continuous business, customer support or reputation is not a priority. Although you'll probably get your goods most of the time, if there are any mistakes or faulty goods, you'll have a real hard time get it resolved. You'll need to consider how important this is to you. If you can only afford a rubber from the cheapest store, then you may not have a choice, but if you're the kind that worries about shipping, mistakes or warrantee issue, you may wish to pay a little extra for the piece of mind.

7. Sales volume
Taking all this into account, there is still variations in price between stores in similar locations that we may not be able to explain. Obviously the cheaper store may simply have lower margins, but there could be other reasons for their cheaper price as well. Some of the larger stores buy goods in much higher volumes, allowing them to negotiate a better deal with the manufacturer. This may allow them to offer cheaper retail prices as well.

8. Different grades of products
One issue that many people may not be aware of, is that a few manufacturers offer different grades of products, although they are often marked or packaged the same. The grade may refer to the quality of the products, or is simply reflected in the 'quality control' of the products (i.e. consistency). They may sell the lower grade products at cheaper prices to countries that simply cannot afford the higher cost goods. Some of the online stores can buy the lower grade goods locally, and sell them online internationally as the same product. For example some of the Chinese manufacturers produces lower grade products for the local market, and sell the higher grade products to the export market, since they will pay a higher price, but demands better quality and quality control. So by shopping around you may find a better price, but it may not be the same product. It is not known if this happens to products manufactured outside China as well, but it seems to be far less likely.

Although we cannot blame anyone for shopping around for the best price, it is well worth taking the points discussed above into account, as it may just change your decision. If you are unsure about a particular retailer, a great way to find out about them are table tennis forums. Topics like retailer reputation or problems are often discussed, so search around and see what you can find out, or ask the question if you cannot find it. Sometimes the retailers themselves even run a forum, where you can discuss issues or ask questions on topics you're not sure about.

Hopefully this guide will explain some of the price discrepancies between online retailers, and help you make the right choice for YOU. There will always be the rogue retailers that simply want to make a quick gain, but we can certainly not judge or decide on a retailer purely on price alone.

ITTF AGM Proposals for 2009

Propositions to the AGM 2009

2/3 majority required
1. Proposed by the Executive Committee
To delete paragraph 1.5.2.4 and to add a new paragraph 1.5.3.3
1.5.2.4 The Board shall determine the terms of reference for Equipment, Media, Nominations, Ranking, Rules, Sports Science, Technical, Umpires & Referees and New Technologies & Research Committees, as well as for the Athletes Commission and Junior Commission. The Board may determine the terms of reference for any other Committee, Commission, working group or panel that it may from time to time establish.
1.5.3.3 The Executive Committee shall determine the terms of reference for all committees, commissions, working groups or panels that the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee may establish from time to time.
Rationale:
This is the current practice and it also gives flexibility in establishing new committees or commissions as well as changing names of committees or commissions without needing approval of the AGM.

2. Proposed by the Executive Committee
To modify paragraph 1.3.5 and to rename the “Olympic Commission” to "Olympic and Paralympic Commission" in 1.9
1.3.5 The ITTF shall co-operate with the IOC, ASOIF, GAISF, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and other organisations that recognise it as the controlling and governing authority for table tennis throughout the world.
1.9 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC COMMISSION
1.9.1 The Olympics Commission shall consist of the members of the Executive Committee, the Continental Federations Presidents or their appointees and a representative of the organising committee of the next Olympic Games.

3/4 majority required
3. Proposed by the Chinese Table Tennis Association
To modify paragraph 2.4.3
2.4.3 A side of the blade used for striking the ball shall be covered with either ordinary pimpled rubber, with pimples outwards having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 2mm, or sandwich rubber, with pimples inwards or outwards, having a total thickness including excluding adhesive of not more than 4mm 3.8mm and including adhesive of not more than 4mm.
Rationale:
Currently if a player’s racket cannot pass the racket control, the player should withstand all the punishments. This is unfair to the players. The new modification makes a balance to the responsibility between players and manufacturers by giving the players 0.2 mm to glue their own rackets.
By this the total thickness of a sandwich rubber without any adhesive would be limited to 3.8mm. The thickness of rubber plus adhesive would remain unchanged.

4. Proposed by the Finnish Table Tennis Association
To clarify paragraphs 2.4.3 and 2.4.3.2
2.4.3 A side of the blade used for striking the ball shall be covered with either ordinary pimpled rubber, with pimples outwards having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 2.0mm, or sandwich rubber, with pimples inwards or outwards, having a total thickness including adhesive of not more than 4.0mm.
2.4.3.2 Sandwich rubber is a single layer of cellular rubber covered with a single outer layer of ordinary pimpled rubber, the thickness of the pimpled rubber not being more than 2.0mm.
Rationale:
The proposed amendment does not represent any change but merely a more precise definition of the requirements.

5. Proposed by the Rules Committee
To modify paragraph 2.4.7
2.4.3 The racket covering should shall be used as it has been authorised by the ITTF in the original condition without any physical, chemical or other treatment, changing or modifying playing properties, friction, outlook, colour, structure, surface, etc.
By this the inconsistency that a table tennis Law refers to a Regulation for International Competition (authorisation of racket coverings) would be avoided.

6. Proposed by the Austrian Table Tennis Association
To modify paragraph 2.6.2
2.6.2 The server shall then project the ball near vertically upwards, without imparting spin, so that it rises at least 16cm after leaving the palm of the free hand and then falls at least 16cm without touching anything before being struck.
Rationale:
It is often very difficult for umpires to decide if the ball was projected “near vertically”. But if only this requirement would be eliminated, the ball could be projected in almost horizontal direction, still being thrown upwards, and then being struck after falling only a few millimetres. So it seems useful to introduce in addition to the minimum projection distance of 16cm also a minimum falling distance.
By this the “near vertical” ball projection at service would be replaced by an “upward” projection. At the same time a minimum “falling distance”, equal to the “projection distance”, would be required.

7. Proposed by the Rules Committee
To modify paragraph 2.6.6
2.6.6 It is the responsibility of the player to serve so that the umpire or the assistant umpire can see be sure that he complies with the requirements for a correct service.
Rationale:
This change should be a solution if there is only one umpire and no assistant umpire officiating. If the umpire is convinced that the service is correct but cannot follow the entire service action he does not have to call a fault or let.
By this the umpire’s visual perception of the correctness of the service would be replaced by the conviction that the service action is correct.

8. Proposed by the Umpires and Referees Committee
To modify paragraph 2.6.6.1
2.6.6.1 If the umpire or assistant umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service he may, on the first occasion in a match, declare a let and warn the server.
Rationale:
This solves the situation where it is not possible for the umpire to see the full service action.
This would involve the assistant umpire in calling a let if he is doubtful of the correctness of a service action.

Propositions to the Board of Directors 2009:

Simple majority required
9. Proposed by the Executive Committee and the Equipment Committee
To rename paragraph 3.2.4 and to modify paragraph 3.2.4.2
3.2.4 Gluing Racket Control
3.2.4.2 Tests for harmful volatile solvents shall be carried out at World and Olympic title competitions, Pro-Tour tournaments and World Junior Circuit events; and a player whose racket is found to contain such a solvent is liable to be disqualified from the competition and reported to his Association.
3.2.4.2 A Racket Control centre shall be established at all ITTF World Title and Olympic events as well as at a select number of ITTF Pro Tour and Junior Circuit events. The Racket Control centre will test rackets, according to the policy and procedure established by the Executive Committee on recommendation from the Equipment Committee, to ensure that rackets abide by all ITTF regulations including, but not limited to, racket covering thickness, flatness and presence of harmful volatile substances. Rackets that do not pass the Racket Control test cannot be used in the above listed competitions and the player will be subject to penalties according to the policy and procedure in place at the time.
By this the specific term “Gluing” would be replaced by the more general term “Racket Control” and tasks of a “Racket Control centre” would be defined.

10. Proposed by the Qatar Table Tennis Association
To modify paragraph 3.2.4.2
3.2.4.2 Tests for harmful solvents shall be carried out at World and Olympic title competitions, Pro-Tour tournaments, and World Junior Circuit events, Continental and Regional competitions; and a player whose racket is found to contain such a solvent is liable to be disqualified from the competition and reported to his Association.
Rationale:
We all agree that adhesives which contain harmful volatile solvents are dangerous for the health of the players. For the same reason ITTF introduced tests for harmful volatile solvents at competitions mentioned in paragraph 3.2.4.2, tests shall be carried out at all international competitions.
This would extend the list of events where racket controls shall be carried out.

11. Proposed by the Rules Committee
To modify paragraph 3.2.5.7
3.2.5.7 There may be 1 temporary advertisement on each half of each side of the tabletop and 1 on each end, clearly separated from any permanent advertisements and each contained within a total length of 60cm; they shall not be for other table tennis equipment suppliers and there shall be no other advertisement on any part of the table except the net assembly.
Rationale:
At present there are no regulations on advertisements on the table’s undercarriage but there are complaints of players regarding disturbing logos on the short sides of the table’s undercarriage.
By this additional advertisement on parts of the table below the tabletop would become illegal.

12. Proposed by the Umpires and Referees Committee
To modify paragraph 3.7.5.1
3.7.5.1 In a Group, or “round robin”, competition, all members of the group shall compete against each other and shall gain 2 match points for a win, 1 for a loss in a played match and 0 for a loss in an unplayed or unfinished match; the ranking order shall be determined primarily by the number of match points gained. If a player is defaulted after the completion of a match for any reason, he shall be deemed to have lost the match, which shall subsequently be recorded as a loss in an unplayed match.
Rationale:
It is currently not fully clear how to register this situation.
This would clarify that a match of a player being disqualified after this match has to be considered as a loss in an unplayed match (0 points).

13. Proposed by the Technical Committee
To modify paragraph 4.1.9.3
4.1.9.3 The system of play in team and individual events, shall be decided by the Board of Directors, on the recommendation of the Technical Committee, and shall be notified to all Associations not later than 30 12 calendar months (team events) and 6 calendar months (individual events) before the start of the Championships.
Rationale:
The current World Team Table Tennis Championships is played every two years. This means that even if the playing system was found problematic and the revised opinions were immediately put forward after the match, the following Championships could not revise the problematic playing system because of the limitation of the 30-months regulation. We have to wait till the next Championships. If we shorten the time from 30 months to 18 months, it is still not suitable because the Board of Directors won’t hold a meeting within 6 months after each Championships. So 12 months are feasible.

14. Proposed by the German Table Tennis Association
To modify paragraph 3.7.6.3 (with the consequence to amend 4.1.9.4 and 4.3.2.2 correspondingly)
There shall be a uniform playing system for
- World Team Championships
- World Team Cup
- Olympic Games Team Events
as follows:
- Best of 5 matches (4 singles, 1 doubles)
- The order of play shall be:
1) A - Y
2) B - X
3) C - Z
4) A - X
5) Doubles B/C, B/D or C/D - Y/Z oder Y/W or Z/W
- A team shall consist of 3 or 4 players.
- In addition to the 3 players representing a team in singles (A, B, C and X, Y, Z) a 4th player (D or W respectively) may be nominated in doubles.
- Each team can choose its own playing order and has to nominate it before the start of the match.
- If one team nominates only 2 players, there is a free choice to put them in positions A and B (or X and Y respectively).
- If both teams nominate only 2 players each, there shall be 2 singles and 1 doubles (A-X, B-Y, A/B-X/Y).

15. Proposed by the Executive Committee
To modify paragraph 4.1.12.9
4.1.12.9 A representative of the city in which the Championships is held shall be entitled to hold until the next Championships the Egypt Cup, the symbol of the friendship of the Championships, handed over at the opening ceremony. At the closing ceremony the Egypt Cup, the symbol of the friendship of the Championships, shall be handed over to a representative of the city in which the next Championships will take place; this city shall hold the Egypt Cup until the next Championships.
By this organizers of the NEXT World Championships would hold the Egypt Cup for about 1 year (up to now the previous organizer held this Cup after the Championships for 1 year).

16. (part 1)
Proposed by the Executive Committee
To split present sub-chapter 4.2. “World Cup” into “4.2 World Cup” and “4.5 World Team Cup”
4.2 WORLD CUP
4.2.1 Composition
4.2.1.1 Separate World Cup Tournaments for men and women will be held annually and each will be a singles competition.
4.2.1.2 The participants will consist of the current holder of the World Cup, the World Champion, the champion player or the strongest current player from each of the 6 continents, 1 player from the host Association, the top 8 players from the World Ranking List and 2 "wild card" selections. The number of players may be modified by the Executive Committee from time to time.
4.2.1.3 There shall not be more than 2 players from an Association unless a third is invited as a "wild card" selection. If the World Champion and the World Cup title holder is the same player, or the host Association has a player qualified as title holder or from the World Ranking, the available invitation place goes to the next highest eligible player on the World Ranking List.
4.2.1.4 Participants will be provided with free meals and accommodation from dinner on the evening before the start of the competition to breakfast on the morning after it ends; continental representatives will also be provided with free return travel tickets to the venue.
4.2.2 Authority
4.2.2.1 The ITTF shall be the sole owner of the World Cup title and tournaments.
4.2.2.2 An Association may be granted permission to organise the tournament; submission of an application to do so shall be regarded as implying knowledge and acceptance of these and all other applicable regulations.
4.2.2.3 Organisers shall not, without prior consent of the ITTF, delegate any of their authority nor make any contract or agreement with any other body, such as a Regional Association, a municipal authority or a sponsor.
4.2.2.4 Any agreement made between the organisers and any other body shall not conflict with nor derogate from the principle of these regulations; in case of any dispute the authority of the ITTF, as exercised through its representatives, shall be paramount.
4.2.2.5 The ITTF may enter into contracts with promoters or sponsors.

16. (part 2)
4.2.3 Appointments
4.2.3.1 For each tournament the ITTF Competition Department shall appoint a Tournament Director and a Competition Manager.
4.2.3.2 The Tournament Director shall be responsible to the ITTF Competition Department for ensuring observance of the conditions laid down for the tournament, including approval of the arrangements made by the organisers for ceremonies and presentations, protocol and seating arrangements at ceremonies and social functions and the presentation of play.
4.2.3.3 The Competition Manager shall be responsible to the ITTF for ensuring the adequacy of equipment and playing conditions, supervising the draw and scheduling matches.
4.2.4 Doping control
4.2.4.1 Doping controls shall be carried out in accordance with ITTF Anti-Doping rules (Chapter 5).
4.2.5 Playing System
4.2.5.1 The playing system will be determined by the Executive Committee on recommendation by the Competition Department. The selected players and their associations will be informed of the playing system to be used in the prospectus at the same time as the issuance of the invitation to the participants.
4.2.6 Eligibility
4.2.6.1 In addition to provisions of 3.8 players being eligible to represent an association other than the one they intend to represent, shall register with the ITTF, through this new association.
4.2.6.2 Such player shall not represent the new association before
4.2.6.2.1 3 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 15 when registered;
4.2.6.2.2 5 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 18 but at least 15 years of age when registered;
4.2.6.2.3 7 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 21 but at least 18 years of age when registered.
4.2.6.3 Players being 21 years of age or older will not be registered with the ITTF and will not be eligible to represent a new association at World Championships.

16. (part 3)
4.5 WORLD TEAM CUP
4.5.1 Composition
4.5.1.1 The World Team Cup Tournament consisting of a men’s and a women’s team event will be held each odd numbered year.
4.5.1.2 The 12 participating teams representing national associations will consist of the teams placing 1 to 7 at the preceding World Team Championships, a team of the host Association and 4 teams from Continental Federations not otherwise represented at the event.
4.5.1.3 If the team of the host Association is qualified by its ranking at the preceding World Team Championships then the team placing 8th at these World Team Championships shall participate.
4.5.1.4 Participants will be provided with free meals and accommodation from dinner on the evening before the start of the competition to breakfast on the morning after it ends.
4.5.2 Authority
4.5.2.1 The ITTF shall be the sole owner of the World Team Cup title and tournament.
4.5.2.2 An Association may be granted permission to organise the tournament; submission of an application to do so shall be regarded as implying knowledge and acceptance of these and all other applicable regulations.
4.5.2.3 Organisers shall not, without prior consent of the ITTF, delegate any of their authority nor make any contract or agreement with any other body, such as a Regional Association, a municipal authority or a sponsor.
4.5.2.4 Any agreement made between the organisers and any other body shall not conflict with nor derogate from the principle of these regulations; in case of any dispute the authority of the ITTF, as exercised through its representatives, shall be paramount.
4.5.2.5 The ITTF may enter into contracts with promoters or sponsors.
4.5.3 Appointments
4.5.3.1 For each tournament the ITTF Competition Department shall appoint a Tournament Director and a Competition Manager.
4.5.3.2 The Tournament Director shall be responsible to the ITTF Competition Department for ensuring observance of the conditions laid down for the tournament, including approval of the arrangements made by the organisers for ceremonies and presentations, protocol and seating arrangements at ceremonies and social functions and the presentation of play.
4.5.3.3 The Competition Manager shall be responsible to the ITTF for ensuring the adequacy of equipment and playing conditions, supervising the draw and scheduling matches.

16. (part 4)
4.5.4 Doping control
4.5.4.1 Doping controls shall be carried out in accordance with ITTF Anti-Doping rules (Chapter 5).
4.5.5 Playing System
4.5.5.1 The 4 teams from Continental Federations not qualified by their ranking at the preceding World Team Championships shall compete in an “Intercontinental Cup” played on round-robin.
4.5.5.2 The winner of the “Intercontinental Cup” shall play a play-off match against the lowest seeded of the other 8 teams, other than the host association’s team. The winner of this play-off match shall promote to the event proper which shall be played on straight knock-out.
4.5.5.3 Seeding shall be done according to the last available Team World Ranking.
4.5.5.6 All team matches shall be played on the Olympic System with a maximum of 4 singles and 1 doubles according to 3.7.6.3.
4.5.5.7 All individual matches of a team match shall be the best of 5 games.
4.5.5.8 The playing system may be modified by the Executive Committee on the recommendation of the Competition Department. Any changes to the playing system will be informed to the participating associations in the prospectus at the time of issuance of the invitation to participate.
4.5.6 Eligibility
4.5.6.1 In addition to provisions of 3.8 players being eligible to represent an association other than the one they intend to represent, shall register with the ITTF, through this new association.
4.5.6.2 Such player shall not represent the new association before
4.5.6.2.1 3 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 15 when registered;
4.5.6.2.2 5 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 18 but at least 15 years of age when registered;
4.5.6.2.3 7 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 21 but at least 18 years of age when registered.
4.5.6.3 Players being 21 years of age or older will not be registered with the ITTF and will not be eligible to represent a new association at World Championships.

17. Proposed by the Executive Committee
To modify Handbook chapter 5 “ITTF Anti Doping Rules”
The revised World Anti-Doping Code as accepted by the ITTF Executive Committee at its meeting held in Paris on 10/11 October 2008 with the provision that these rules have to be finally approved by the Board of Directors, shall be implemented in conformance with ITTF's responsibilities and in furtherance of ITTF's continuing efforts to eradicate doping in table tennis (see Annex 1).
At the same time following sections of Handbook chapters 3 and 4 shall be modified accordingly:
• To add a new paragraph 3.2.6:
3.2.6 Doping control
3.2.6.1 All players participating in international competitions, including Junior competitions, shall be subject to in-competition testing by the ITTF, the player’s National Association, and any other Anti-Doping Organisation responsible for testing at a competition in which they participate.
• To add a new paragraph 4.2.7 (World Cup):
4.2.7 Doping Control
4.2.7.1 Doping controls shall be carried out in accordance with ITTF Anti-Doping rules (Chapter 5).
• To amend paragraph 4.4.11.1 (World Junior Championships):
4.4.11 Doping Control
4.4.11.1 Doping controls shall be carried out in accordance with ITTF Anti-Doping rules (Chapter 5).

18. (part 1)
Proposed by the Finnish Table Tennis Association
To implement a new System of Play at the World Team Championships 2010
In short, it is suggested that, after the round robin competition and after the no. 1 and 2 teams have been seeded and the no. 3 and 4 teams have been drawn as until now, the rest of the teams have pre-determined places.
The intention of this proposal is
- to minimize the number of replays and
- to simplify the draw to one only, to that between the 3rd and the 4th team in each play-off.
Proposed Structure and Playing System:
1. STRUCTURE
1.1 “Division” System with 24 Teams in each of the top 3 Divisions and the rest of the teams to form the 4th Division.
1.2 The 1st Division is also the Championship Division.
1.3 In each of the top 3 Divisions there will be 4 Groups of 6 Teams.
1.4 The 4th Division will be comprised of all the rest of the teams divided in groups after the final entry is known, to maximize the number of matches played by each team.
2. PLAYING SYSTEM
2.1 In each of the top 3 Divisions the playing system will be identical.
2.2 Each group of 6 teams shall play a complete round robin competition (5 matches per team).
2.3 SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: The order of play and the scheduling of the matches must be prepared in such a way as to avoid, whenever possible, the possibility of “pre-determining” results. All final round matches, as feasibly possible, must be significant for each competing team.
2.4 Following the complete round robin in each group, the winners of each group (4 teams) will move directly into the Quarter Finals round. They have a bye in the Round of 16 and seeded accordingly (Winner of Group “A” seeded 1st (position 1) winner of Group “B” seeded 2nd (position 2), winners of Groups “C” and “D” drawn in positions 3/4.

18. (part 2)
2.5 The first Division (Diagram A)
2.5.1 The teams placing 2nd and 3rd in group A will come in positions 5 and 9 respectively in the bottom half. Similarly, teams placing 2nd and 3rd in group B will come in positions 5 and 9 respectively in the top half into the Round of 16 first.
2.5.2 The teams placing 2nd and 3rd in group C will come in positions 5 and 9 respectively to the opposite half of team C1 into the Round of 16 next.
2.5.3 The teams placing 2nd and 3rd in group D will come in positions 5 and 9 respectively to the opposite half of team D1 into the Round of 16 next.
2.6 The teams placing 4th, 5th and 6th in the groups in the first Division (12 teams) will play-off for positions 13 to 24 with 4 “byes” to each of the teams placing 4th (Diagram B).
2.7 In the 2nd and 3rd Division all teams will be seeded and placed in the draw as above according to the placing in the round robin competition (Diagram C).
2.8 The play-off rounds (final draws) will be played according to the “progressive knock-out” system to determine all the final positions in order from 1 to 12 and from 13 to 24. (2nd Division: 25-36 and 37-48, 3rd Division: 49-60 and 61-72), except that there shall be no match for 3rd and 4th.
2.9 In the 4th Division, depending on the total number of entered teams, the teams shall be divided in groups (number of groups to be determined after the closing date for entry) in order to provide sufficient number of matches to each team. The teams would play first in groups and then a progressive knock-out system to determine all the positions. Every effort will be made to provide as many matches as possible per team.
2.10 The World Champion team could play a maximum of 9 matches and a minimum of 8 matches.
2.11 In 1st. Division all teams are guaranteed to play at least 7 matches, but most teams will play 8 or 9 matches. In the 2nd and 3rd Divisions most teams will play 9 matches, only teams with a “Bye” in round of 16 may have only 8 matches to play.
2.12 No. 1 overall (winner of 1st Division) shall be World Champion.
(For graphic explanation see Annex 2!)
Rationale:
At the World Team Championships 2008 in Guangzhou it proved out that, after the round robin competition, many matches in the play-off were replays from the round robin. The worst situation was in the women’s team competition for places 13-24, where as many as eight matches were replays from the previous round. This surely was frustrating for the players. Furthermore, it was evident that organizing meetings for many draws during a major competition are laborious.

19. Proposed by the Chinese Table Tennis Association
To modify Technical Leaflet T9 “Directives for Racket Controls”
From 1 July 2009 ITTF shall conduct only after-the-match racket tests to those players whose rackets fail in the before-the-match test, with punitive consequences for failed tests.
Rationale:
This modification is aimed to protect the players and to avoid disqualifying them after a match is played. The competition organiser should always ensure the seriousness and impartiality of the competition and make every effort to maintain a healthy image of the sport. The principle of racket control should always be “prevention” other than “punishment”.
Before-the-match tests could help to prevent disputes and embarrassing situation resulted from disqualifying players after the match.
By this racket tests before the match would be re-introduced and after-the-match tests would be limited to players whose rackets fail at these before-the-match tests.

Resolutions to the Board of Directors 2009

Simple majority required
A. Proposed by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Constitution Working Group
To appoint an “Audit Panel”
The Board of Directors, on recommendation by the Executive Committee, shall appoint an Audit Panel composed of three financial experts to oversee the yearly Audit of the ITTF's Financial Statements.

B. Proposed by the Rules Committee
To try a new the Service Rule at a few selected tournaments on experimental basis.
The Board of Directors is requested to select 4 ITTF Pro Tour events in 2009 at which the service rule 2.6.6 will be implemented in a modified way on experimental basis, so that the umpire or AND the assistant umpire can follow the correctness of the service.
By this experimental rule change players would have to serve in front of their body.

Tuners, booster and speed glue discussion summary

The discussion with the Adham Sharara regarding boosters and tuners, as mentioned before, has become huge, with more and more players expressing their views and questions, and even the major manufacturer of boosters becoming involved.

The topic has really become a little too big to post here, but here is the summary of the booster / tuner / speed glue legality discussions.

The basic conclusion is that the ITTF want them all banned, but there are still a few little loop-holes or situation where the official rules don't quite cover the legality.