OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Should the ITTF look at reintroducing the 38mm ball, now speed glue has been banned?

Proponents of the 40mm ball, which results in less speed and spin, may cite it as been an aid to less mobile players and leading to longer rallies.

Those supporting the 38mm ball may cite skill and control been enhanced and rewarded with the possibility of bringing back 'lost' playing styles.

What do you think? What are your views?

_________________
Equipment Review Index
Joola Turbo: FH: Joola Peking (2mm) , BH: Joola Peking (2mm)
Another one bites the dust.

Since when I voted it kind of gave my views away, I'll share my reasons:

I think table tennis has been dumbed down enough. A sport should attempt to find the best player and reward skill. A lot of spin and speed went out the game when the 40mm ball came in. Now the ITTF have gone further and removed speed glue and its speed and spin benefits have gone from the game. Blocking was a more effective technique with the 38mm ball, we see fewer blockers now. Attackers could use spin and speed to pressurise their opponents and defenders could use the spin generated by the opponent and even with 'dead' rubbers generate some spin. It is now harder and slower for everybody with a talent to create or use spin and the lower spin is easier for less talented (and indeed all) players to deal with. I believe people with talent should be rewarded and always enjoyed seeing matches incorporating a clash of styles.

_________________
Equipment Review Index
Joola Turbo: FH: Joola Peking (2mm) , BH: Joola Peking (2mm)
Another one bites the dust.

I would like 38mm ball comes back I have been playing with this ball and the game and is more fun (the game is faster,spinnier, so cool), although I don't think that the change is possible, I think now is a bad epoch, because ITTF has banned speed glue, then all players they would have get used again with other kind of ball, On the other hand the Leagues have finished in all countrys (i think) & until september we can practise with new rubbers speed glue built-in and the ball 38mm, the change would be better.

Cheers

_________________
TEnergy64 2.1 / FOREHAND
BUTTERFLY BRYCE SPEED FX 1.9 / BACKHAND
STIGA OFFENSIVE WOOD NCT ANATOMIC

I would hate the 38 ball to come back (Yes Ithink it was better for me as a player because of spin and speed) but it would just cost too much as in a few million balls to replace, new rubbers to be invented to play against the smaller ball, changing styles and equipment etc etc

_________________
Blade Ulmo Duality| FH Tibhar mx-p Black, Dawei 388D-1 red OX
NZ table tennis selector, ask a question
My Blog here..How table tennis objects are made
Table Tennis abbreviations, and acronyms

I like the 40mm, I think the rallies are longer. anything bigger, though, and it would be too slow I think.

_________________
"The greatest teacher, failure is"
USATT Rating: 1725
Blade: Stiga Cybershape Carbon
FH Rubber: Butterfly Tenergy 19 2.1
BH Rubber: Dr Neubauer ABS3 1.5

Let's compromise and introduce the 39mm ball!

_________________
BTY Joo Se Hyuk | BTY Tenergy 64 2.1mm | TSP P1R 1mm

Chop til you drop baby!

I don't think it made a big impact for me on the game, but I did not agree with the change to 40mm... I'm not real keen to change it again though, as it would mean another adjustment period...

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Re-Impact Blades | Butterfly Table Tennis bats
Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

When I came back to TT it took me a while to even realise the ball size had been changed. It was not like I had a 38mm ball handy to compare to what I was playing with, and it wasn't until I saw ads for rubbers saying "designed for the 40mm ball" that it dawned on me they changed its size. It had been sucha very long time since I played TT comp that this change didn't have much impact on me. I have vague memories of my teen years playing with the 38mm ball and the increased speed and spin of it, and perhaps its just age now, but I think I prefer the 40mm ball. I have a 38mm ball which a mate wanted to see the playing difference so we had a brief hit with it, but it kind of felt you were swiping at nothing its so light. I wouldn't like to see the ball be any bigger, but I think 40mm is just right.

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

38mm without doubt.

The amount of spin you can wind on the 38mm is crazy. Sidespin looping - you can really get this thing to bend. Looping - super dip. Chopping - obviously its hard to see the amount of spin but super back spin.

_________________
Tibhar Grass D.techs OX | Donic BigSlam 2.0mm .
Re-Impact Medusa (balsa / 1-ply cherry wood)
Frictionless strokes | Attacking pip strokes | Greggy's advice | Bollsbrother | Sebastian Sauer . . . . . .

I'm for the 40mm ball, not only because I grew up learning with it, but also the only reason darksiders are less dangerous now is because the differences in spin has been reduced.

With the 38mm ball back, we'll gradually see the Chinese penhold short pip 3rd ball attackers again, and quite frankly, they're hell to play against. Also pure loopers actually become dangerous, those with safe high arcs with heavy spin would benefit a lot.

Basically it's fast and spinny enough for me! don't change it ahaha. On a side note, if the ball became larger, I think I would benefit a lot though.

_________________
(\__/)
(='.'=) But there's no sense crying over every mistake,
(")_(") You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

Sorry, not the clearest quality but I wanted to keep the image small for bandwidth concerns. The camera angle can affect perspective but the 38mm ball is noticeably smaller in the flesh so to speak. When bouncing each ball on my bat the 40mm feels heavier especially on off centre bounces.

Not sure how the 38mm ball would feel in match play on the newer SGE rubbers but as the 40mm ball is bigger I'm all for it as it makes it easier for me to see the ball when playing. I already practice with "training balls" which feel different to 3 star balls so bringing back the 38mm ball would be unwelcome as it would require more adjustments and instead of having one obsolete 38mm ball I'd have 8 obsolete 40mm balls .

Debater, you only have 8 40mm balls? I think I'd have about 250 obsolete 40mm balls if that occurred!

_________________
I'm always in the dark, but the Dark sheds lights upon everything!! Beauty is only pimple deep! Beauty is in the eye of the pipholder!
S/U 1: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Andro Rasant 2.1 . BH Red Tibhar Grass Dtecs
S/U 2: Blade: Bty Gergely . FH Black Hexer+ 2.1 . BH Red GD Talon
S/U 3: Blade: Bty Gergely . No rubbers...thinking of adding Red Dtecs and Black Rasant
Aussie Table Tennis Shop / Aussie Table Tennis Facebook Page / Equipment Review Index / Read my Reb Report Blog: click here.

Yeah the other thing is not the size of the ball but the weight. 38mm carry more reverse.

_________________
Tibhar Grass D.techs OX | Donic BigSlam 2.0mm .
Re-Impact Medusa (balsa / 1-ply cherry wood)
Frictionless strokes | Attacking pip strokes | Greggy's advice | Bollsbrother | Sebastian Sauer . . . . . .

I think the 38mm ball should come back, as it increases the effect of spin on the ball. As a chopper, it would help me. Also, it would build my style of game. I think the game has been dumbed down. Watch the difference between Kong's games against Waldner, and WLQ's games against boll, and the Waldner/Kong games are much more watchable.

_________________
Stiga OC CR
FH: Nittaku H2 NEO
BH: VEGA PRO MAX

Yasaka YEO
FH : Nittaku H3 Neo
BH : VEGA PRO MAX
Go Chicago White Sox!

We should keep the 40mm and just make it heavier.