That said, let's get down to it.
How Does Antispin Work?
I've covered this area before - refer to my articles on How to Play Against Antispin for details on the nuts and bolts of how antispin works.Suffice to say that antispin rubber is not the solution to all your table tennis problems. It is a rubber that has been created to fill very specific requirements. When used for those purposes, it does an excellent job. The problems start when people start trying to use it for what it is not designed for, or equipped to do.
What Are the Advantages of Antispin?
Antispin rubber has several good points, including the following:- A large difference in the way it reacts to spin compared to normal rubber, which can cause the opponent to make mistakes, and can also increase the control for the user.
- A possible difference in speed compared to normal rubber (if slower, softer sponge is used), which can also cause the opponent to make mistakes due to the change of pace.
- A possible closer match in speed to normal rubber (if harder, faster or speed glued sponge is used), which can be more difficult for the opponent to know which side has been used until it is too late.
- A closer match in sound (when the ball is struck) and visual appearance to normal rubber, which can cause the opponent to incorrectly decide on which side of the bat has been used to strike the ball, hopefully causing an error.
- It can be intimidating for players who do not understand how antispin works, and may give up before the match even starts.
- It can allow older players who have slower reflexes or other physical limitations to slow down the pace of the game, allowing them to compete on a more equal footing. It can give these players the chance to use their experience to play a tactical game that maximizes the assets that they do have (usually experience, reading of spin, and use of strategies) while minimizing their liabilities (slowing reflexes, less agile, slower footwork, less stamina, less power).
What Are the Disadvantages of Antispin?
Despite all these pluses, you don't see every person out there playing with antispin. Here are some reasons why:- It's harder to generate spin using antispin - which can be a severe limitation when it comes to making powerful attacks. The safety margin provided by hitting with heavy topspin is greatly reduced when using antispin.
- It's difficult to vary the spin using antispin (depending to some extent on the brand used). Suffice to say that when compared to normal rubber (and even long pimples), it is much more difficult to kill or change the spin to any significant degree with antispin.
- When choosing his own strokes, the player is much more dependent on what spin is put on the ball by his opponent (we'll discuss this in greater detail later).
- Unless the player is a competent twiddler, it can be difficult to avoid getting pinned down on the antispin side by a good opponent.
