Be a Sig Softie (When it Comes to Choosing Sponge)
Whichever pips you choose, keep in mind Wang Tao's suggestion to get the softest sponge possible. It will ease the transition from inverted rubber greatly. 1.5-1.8mm are standard sponge thicknesses for short pips, anything more than 2.0mm is overkill and will hinder your blocking more than help your spin and speed. Blade speed plays a bigger role than sponge thickness with short pips. Most players will use a harder and faster blades, either a 7 ply wood or a carbon blade.Conclusion
If you live to loop winners 10 feet behind the table and bend them around the net with vicious sidespin, don't even bother with short pips as you'll never be able to do this effectively. Likewise if you want vicious spin on your serves and pushes, short pips aren't the way to go. Of course if you play short pips on one side you'll retain those options on the other one. If you like the speed, rather than the spin game short pips are worth a try. They will take some time and effort to play with effectively, so don't look at them as a quick fix but for me they've made my game both more effective and more fun to play. And in the end, thats what counts, isn't it?An excellent article on short pips and how to use them tactically is here: How To Play With Short Pimples in Table Tennis.
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