Push/Blocker
The push/blocker's choice of long pimpled rubber will depend on whether the user wishes to be aggressive or defensive with it. The aggressive push/blocker will be looking for a long pimpled rubber that is a bit easier to hit with, while the defensive push/blocker will be looking for that extra control of the ball to help handle the powerful attacks of their opponent while staying close to the table.- The aggressive push/blocker should find the following long pimple characteristics useful:
- rough pimple tops and grippy sides will help provide more grip and better ability to hit the ball for attacks;
- flexible pimples will also allow more spin variation when attacking;
- a thicker sponge of 1.0mm to 2.00mm can help with attacking. However, don't simply write off using long pimples with no sponge. Since you will be close to the table, you can often get away with using no sponge since you don't need the extra pace. I would recommend trying a few different thicknesses to find the one that you like best.
- The length of the pimples should be long enough to produce some of the traditional 'wobble' from long pimples, whilst still being short enough to attack with;
- Speed glue could also be used to provide that bit of extra venom.
- The level of control should increase as the user hits less with the long pimples.
Hitter
The hitter is more of an extreme case of the aggressive push/blocker, and as such will generally be looking for a long pimpled rubber with similar characteristics to that which the aggressive push/blocker would use.Conclusion
So these are my recommendations for long pimples depending on the style you wish to play. If you are using a type of long pimples that is not suited to your style, you might want to give serious thought to changing to a rubber that could suit you better, or at least trying one out to see if there is a significant difference. As always, the recommendations above are just my opinion, and you may find that the 'wrong' rubber works for you - which is fine as long as you are happy.Since the process of trying out new rubbers can get quite expensive, it can be handy to check out some of the forums on the Internet for other people's opinions - just remember to take everything with a grain of salt. Another useful article that compares different types of long pimples can be found here, which has been written by Dean Stretton. Two thumbs up to Dean for taking the time to write such a comprehensive review!
That's it for now - I'll be back soon with the next article in this series, where I'll discuss the issue of twiddling, and look at how you can get the most benefit from doing it - and whether you should!
Next: The Art of Twiddling
