So let us take a further look at this lunacy work shall we.twiddler wrote: on April 04, 2024 at 3:55pm
What's needed is a leadership imposing hardbat and smooth only events in rated tournaments. If the tournament director wants their event to be USATT rated, they will make sure to have the relevant mandatory hardbat only and smooth/sponge only events along with the traditional ones. It would be an inexpensive way to force local communities to promote simpler games while the traditional mayhem where spin gets crazy complicated still lives on strong, the latter being very important to manufacturers without the approval of whom nothing will happen.
Such a decision does not ask any substantial investment in terms of money and it will create 2 more clear entry points to the game, we'll see local hardbat leagues flourishing because there will be hardbats events in all rated tournaments, same for all smooth with sponge.
You will have smooth rubber only event…………mmmm……….let us see. Would anti be also allowed since it is smooth rubber ?
Remember......... the same anti you (& Eric etc) used all your life and was the primary cause for ITTF creating the 2 color rule of 1983 ?
Or would only rubbers classified as “in” on ITTF LARC ?
Can I use different smooth rubbers on both sides such as a lively illegally boosted or spein glued Tenergy on one side & totally dead smooth rubber on other side ?
Can one side be Max thickness & other side be 0.5 mm sponge ?
Or even if I am only allowed to use identical smooth rubbers (just as in the Swedish proposition in the 90’s when they were on top) , how do you know one side is not spein glued or boosted & other side is not ? Wait a minute you would have 100% chemical testing ?
Can one player use blazing fast $500 composite racket while the other player can afford only a $5 Walmart racket ? How does that work ?
OK let us assume then that only tournament provided racket can be used. Are the clubs going to spend the money to buy & upkeep the rackets at the required maximum and minim COF (coefficient of friction) etc
How would the ratings work for these events ? Since these are mandatory events , will USATT maintain 6 different ratings
1. Smooth rubber Tournament
2. Hardbat Tournament
3. All rubbers Tournament
4. Smooth rubber League
5. Hardbat League
6. All rubbers league