Confused about rubber types

[RSmalf]

I am really confused about rubber types.
I was told to check the document called ITTF LARC

It showed 4 types in , out , anti and long

But the in rubbers look like anti also and out rubbers look like long as well.

Very confusing

[Anktos]

Don't sweat it because you are not the only one.

Part is by deliberate design to deceive the pips fools
Part is an error that ITTF refuses to correct

Let me explain the error part first

The confusion comes because

1. Both 'in" type & "anti" type are actually "in" . "Anti" is a variation of the "in" because both these types refer to smooth top sheets. Anti is less confusing but "in" is the most confusing because it has so many other confusing names as well such as "inverted" or "reverse" or "smooth" or "backside" and so on. The primary dominant characteristic of "in" is Loop & the primary dominant functional characteristic of "anti" is "block" it would make sense to refer them as such

2. Both 'out" type & "long" type are actually "out" . These two classifications are a whole lot more confusing. Without going into details, based on item 1 above, the most appropriate classification would be "hit" and "chop" since these are the primary dominant functional characteristic "in" and "long" respectively.

Now the deception part
Regardless the word "long" is also grossly inappropriate for these type rubber because this is deliberately deceptive by ITTF. Why ? Because "long" pips were banned at the 1977 BGM in Birmingham , England but ITTF does not want anyone, especially the chopper fools to know it. The waters are even more muddied by the "unofficial" classification of these two types of rubber as medium pimples. Another confusing classification is frictionless pips and frictioned (high friction) pips.

[Yugant]

Another issue is usage of the word pips & pimples. Worse, robotNazis have coined another word derieved from "pimples" using just the first 4 letters to insult the pips players. This is very similar to calling the chop & anti rubbers as junk rubbers while anointing themselves as "regular" rubber using "normal" players.

[Donatos]

There are additional confusing factors.

For example my understanding is that manufacturers can request ITTF to classify a rubber as anti type. There are no defined parameter for a rubber to be called an anti rubber. Especially for he most important parameter called COF (Coefficient of Friction) . There is minimum requirement of 0.5 for COF for pips rubbers but there is no such definition for anti rubbers.

It is seven more confusing for pips rubbers. For instance some rubbers that are actually slim pips rubbers such as Victas Curl P2 or Butterfly Magnitude behave more like slim pips but they are listed as wide pips on (click link >) ITTF LARC . If I am not mistaken both these rubbers were listed as slim pips on the ITTF LARC about 10 or 15 years ago.

Also , the maximum allowed pip length is the same (2.05 mm) for any and all pips.
But manufacturers have been designing wide pips to behave like slim pips but getting them listed as wide pips on the (click link >) ITTF LARC . This is done as a marketing gimmick to sell more rubbers. Because lot of clueless players are led to believe that wide pips can be a chopping rubber.
But keep in min that the two most primary defining parameters for wide pips are its short length & higher stiffness compared to slim flex pips.
But manufacturers have modified one or both of these parameters to make wide pips act like slim pips to sell more rubbers to clueless players who fantasize about being wide pips choppers.

But in all fairness to ITTF and manufacturers , they cannot be blamed 100% because pip flexibility and pip stiffness are only two of the
(click link >) 17 or so pip design parameters and they all work together to define a given rubber. This is also why learning to play using slim pips is much harder than learning to use anti or wide pips. This is also why many players become (click link >) Honorary loopers when you combine the above factors with fear of social rejection by the (click link >) robotNazis , who rule the table tennis world by turning into a pathetic schrade of top spin only (Olympic) table tennis