Of course, longer rallies would be great, but I do not think that the prohibition of speed-glueing would make table tennis much more attractive. Table tennis derives much of its appeal form its speed and the player's ability to be in controle despite of it.
I believe what table tennis lacks nowadays is diversity; Too few defenders, allrounder (like Grubba, Waldner), loopers (like Applegren) or counter loopers (like Kreanga).

Most players are very close to the table, trying to serve and loop kill troughout the match (the match Wang Liqin - Ma lin might have been awesome to watch for the experts but to Joe Average it must have been just all out boring. And those are the best players in the world).

I do not think that we can get this diversity back by prohibiting speed-glueing.

No more changes!
 

It is true that defenders can play very attractively, but have you ever seen two defenders playing each other?

I don't think that it is a good time for changing any more rules at the moment. Furthermore, speed is a major characteristic of table tennis and speed gluing advantages attractive topspin-rallies. Why do you think Formula 1 is more popular than chess?

F1 more attractive than chess? There is only one real reason: these nice, attractive young ladies in the pit lane ;)

about the topic: I think, table tennis will still be attractive enough when speed glueing is prohibited, in former times it was also possible to play a top spin without speedglueing, wasn't it?

The speed makes the game interesting. And speed gluing is also is also a good thing, what is better than a match between two counter loopers?

Bye Stefan

Defenders??? Where??
 

Tell me one, only one succesful defender on the top. Maybe Koji Matsushita. Why should the controllers change that game? Everybody could use thin sponges if they wanted to use. Its free to opt but the defensive style simply cannot have result nowdays. The problem is not in the equipment but in the head.
The Hungarian football was famous. Now nobody is interested in football in Hungary. But we don't want to change the grass or the number of players. And what is about the ice hockey. Its also too fast, but nobody wants to put sand on the ice...

:top: Everithing is relative :flop:

Re: Defenders??? Where??
 

well, surely they could loose them, but could you imagine any (offensive) player at the top of the world who would play a rubber of all in all 1.5 mm? or 1.8? without any speedglueing? they would never have a chance to reach the top - so long as all the other players are using these fast rubbers...

in former times it was also possible to play without speedglueing in the world's best leagues, why is it today possible any longer? why is it permitted at all? as a kind of legal doping when breathing in all these nice gases that result from such a glue?...

Replying your sentences I think top players are offensive player because it is effective style and they use what they use because it fits best on their game. The offensive accessories are available for everybody and all people have choosen offensive accessories because the want to play such style they expected...

Going forward on your principle I think that top players would suffer from the def bats and they couldn't play their game, what made them offensive. I cannot see who would remain in the TT circles. (Could you watch Timo Boll as he is pushing and lobbing the ball?:)) We could watch as boring matches as hardbat matches are. For some time. Than the manufacturer of TT equipment would make bats and rubbers that can achieve the same performance as it had been before. Even without glues.

I am not sure but I feel that we should approach this question from another viewpoint(s):
Which is the bigger part of the audience?
Which kind of game they prefer?
Is it true that people do not like TT because of its speed?
It is possible to play quick game with eg.:STIGA Destroyer 1.8, isn't it?
Is it possible to play so spectacular with 30% thinner rubbers?
Why the majority (OFF) should adjust themself to the minority (DEF)?
Is it fair that somebody with lack of certain skills can use long pimple softs and can play agains loopers without knowing anything about spin of the ball?

Does somebody know Ivan & Dragutin Surbek? They were defenders in the old days. They are over 60 and I saw them at a senior championship in Hungary. They played fully offensive style (Sriver FX max on both side glued before every match) because their old style has not been effetive anymore.

Re: Tabletennis too fast
 

For sure the most of the fans prefer longer-lasting forth/back returns (about 20 times or more); that makes table tennis much more attactive !
There it doen't matter, if the system is offensiv/offensiv or offensive/defensive or defensive/defensive, as long as the players play various in returning the ball - within one counted point.

Of course we "older" tt-players know these players.
And the "old style" I found much more attractive then today's style
(although I also changed from allround style to offensive style).

Ciao
Norbert

Re: Tabletennis too fast
 

I am an offensive player and it's true that the sponges should be a little lees thick. 2.6 and 2.4 is just too much. I mean you can achieve a very very good loop with a 2.0 no problem at all. But I do not agree with making speed glue prohibeted. It's like you would prohibit pimples long or short. They are also very anti-offensive. And off players don't like them like def players don't like speed glue. Well people that's the game. Everyone plays his own style and needs material for it. I know lots of people who would be very very very bad if they wouldn't have long pimples and there are also people who speed glue. What if all people became def players, the matches would take 1 hour eatch and that would be very boring no loops just keeping the ball on the table. I don't thinnk that a lot of people would come to see that!!!!!!

Re: Tabletennis too fast
 

Well, although I am an offensive player, I would agree to forbid the fresh glue/speed glue, as especially when this kind of glueing arose, the defenders and allrounders were never again found in such a quantity in the top level.

The sponge thickness is not the problem, but the glue.

In addition: that kind of glue is not too healthy.... :rolleyes:


Ciao
Norbert