Short and long pimple rubbers are less common than smooth inverted rubbers, but many table tennis players still use them. I’ll be comparing short and long pip rubbers in this article and giving you some tactics you can use when playing against pimpled rubbers.
Short vs Long Pip Rubber Overview
Long pimple rubbers are better for defending compared to short pimple rubbers, because they are better at chopping and blocking and they are less sensitive to incoming spin. Short-pimple rubbers are more versatile and better for attacking play as they make it is easier to smash and generate spin.
| Short Pip Rubber | Long Pip Rubber |
| Versatile | Only suitable for defensive players |
| Good for looping and smashing | Poor for looping and smashing |
| Easier to generate spin | Relies on opponents spin |
| Okay for chopping and blocking | Good for chopping and blocking |
| Easier to transition from inverted rubber | Hard to transition from inverted rubber |
Short Pimple Rubber
Short pimple rubbers are versatile and good for attacking and defending. They make it easy to deaden spin and are excellent for flat-hitting and smashing. It is fairly easy to generate spin with short-pip rubbers, but not as easy as with inverted rubbers as there is less surface area. Short pips are also good for blocking and chopping when playing defensively and returning serves.
Examples of short pip rubbers:
- Andro Hexer Pips Force
- DHS 651
- TSP Spin Magic
Long Pimple Rubber
Long pimple rubbers are best for defensive play. They are very insensitive to incoming spin, and can also be used to turn topspin into backspin to make it difficult for the opponent if they are using a lot of spin. They are best for chopping and blocking and are not good for smashing and looping.
Examples of long-pip rubbers:
- Butterfly Feint Long
- Tibhar Grass Ultra
- XIOM Guillotine S
Offensive Playing Styles
Short pimple rubbers are much better for attacking players compared to long pimple rubbers. Short pimple rubbers are good for looping and applying top spin, as well as smashing and flat-hitting. They are generally considered to be quite versatile for attacking play.
It is very difficult to attack with long pip rubber. Long pip rubber is not good for looping as it is hard to apply top spin, hence it’s more suited to defensive players instead.
As well as not being great for top spin, long pip rubbers can also make it difficult to flat-hit and smash the ball, again meaning it’s not good for offensive players.
Defensive Playing Styles
For defensive playing styles, long pip rubbers are better than short pip rubbers.
Long pimple rubbers are good for chopping because they are not very sensitive to incoming spin. Long pips also help to turn the opponents top spin into back spin, which makes it more difficult for the opponent to attack.
Short pip rubbers are okay for chopping, they do not excel as much as long-pip rubbers but they are better than smooth inverted rubbers. You may need to adjust your technique to keep the ball on the table.
Forehand and Backhand Suitability
Players who like to use long-pimple and short-pimple rubbers will usually use it on their backhand, and use an inverted rubber on their forehand to give them more attacking power.
Since inverted rubber is more for attacking, players who use it need to be good at twiddling their bat so they can switch to the inverted rubber easily for attacking.
Pros and Cons of Short and Long Pimples
Short pimple and long pimple rubbers can be useful for certain players, but will not complement certain playing styles. Here’s a list of pros and cons of each type of rubber.
Advantages of Short Pimples
- Good for looping and smashing
- Versatile for attacking and defending
Disadvantages of Short Pimples
- Not the best for chopping
- Can be predictable to play against
Advantages of Long Pimples
- Great for chopping and blocking
- Useful for defensive play
Disadvantages of Long Pimples
- Hard to play when opponent isn’t applying spin
- Not good for looping or smashing
Playing Against Pimple Rubbers
One of the best tactics against pimple rubber players is to push the ball deeper. This makes it harder for the player to drive the ball back so you can often counter-attack and win the point.
Another tactic to play against pimple rubber is to put very little spin on the ball and wait for an opportunity to smash. Long-pimple rubbers are not only very good defensively, but they can also turn topspin into backspin and make it harder for yourself when trying to return the ball.
The strategy of many long-pip players is to be patient and defensive, and wait for their opponent to make a mistake. If you don’t apply much spin, it will make it easier for you to return the ball as it won’t have backspin on it, and you can wait for a chance to smash the ball.
Keep an eye out for long and short players twiddling their bats, as it can be the most useful trick they have in their arsenal to keep you on your toes, as otherwise these rubbers are quite predictable.
Check out my comparison between tacky and non-tacky rubbers.