Summary
Sriver is one of the benchmark table tennis rubbers of the last 30 years. Initially one of the fastest rubbers around, these days it is generally considered to be more of an aggressive all-round rubber, as technology has produced more powerful rubbers over the years. But Sriver remains a popular choice among new and experienced players (such as Germany's Timo Boll), and for good reason.
Who Will Like It
Attackers who are looking for speed and spin but without sacrificing control will enjoy Sriver in 2.0mm+ sponge, unglued. Attackers looking for that extra bit of speed and spin will also like the way Sriver responds when speed glued. Defenders who want to retain some attacking capabilities will also find 1.0-1.5mm Sriver to have excellent control with a bit of sting when required.
Who Will Hate It
Players who are looking to generate extremely heavy topspin or backspin won't enjoy Sriver. And those players looking for extreme pace should also look elsewhere.
Specifications
Sriver is a fairly middle of the range rubber compared to what is available these days. The topsheet is not tacky, and probably a little less grippy than something like Mark V, but still far from being slick. It also has probably a little softer topsheet and sponge than Mark V, in my opinion, but still fairly firm. I'd also say it is a little lighter than Mark V. This gives Sriver good qualities for producing mechanical spin, and the softer sponge works well with speed glue.
Overall
In this day and age where many table tennis rubbers appear and disappear within a few years, Sriver continues to produce the goods. Yes, there are faster rubbers out there, and yes, there are spinnier rubbers too, but Sriver provides a mix of power, speed and spin that has remained popular among the top ranks for over 30 years. Top players don't need tricks when they play, they want a rubber that allows them to implement the technique that they have worked so hard to perfect. Sriver is a great example of a rubber that will allow you to use it in your own way to get results, instead of forcing you to adjust your technique to match the rubber !
Sriver is one of the benchmark table tennis rubbers of the last 30 years. Initially one of the fastest rubbers around, these days it is generally considered to be more of an aggressive all-round rubber, as technology has produced more powerful rubbers over the years. But Sriver remains a popular choice among new and experienced players (such as Germany's Timo Boll), and for good reason.
Who Will Like It
Attackers who are looking for speed and spin but without sacrificing control will enjoy Sriver in 2.0mm+ sponge, unglued. Attackers looking for that extra bit of speed and spin will also like the way Sriver responds when speed glued. Defenders who want to retain some attacking capabilities will also find 1.0-1.5mm Sriver to have excellent control with a bit of sting when required.
Who Will Hate It
Players who are looking to generate extremely heavy topspin or backspin won't enjoy Sriver. And those players looking for extreme pace should also look elsewhere.
Specifications
Sriver is a fairly middle of the range rubber compared to what is available these days. The topsheet is not tacky, and probably a little less grippy than something like Mark V, but still far from being slick. It also has probably a little softer topsheet and sponge than Mark V, in my opinion, but still fairly firm. I'd also say it is a little lighter than Mark V. This gives Sriver good qualities for producing mechanical spin, and the softer sponge works well with speed glue.
Overall
In this day and age where many table tennis rubbers appear and disappear within a few years, Sriver continues to produce the goods. Yes, there are faster rubbers out there, and yes, there are spinnier rubbers too, but Sriver provides a mix of power, speed and spin that has remained popular among the top ranks for over 30 years. Top players don't need tricks when they play, they want a rubber that allows them to implement the technique that they have worked so hard to perfect. Sriver is a great example of a rubber that will allow you to use it in your own way to get results, instead of forcing you to adjust your technique to match the rubber !
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