Comparative table by incoming stroke
The previous sections have described each surface separately. The table that follows condenses that knowledge into a single view: what happens when each type of special rubber receives each type of stroke. It does not replace the explanations in 6.2 to 6.5, but it does allow the behaviours developed there to be compared at a glance.
It is worth reading with two cautions. First: the table describes general tendencies, not absolute values. Within each family there are models that come closer to or further from the behaviour described, depending on the geometry of the pimples, the surface treatment and the sponge thickness — variables the previous sections have already detailed. Second: the “returned spin” column indicates what the rubber produces through its mechanics; what the player does with the movement of the arm can modify the result, especially on frictional rubbers.
| Incoming stroke | Short pimples | Long pimples | Medium pimples | Anti-spin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy topspin | Attenuation: comes off with less forward rotation, on a low, direct trajectory | Reversal: comes off with backspin, the more marked the more spin the stroke carries | Strong attenuation with weak, inconsistent reversal | Near-total cancellation: comes off slow and flat; any spin left reaches the opponent as light backspin |
| Backspin (chop) | Attenuation: the ball rises less than expected, the short pimple “cleans off” part of the backspin | Reversal: comes off with forward rotation; if the incoming backspin is heavy, the ball can come off long | Attenuation with a tendency to reverse slightly, depending on the intensity of the backspin | Near-total cancellation: comes off low and slow; any spin left is a slight forward rotation |
| Flat hit | Direct return: moderate speed, with no significant spin added or subtracted | Passive return: the pimples barely bend if there is no rotation; comes off slow, with little spin | Return similar to short pimples, somewhat slower because of the greater flexing of the pimple | Dead return: absorbs speed, comes off slow and without spin |
| Sidespin | Partial reduction: part of the sidespin is transmitted, part is attenuated | Partial reversal: the lateral component is reversed, but less reliably than the vertical one | Irregular behaviour: may attenuate or partially reverse depending on the angle | Cancellation: the sidespin dissipates almost completely |
| Serve with heavy spin | Good tolerance: the short pimple allows the ball to be received without it getting away, though it does not neutralise it entirely | Clear reversal: the spin of the serve is returned with the opposite sign, which complicates the server's third ball | High tolerance but a less predictable response than on short or long pimples | Almost total neutralisation: the ball comes off without the spin of the serve, which simplifies the return |
The table confirms a pattern that runs through the whole chapter. Short pimples attenuate; long ones reverse; medium ones do something of both without the sharpness of either; anti-spin cancels. Each behaviour is a different tactical weapon, and the choice between them depends on the kind of discomfort the player wants to inflict on the opponent — as developed in 6.6 — and on the complete bat into which the rubber is fitted, a subject chapter 12 addresses in detail.
One last note: the table does not include the conventional inverted rubber because its behaviour — amplifying and returning spin — is what the rest of chapter 5 has already described. The relevant comparison here is between the surfaces that alter spin, not between these and the one that generates it.