A modern defensive blade - lighter, 5 plies and no vibration.

90 +- 5 g

164mm

157mm

6.2mm

100.5mm

23mm

This book is written by coach Larry Hodges in cooperation with the USATT (United States Table Tennis Association). It provides a solid foundation for learning and understanding table tennis. "Table Tennis: Steps to Success" gives you a self-paced program for learning the important skills and game strategies in table tennis. It explains each skill and concept step by step and includes a checklist for practicing and evaluating your progress. Covers serves, strokes, spin, equipment, practice, game strategy, and more. 

Who is Larry Hodges?

- USATT Certified National Coach
- Member, U.S. Table Tennis Hall of Fame
- 2002 USATT Developmental Coach of the Year
- Editor of USA Table Tennis Magazine for 12 years
- Author of Table Tennis: Steps to Success 

Table of Contents

Author's Preface
The Steps to Success Staircase
Table Tennis Today
Table Tennis Equipment
Warming Up for Success

Step 1 The Grip and Racket Control
Step 2 Ready Stance, and the Forehand and Backhand Drives
Step 3 Spin and Racket Angles: It's a Game of Spin
Step 4 Beginning Serves: Getting the Initiative
Step 5 Positioning and Footwork: How to Move to the Ball
Step 6 Pushing: Your Basic Backspin Shot
Step 7 Blocking: Close to the Table Defense
Step 8 Looping: Topspin Attacking
Step 9 Flipping: How to Attack Short Balls
Step 10 Chopping: Backspin Defense
Step 11 Lobbing: How to Return Smashes
Step 12 Advanced Serves: Really Getting the Initiative
Step 13 Playing Styles and Rallying Tactics
Step 14 Advanced Service and Receive Strategy
Step 15 The Physical and Mental Game
Playing in Tournaments
Rating Your Total Progress
Glossary

This is the revised version of TSP Curl P1R which was once banned by ITTF. P1R has the longest and softest pips among the TSP CURL rubbers produces very deceptive spins and actions after bouncing. The best long pips rubbers to generate maximum underspin while cutting a top spin ball. The TSP Curl P1R is for active modern defenders and choppers.

It is not a forgiving rubber for a beginner. Start your chopping game with TSP Curl P3 before migrating to TSP Curl P1R.

TSP Curl P1 R, a long pimple out rubber with profiled pimple surface. The thin pimples made out of soft rubber, support the possibility to produce dangerous defensive shots. It is possible to bring in your own chopping variation, which almost all professional players prefer.

TSP Curl Series:

Four types of TSP long pips rubbers have been approved by ITTF. The redesigned CURL rubber sheets P1R, and P3 ALPHA R CURL rubbers have been produced to have the optimum level of playing characteristics of the original designs of the P1 and P3 Alpha CURL rubbers. The latest assortment of ITTF approved TSP CURL products are follows:

P1R has the longest and softest pips among the TSP CURL rubbers produces very deceptive spins and actions after bouncing.

P2 has the same design as before. This CURL produces deceiving spins while allowing you exceptional control.

P3 has the same design as before. This CURL is great for a combination of defensive and offensive play.

P3AlphaR is very pliable and has soft long pips produces more deceptive shots than P3 and P2. It will also absorb the fastest of drives and spins.

The OX version comes with a glue sheet. You don't need glue sheet to affix the TSP Curl P1R OX version onto a blade.

The world top players who use TSP Curl P1R:

• Joo Se Hyuk - World Top 11 
• Chen Weixing - World Top 10 
• Ding Yaping - World Top 92 
• Evgenij Chtchetinine

Exceptional spin capability by “Aramid Carbon”
Sharp and compact feel for top offensive players

STRADIVARIUS, which has been one of the bestseller of XIOM, was reborn for top players of new era. Aramid Carbon, which is the mixture of vibration absorbing soft Aramid and highly elastic Carbon, provides ideal performance for professional offensive players. STRADIVARIUS catches ball deeply with sufficient deformation, but the residual vibration after impact is greatly reduced by high-tech material. The results are the combination of exceptional spin capability and stable feel. Player can feel the moment of impact directly and clearly without any irritating vibration. The topspin attack close to table or from mid-distance is very powerful and secure. When combined with new “Hyper Elasto” rubber such as VEGA PRO, STRADIVARIUS shows even greater performance.

HIGH-TECH BLADES OF SUPERB SENSITIVITY FOR TOP PLAYERS

NOVUS TOUR CARBON family is designed for skilled, professional players. Advanced technologies are applied to the blades of this family for realizing the optimal performance. Their relatively thin construction provides sufficient deformation and sharp feel those are preferred by top players who mainly play with continuous topspin. They are faster than most of all-wood blades, but the ease of making strong topspin is the same level or even greater. Also, their large sweet spots will make table tennis more stable and more enjoyable. Players can easily dominate the high speed rally of modern table tennis, even with less effort.

Compared to NOVUS HINOKI CARBON, NOVUS TOUR CARBON is more captive. It means that NOVUS TOUR CARBON blades catch ball more deeply along with the increase of impact strength “captive”. It also means that these blades are basically very good for continuous topspin play. The feel of NOVUS TOUR CARBON is sharp and stiff (hard). The information of impact is transferred to player’s hand directly and clearly.

Innovative topspin weapon by “QUAD” technology
Ideal balance for modern offensive players

ZETRO QUAD is a blade for topspin. Aiming of ZETRO QUAD is purely the improvement of the ability of topspin. “QUAD” means our innovative technology of using four layers of artificial materials sophisticatedly. Zylon fiber which directly placed under top layers increases the ability of grabbing ball. Soft carbon fiber under middle layers adjusts overall performance, and at the same time reduces the unnatural feel which is the shortcoming of Zylon fiber. Top layer of selected KISO HINOKI guarantees comfortable feel. The result is great ability of topspin. Making heavy topspin is effortless, and even secure. Players will always be able to take initiative of their game by effective preparatory topspin attack, and keep it by continuous topspin from any distance.

NOVUS HINOKI CARBON
SUPER COMBINATION OF POWER AND STABILITY

The variation of NOVUS HINOKI CARBON is greatly expanded by the addition of new model. NOVUS HINOKI CARBON is the combination of legendary KISO HINOKI wood and advanced technologies. ENERGY CARBON is newly developed carbon of enhanced energy efficiency, and provides better feel and more power than conventional carbon fibers. QUAD is another new technology of sophisticatedly adjusting the performance of table tennis blade. All blades of NOVUS HINOKI CARBON family are fast, and suitable for power play. But KISO HINOKI grants them very comfortable feel and high level of stability.

Compared to NOVUS TOUR CARBON, NOVUS HINOKI CARBON is more “repulsive”. It means that NOVUS HINOKI CARBON gives ball more speed along with the increase of impact strength. It also means that player can easily select his/her technique between topspin and hard smash. The feel of NOVUS HINOKI CARBON is mild and stiff (hard). Though these blades give hard feel except for ZETRO QUAD, they also give mild and comfortable feel. It is the reason of their ease of use.

Easy to use and trouble free water based table tennis glue!

The ban of speed glue by ITTF prohibits any Volatile Organic Compound like solvents in the racket. The spirit of ban also discourages the use of any toxic or skin irritating substance in sport. I-BOND is clean and safe. White sponge at the bottle tip helps to rub the surface. Any water glues are stronger in nature than speed glues. And might damage the surface of your blade when you remove the rubber from the blade. I-SURE is strongly recommended to use on the blade beforehand.

• Comes in a 25ml bottle.
  
• Allowed to carry in flights.

"For the last three month I have been thinking a lot about the new rules concerning the ban of glue. I am still discussing almost everyday with numerous players about the change that is taking place since the introduction at the beginning of September. When Boosters came on the market it posed two problems. First is that it is against the rule to "add" anything to the racket composition other than what is listed in Rule 2.4 "The Racket" of the ITTF laws of TT. Second, we also have a rule 2.4.7, which does not allow the racket covering to be changed in any way on purpose after it has been approved by the ITTF. Rule 2.4 isvery old and never changed. Rule 2.4.7 was introduced in 2006 and so is newer." - ITTF President Adham Shahara

About XIOM

The CHAMPION brand is the leading table tennis brand in Korea. The CHAMPION brand was founded in 1976. The CHAMPION brand became the sponsor of Asian Games in 1986, later they have become the sponsors of 1988 Olympics and 2002 Busan Asian games. The CHAMPION ping pong tables are being used in these world class tournaments. The CHAMPION introduced XIOM brand in 2006. Ryu Seung Min of Korea ranked 8 in the world and the 2004 Olympic Champion is the official ambassador of CHAMPION and XIOM.

CHAMPION and XIOM makes table tennis blades, table tennis balls, table tennis paddles, table tennis rackets, table tennis rubbers, table tennis apparels, ping pong tables and table tennis tables. The CHAMPION table tennis equipments and table tennis products are available in Korea and now in the United States Of America. You can read about CHAMPION table tennis products here.

Kiso Hinoki 5 Ply to win in high speed rally. Incredible feel and momental control.

The birth of JAZZ landmarks a new standard of blade construction. Premium quality Kiso Hinoki out layer offers superb feel and speed at touch with a ball. Center layer of special thickness in balance with Kiso Hinoki layer is harmonized by unique middle layer of hard African wood. Compact head size promotes this unique construction to create more focused feel. Stability in the control of ball direction is simply surprising. Diversified characters are living inside of this unique JAZZ. Ball follows the blade as much as you intended at your topspin. The feel is elegant and very clear. On the other hand, JAZZ repulses the ball amazingly fast in smash, which was not common in 5 ply construction.

Revolutionized Wood Blades In New Harmony With New Generation Rubbers

Ideal blades minimize the loss of energy and promote the rubber to make its intended performance at full. They also should deliver the sense made by the ball impact exactly and clearly to the brain through a body. XIOM developed the unique system to develop the ideal blades by a series of time taking researches. NOVUS SPEEDWOOD series are revolutionized in new system and design to enhance the efficiency in energy transfer and vibration transfer. Each of 3 blade models in the series has its own very distinctive advantages but focuses on the balance with new TENSOR BIOS rubbers of XIOM. XIOM new generation rubbers for 2008 ban of speed glue can be fully exploited with NOVUS SPEEDWOOD series.

Innovated construction of speedwood

NOVUS SPEEDWOOD series are developed to match with new rubber series of XIOM. Escaped from traditional construction SPEEDWOOD series used unique veneers like SUPRUCE and KOTO. SUPRUCE has its own unique character in hardness, density, and vibration. KOTO is quite hard/heavy but excellent in feel transfer to improve the overall balance of a blade. NOVUS SPEEDWOOD carefully selected the natural wood to use by weight and density.

Positioning of Novus wood blades

Novus Speedwood

High performance blades for post-ban era completed by VIBROTECH. 3 models cover the bigger range in character. Very different identities at rather extreme positioning are created all by 5 ply construction. Stable and very distictive characters make SPEEDWOOD series unique.

Novus Swedish

Focused on professional use with very balanced positioning in character. All made with original Kiso Hinoki surface created the new feeling and the new performance. 3 models has relatively similar characters but with delicate differences. Energy efficiency has been greatly improved by SCANWOOD technology.

New Speed Measure

Standard To Explain The Speed

The traditional terms like OFF- or ALL+ confuse the players to identify the real speed character of a blade. So far the table tennis industry did not use standardized and object measure to explain about the speed. As an example, ALL blade is generally accepted as a 5 ply blade with low rebound and lightweight for allround play. But top players use ALL blades to play very speedy and aggressive games. Swing speed, experience, and rubbers can influence more on the speed character. The speed character cannot be defined by simple rebound height of a ball from the blade surface. XIOM adopted new speed measure from 2008 to explain the speed character of all blade series. REBOUND MEASURE indicates the repulsion level of construction influenced by hardness, weight, and thickness. HIGH SPEED PERFORMANCE explains the moment reaction of a blade against a high speed ball in real play paradigm. Good new is now that these measures are object and standardized by testing machines.

VEGA ELITE is the softest version in VEGA family. It is even softer and even more controllable than VEGA EUROPE. Soft TENSOR sponge of cream color is combined with Hyper Elasto top layer of natural rubber.

This special combination provides very soft feel and superb balance. Its ease of use is exceptional. VEGA ELITE doesn't demand everyday training. Safe zone (window) above net for successful topspin attack is the biggest in VEGA family.

So players can hardly mistake their attack with topspin. Also, its sound is very clear and loud. Players will be able to experience the pure pleasure of table tennis, thanks to its dynamic sound and great control. VEGA ELITE is especially recommended for European players who demand a rubber with softer feel than VEGA EUROPE.