Review: Tuttle World #1 rubber

I didn't make note of the markings on the sponge.  I am not sure why I didn't.  The 888 sponge is a beige pumice stone probably around 38-40 degrees by Chinese standards.  The LV is a stupid soft white sponge by the Chinese scale I think the sponge hardness would be about 6 degrees (hyperbole).  I would guess that it's hardness is less than 30 degrees even by ESN standards.  The World #1 is a bright orange probably around 42-44 degrees by Chinese standards.  I first thought it was a little softer when I was feeling them with their protection sheets on, but it's definitely a little bit harder than the 888.  Oh, speaking of the protection sheets!  They are the best protection sheets I have gotten with a sheet of rubber.  Firm well put together, and very sticky.  The stamps on the non sticky side on there well enough that if you put them front to back no damge incurrs when peeling them apart which does happen with other makes of protection sheets. 

I played again 2 hours this time with the MJ and World #1 on the FH and 888 on the BH.
The world #1 needs a fast paddle to compensate the very low speed rating of the rubber (the fastest of the 3 tuttle rubbers I received). I could play and enjoy it much better than the LV. The rallies were lasting very long and on the other side he asked if I was feeling ok...When he knew about the rubber he said I should switch to it permanently because I can land anything on the table; when I said "yes but you can also deal easily with everything I give you" he went "for how long?".

It does not have a high throw however I had huge arcs because my actual technique and the spinny side of the rubber. Everything was landing OK because the additional spin and it was a lot of fun to see those new balls I was producing.

It went from cool to VERY interesting when we started to counterloop: I do know how to counterloop howver I have a problem in practice to counterloop at 70% of my maximum strength in order to keep the ball on the table. With the Genius from Tibhar or the Tenergy from that other company (forgot the name) it is hard to go half way and we loose precision when we do: the ball goes funny when we do not go through the ball with application. With the world #1 I was producing a huge arc and a slowvery  spinny ball and I could go again and again and did kill the ball when the cardio was going too high.

This is the main advantage of this rubber: the average club player can use World #1 to develop a more consistent counterloop to allow a slower and still spinny ball, giving time for recovery and, above all, to allow the use of full power and be able to tune the stroke with a high margin for variations.

In conclusion I'd say my main satisfaction playing that rubber is its freedom of manoeuvrability.
Because of the high spin it is not for absolute beginners. It would fit better the player who wants a consitent spinny game to allow him to create more power while being able to keep high control.

I recommend to anybody above 1200 and below intermediate level to learn looping on OFF blade (Samsonov Alpha; BTY Primorac; Avalox BT550...).

I gave the tubber (free of charge) to Tom (www.tomveatch.com/tt). He runs a tt class for kids and I though it would be good to make him know about the rubber for his students (he likes slow himself). He will write something about it later in April (I also gave him the 888)