Xushaofa polyball review
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Topic: Xushaofa polyball review
Posted By: Baal
Subject: Xushaofa polyball review
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 5:03pm
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Bought it from TTNPP (and received them in about a week). $10 for 6 balls, not too bad. These are seamless balls. I have now played a total of about 6 hrs with these balls. I have been a very vocal critic of the ITTF decision to mandate production of these balls for many reasons, no reason to go into them here. I have also spent a lot of time trying the various 40+ balls, and have been quite frustrated with many of them, which seemed to justify my worst fears. Short summary: XSF is the best polyball I have used yet by far, with the possible exception of the Nittaku Japan polyball (except that one I did not get to use for such a long time). Today my practice partner and I had a lot of fun playing with these, had some great rallies, I have no complaints. I have hated playing with all of the seamed Chinese polyballs. With this ITTF approved seamless polyball, I had fun. Our play was much better, and many fewer inexplicable unforced errors. All six balls were acceptably round when you spin them on the table. They are a very bright white, easy to see, and are visibly slightly larger than celluloid balls, as with all of the 40+ balls I have seen so far. Simple bounce test by dropping them onto the table. All 6 balls bounced just a little bit higher than celluloid (in contrast to Joola 40+ and Chinese Nittaku 40+ which always bounce lower). They no longer sound broken. The sound is definitely a little different from celluloid, but nowhere as strange as the seamless balls of a few months ago. No problem there. In play, including match play, it is very easy to get used to these balls. At least for me, this was not true for Joola or Nittaku Chinese seamed 40+. I am now convinced that bounce is more of a factor than the size in giving us a ball we can use. Yes, the XSF ball is a little slower, and there is a little less spin, but the ball still comes to where you think its going to be. You have a just a tiny bit of more time to get to balls, so rallies are extended, but the rallies can be great fun. We had a lot of great topspin to topspin rallies away from the table that went longer than usual because we were each able to get to balls in slightly better position than we would have otherwise, but we were not mistiming so much like we both did with Joola or Nittaku China 40+. Blocking is a little easier, but it doesn't mean that blockers will dominate with this one because loopers will have a little more time. I am no defender, but my guess is that defenders will love this thing. Even though there is just a bit less spin, the extra time they will have will mean they will have time to vary the spin more. I still won plenty of points today with loops from both sides. I found myself using a slightly more open racket angle and needed to aim a little higher to get good clearance over the net. That adjustment seemed to come naturally and I didn't need to think about it. None of my serves were as effective and it is easier to return serve. This is a small effect, and it was less as time went on, but both of us noticed it. Two things I noticed. Pushes tended to not come out as far and they seemed to kind of sit up for you. This takes a little adjustment in timing, but not much. Much better than the Joola 40+ ball. Sidespin loops, strangely enough, really jumped a lot farther to the side after they hit the table. That was really cool to see (and modern defenders are going to love that aspect). I haven't weighed the balls yet, some people have reported they are on the heavy end of the spectrum. Could be, but they did not feel heavy at all when I played with them. Too soon to say anything about durability, but we didn't break one. The bottom line is that this ball could in fact accomplish what ITTF seems to want to do, which is to take down the speed and spin just a small bit, without completely messing up the game. My guess is that a match between ZJK and Ma Long with these balls would be a visual treat for the ages. In addition, my impression is that these would be quite fair for all styles of play I think (although I still think it would be a boon for real defenders). The price is not bad at all. If all polyballs can reach this standard of play and price, I will be quite happy. They are vastly superior IMHO than all of the Chinese polyballs I have tried so far. I think DHS should be embarrassed by the ball they have introduced, at least in its current form. I wish XSF had a little more clout on the international scene so that there was actually a ghost of a chance that this ball could be adopted in significant competitions. I really think most players would be content. |
Replies:
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 5:33pm
This ball was reported dangerous by user Croudy on a German forum 2.5 Months ago: http://forum.tt-news.de/showthread.php?p=2543964#post2543964" rel="nofollow - http://forum.tt-news.de/showthread.php?p=2543964#post2543964
In short, after being hit against the metal part of the net assembly the ball broke so violently that it burst into small pieces that almost flew into the player's eye and mouth. The guy who reported that had been known as pro-plastic ball before the accident. |
Jetzt mal ohne Spaß - gestern ist es (endlich, nach 18
Trainingseinheiten bzw. ca. 45 Spielstunden) passiert: Der erste P-Ball
(XuShaoFa nahtlos) ist beim Schuss gegen den Netzpfosten förmlich
explodiert. Einige Einzelteile sind dabei nur knapp am Auge
vorbeigeflogen, eins wäre fast im Mund gelandet. Kann mir gut
vorstellen, dass es da wirklich mal zu Verletzungen kommen könnte.Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 5:50pm
Good one  You get points for creativity. Somehow I'm not going to get too worked up about that. After all, the ball is actually more likely to hit me in the eye without exploding. In spite of this incredible risk, I still play a sport that has flying projectiles. (Also nothing in the post I could see that indicated that it is the current ITTF approved one. The XSF ball I got to hit with 3 months ago was completely different and quite terrible). |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:09pm
The only way the current XSF could be different I can imagine is if they make use of temporary changed specification. Just making a different ball under the same name is surely not allowed, such a ball must be submitted for approval first. Otherwise the whole approval procedure would be a joke. Besides, even if they make a heavier ball now but the material is the same, the reported danger still remains. |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:10pm
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I have actually played with both -- one four months ago and some over the last few days, so I know they are different. They sound different, and they play different. Something changed. That is true even if you can't imagine it. And like I say, the danger is, well, not really very scary. |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:14pm
Baal, I definitely did not create that posting I quoted, if this is what you mean. Even without solid knowledge of German you can google translate what that guy wrote on that thread and see that he can not be me, as you are familiar with my postings here. He was a clear proponent of plastic balls. |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:15pm
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I know you didn't create it. I read it myself (I have some elementary German reading skills). I am sure it happened. I just think that as a reason to not use the ball, it is, well, just not scary. |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:18pm
So, possible getting one day a small sharp piece of plastic stuck in the eye is not a danger to you?  I admire your courage. |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:22pm
OK, maybe using some sort of eyes and mouth protection is what you have in mind? Maybe nose protection as well. |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:26pm
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The risk of somebody mishitting a full out loop and sending the intact ball straight into their opponent's eye has always existed and is almost certainly much much higher than the ball "exploding". This is absurd. |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:29pm
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Mastermind, do you actually play table tennis? Other than criticize ITTF decisions that you disagree with, is there anything about our sport that interests you? It's joyless to read your repetitive posts without any sense of the joy that our sport brings within them. You are almost worse than a spambot. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Tassie52
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:29pm
| Great review, Baal. I admire your willingness to concede that something you were extremely sceptical of has some positives. I also admire your willingness to risk having your thread sidetracked by Mastermind's exploding balls. |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:31pm
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I have had celluloid balls hot both eyes, causing inflammation in both. That did not atop me from playing. Celluloid balls can also explode on high impact. Since they are less hard, it may plausibly happen less than with plastic, but until it becomes a pandemic, let's leave paranoia alone. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:41pm
The XSF in that German posting did not explode, it burst into peaces when hit against a hard part of the net assembly. The guy used the word just figuratively. As for a whole ball hitting an eye, it is quite different and ways less dangerous. Besides, people do react. |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:42pm
This is not true. |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:43pm
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I played one match with the XSF balls and one match with Double Fish immediately after. While the double fish IMO is the best of the seamed cloned balls, and onlookers didn't know I changed balls between matches, I could tell just about everything in Baal's review from playing with those balls back to back. I pummeled a much lower rated player without any Significant adjustments with the XSF ball, but the DFish ball was the same low bounce over the table nightmare. Lost a game because the pip ball didn't come up on the return for my OTB strokes. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 6:54pm
You can not be serious about that Where do you think we are here, in a gym? This is a forum where people report and discuss things. |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 7:27pm
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I am sure my sentiments are shared by many on the forum and are grounded inactive observation. You don't review balls as someone who has used them. You do know how to find a critique of the plastic balls. This is not the usual behavior of someone interested in the sport as a participant. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 7:31pm
Do you actually play table tennis or are you concluding this by rationalization? I have broken defective balls in various ways and cracking into bits is one of them. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 7:31pm
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@mastermind Well, when someone only wants to talk about one thing and always makes pretty much the same point, I generally start to avoid it because it more or less stops being a discussion at that point -- especially when I can't figure out how this person gets from A to B. Also, maybe I missed it, but I haven't actually heard you mention that you have played with any version of a polyball. I certainly can't point to a single example on this forum (or for that example, anything you have actually ever said about playing table tennis). This is a thread on how one of these new balls actually plays. You have put it on the record that someone on a German thread had a ball made by this company break into pieces some time back. OK, it's a datum. Great. We can all weigh this "risk". In the mean time, some people want to know how these things play and how the properties are progressing. |
Posted By: mts388
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 7:33pm
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Some people spend their life as a fear monger. Mastermind strikes me as one of them. |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 7:34pm
This is the most stupid argumentation I've ever read on this forum.I quoted what a guy who used this very ball under discussion here wrote in German. And gave the link. Do you expect everyone who needs information to read German and maybe forums in other languages themselves? |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 7:42pm
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Of course, like I said, you assume that he used this very ball, and I provided a reason why it may or may not be the same ball. Be that as it may, you have mentioned it, and now if you have nothing else to add...... By the, way, quoting from my own original comment in this thread that addresses this: They no longer sound broken. The sound is definitely a little different from celluloid, but nowhere as strange as the seamless balls of a few months ago. No problem there. [emphasis added] |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 7:43pm
After me just pointing out to one real comment on this XSF from another forum? I guess you missed all that enormous fear mongering by a large group of users on this forum about "dangerous" celluloid etc. |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 7:48pm
I agreed with you that it might be possible, because of temporary changed specifications in the first place, didn't I? |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 8:07pm
Baal, let us put one thing straight. If I were a f***ing liar like some people here, I would have made up some negative reports of my own, but I did not. Secondly, I guess people would rather read the report by e.g. WR 111 Thomas Keinath I gave the link to than by, you know, humble me. |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 9:33pm
It actually reeks of having an agenda other than the love of the game. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 9:34pm
But those other posters post about many other things - all you post about is stuff criticizing ITTF decisions. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 9:39pm
Plastic ball scam is an agenda.
|
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 9:48pm
This is werid, but you are increasingly sounding like a North Korean police guy.
|
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 9:55pm
Despite the fact that just about everyone else who has posted on this thread has repeated one aspect or another of exactly how I feel about your posts? By the way, please remove the emoticon - I never used it.
------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 10:08pm
Now I am going to ask you politely to not hijack whatever might be left of this thread. We know your opinion about these balls. You have made it clear more or less every single time you make a comment. In a fact, a quick search shows that every single post that you have ever made on this forum except for one has dealt with your criticism of the new balls, ITTF, or Adham Sharara. It is noted. (The one exception is where for some unclear reason you decided to post a picture of Superman, but it had nothing to do with table tennis). Now, since you have not played with the balls -- any of them -- and therefore are not able to add any direct insight, give it a rest. |
Posted By: Mastermind
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 10:17pm
Right, sorry for that, I tried, but I am using a mobile device now I am not quite familiar with. I will correct the quotations later.
|
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 10:49pm
I think the patent around the seamless ball must be driving this because I have no other explanation. The ball is just so much better that it has to be something other than table tennis driving the refusal to adopt it. Everyone outsourcing their ball to DHS is just sad, but explicable when one considers that DHS will have the dominant ITTF ball for a while to come. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/23/2014 at 11:01pm
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The one time I played with a Nittaku Japan 40+ it felt pretty much like the XSF, and it may not be so easy to ignore them. Hopefully their price will come down somewhat. ITTF approved the XSF ball, though, so I wonder if it is the patent issue or just DHS having long standing sponsorship agreements. |
Posted By: Ray
Date Posted: 08/24/2014 at 3:15am
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Baal, In the review you mentioned $10 price for package of six. I suppose you reviewed black labelled XSF balls. Anyone knows are they newer/better/different than red labelled ttnpp.com also selling only at $9 for the package of six? Is it possible that red labelled are/were burstable and black ones are not? ------------- Life is too short for defensive play. https://twitter.com/spinnier_com" rel="nofollow - https://twitter.com/spinnier_com https://fb.me/spinnier" rel="nofollow - fb.me/spinnier |
Posted By: jonyer1980
Date Posted: 08/24/2014 at 4:42am
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100% agreed Baal ------------- Rosewood V FL Nittaku Fastarc G1-FH Stiga DNA Pro-S MAX BH Avoid any Butterfly stuff... at abusive prices. Raw power without control means nothing |
Posted By: LUCKYLOOP
Date Posted: 08/24/2014 at 4:58am
I have some XSF red labels from ttnpp. They don't break easy. They do bounce weird sometimes compared to the C balls. I have seen in an area of high humidity the XSF speed reduction is very noticeable. ------------- Hntr Fl / 4H & BH Xiom Sigma Pro 2 2.0 Yinhe T-2 / 4H Xiom Sig Pro 2 2.0 BH Xiom Omega IV Elite Max Gam DC / 4H DHS Hurricane 8 39deg 2.1 BH GD CC LP OX HARDBAT / Hock 3 ply / Frenshp Dr Evil OX |
Posted By: haggisv
Date Posted: 08/24/2014 at 5:52am
That's another really good point...we don't know how these balls are affected by humidiy, and if they change a lot, it may be one of the reasons of the wide variety of different experiences.. ------------- Smart; VS>401, Dtecs OX http://tabletennisshop.com.au/index.php?main_page=page&id=42" rel="nofollow - Tenergy Alternatives | http://tabletennis-reviews.com" rel="nofollow - My TT Articles |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/24/2014 at 11:21am
Sorry, I really don't know, but my impression is that the red label ones are the same balls manufactured just before the ITTF approval, but that could be wrong. As for high humidity, I am playing with these balls in Houston TX, a city that was built on a swamp on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Same humidity as New Orleans, Miami, etc. They are fine here. I don't know how they would be if you used them Tucson or Las Vegas. As for the wide variety of experiences, among the various reviews, I actually haven't read anything bad about how these particular balls play, probably because they haven't been used all that much yet. But they are noticeably slower. In very high humidity climates, you can occasionally expect any ball to sometimes slide a bit along the table. |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/24/2014 at 4:39pm
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Well, we did break one today. Hard smash, it hit high on the cement wall behind us, and it was a catastrophic break of the ball. My guess is that when these balls break, you not have any doubt about it. (it didn't explode into flying fragments. Nobody's eye was put out.) |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/24/2014 at 7:35pm
Seems that the plastics are harder and more brittle as well. Sounds like a hard trend for even the Nittaku ball to break. I will be waiting to exhale... ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: LUCKYLOOP
Date Posted: 08/25/2014 at 2:51am
High humidity ...... an ac acts as a dehumidifier to some degree, it depends on the room used, temperature, ac usage, foundation, walls, etc. I would assume most places to play in Houston have ac. ------------- Hntr Fl / 4H & BH Xiom Sigma Pro 2 2.0 Yinhe T-2 / 4H Xiom Sig Pro 2 2.0 BH Xiom Omega IV Elite Max Gam DC / 4H DHS Hurricane 8 39deg 2.1 BH GD CC LP OX HARDBAT / Hock 3 ply / Frenshp Dr Evil OX |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/25/2014 at 9:34am
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Yes, we have AC, if we didn't people would be collapsing!. It helps quite a bit, but it's still the Gulf Coast. I can't really say that XSF balls are more sensitive to humidity than other, either celluloid or plastic, but they are slower than celluloid for sure. Anyway, the thing I learned from these balls is that the slowness is not necessarily highly annoying if the ball has a decent bounce. The XSF balls are a lot better than Joola in that regard. |
Posted By: mhnh007
Date Posted: 08/25/2014 at 10:13am
| The XSF I tried break quite easily. The 1st one breaks after about 10 mins, and during a rally, and when it breaks you know right away, and had to stop. The 2nd one did not even last as long, had an edge ball on a hard loop, and broke the ball. The 3rd one lasted the whole hour, but we were very gentle with it as it's the last we have. |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 08/25/2014 at 11:00am
I am beginning to think that celluose diacetate is just not up to the job. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/25/2014 at 11:10am
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Yes, I am pretty sure that the event that cause my XSF ball to break would not have broken a celluloid ball. This is a concern. |
Posted By: mhnh007
Date Posted: 08/25/2014 at 11:12am
Yes. Same balls that Baal tested.
|
Posted By: tt-panopticum
Date Posted: 08/25/2014 at 11:13am
XSF aren't Cellulose Diacetate - to my knowledge it's impossible to mold seamless balls with this material - it's something different. As for a previous question - indeed the red labled (non approved) XSF are different from the black labled (ittf approved) ones. Even to the naked eye the material (or maybe the wall thickness/or both) is different, less translucent for example - sound is different as well (the black labled ones much "less strange"). Durability is hard to say - I've played with a few for an incredibly long time, it seemed to be unbreakable - one example just cracked impressively (many cracks, but no parts flying around :-) ) after just a few minutes. They seem to be a bit sensitive to sharp edge impacts. If cut in parts the material seems not that brittle that it could seriously hurt anything/anybody  - to me it seems even less brittle than celluloid. Cracking might be a combination of sharp edge impact and fatigue....I happen to like the seamed DHS balls more - the loss in forward speed is equal with a lower bounce (to me that's somehow more natural than higher bounce with less forward motion). I guess this is a very personal thing and, Baal, I also guess your impression could be very different in combination with a different type of opponent? A higher bounce/slower forward motion usually is a n easy killer for short pips hitters for example - or anybody who's good at flicks. Best regards! |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/25/2014 at 3:01pm
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I haven't tried the XSF balls against a SP hitter. One of my partners plays that way though, I will try it with him, maybe this week. It wouldn't surprise me if he feasts on shots I have been getting away with against other guys. Yes, these things could depend a bit on style. One thing I am hoping is that with more practice with a large XSF ball, which I like, then for some reason playing with a Joola or DHS ball will be easier since I will be more used to the reduced speed and spin. |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/26/2014 at 1:22pm
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I am confused now about one thing. Xushaofa appears to sell two grades of plastic 40+ seamless balls, both ITTF approved! One is called Xushaofa Sports and the other is just called Xushaofa, and both come with a black label. The sport version is slightly more expensive at pingpong depot ($2.00 more for 6 balls). I am not sure what the difference is. The ones I have tested so far seem to be the plain Xushaofa ball. http://www.facebook.com/804287529622465/photos/pb.804287529622465.-2207520000.1409073790./816600945057790/?type=1&theater" rel="nofollow - http://www.facebook.com/804287529622465/photos/pb.804287529622465.-2207520000.1409073790./816600945057790/?type=1&theater |
Posted By: TurboZ
Date Posted: 08/26/2014 at 8:16pm
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Can't find any XSF Sports from taobao. An export only version may be? ------------- http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=53150&title=feedback-turboz - My Feedback |
Posted By: thatguy
Date Posted: 08/26/2014 at 9:20pm
They are actually two different markets,sport=international. I have only tried the one on the right, the distributors are coming to market highly motivated to get their ball in play, hence the price difference, they were being introduced at an even lower intro-price earlier here in Canada by pongshop.ca and i have to say it is quite good, some younger ranked players were given some and they said there was no discerning difference betwenn them and the celluloids. " We are approved (pending).The Xushaofa brand has been approved by the ITTF (International Table Tennis Association), the governing and regulating body for the sport. We are currently obtaining approval for Xushaofa Sports, our international brand. Once we do, we will formally meet the new regulations for non-celluloid balls, which will officially be used starting in September 2014 at ITTF-sponsored events around the world. "source:XUSHAOFA SPORT site.   image source:ITTF Approved ball list. |
Posted By: thatguy
Date Posted: 08/26/2014 at 9:22pm
http://www.xushaofa-sports.com/ Yes, my error earlier which i will correct...the ball labelled "sport" is international vs the non "sport". |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/27/2014 at 12:19am
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So are they the identical ball with a different label? |
Posted By: haggisv
Date Posted: 08/27/2014 at 2:20am
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They must be different, or they would not have 2 seperate approvals. ------------- Smart; VS>401, Dtecs OX http://tabletennisshop.com.au/index.php?main_page=page&id=42" rel="nofollow - Tenergy Alternatives | http://tabletennis-reviews.com" rel="nofollow - My TT Articles |
Posted By: tt-panopticum
Date Posted: 08/27/2014 at 5:31am
Yes, the logo/label is different - hence they need a seperate approval. But as reported, approval is a simplified process when the original manufacturer ball is already approved - new labled ones I guess is only paperwork thing.... |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 08/27/2014 at 11:02am
|
The thing I don't understand, though, is if it is just the label, why is one $2 more for a box of 6 than the other, and also, if one is for international market, why is a Canadian website able to sell both kinds? I'm not trying to challenge what anyone has said, it just seems strange to me. Maybe in the future most US and European vendors will only be able to sell the international version? On the other hand, why would a company develop two different balls from a factory in China (not just the label) and get ITTF approval for both of them? ANYWAY, I like these ball a lot better than the seamed polyballs I have tried. |
Posted By: Rich215
Date Posted: 10/06/2014 at 4:06pm
I am still a little confused on this. Wish we can get some real technical truth on the 2 differently labeled balls as to their exact material make up (plastic formula). From the word back ppdepot got back from XSF about these 2 different labels....XSF and XSF Sports.... "Xushaofa Sports 3* Seamless balls vs. Xushaofa 3* Seamless balls We have received many inquiries from players and coaches about the difference between the new 40+ plastic Xushaofa and Xushaofa Sports balls. We forwarded the question directly to the manufacturer. Here's the answer that we got from the representative of the company, Ms. Xu: There is really no significant difference as they are essentially the same product but with different stamps! Both brands are of 3-star quality and are seamless. However, since Xushaofa Sports balls were produced after Xushaofa ones, the former may be slightly better than the latter, which reflects the company’s ongoing effort to make its formula better. Yang Jiang Ping-Pong Depot" So then to me... this statement at the end actually indicates they may very well have changed the plastic formulation and not just introduced a new logo for a different market. And maybe a possibility of having a more perfectly round ball? (not sure about that though) I also recall reading somewhere that there maybe a change in stiffness/softness to the ball with the latest ball (sports one) being softer to feel more like the celluloid balls. It would be nice to see PPDepot do a compression test on the balls....haaaa I know I'm dreaming there. If anyone out there has both versions of these balls.....do a pinch test or let us know if you can feel any compression differences when hitting both. *** also i believe the XSF reply to PPD's question had a mistaken wording in it. " the former may be slightly better than the latter,... should read as "the later may be slightly better than the former". ------------- |
Posted By: Tassie52
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 6:37am
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Today I received a pack of 6 Xushaofa poly balls, code ADXC. (3 weeks travelling time from Canada to this little outpost of Oz!). Out of the pack, they all look good, appear to be acceptably round and play just fine! My coach and I used the first part of my practice session (the warmup bit) to get a feel for the balls. I'm going to give Eddie's comments more than mine because he actually knows what he's talking about.  First impression - very playable. "No problems" according to the master. Serves - Without any particular changes to his technique, Eddie could keep the ball low and impart enough back spin to bring the ball back to the net. His comment: "Not as much spin". Looping and counter-looping: "Slower." He noted that I was having less trouble making returns and keeping the rally going. His perception is that this ball will be good for me and players of my standard. (That is, guys with horrible technique, no footwork, poor coordination and memories dating back to WW1. My appraisal, not his.) Looking at the speed and spin, Eddie really began loading up his counter-loops from off the table. His comment: I was noticeably more successful with the XSF than I would have been against a celluloid ball. His summary: "They dumb the game down." Ouch! I need the game dumbed down!  I must admit I did like what I saw and felt. If these became the standard, I wouldn't have too many complaints. Bounce: nothing untoward. Good height, no surprises. Breakages: apart from one ball which exploded and sharp fragments flew the length of the building and took out an old lady's eye, there were no problems.* Tomorrow morning is our regular social practice sessions - mainly playing games, both singles and doubles, a wide variety of standards and styles. I'll take along my XSFs and see what others think. *Sorry, I'm lying about this bit. No breakages whatsoever.
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Posted By: haggisv
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 8:58am
Good feedback Tassie!  Even though they seem to win me more points too (prossible for the same reason ), I can't get myself to like them (yet)...------------- Smart; VS>401, Dtecs OX http://tabletennisshop.com.au/index.php?main_page=page&id=42" rel="nofollow - Tenergy Alternatives | http://tabletennis-reviews.com" rel="nofollow - My TT Articles |
Posted By: cole_ely
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 9:06am
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I noticed the comment "they dumb the game down." This is what I was trying to say in the other thread. This is why I think older players will suffer. "Old man tricks," as we say in basketball, are going to suffer. ------------- Wavestone St with Illumina 1.9r, defender1.7b Please let me know if I can be of assistance. |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 9:28am
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I think that's a fair description to be honest, but it is better than the random elements you get with some of the other plastic balls. Definitely harder to serve with really heavy spin but with a little practice you rediscover how to be deceptive. All of the polyballs have less spin, it comes with the size. |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 11:41am
------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: kurokami
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 12:31pm
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regarding the reviews on which balls were best that had XSF at the top, are those only in ref to the 3* balls? we bought XSF training balls and they were pretty bad though don't have a comparison at the same quality level from other brands. it's just that celluloid training balls were still similar in performance. for the plastic, their 1* played very different from the 3* DHS and those again were different from the Joola 3*.
** so the current best plastic ball is Nittaku Premium? ------------- Viscaria H3N/T05 http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=65345&KW=&title=feedback-kurokami |
Posted By: rick_ys_ho
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 1:03pm
| I have received the XSF 3* balls from ttnpp. Last night I was able to hit it with one guy right after I played celluloid balls with another person. My feel after the very first hit was like "WOW. I can't tell the difference". XSF balls are very close to old balls in terms of the feels, as well as the bounces. I don't feel the heaviness that I felt in other seamed plastic balls. However, in terms of the spin generation, XSF balls are the same as others. |
Posted By: igorponger
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 1:32pm
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SEAMLESS BALLS WILL FAVOUR THE DEFENDERS (because of the better bounce) Chinese Sports magazine has now came out with an article about some practical study of the three types of the balls now in general use in China.. The study proved in all evidence that the seamless plastic monosphere is the best BOUNCY ball., and therefore it is playing to the defender's hand best of all. I have to fully agree with the article as to the seamless better elasticity.. Our domestic senior celebrity, whose play takes much after Shiono syntetic defensive play, did prefer Yinhe seamless to DHS seamed, after he found Yinhe is a ball easier to slap dowm.
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在2012年中，本刊有幸获得了第一批无缝乒乓球的样Posted By: skip3119
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 1:57pm
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igorponger discussed about a Chinese article: " ============================ The Chinese article said this: " But the Chinese article did NOT say this: "and therefore it is playing to the defender's hand best of all." ------------- skip3119 |
Posted By: NextLevel
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 1:57pm
Yes, and yes, only the 3* balls. ------------- https://youtu.be/jhO4K_yFhh8?t=115" rel="nofollow - I like putting heavy topspin on the ball... Cybershape Carbon FH/BH: H3P 41D. Lumberjack TT, not for lovers of beautiful strokes. No time to train... |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 2:29pm
Yes, for sure, XSF bounces the most. No question about it. I have no idea who this favors, though. Igor, this is what I have been trying to tell you all along. I think you will like a good seamless ball a lot better than DHS seamed. But you will like Nittaku Premium 40+ Japan best of all except for the price. rick_ys_ho, Yes, exactly. Actually, my impression is that XSF may even be slightly less spinny than the others, definitely softer, but the bounce makes them better than other plastic balls with the sole exception of the Nittaku Premium Japan 40+ ball that is currently pretty much impossible to buy. They are lighter than Joola 40+ or Nittaku SHA 40+, but heavier than Nittaku Premium 40+. kurokami, only ITTF approved seamless balls can be trusted to be good. |
Posted By: Tinykin
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 2:42pm
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The Stag seamless is made by XSF? In the UK first national tournament using the plastic ball (Stag), a current international female (a defender) did not make it out of her group. Here's the final; https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUVrQ-40Ye0Bqyx-NeTtorgw&v=dBfgsv39EY8" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUVrQ-40Ye0Bqyx-NeTtorgw&v=dBfgsv39EY8 Here's the mens final https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emmHVk9kboA&list=UUVrQ-40Ye0Bqyx-NeTtorgw" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emmHVk9kboA&list=UUVrQ-40Ye0Bqyx-NeTtorgw ------------- Blade: Darker Speed90 Rubber Fh and Bh DHS Hurricane 3, 39/38deg Delusion is an asset |
Posted By: Baal
Date Posted: 10/30/2014 at 3:12pm
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All seamless balls currently are made by XSF. Includes Stag, Yinhe, Nexy and some others. Hard to interpret a single result from a single player from one tournament, especially without a lot more info. |