KTL Stranger, anyone tried it? - OOAK Table Tennis Forum (2024)

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

That's the truth.

I'm considering having a couple setups as well, because what is good against one player is not necessarily good against another player.

I'm not sure I can jump from one to another well, though.

_________________
--- Push/Chop or Attack ---
USATT 1684 left, Lost it all by playing sick and hurt.
No legs left, no more backing up, just smash it!
Blade: TTPiet OFF-/ALL custom
FH: Spinlord Waran Short Pips
BH: Joola Badman Reloaded 0X

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

Old-Man-Southpaw wrote:

Yes, no. I'm currently in the sponge LP camp (thick sponge, at that) and until my tennis elbow cries "uncle!" that's where I shall likely stay. Stranger 1.2 for most opponent; 755 1.2 for ones that can spin me off the table when I'm using Stranger 1.2. Thanks to years of EJing I can switch between these two with relative ease.

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

I got the 1.2 mm attack version the other day and did fairly well with it vs the robot, but tried practicing with it against a very good long pips player and didn't do so well, but that might be due to how he was playing, and so I suspect I didn't get adjusted to the KTL. It was good enough vs the robot that it deserves a better try, though, so will try again in the coming weeks. The things I need from it are to still be able to chop well, a topspin or sidespin counterhit, block, loop vs underspin, and hard fast smash. If I could get a chop block working, that would be nice, too.

I also got the 0X sheet from Vanjr, and it will be next on the testing setup.

Sometimes I think I'm biting off more than I can chew trying new things...

Nathanso (or anyone else using it), do you have any video of you using it? It would help a lot if I could see the strokes you are using in the context of a match. Thanks if you can.

_________________
--- Push/Chop or Attack ---
USATT 1684 left, Lost it all by playing sick and hurt.
No legs left, no more backing up, just smash it!
Blade: TTPiet OFF-/ALL custom
FH: Spinlord Waran Short Pips
BH: Joola Badman Reloaded 0X

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

If a video is useful for you depends if the person on it plays the same way you would like to play.
You can already learn a lot from video's of players like Liu Song (I believer Bomb Talent 0,5 mm) or Fabian Akerstrom (Dornenlglanz ox).
This video are some shots of me with Dornenglanz ox on the BH to give you a more "amateur level" impression

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxDjX1g531E

This weekend I've been watching quit a lot of Haruna Fukuoka video's. I find the way she uses her long pimples on the BH (both attack and chop block) really inspiring. She plays TSP curl p-3 but I don't know if that's with or without sponge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjQdN286hfk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCTUJuVnnxc

That's the way I want to go with the KTL Stranger Attack pips.

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

Yes, I'll definitely watch them, but something I've found is that different rubbers work or don't to varying degrees with different strokes, so the best video to watch would be someone that plays well using the KTL Stranger Attack 1.2 mm to serve, push, chop, chop block, chop smash, active block, passive block, loop, counterhit, and smash, which if you were lucky, you might find examples of most of them in a match.

PS those pros are so good and so deceptive and quick that i can't tell the incoming spin or what shot is being used most of the time

_________________
--- Push/Chop or Attack ---
USATT 1684 left, Lost it all by playing sick and hurt.
No legs left, no more backing up, just smash it!
Blade: TTPiet OFF-/ALL custom
FH: Spinlord Waran Short Pips
BH: Joola Badman Reloaded 0X

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

nathanso wrote:

I've been using KTL Stranger Attack 1.2 for a few weeks now. If anything, it's getting faster with more use. No broken or partially-broken pips as of yet, and I've been flogging it.

It might just be me...Mine seems to have more control, now that I am into my third week with it, but not sure if it is any faster. I wish, like the dickens, that it had the sticky topsheet. When I started this current round of experiment I also changed to 729 with a hard orange sponge. When i tried it before the Teams in November I was using a soft 35 degree or so sponge under a similar topsheet. Not sure how big an effect is produced by choice of forehand rubber.

I have found that cleaning the Stranger Attack frequently has helped also.

What kind of blade are you using with it?

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

theOldDuffer wrote:

My blade is a BladesByCharlie ULTRA BlueStreak. tOD, if you're still using that soft 1.8 sponge you should try the KTL factory 1.2mm version. This spong+LP combo is the fastest, most offensive I've every used; even besting the now illegal Xiom Guillotine S 1.2.

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

What kind of blade are you using with it?[/quote]My blade is a BladesByCharlie ULTRA BlueStreak. tOD, if you're still using that soft 1.8 sponge you should try the KTL factory 1.2mm version. This spong+LP combo is the fastest, most offensive I've every used; even besting the now illegal Xiom Guillotine S 1.2.[/quote]

I do use the KTL Stranger Attack in 1.2. I was refering to my forehand rubber (729 top sheet with soft sponge). I have also tried Stranger in OX, but the sheets I received didn't have the super sticky top sheets.

Coming from essentially a passive blocking, non-friction long pips mindset I have found that I really, really appreciate the KTL Stranger Attack enough to change my playing style to accomodate.

tOD

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

Over a month of play on my first sheet of KTL Stranger 1.2 red and not one broken or partially-broken pip! That makes Stranger 1.2 the most durable LP I've ever used, and I've used (and broken) a few..

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

I just realized that there are two types of sponged KTL Stranger..

KTL Stranger that's available in 0.5 and 0.8. Listed as speed=7, spin=7, control=12
KTL Stranger Attack that's available only in 1.2. Listed as speed: 9, spin: 7, control: 12

I haven't seen the regular Stranger to know if its sponge is any different than Stranger Attack's 1.2 sponge but the fact that the two have completely different packages tells me there's more to the difference than simply the thickness of the sponge.

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

I've been using the KTL Stranger Attack 1.2 for a few weeks now. It's an unusual rubber. It play MOSTLY like a long pip at slow speeds and isn't as sensitive to spin as I thought it would be. On receiving serve I haven't had to make much of an adjustment at all. But if the ball engages the sponge it is pretty fast and has a tendency to pop up. It plays almost like a really slow inverted and I've had to change my bh stroke accordingly. For me the jury is still out. I think I need a lot more practice. But when I really concentrate and do a "banana"-type flip it is an effective shot that opponents don't expect from a pips player.

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Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

Bought 2 red Stranger OX and put one on a BBC blade tonight (the exposed carbon side up) that Nathanso gave me a few years ago.

Took me a few minutes to get used to the extra grip of the pips (actually took me a few minutes to get the pip sheet out of the package, they were so sticky they stuck with the inside of the package). Played with a friend of the forum (James) who use Grass D-Techs also. Because he blocks almost all top spins, the returned balls were almost always u-spins, that just suit my style and the Stranger attacked quite well. With the slightly grip surface, I had to close the blade a little more than I used to when I use 755 or Grass D-Techs.

Later, practiced with one of the club's top player who uses invert both sides. Chops well with good controls against the strong loops, attack pushes well. Played serve and play before the weekly tournament starts, again, the Stranger performed extremely well against this player (around 2300).

Well, for my level, he didn't show any impatient for my performance and that was a good job and the first performance of the Stranger passed my test. I will keep trying until the pips get broken. Don't know I will switch because the OX sheet costs me $10 each while 755 OX costs me only $6, and I can play both.

Post subject: Re: KTL Stranger, anyone tried it?

Tat, KTL Stranger's pips are stronger than 755. In fact, Stranger is the most durable LP I've tried. For reference, I start to see partially-severed 755 (red) pips after about 10-12h or play. Contrast that to my two sheets of Stranger Attack 1.2, the oldest of which has 20-30h of play and has no sign of damaged pips. You're the second person that has commented on the stickiness of Stranger OX. The 1.2mm isn't like that. Speaking of the 1.2, its sponge is special stuff; more powerful than any other LP sponge I've used save, perhaps, Xiom Guillotine S which has recently dropped off the ITTF LARC.

I know you're in the OX LP camp these days but if you ever return to sponge I think you'd really like the Attack 1.2. On that BBC Double Diamond the power would be tremendous.