One-sided grip (Asian or American) players > Biggest mistake > leaving the 2nd side uncovered without rubbers

[Peguero]

One-sided grip players are two major groups
1. Asian grip is also known as penhold grip or called the vertical grip in China
2. American grip is also known as Seemiller or Boggan grip
The third grip type is not relevant for discussion in this topic (thread).
It is the European grip . It is also known as shakehand grip or tennis grip & also known as horizontal grip in China

On a side note FYI , I have also heard some players refer to the one-sided grip as the front grip & the European grip as the side grip. This is because the racket is in front of the hand with the one-sided grip but is to the side of the hand in the European grip

I have noticed that many one-sided grip players do not put any rubbers on their unused racket side

Yes you just use a paint sheet to meet approval requirements
But this is a HUGE mistake
Even if you do not use the second side you should always have slim pips or actual long pips on the unused side of the racket

Many players told me they don't put rubbers because it makes the racket heavy.
If you prefer a lighter racket you can always use OX pips (no sponge).
This adds very little weight tp the racket
But if you prefer heavier racket then you can use slim pips or long pips with think sponge
So why should one MUST have rubbers on both sides even if they do not use it ?
The reason is more psychological
This is because most robotNazis are terrified of slim pips and long pips (In fact this irrational fear is what qualifies them as robotNazis in the first place. So even if you will not use long pips in a match but use it a lot during your 2 minute pre game optional warmup , you can make these robotNazis nervous and tentative and this gives you a strategic edge.
The best thing of course is learn to twiddle & learn to use your long pips at least to return serves. Even if you never get to be good at using long pips, you get an insight into how opponents’ long pips work (even if & though every long pips player is different)

[Spin Back]

Why can't I use wide pips (ika short pips) for other side?
Why should I use only slim or long pips?

[Peguero]

Manufacturers are doing a poor job of promoting the above strategic advantages of having a smart racket
They should be paying me royalties for helping them to sell more rubber

[Zianm]

Why can't I use wide pips (ika short pips) for other side?
Why should I use only slim or long pips?

This is a great question
Yes you should absolutely use wide pips (ika short pips) with sponge but only if you will be twiddling and using both sides.

In fact World & Olympic champion Asian grip player Liu Guoliang sort of played this style.

He used wide pips with sponge 95% of the time on his forehand and he used spinny inverted rubber on his backhand
But he was a HAG (Hybrid Asian Grip) player Because he used the best playing style & exploited power of Asian grip to the fullest.
His style was a combination of TAG (Traditional Asian Grip) and RAG(Reverse Asian Grip).
He used his forehand pips to block on backhand side . This is the TAG mode
He also used his spinny inverted rubber on his backhand in RAG mode to loop with it
So he used both rubbers (spinny inverted and pips) on his backhand sides but in different modes of usage
On top of all that he also twiddled his racket and used his spinny inverted rubber on his forehand to loop attack and strategic moments in a match

So yes you absolutely should use a smart racket with wide pips & spinny inverted rubbers, if you can
This is one of the best styles there is that one can use & total nightmare to play against because the opponent does not know what is coming, a dead ball (from pips side) or super (side) spinny ball (from the spinny inverted side)

[Crilo]

2024 USA National Champion (Women) & MLTT player Hong Lin uses Asian grip
She is an Asian grip player who uses wide pips (ika short pips) on forehand and spinny inverted on the backhand
But if I am not mistaken, she is more of a RAG (Reverse Asian Grip) player because I do not think she twiddles and uses wide pips on the forehand
Then again I may be wrong on this
Check it out for yourselves in her videos

Hong Lin videos

[Block Grip]

Here is another lethal Asian grip smart racket and twiddling
One side wide pips
Other side slim pips (long pips)

[Zianm]

I did not realize what a bad idea it is is to not have rubber both sides even if you do not use one side
But with the development of the reverse penhold , it makes even less sense no to try it even if you do not plan to use it in tournaments
Sure sounds like fun

[Musab]

Even bigger mistake that a one sided grip player can make is using a dumb racket
Usually most of these players use double spinny inverted rubber both side but never use the reverse side
It is perfectly OK if you are still doing it because you like a heavier racket
But you can still use all kinds of smart rackets instead with a different rubber type on backside
Wide pips with thick sponge or anti with thick sponge or slim or long pips with thick sponge

But the best choice of course still is OX slim pips or long pips. You can increase the racket weight by using a heavier blade