Boosting is probably one of the most misunderstood topics in table tennis. Some players think it's some sort of magic. Some players think it is cheating and many players actually have no real idea what it exactly does. So, let's do some real talk and answer all of your questions regarding this topic. Stop. Quick disclaimer before we start. Yes, boy. Let's grind. What exactly is boosting? It's basically applying a oily type of substance on the sponge side of your rubber. The sponge absorbs the booster and then something interesting is happening. The sponge of the rubber will start to expand. The rubber starts to build a curve and because the sponge expands, the whole rubber becomes more tensioned. The easiest way to explain it is through the boosting process, we can optimize the rubber so its overall playing characteristics become more alive. Before boosting, for example, a hard rubber can sometimes feel dead, stiff, slow, and difficult to activate. After boosting, the same rubber can feel softer, more elastic, more powerful, and easier to engage and activate. So, boosting is not just making the rubber faster. It changes the whole feeling of the rubber. The contact changes, the catapult changes, the arc changes, and the way the ball leaves your racket changes, too. Now, let's dive deeper and go into more detail. The first effect is more catapult. This means when the ball hits the rubber, the rubber gives more energy back. The ball comes out faster and easier. Especially when you're playing top spin, counter spin, or opening against backspin, the rubber can feel more explosive. It's like the rubber helps you a little bit more. But this is also where many players misunderstand boosting because more catapult does not always mean it's surely better. If you can't properly control it, the balls can go into the out easier. your short game can become more sensitive. Your receive can become harder to control. So more catapult is only good if you can also control it. If we want to enhance this direction, then we also need to take something from the other direction. So you know you enhance here, then you must take something from here. You know how it works. The second effect is that the rubber often will feel softer. This is one of the biggest reasons why players boost harder rubbers and especially Chinese style rubbers. Many Chinese rubbers are very hard and direct. They can produce insane spin and power, but only if you have good acceleration and contact. For many players, an unboosted hard rubber feels too dead or too ah demanding and basically unplayable. When it's boosted, the sponge becomes easily to be activated. The rubber feels less stiff and more elastic. You can feel the ball going into the sponge much more, and you get a more flexible feeling when accelerating. This is why boosting harmonizes really well with harder rubbers like Hurricane or Dignix 09C and Zia Z3. Basically, with everything that goes in the pro kind of category, it's working really well. The third effect is a higher arc. This is very important with boosting. Many players feel that their top spin gets more shaped. The ball is not just going straight forward. It travels with a higher curve and this can help a lot when opening against backspin. When you play the first top spin against the push, we need to lift the ball. The boosted rubber can make this easier because the sponge gives you more support and the ball stays in the rubber a little bit differently. So your first open can feel safer, heavier, and more dangerous. But again, only if your technique is also good. If your contact is bad, boosting alone will not save the shot. And also for counter spins, the higher arc is a very nice benefit of boosting. The fourth effect is more spin potential. And I say potential on purpose because boosting does not give you automatically more spin. This is a very important truth because obviously you must be able to generate spin with your technique and touch. But with the right touch and technique and especially with you know stickier rubbers like DHS Hurricane or DNI 09C, you can have a big optimization regarding spin when using booster. Some players think boosting will make them better, but here is the truth. Boosting obviously does not create skill. It amplifies what is already there. If you have good technique, good timing, good feeling, and strong acceleration. Boosting will help you. Your top spin will be heavier. Your ball will be faster, and it's going to be harder to return your balls. Your opening can become easier and more effective. Your power from mid distance or far distance can improve. But if your technique is unstable and you're not ready yet, it can make your shots more difficult to control because now the rubber is more sensitive, it's like playing Formula 1 game on your PlayStation with a higher controller sensitivity. Remember, it's not a magic trick. It's an equipment adjustment. And like every adjustment, it only helps if it fits your level, your technique, your playing style, and your feeling. That is why two players can boost the same rubber and have completely different experiences. Every rubber has its own method. We don't want you to throw away your money and buy countless boosters and rubbers and then experiment for months to find the best boosting method. We have created the SPT boosting and gluing masterass on our table tennis platform where you can learn how to correctly glue and boost Chinese rubbers and tensor rubbers the best proven and possible way. So you can be sure to do it perfectly right. In this master class, you basically learn everything on how to correctly apply booster and glue the correct way for Chinese and tensor rubbers with which glue, which booster, and so on. We would love to welcome you inside of SPT, our table tennis online platform and community that has so much for you if you want to improve in table tennis together with me and the community. The link is in the description. Chinese rubbers versus tensor rubbers. Boosting does not affect every rubber the same way. This is super important because, for example, hard Chinese style rubbers usually react very strongly to boosting. They are often harder, less bouncy, more linear, and more demanding without booster. Many European and Japanese rubbers already come with a built-in tension feeling. They are already more bouncy. They already come with strong catapult. They already feel more alive from the start compared to Chinese rubbers like Hurricane. So what do I want to say with that? Butterfly rubbers like Dignix, Sire and ESN rubbers like TAR, Tonic, Andro and so on would need less booster and another boosting method. Then the Chinese rubbers like for example the hurricane 3 Neo. So what is the actual danger of boosting? The danger of boosting is not knowing the exact boosting method for each rubber and each rubber hardness. Because if you use too much booster, you can throw the rubber away and it won't be playable because it will be overboosted. It will be too soft and loses its optimization sweet spot. And for Chinese rubbers, it's important to boost enough for the certain degree and sponge type. For example, blue sponge 41° needs different boosting than the orange sponge 40°. If I would be forced to recommend boosting to someone, who would I recommend it to? It's pretty simple. For beginners, I would not recommend boosting. For good intermediates, this is where you can start to try it out if you feel that you're ready or curious. For advanced, it can definitely benefit your game for sure. In official table tennis, racket coverings are supposed to be used without any physical or chemical treatment after production. So, when it comes to official tournaments, you should always check the current rules of your federation and understand what is allowed and what is not. This video is about understanding equipment because boosting exists in the table tennis world. Players talk about it, players ask about it, and if you're serious about table tennis, you should at least understand what it is and what it does. The most important thing is don't blindly do things without understanding. Know the rules, know the risks, know the effects and make smart decisions. I'm not here to convince anyone to boost. I'm here to educate you and this is what this channel is about. Feel free to ask anything that goes through your mind in the comment section below. And even better, join our table tennis online platform and community, Silverback Table Tennis, to improve and fulfill your highest possible potential in table tennis. See you in the next video or on SPTT.