There doesn’t seem to be a lot of anti spin rubber being used these days. Maybe in some other corner of the world it’s more plentiful. It’s not hard to find if you are looking to purchase it. There are tons of options, and some are pretty expensive. I’ve experimented with anti before. See The Great Anti Experiment. There is even rubber that is considered “almost anti.” A student of mine recently purchased a sheet of Juic Neo Anti by mistake. Yada, yada, yada, I ended up with the sheet, and they acquired some tacky rubber from my stash. Neo Anti is actually not new. It’s been around for years. But, I had never tried it. So, the experiment began again, and I’m writing my third post about anti spin. This probably isn’t the final word on anti. I am not the world’s best authority on this, although from what I see on the internet, I may be able to claim that title regarding medium pips. See Discovering Happy Medium Pips.   I do have some new insights that might be helpful for anyone considering anti. I’m using it in 1.5 thickness, primarily on my forehand.Â
- It’s very handy for serve returns. For a lot of players, returning serves is not the problem. Returning them in a way that they won’t be attacked is. With anti it’s possible to return serves short, and then look for a ball that you can attack.
- The Neo Anti seems to fall somewhere between the almost antis and the super slick versions. It’s actually very easy to control once you get the right racket angle. The 1.5 thickness will grip the ball pretty well. Thinner versions would probably be harder to use. You could probably use Neo Anti on a very fast blade without any control issues.
- Don’t overuse it. Since I use my backhand more than my forehand, the anti on my forehand is a change of pace shot. If you are a forehand dominant player, anti could work as a backhand rubber. If you hit two or three shots in a row with anti, you may discover the lack of spin is hurting you more than your opponent. It is possible to finish a point with a fast shot with anti, but it can also be used to set up attacks with your faster rubber.
- It won’t be as deceptive as some long pips. There’s enough deception to mess with most intermediate players. But, unless you go for the super slick anti, the changes in spin and speed won’t fool better players. The really slick anti spin rubbers take a long time to master. If you are thinking of going to anti, something like the neo anti will be much easier to adjust to, especially if you are transitioning from smooth rubber.
So, that’s the last thing I have to say about anti spin, except that it’s pretty fun.
