Dr. Neubauer · Desperado · Long pips

Desperado

The original Desperado: a high-reversal long pips for disruptive close-table defence.

Desperado established the family's reversal-first character. Passive blocks return the opponent's rotation almost intact, pushes float low over the net, and the rubber punishes players who loop without varying their spin. It is slower and less refined than the later generations and remains a separate catalogue record.

Dr. Neubauer product photography is not licensed for TTDNA, so TTDNA renders its own neutral topsheet visualisation generated from verified construction data.

Official Dr. Neubauer data

CategoryLong pips
Surface classPips-out
Surface frictionNot applicable
SpongeLong-pips sponge
Sponge hardnessMedium (TTDNA band)
ThicknessesOX · 0.6 mm · 1.0 mm · 1.3 mm
ColoursRed · Black
Competition statusITTF approved
Approval checked2 August 2026
PriceVaries by retailer

Approval status follows the Dr. Neubauer catalogue check recorded on the date shown. Dr. Neubauer sells its competition range as ITTF-approved coverings; any covering the catalogue lists as training-only is shown as not ITTF approved. No reliable official Dr. Neubauer list price is published per region, so no price is shown rather than an invented one.

TTDNA ratings

Confidence: Medium

Speed52
Spin22
Control84
Power50
Grip17
Tackiness0
Arc35
Catapult42
Throw angle35
Elastic47
Spin sensitivity15
Short game73
Blocking73
Backhand flip46
Counterloop46
Opening loop38
Chop70
Serve34
Service receive79
Difficulty41
Beginner friendly65
Durability79

TTDNA values are TTDNA's own editorially normalised 0–100 ratings. They are never an official Dr. Neubauer rating and never a conversion of the Dr. Neubauer manufacturer scale.

Effect profile

Disruption90 / 100
Spin reversal87 / 100
Chop control80 / 100
Attackability73 / 100

Spin reversal is the returned rotation of the incoming ball. It is stored separately from the TTDNA spin rating, which measures the rubber's own spin production.

Strengths

  • Very high spin reversal on passive contacts
  • Strongly disruptive ball quality
  • Stable when chopping

Weaknesses

  • Own spin production is minimal by design
  • Limited speed; points have to be won by placement

Best for

  • Players who disrupt rather than out-spin opponents
  • Defensive players
  • Disruptive players
  • Blocking players

Not ideal for

  • Players who want to loop with this side of the blade
  • Players who want to hit through opponents
  • Players who dislike an unpredictable return from their own racket

Data confidence

ConfidenceMedium
ReferenceDr. Neubauer official product page
Source prioritydr_neubauer_official_product_page → dr_neubauer_official_category_page → current_ittf_larc_approval_list → official_regional_dr_neubauer_page → specialist_retailer → independent_expert_review → community_feedback
Last checked2 August 2026

Variants and configurations

4 variants

Colour, thickness and configuration are variants of one model — never separate products. Colour never changes a rating, MAX and OX stay qualitative labels, and OX carries no sponge hardness.

Black · Red · OX

Standard · No sponge (OX) · Topsheet only

Speed 40 · Spin 14 · Control 93

Black · Red · 0.6 mm

Standard · Sponged · Medium (TTDNA band)

Speed 48 · Spin 19 · Control 88

Black · Red · 1.0 mm

Standard · Sponged · Medium (TTDNA band)

Speed 52 · Spin 22 · Control 84

Black · Red · 1.3 mm

Standard · Sponged · Medium (TTDNA band)

Speed 54 · Spin 23 · Control 82

Known users

Defenders, choppers and disruptive blockers who rely on spin reversal rather than their own topspin.

Dr. Neubauer publishes no athlete roster for this sheet, so TTDNA shows the player profile it is built for instead of invented names.

Rest of the Desperado family

69 Dr. Neubauer models in TTDNA · Compare the range