Reviews by yogi_bear

Musa 3

The Musa 3 is a very under rated rubber in the market today. Much attention has been given on newer and faster ESN rubbers, the Musa 3 seem to be not given much attention by players. There are ESN rubbers that were released by TT companies with rubbers like Roxxon, GTT rubbers that are in the mid-ranged cost of 30-35usd but they have older generation topsheets with newer sponges glued to them. The Musa 3 looks different that the topsheet is unlike rubbers before it and that it is not a slow rubber with less spin but rather it is surprisingly fast and bouncy. Upon checking, the Musa 3 is a medium soft rubber. You can feel the softness when you are pressing lightly against the topsheet but not as soft as a Vega Elite. It is closer to the softness of Vega Europe. The Musa 3 is very fast and bouncy that people who have tried it seem to think that it is faster than the Acuda S2 or Bluefire M2 but slower than MXP or Rhyzm 48. It feels like a classic Japanese rubber that is spin-elastic. You can say it is like an improved classic rubber like Mark V but the spin and speed are marginally higher. The spin is very good and it has a high amount of spin. If the likes of the Omega V pro or Euro and even the Omega VII Pro have very high or extreme level of spin, the Musa 3 has high amount of spin. I would put it as having the same level of spin with Acuda S2 or Bluefire M2 but feels softer. The arc is medium to medium high arc when looping. The ball digs deep into the sponge and topsheet when looping producing a very good amount of spin. The power is good up to middle distance from the table. I feel the power diminish at about 6 feet away from the table. It is better as a close to the table rubber that is very good for quick attacks, blocking, flicking and drop shots. The Musa 3 is an all around rubber that can basically do any type of shot being an offensive rubber. If the Vega Series like Europe, Asia, Japan and Pro versions were o be phased out in the market, the Musa 3 can actually replace all of them because it is as good as those rubbers mentioned. I would suggest this to players are budget conscious that want to have the best value their limited budget can buy. Even higher level players can actually use this effectively as a backhand rubber. This was tested with the Zeta Offensive Carbon blade. Uncut Weight is 64-65 grams

The Vega SPO is already in the market for a long time when I tested it. Tony of Tony's Table Tennis informed me that the Vega SPO is a best -selling short pimpled rubber in Japan but seem no to have caught the attention of people outside Japan. It has a medium soft sponge. The sponge feels like a Vega Europe but when combined with the topsheet, the Vega SPO feels like a medium hardness pips out rubber. The pip structure is arranged in a diagonal manner and they feel grippy. The pimple structure feel they have some softness like the Royal and when you compare it to the TSP Super Spin Pips, the Super Spin Pips seems a bit harder. It is closer to the feel of Stiga Royal. The Vega SPO has a similar black carbo sponge similar to that of the Omega series rubbers especially the Omega V sponge in particular. If you compare it to the Xiom Zava short pips before, the Vega SPO has a more firm feel while the Zava has like a medium soft feel. The ball sinks deeper into the sponge with the Zava compared to the Vega SPO.
The pip structure is very grippy but not tacky like the Stiga Radical. When doing push-chops, you can push-chop with it with heavy amount of spin and it feels it has more spin than TSP Super Spin Pips and RICT 802-40. Backhand topspin opening against underspin seem to be very good both in the forehand and backhand. A friend of mine who is not a short pips user tried the Vega SPO as his forehand rubber because he is usually inclined to slap and contact the ball deeply against the sponge. He being a beginner in using short pips as a forehand rubber, was able to easily use the SPO as a forehand rubber because he could easily slap the incoming balls with underspin. I can say that this shows that the SPO is not hard to use. I like it as a backhand rubber because it is easier to use than the RITC 802-40 and Stiga Radical because of the RITC 802-40's lesser grip and the Stiga Radical's unpredictability. The SPO's effect is more predictable when to expect heavy pin or no spin from it. It could attack really well because the pips can grab the ball better compared to common short pip rubbers that has lesser grip. A good knuckle effect is also observed with punch blocking and the ball sometimes float low and slows down when you are blocking against it sometimes disrupting your timing. ​​The speed is fast at 2.0mm and much more at max sponge thickness. There is a big gap with the their speed. If you compare the speed, Royal and SPO seem to have equal speed but I am not sure enough comparing the speed with the Raystorm.

Testing was done with Xiom Omega VII Pro, Vega Intro, Vega SPO and Musa 3 rubbers. The ZOC+ blade weighs 84 grams but the range of weight is85-87 grams. The blade has a medium stiff feel. It feels stiffer than the Feel AX blade and a tad faster but it almost has the same feel. I am not sure if the top ply is made of Walnut or colored Limba. Central ply looks like Kiri. The ZOC+ feels light, balanced but never hollow. Even if it is labelled as OFF+, it should be rated it as OFF only because it is not faster than Viscaria. I say it is as fast as Viscaria. On a bare blade doing ball- bouncing, the height of the ball bouncing against the bare blade is medium high and a little bit higher than Feel AX or almost the same bounce as Viscaria or Xiom Stradivarius. The Zeta Offensive Carbon+ is a "can-do all" all-around offensive blade. I still love the Feel Ax, I switched to the ZOC+ immediately because the control never really decreased in my part but I felt an increased in speed by a few notches indicating that the ZOC is a faster blade than the Feel AX. The ball feedback with the ZOC+ is excellent to feel in the hand and it does not feel too hard nor too soft. The blade has enough hardness to give you the power and speed but it has a softness innate to the blade when you are hitting with it so it has a combination of balanced softness and hardness. The Zeta series blades have actually one of the best handles in the line of blades for Xiom. The handle is just right including the wing part. If I compare it with the Feel Series blades, the wing part of the AX and other blades are wider and you need to sand them. The Omega series have also good handles but they feel too slender at times and with the Zeta blade handles, they feel just right.
The Zeta Offensive Carbon+ is an excellent attacking blade with balance on looping and driving. Looping the ball is as easy as looping with the Feel AX but it feels much faster. The blade feels bouncy but not too fast. It has more than enough speed that you need for powerful shot but it has control like that of an off- blade. Smashing is very good but the best qualities of the ZOC+ is looping, blocking and inside the table strokes like flicks and drops are all easy to execute with it. The ZOC+ has been my main blade with much preference compared to the Feel AX, both have the good flex in looping but the Zeta Offensive + blade is just a step better. In terms of power ZOC+ is limited to the middle distance from the table and farther from the table it loses some amount of power on your shots unless you place a very fast rubber with it like Omega VII Pro. The Zeta Offensive + can be used by players that are in the intermediate level when it is paired with the Vega Intro 2.0mm or Vega Elite 2.0mm rubbers in which control is really abundant. Advanced and even elite players will greatly love the Zeta Offensive Carbon + because it is dynamic, fast, controllable and excellent in every shot. It is about 60-65usd so the price for its performance is really good.

- this is a very under rated beginenr's rubber although the characteristics of this rubber is even good enough for advanced and intermediate level of players. Speed is OFF-, it is slightly faster than the Yasaka Mark V but it has the classic feel of Japanese rubbers in older times. The Vega Intro is a user friendly rubber to develop strokes. The rubber is not too fast but it offers high level of control. The topsheet is very grippy and is spinnier than Mark V or Sriver EL. Beginners can use the 2.0 version of the Intro and intermediate players can use the max version with no difficulty.

- 66 grams uncut
- medium to medium soft
- off+
The Rhyzer 43 is a toned down version of the Rhyzer 48. It is labeled as 43 degrees but the total hardness with the sponge seems to be medium and sometimes even harder than the usual 45 degree rubbers that I have tried like the Joola s Maxxx 450, Rakza 7 or Adidas P7. With the Rhyzer 43, at tleast you could feel the softer topsheet compared to the Rhyzer 48 rubber which has an overall hard feeling. What I like about the Rhyzer 43 is that it easier to use than the 48 version. In my case, I choose to place it in a slower blade like the Xiom Feel Ax because when I placed it with the Rhyzer 48 in the Pro Spin Power blade, the Rhyzer 43 still goes off the table easily. So I placed it with in a slower blade which is the Feel AX and then the magical moment happened. The rubber is very good and the speed is more than enough even with a slower blade. The Rhyzer 43 is still very fast and the speed is equal to that of the MX-P. If people are looking for a substitute of the Adidas P7 then this rubber will suffice. It has the control and feel of the P7 but the speed and spin is marginally bigger. The topsheet is very grippy like the 48 version but the softer sponge allowas the ball to sink into the sponge easier. The rubber is very bouncy that it is easy to slap and drive low flying balls. At least the Rhyzer 43 is a little bit controllable compared to the 48 degree version. Nevertheless, the 48 and 43 Rhyzers are excellent both as forehand and backhand rubbers.I am currently using the Rhyzer 43 as my forehand rubber in one of my rackets because the 48 is not just for my level.

The Joola Rhyzer 48 is hands down the fastest ESN rubber in the market right now. I have tested it bought with a not-so-known Pro Spin Power blade which is an off+ balsa-carbon blade and the Xiom Feel Ax which is a softer Viscaria blade. People have asked me to compare this with the Xiom Omega VII Pro and there is quite a big difference and in my opinion they are in a different class. I think the upcoming Omega VII Tour should be the equivalent of the Rhyzer 48 and not the Pro version because they feel really different and the VII Pro is marginally softer and lighter. The Rhyzer 48 being 68-69 grams uncut and the Omega VII Pro being 65-66 grams uncut. The Rhyzer 48 is medium hard. It feels a lot firmer than Omega VII Pro. Even the topsheet of the Rhyzer 48 is not as soft as the VII Pro.
The Rhyzer 48 is a beast waiting to be tamed. I think it is not for the untrained. The speed is ridiculously fast. I would boldly rate it as faster than the MX-P rubber. I have used the MX-P on a similar blade with balsa-carbon composition but the at least the MX-P is controllable. The Rhyzer on a very fast carbon blade just goes off the table with a long and high trajectory. I would think maybe because of the trend today of not using blades that are too fast, the Rhyzer is enough to use that you will not lack the speed or power that you need in your shots even if you will just use it on an all+ blade. It should be paired with an all wood blade or if you choose to have a composite blade then the speed of the blade should not exceed that of the Viscaria or Timo Boll ALC blade. Its speed should rival Bryce Speed or even faster by a few notches. The good side is, if you have the training or the skill, the Rhyzer48 is a powerful rubber to use. If I compare it to the the Rhyzm 48 before, the Rhyzm 48 is a mild version with lesser amount of spin. When you are in the receiving end of the Rhyzer 48, you could feel how heavy and spinny the balls are when somebody is using it against you. The very long trajectory of the Rhyzer 48 ensures you that even at 4 meters away from the table, yours shots will not fall short. Also, at close to the table distance, very short swings will handle the ball more than enough to attack it with good amount of speed.
If in terms of spin , the potential level of Rhyzer 48 is much higher than any other rubber in the market with the exception of maybe Tenergy 05 but the level of spin between the 2 seem to be very minute. The ESN rubbers, over the years, have been inching closer to Tenergy in terms of spin. Speed is not a problem for ESn rubber as a lot of ESN rubbers are faster than Tenergy 05 but it is the rubbers grip towards the ball that ESN rubbers are trying to catch up to and I think with Rhyzer, the topsheet’s grip can compete with T05 and give it a run for its money. If you compare it to Xiom Omega VII Pro, the O7P is easier to produce spin probably because the sponge is softer and the rubber is easier to use but the Rhyzer if used correctly can have a higher level of spin. I would wait for the Omega VII Tour to fully compare rubbers in terms of spin and speed.
The Rhyzer is an excellent offensive rubber that does not need an off+ blade to be used. In fact, it needs a slower blade to be fully utilized by players like me who are not pros or not on elite level of playing style. In my opinion, this will be the hot selling rubber early 2018 unless newer and better rubbers will come out later this year.

I got to review this for megaspin.net and xiomtt.com. The Omega VII Euro is the younger brother of the Omega VII Pro having a lesser amount of speed and slightly lesser amount of spin. Just like the previous series, the euro version is always the more controllable one except for the Omega V Euro which seems to be harder than the V Pro version. Anyway, as tradition of Xiom for tis Euro rubber version, the Omega VII Euro is fast attacking rubber with high level of spin. Strange thing though that the Omega VII Euro seem to feel a bit more firm than the 7 Pro version and this is probably because of the topsheet hardness. You can say that the 7 Euro is a very good all around attacking rubber that can do everything well from attacking to blocking and also short strokes inside the table. The Omega 7 Euro is a do all rubber that is not too fast with very good control and high level of spin. If the Omega 7 pro is designed for higher level of players, the Euro 7 version is the best for intermediate and advanced players. Even beginners using a 2.0 sponge can use it well because it is very easy to control and use. The topsheet has the same topsheet with the 7 Pro but has a lower spin potential than the 7 Pro. The Omega V Euro seems to be harder in its sponge and seem to be tackier or grippier but at the same time it is also spin sensitive. The Omega 7 Euro however is not as spin sensitive. I find the V euro sometimes spinnier than the VII Euro spinnier when you are doing brushing contact with the ball on loops. This rubber is good for both backhand and forehand as this is already very spinny and controllable for most players and their levels. It is best paired with medium hard or stiff blades.

I got this from megaspin.net and xiomtt korea. The Omega VII Pro is the newest Xiom rubber that was just released this January. I have this rubber late December 2017 and I was able to fully test this for a few weeks. This is indeed a different ESN rubber because it doesn't feel like the previous Rasanters. The texture of the topsheet is different with the Rasanters being smoother compared to the topsheet of the Omega VII rubbers. The topsheet is soft and the Pro version feels like it is softer than 45 degrees overall if you take into account the soft topsheet and the sponge. The sponge is a black porous sp[onge like the usual carbo sponge that Xiom has but it looks different from the older rubbers. The topsheet is very grippy, it seems to be a little tacky compared to the plain grippy topsheet of the Rasanters. The O7P is one of the easiest rubber to use. I think aside from the weight which is 45 grams cut to a 150x157mm blade head, the rubber is very easy to use which is its main selling point. Even people who have tried the O7P say that the rubber is so forgiving that even with poorly executed shots, the ball goes in and gives you a huge room for mistakes but still be able to return the ball with ease. I would say even intermediate level players can use the O7P with ease and confidence. The Omega 7 Pro is a very fast rubber. It is a purely offensive rubber that can attack near and far from the table while leaving room for errors. It is very forgiving that even if you slap very low flying balls, you would still be able to land the ball on the other side. It is faster than the MX-P and slightly faster than the Rasanter R47. The speed of the O7P is more or less equal to that of the Tenergy 64 speed but with a higher angle. The spin is quite surprising because the Omega 7 Pro is not only very easy to produce spin, it is very easy to produce very heavy spin. The very grippy topsheet when combined with the topsheet softness lets the ball sink deeper into the sponge allowing the player to have more grip with the ball. The level of spin for the O7P is very high, in fact it can be spinnier than the MX-P but it is easier to use. The O7P loops well either by thin brushing contact with the ball or sinking the ball deeper and use more sponge compression to produce spin and speed in stronger shots but the Omega 7 Pro favors the sponge compression more because it is just the way it was designed to do with the polyballs. It is a trend with polyballs that people need to compress the sponge more when spinning the ball to produce heavier spin and the O7P is geared towards this approach. The O7P is also an excellent attacking and blocking rubber in the backhand where in those backhand shots like flicks and slaps near the net are very accurate and easy to do. It also blocks very well despite having a sort of tacky topsheet. It absorbs the impact easily on very strong shots making blocking very easy while maintaining control over the ball. So far, the Omega 7 Pro is the easiest high speed/spin rubber in the market right.

The HX version is a thinner version of the HX Pro with the same Kiso Hinoki outer plies. The blade has slightly wider wing part compared to older models like the Omega or Vega Series blades. The handles of the 2 blades are thicker by a millimeter. Usually, when I measured the older blades they have, the handle thickness is just 25mm+. With the HX Pro it is 26mm+ and the HX version almost at 26mm. The wing or neck part of the blade needs to be sanded slightly but this is not a big problem. The only concern that I have is that the metal logo at the sides of the handle easily tarnish because of sweat from the hands. I would suggest probably sealing or varnishing the logo to prevent this from happening.
The HX version is a toned down version of the HX Pro and it has control written all over it. The HX version is thinner and definitely slower than the HX Pro but still plenty fast. I would compare the speed of the HX version as slightly faster than the Stradivarius but slower than the Ignito. For other brands, the HX version is as fast as or slightly faster than the Timo Boll ALC with a more solid feel. The HX version can be everybody’s carbon blade because it is that just good of an offensive carbon blade. The one who used it aside from me even commented that it has the same control of a Timo Boll Alc but has a slightly different feel because of the different composite materials used. The HX version is good for spinning mostly near and mid-distance from the table. Near the table, it is good to loop with because of the control and not fearing the ball overshooting the table but the HX version is best at middle distance. If you want to play far from the table, you would probably need a faster rubber like the Omega V Pro. The one I used for the test for both blades and other Feel blades is the Xiom Omega Euro DF.

The HX Pro is purely a balde with pure brute force. I Do not knwo why this is labelled as OFF only but suppsoedly this is OFF+ with a stiff feeling. I tested this blade using a Xiom Vega Europe DF rubber and also with some Chinese rubbers.
The Hx Pro blade is the thickest blade in the Xiom Feel Series. It is about 7.1mm thick but it is not the heaviest blade but the Feel SX blade. The Feel series blades are being marketed by Xiom as their next generation blades. Their previous blades like the Omega or Vega series are not as numerous compared to the Feel series which has 8 blades to choose from! The outer plies of the HX Pro is said to be a high quality Kiso Hinoki that is 200 years old+. Xiom says that they are trying to get higher qualities of their products in the market compared to their past products and also can even compete with Butterfly. Both blades have a slightly wider wing part compared to older models like the Omega or Vega Series blades. The handles of the HX Pro it is 26mm The wing or neck part of the blade needs to be sanded slightly but this is not a big problem.
The HX Pro attacks so well with very strong shots. The blade is a little unforgiving that is why you have to fully execute your strokes properly. If you have half cooked strokes or poorly executed strokes, the HX Pro may not be the blade for your. This blade is really made for advanced types of players and is very good far from the table even with just medium speed rubbers. The blade can be played good in a short game like blocks or flicking but drops shots need sdjustment because the blade is very bouncy. Overall, this is a powerful blade to use but needs a good set of skills. In terms of looping, the HX Pro can still loop good but it is more specialized in power looping. Near the table it seems to be fitted for loop driving and taking the ball at the peak of the bounce or off the bounce. The HX pro is good in overpowering the opponent’s underspin return but it is even better doing counter looping or counter spins mid-distance from the table or far from the table. The HX Pro’s speed puts it really at mid-distance to far from the table if you attack the ball with spin.

The ZX1 has burnt or heat treated limba outer plies. The Xiom website has pictures of the ZX1 having hinoki outer pleis but in reality it has limba outer. I think this was just an error posting in Xiom's part. The ZX1 is a lightweight offensive blade with good control. It is about 85-87 grams in weight and weight distribution is towards the head. Mine is almost head heavy with Xiom Omega V pro and Euro rubbers. The ZX1 is the slowest among the ZX blades. It has a loser feel to the old innerforce alc blade or the carbonado 145. The ZX1 is a flexy blade that looping is its big advantage. It is not as fast as the ZX2 or 3 but it can be compensated by using faster rubbers. Although, a lot of people would prefer the ZX2 and ZX3 blades due to their extra pwoer and speed, the ZX1 is enough for most people with average skills.
The ZX1 feels more woody than being a composite blade. This is a good thing because this is for people who want a faster blade than just an all wood blade but does not want a sacrifice of the wood feel, the ZX1 is an excellent blade for them. The ZX1 has a medium arc when looping. I have tried both the Xiom Omega V Europe and a Chinese rubber on the blade. Both rubbers can loop really great when using the ZX1.

Xiom Feel AX
-84 grams, medium stiff


This has Koto outer plies wirth Carbon Aramid layers. This is my favorite blade among the feel series blades (my personal preference among all Feel blades but ZX3 and ZX2 are awesome too). This is cheapfor a composite blade among the Feel blades and if I am not mistaken this is in the range of the Xiom Quad V1 or Clipper CR which is about 60USD. It is made in China but the quality is not inferior, although the Japan-made blades like the HX and ZX blades (with the exception of ZX1) have a better quality finish. Nevertheless, what made me fall in love with this blade is that it is blade with complete package. Yes, it is not as fast as a Viscaria because I would rate it as OFF and not an OFF+ blade but the speed is more than enough. I am biased about the feel but among the composite Feel blades, the AX is the one that has best feel. It has little to no vibration. It has a thin 7 ply construction and it provides enough flex to loop the ball slowly and with great spin or loop drive the ball. In short, the AX is dynamic blade where you it can give you the spin you wanted in a blade or be a powerful attacking blade but maintains a good amount of control. I really like the Xiom Vega Euro blade even until today. They possess almost the same speed and control but the AX has more flex and the surface of the top plies are not as hard. The AX does not feel too hard but does not feel soft that it decreases your power. Also, a good bonus is the weight. The Blade ranges about 84-87 grams. My blade is 84 grams and I paired it with a Xiom Omega VII Pro and Euro rubbers, the set up is light. Even with the Globe 999 national and Omega V euro rubbers before, the set up does not feel heavy and not even head heavy compared to other blades I had in the past. This is the dark horse among the new Feel blades because a lot of people who have tried the 8 blades during my testing period really like the blade because of how it plays. When this arrived at a store, the AX sold only for a few days before running out of stock. I think it is safe to say that the AX is the blade that was really unexpected and surprisingly good despite the cheaper price. This blade made me shift to a controlled composite blade due to me wanting a less physically demanding set up.

Xiom Feel SX

Anegre are the top plies of the Xiom Feel SX blade. Anigre is an African hardwood used by several blades in the market like Yasaka an some Butterfly blades. The Janka hardness of Anigre is substantially harder at around 700+ compared to the Janka value of Limba which is around 400+. This gives the SX a bit heavier weight due to having a denser and harder wood. The SX has a weight range of 95-99 grams according to Xiom and I got mine at 95 grams. The blades construction is superb and the Anegre’s surface seems to be semi smooth and not as smooth as Hinoki top plies of other Feel blades.

The Feel SX Blade is a heavy blade for a lot of people and I caution people before buying it. Xiom said that the SX was intended to be heavy and for me the 95 gram weight is not that I can handle easily if I use it with both inverted rubbers. With a long pimpled rubber then this set up is good. The blade is a solid attacking blade. It feels woody on impact. Although it is a basically a carbon-zephylium blade, it retains some feel. There are times that the SX can almost be as fast as the HX PRO but they kinda feel different on impact. The SX feels like a classic, hard 7 ply all wood from those old Chinese blades while the HX Pro feels like any modern hard-hitting blade.
If the SX had been lighter and thinner, maybe it would be more playable to a lot of folks. You have to really like heavy blades or you have a strong arm to play this set up fully. Xiom says their newer rubbers like Omega 7 Pro and Euro are lighter and can be paired with the SX in order to reduce the weight. My Xiom Omega VII pro rubber is 45 grams cut to 150x157 and the Xiom Omega VII euro is 43 grams cut to the same blade. So if I were to use the blade’s weight at 95 grams plus the 2 rubbers the total set-up weight it about 183 grams which is still on the heavy side. So I would recommend this maybe to attacking long pip players. One inverted on the forehand and one pips out rubber with thin or no sponge at all. I tried the Feel SX with a 755 Long Pips and it worked perfectly fine. It can attack and block well with the LP on the bh side.It can chop block near the table but it cannot chop defensively even outside the table due to its raw power.

This is the best slow looping blade of Nexy. Blade feels like slower than Off- sometimes but it is indeed in the Off- class. It feels like a Stiga Offensive classic but feels a tad harder though at the same speed. It has the flex and softness that slow but spinny loopers need. The control is that of an all+ blade coupled with good feel. No bad vibrations felt whatsoever. I got the 83 gram Peter Pan when it first came out. The handle is is very comfortable to the hand and it is very easy to use for players with different levels. Even advanced players will love this blade because control and feel are top notch but it needs an off+ rubber. Even the Karis H would do good with the Peter Pan.

Got mine for 80 grams. Head size is 157 x 150mm. It is indeed lighter than the original Aria but not slower. This is slower than the Tibhar Stratus Powerwood but has more flex and control. This is an Off- to Off 5 ply all wood blade with Limba outer plies. It is a good all around blade for either offensive oriented players or blockers and spinny loopers. Control is very good even when paired with an Evolution MX-P or any other off+ rubbers. The DHS HUrricane 3 was awesome on this blade and also the Globe 999 National rubber, booth boosted. If it is paired with MX-P, this can be as good as far from the table but optimal power is at mid-distance.

A medium-fast blade that is light at about 83-86 grams. I think this is the blade that stands out after Stradivarius among Xiom blades. It is highly underrated and the blade itself has a better feel even when you compared to viscaria and timo boll alc blades. It is slightly slower than viscaria and feels a tad softer but it is already fast at OFF speed (not off+). What sets it apart is that it feels like an all wood blade and has its softness but it has the stability of a composite blade and the speed. What puzzles me is that this blade has gone unnoticed by most EJ's. The blade can definitely be used by players of different styles except defensive choppers. Other than that, the blade is amazing and can be matched with any Chinese, Japanese and Euro rubbers.

The Karis M is a medium soft Japanese rubber. It is slightly softer than the M+ version. The Karis M is a linear rubber with above average spin. It is made from the factory that makes Stiga rubbers in Japan as well as ITC and Nittaku Soulspin. The topsheet is grippy and produces a good amount of spin but less comapred to European rubbers such as Tibhar MX-P or MX-S. It is fast and bouncy like 42.5 degree ESN rubbers. It is better at receiving serves because the topsheet is not as sensitive to spin. Ideally, I like this better as a backhand rubber due to its ability to do bunch blocks, blocking as well as backhand looping. It can defend well by blocking due to its soft sponge but at the same time gives a fast return when blocking. It needs a specific type of contact with the ball and that is to dig dipper into the sponge in order to have better spin and power.

This is an amazing clone for the Nittaku Violin. It has the same construction. It is a bit heavier compared to the original Violin but feels more solid when hitting the ball. My E-4 was about 90 grams in weight. The blade is medium stiff but has some flex to loop the ball easily. A tad lower in speed than the Tibhar Stratus power wood with better looping capabilities. The feel or feedback when hitting the ball is its asset. The feel is so nice without no unwanted vibrations. The handle is smooth and very ergonomic. Both the E-3 and E-4 are the best blades among the E-series but the E-4 stands out above the rest.

The new 40+ version of the Target National seems to be frustrating. Just like the Euro Target version the new 40+ Target seems to have a very low throw that the ball hits the net always no matter how much effort you place on the ball contact. I never had any problems with the old Target National rubber and it is the one I am recommending players to use instead of the new 40+ versions because I never it is easier to use and it doesn't hit the net. It is as heavy as the other Target National versions at 69grams approx.