Product informationThe Hurricane 3 rubber is one of the most popular rubbers in the world due to its usage in Asia. The unique combination of medium-hard NEO sponge and Hurricane 3 top sheet enables stable, fast and spinny attacking strokes, recommended for a high speed attacking strategy.
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This is the review for unboosted 41 degree hardness, 2.2 mm thickness black rubber. USATT rating 1750 (March 2019). This review is only for forehand and based only on my experience for past 2-3 years. I started playing with H3N when I was 1100. That time I was using 40 degree hardness and 2.15 mm, black and red on both sides on a 5 ply blade. I started to feel the rubber was slow and started trying out different rubbers. At that time, I did not realize importance of training and sticking to the same equipment to develop feeling. I tried 729 FX, Palio red and yellow, Mercury 2, Rasanter 42 and Rakza 7 during past 3 years. Then after some training decided to come back to H3N on TB ALC blade. Been playing with the combination for over 2 months and saw that the consistency and spin on my FH loops increased a lot. Maybe because I started playing table tennis with H3N, it just feels right for me. I wish I kept playing with H3N for last 3 years. TB ALC is one of the best blade for H3N. There is very little margin for error but that makes you play the correct strokes every time (a.k.a. no more love tapping). Of course serves and pushes are better with H3N. Best returns for the efforts you put in.
If someone wishes to use this rubber for the first time, I would recommend at-least 3-4 months of practice before the tournament. Otherwise the "slowness" or the lack of correct FH technique\footwork will frustrate you. If you get nervous and freeze in the tournament match, not executing the correct technique\footwork, you won't be able to loop at all. But if you play the correct technique, the rewards are much higher than softer rubbers such as Rakza, Rasanter-42 (I never played with T-05 so I cannot compare it to T-05). During gameplay against players rated under 1700, I find that most of the times my opening loop alone wins points because of the high amount of spin. Playing topspin-topspin counters away from the table with varying amount of spin and placement is also benefited using H3N.
H3N generally last long time (2-3) years (I still have my old rubbers) if you clean the rubber after every practice session and use some covering. Any plastic sheet will work for covering. The tackiness usually "recovers" after you keep the topsheet covered. That is the main reason this rubber lasts long time. Some of my friends complained about the durability of H3N but I also never see them cleaning/covering their topsheets after practice
.
If you are really confident in your backhand loop and flicks, there is no reason why you cannot use H3N (maybe 40 deg-2.15 mm) on your backhand too. But then playing punch shots and poking shots would require a very good timing with H3N on BH. Also using H3N on both sides makes the setup very heavy that most of the players do not prefer.
TLDR: One of the best FH rubber to learn the FH loop and develop technique and footwork. Beginners using H3N need to be patient and should spend a lot of time practicing instead of seeking immediate fruits. Best on flexible\hard blades. Only use on backhand if you are spin oriented on both wings and if you don't care about the weight.
Update after playing first tournament with TB ALC and H3N: Forehand was the most reliable shot for me this tournament and overall pleased with H3N on FH.
If someone wishes to use this rubber for the first time, I would recommend at-least 3-4 months of practice before the tournament. Otherwise the "slowness" or the lack of correct FH technique\footwork will frustrate you. If you get nervous and freeze in the tournament match, not executing the correct technique\footwork, you won't be able to loop at all. But if you play the correct technique, the rewards are much higher than softer rubbers such as Rakza, Rasanter-42 (I never played with T-05 so I cannot compare it to T-05). During gameplay against players rated under 1700, I find that most of the times my opening loop alone wins points because of the high amount of spin. Playing topspin-topspin counters away from the table with varying amount of spin and placement is also benefited using H3N.
H3N generally last long time (2-3) years (I still have my old rubbers) if you clean the rubber after every practice session and use some covering. Any plastic sheet will work for covering. The tackiness usually "recovers" after you keep the topsheet covered. That is the main reason this rubber lasts long time. Some of my friends complained about the durability of H3N but I also never see them cleaning/covering their topsheets after practice
.If you are really confident in your backhand loop and flicks, there is no reason why you cannot use H3N (maybe 40 deg-2.15 mm) on your backhand too. But then playing punch shots and poking shots would require a very good timing with H3N on BH. Also using H3N on both sides makes the setup very heavy that most of the players do not prefer.
TLDR: One of the best FH rubber to learn the FH loop and develop technique and footwork. Beginners using H3N need to be patient and should spend a lot of time practicing instead of seeking immediate fruits. Best on flexible\hard blades. Only use on backhand if you are spin oriented on both wings and if you don't care about the weight.
Update after playing first tournament with TB ALC and H3N: Forehand was the most reliable shot for me this tournament and overall pleased with H3N on FH.
- Speed
- Spin
- Durability
- Control
The most common Forehand rubber in China which is used by almost the entire Chinese National Team, earned itself an exalted reputation amongst players in Europe. I wanted to find out why and decided to give my two cents concerning the performance of the rubber and talk about some parallels to european/japanese rubbers.
General
The NEO Hurricane III is a typical chinese rubber and shows two main differences when compared to rubbers made in Europe or Japan. Unlike the Butterfly Sheets or ESN rubbers, the topsheet is relatively grippy and tacky. The sponge does not look like swiss cheese like on the high-end models of Andro, Tibhar, Donic or Joola, but instead has a lot of miniscule pores and gives a very robust and non-flexible impression. Because of those two factors, the rubber plays slightly different and requires an adjustment by the player in terms of technique. Whereas the "Tensor" rubbers do perfectly fine with a more frontal stroke, a typical chinese rubber works best with a tangential hitting point.
Speed
I rated the rubber at a maxed out speed of 10/10, which definitely requires some explaining. You will often read that the main issue of the rubber is it's lack of power and lack of speed, completely contradicting my evaluation. As already briefly mentioned, it depends a lot on what you're doing. During passive, more "frontal" strokes, such as a Drive or a passive Block, the rubber is indeed very dead. It starts to shine once you involve rotation, and thus both, the tacky topsheet and the sponge. Compared to an ESN rubber, the tacky topsheet takes out a lot of speed when your blocking or driving with a very frontal contact. When you're brushing the ball however, you're giving it an extra "oomph", there's a bit of a kick to it. Once you figure out the contact point required and adjust your technique, the speed you can generate on passive strokes is atleast on par, if not greater than with "conventional" european or japanese rubbers.
The same principle applies to active/aggressive strokes. The philosophy needs to change, you don't generate velocity with brute force, but instead with rotation.
Spin
Here is one of the biggest advantages of this rubber. Long story short, the amount of spin the rubber generates is absolutely ridiculous. This is most noticeable when looping and serving in my opinion. The tacky topsheet really comes into play here and grips the ball well, resulting in an amount of return mistakes on the opponent's side which I have never experienced before. The reason why I "only" gave it a 9.5 out of 10 here is simple: The topsheet of the "normal" Hurricane III, the non-NEO version, is slightly tackier. The effect is even more prominent with that rubber.
Control
If the previous two factors couldn't convince you to give it a try, this one might. The reason why so many people fall in love with this rubber in particular (me included) is it's linear behaviour. Essentially, your nput equals to the output received 100%. If you don't do much and play halfarsed, the rubber won't do much and just be a mediocre rubber. If you work your ass off and put in the effort, the rubber will become the best thing on the planet. What does that mean in practical terms? Well, if you're playing short-short and you induce no force, the ball won't fly off to africa. I've had issues with various ESN and JP rubbers ranging from the Evolution Series, to Acuda, Bluefire and Tenergies, to keep the ball REALLY short and not give the opponent an opportunity to flip or loop at me. A chinese rubber makes your life much easier in that regard.
Same thing goes the other way, if you're looping and you swing your entire arm at the ball, you will pretty much launch a rocket that is guaranteed to make you feel good. If however you're the kind of guy who likes to wiggle his wrist a bit and expect a murderous topspin, you won't be happy with a chinese rubber, or the Neo H3 in particular for that matter.
Durability
After so much praise, some critique has to follow. As many are probably aware, there are about a gazillion (actually 4) different "versions" of the Hurricane rubber, each varying in "Quality". The commercial version (the one being reviewed), the domestic version, the provincial version and a national version. I myself have only tried the commercial version so far, however as far as I can tell, there is no factual QUALITY difference between those different version. All that differs is the QUALITY CONTROL that the rubbers pass through. A rubber that goes through all instances of QC with excellent results will end up as a national version, the top notch rubbers specifically selected for the Chinese National Team. A rubber that is slightly worse will be handed down to the provincial teams. Everything with "average" quality will end up with the "average" customer, a commercial version. The domestic sheets aren't any different from the commercial ones, it's a matter of labeling (sponge hardness, thickness, etc.)
Right, so what does that mean for the layman? Basically, I personally haven't had any issues with quality or durability of the commercial version YET. But I've only tried 3 sheets in total, and I am still expecting to see some issues pop up, hence I rated the durability at a rough 6/10. Those issues most commonly appear as bubbles between the topsheet and the sponge due to poor glueing or a topsheet that isn't as tacky as it's supposed to be. If you don't run into any of these problems, a sheet of Neo H3 can last you for 125-140 hours of playtime easily. Considering a price range of $16 to $25 depending on where you order, I think that is a VERY reasonable lifespan.
Summary
The Neo Hurricane III is a great rubber for anybody who wants to put in the effort and strives for a flawless technique, as such is definitely required to get the most out of the rubber. It convinces with linear behaviour, where the input given is near equal to the output received, resulting in a predictable style for the player and yet a dangerous and spinny game for the opponent. The rubber reacts really well with any kind of Booster, specifically Haifu Seamoon. Below you can see how the rubber looks like once glued down
General
The NEO Hurricane III is a typical chinese rubber and shows two main differences when compared to rubbers made in Europe or Japan. Unlike the Butterfly Sheets or ESN rubbers, the topsheet is relatively grippy and tacky. The sponge does not look like swiss cheese like on the high-end models of Andro, Tibhar, Donic or Joola, but instead has a lot of miniscule pores and gives a very robust and non-flexible impression. Because of those two factors, the rubber plays slightly different and requires an adjustment by the player in terms of technique. Whereas the "Tensor" rubbers do perfectly fine with a more frontal stroke, a typical chinese rubber works best with a tangential hitting point.
Speed
I rated the rubber at a maxed out speed of 10/10, which definitely requires some explaining. You will often read that the main issue of the rubber is it's lack of power and lack of speed, completely contradicting my evaluation. As already briefly mentioned, it depends a lot on what you're doing. During passive, more "frontal" strokes, such as a Drive or a passive Block, the rubber is indeed very dead. It starts to shine once you involve rotation, and thus both, the tacky topsheet and the sponge. Compared to an ESN rubber, the tacky topsheet takes out a lot of speed when your blocking or driving with a very frontal contact. When you're brushing the ball however, you're giving it an extra "oomph", there's a bit of a kick to it. Once you figure out the contact point required and adjust your technique, the speed you can generate on passive strokes is atleast on par, if not greater than with "conventional" european or japanese rubbers.
The same principle applies to active/aggressive strokes. The philosophy needs to change, you don't generate velocity with brute force, but instead with rotation.
Spin
Here is one of the biggest advantages of this rubber. Long story short, the amount of spin the rubber generates is absolutely ridiculous. This is most noticeable when looping and serving in my opinion. The tacky topsheet really comes into play here and grips the ball well, resulting in an amount of return mistakes on the opponent's side which I have never experienced before. The reason why I "only" gave it a 9.5 out of 10 here is simple: The topsheet of the "normal" Hurricane III, the non-NEO version, is slightly tackier. The effect is even more prominent with that rubber.
Control
If the previous two factors couldn't convince you to give it a try, this one might. The reason why so many people fall in love with this rubber in particular (me included) is it's linear behaviour. Essentially, your nput equals to the output received 100%. If you don't do much and play halfarsed, the rubber won't do much and just be a mediocre rubber. If you work your ass off and put in the effort, the rubber will become the best thing on the planet. What does that mean in practical terms? Well, if you're playing short-short and you induce no force, the ball won't fly off to africa. I've had issues with various ESN and JP rubbers ranging from the Evolution Series, to Acuda, Bluefire and Tenergies, to keep the ball REALLY short and not give the opponent an opportunity to flip or loop at me. A chinese rubber makes your life much easier in that regard.
Same thing goes the other way, if you're looping and you swing your entire arm at the ball, you will pretty much launch a rocket that is guaranteed to make you feel good. If however you're the kind of guy who likes to wiggle his wrist a bit and expect a murderous topspin, you won't be happy with a chinese rubber, or the Neo H3 in particular for that matter.
Durability
After so much praise, some critique has to follow. As many are probably aware, there are about a gazillion (actually 4) different "versions" of the Hurricane rubber, each varying in "Quality". The commercial version (the one being reviewed), the domestic version, the provincial version and a national version. I myself have only tried the commercial version so far, however as far as I can tell, there is no factual QUALITY difference between those different version. All that differs is the QUALITY CONTROL that the rubbers pass through. A rubber that goes through all instances of QC with excellent results will end up as a national version, the top notch rubbers specifically selected for the Chinese National Team. A rubber that is slightly worse will be handed down to the provincial teams. Everything with "average" quality will end up with the "average" customer, a commercial version. The domestic sheets aren't any different from the commercial ones, it's a matter of labeling (sponge hardness, thickness, etc.)
Right, so what does that mean for the layman? Basically, I personally haven't had any issues with quality or durability of the commercial version YET. But I've only tried 3 sheets in total, and I am still expecting to see some issues pop up, hence I rated the durability at a rough 6/10. Those issues most commonly appear as bubbles between the topsheet and the sponge due to poor glueing or a topsheet that isn't as tacky as it's supposed to be. If you don't run into any of these problems, a sheet of Neo H3 can last you for 125-140 hours of playtime easily. Considering a price range of $16 to $25 depending on where you order, I think that is a VERY reasonable lifespan.
Summary
The Neo Hurricane III is a great rubber for anybody who wants to put in the effort and strives for a flawless technique, as such is definitely required to get the most out of the rubber. It convinces with linear behaviour, where the input given is near equal to the output received, resulting in a predictable style for the player and yet a dangerous and spinny game for the opponent. The rubber reacts really well with any kind of Booster, specifically Haifu Seamoon. Below you can see how the rubber looks like once glued down
- Speed
- Spin
- Durability
- Control
