Latest reviews

Timo Boll ZLF - fantastic blade for intermediate level
Pros
  • Control, good arc, high dwell, adequate speed
Cons
  • High price
The Timo Boll ZLF is my fourth blade and has exceeded my expectations. I currently have a TBALC, Primorac Carbon and Innerforce Layer ZLC in my collection as well. I use Fastarc G1 for both sides of the TBZLF, TBALC and IFZLC, which helps when comparing the blades.

The ZLF is the slowest of all the blades. However, because it has the most control, I am more confident in taking bigger swings / exerting more power in my strokes. Unless you are a professional or elite club level player, the ZLF's speed is more than adequate, including for loop drives and smash shots.

In terms of touch it is softer than the TBALC (both TBs have koto outer, but the ZLF has no carbon), but slightly harder than the IFZLC, likely due to the latter's limba outer + 2 wood outer plies. Both the ZLF and IFZLC are great for short service receives. Blocking with the ZLF is comfortable and reliable, but you will need to rely more on placement than pace to win the point.

Dwell time wise, the ZLF is just a tad less than the IFZLC. However, the ZLF's looping arc (especially when exerting strength) is higher than the ZLC and hence, affords more safety and forgiveness. My coaches have observed a marked increase in my consistency when I use the ZLF to open up from backspin with a backhand loop, compared to the other blades. They have also pointed out that my forehand loops are spinnier when using the ZLF. That said, players who rely on lightning fast loop drives to score outright winners during third ball attacks should look elsewhere :)

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the TBZLF and will highly recommend it to intermediate level players, or even up to the advanced level.

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Timo Boll ZLF FG1 FG1 180g
Timo Boll ALC FG1 FG1 181g
Primorac Carbon D09c T05 184g
Innerforce ZLC FG1 FG1 189g
Speed
6
Control
10
Hardness
5
Durability
8
Inner carbon blade with moderate speed and high control
Pros
  • Speed
  • Control - easy to play
  • Block
Cons
  • big size
The Shang Kun is a very good inner carbon blade from Tibhar. The blade is not so fast like the other innerforce blades. Therefor the SKAC is a good choice for the non pro players.

The blade has a great sability and enough speed to play an offensive playstyle. The control is high and much higher than the other Pro Player inner carbon blades.
Speed
8.6
Control
9.4
Hardness
7
Durability
8.4
Well balanced 7ply wood
Pros
  • balanced 7ply wood
  • good speed and control
Cons
  • not stiff like a carbon blade
I think the Dyna Seven is one of the well balanced 7ply woods on the market. You have a high control and enough speed to play a variable game.
Speed
7.8
Control
8.6
Hardness
7.8
Durability
9
V
vanjr
Any idea how it compares to the Koki Niwa wood or Swat series?
Inner Carbon blade with a fantastic feeling
The Fire Fall FC is a great blade. The blade has a excellent feeling and is well balanced in speed and control. The blade don't vibrate much. You can play very equal and the blade won't let you down.

When you combine the blade with fast rubbers, you have a powerful, high performance setup.
Speed
8.4
Control
9.4
Hardness
5.5
Durability
7
Perfect for my attacking style
Pros
  • Open ups
  • Counter
  • Service
  • Short game
  • Chopping
  • Tackiness
Cons
  • Speed
  • weight
  • Price
This the night and day better compared to the Dignics 09c that I’ve been using for 1 year.
Speed
6.1
Spin
10
Durability
8.3
Control
9.9
Shang Kun AC 👌
Pros
  • Control
  • Ease of use
  • Spin
  • Block
Cons
  • None
This blade is not very well known or talked about online, probably if it were from butterfly or branded with some pro name it would sell like hotcakes.

I stumbled upon it a bit by luck, some famous young players where signed by Tibhar and they were playing eye catching table tennis, they are the Lebrun Brothers. When I researched a bit more I found that one of them (Alexis) played with Boll ALC and the other (Felix) with innerforce (ZLC i think) but when they got signed For Tibhar they had to change equipment and they choose Shang Kun AC.

So far so good but I wasn’t completely sold on it, so lurked around on online forums, watched ttplanet21 video review on YouTube and thought, what the hell, I’ll get one and see for myself.

I’ve played table tennis for around 15/20 years, and used 5ply blades (Tibhar power 40 an old model), 7ply (Tibhar Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition), carbon blades (Primorac Carbon, Zhang Jike ALC, Viscaria, Donic Waldner WC 89, Timo Boll ZLC, DHS301, Nuytinck ZC, Donic Original True Carbon) some where mine and some from colleagues.

Anyway, when I first tried Shang Kun AC, I immediately felt an amazing stability, control and exceptional dwell time when training with it.

I was able to block much more consistently, the attack of the third ball and when serve receiving was so easy and fluid, at the same time I was able to let the ball much shorter when receiving serves. Everything felt like a whole new world coming from what I was used to. With a medium to high arc it is very safe to play aggressively.

Forehand or backhand both easy to loop and manage a great placement in the table, with great power when needed.

In competitive matches and tournaments where sometimes the pressure take the best of some players, I became a much better player because it gave me confidence, consistency and the ability to play faster balls or spinier ones, receive short, push long with better quality, everything how one thinks it should be, but often can’t really do, when feeling the pressure of important matches.

So, i can only recommend it to everyone that want to have a better control all around, a soft touch, still keeping enough power to finish any point
Speed
7.9
Control
10
Hardness
5
Durability
9
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Reactions: rbtitco
L
Luigiii
The handle is on the thinner side I think I have the ST. Almost but not totally round. For exemple I tried the Boll ALC ST but didn’t like it much, to squarish for my taste.
I prefer Donic rounder handle in the ST version of Donic True Carbon or Waldner 89 WC.
L
Luigiii
But Shang Kun is around the same size of the timo boll alc but a bit less squarish. Or thinner then Donic but a little less rounder 🤣
rbtitco
rbtitco
gripped a ST handle Donic a few months ago (cant remember which model) but it felt really good
Not bad
Pros
  • spiny
  • speed
Cons
  • picks up dust too easily
  • price
  • heavy
Very unpredictable when doing flicks and very spiny
Speed
8
Spin
9.3
Durability
9
Control
7.8
2 members found this helpful.
Pros
  • Control
  • Easy to use
  • Price
  • Blocking
  • Spin
Cons
  • Nothing that stands out
Rozena is a good rubber for intermediate players with a good
technique that want to play with more speed than begginer rubbers while still remain a lot of control.

I played the rozena rubber in 1.9 mm on both sides on an ovtcharov s2 blade and I'm very happy with it. I've been playing with it for about 1,5 years now. For me it's a very good combination of speed and control. You can make every shot with good spin but there is nothing that really stands out. That's why I changed to tenergy 05. But I would recommend it to intermediate players who want to have a offensive rubber that's good in every department and want to get better.
Pros

  • Control
  • Serve and receives
  • Topspins
  • Close to table and mid distance
  • Blocking
Cons
  • medium-soft sponge
  • Nothing that stands out
Speed
8.4
Spin
8.2
Durability
8.5
Control
9
Good rubber but not for everyone.
Pros
  • Spin
  • Control
  • Price
Cons
  • Too hard for my backhand
Controlled compared to some hybrid bouncy balls, which are only slowed down to a certain extent by their sticky topsheet but not (too) slow.

It is definitely a rubber that rewards good shot execution. With a good position and good stroke execution there is enough speed even on the backhand further away from the table to end a rally. On the FH - coming from H3 - with longer strokes this is not a problem but on the backhand it can be due to the sponge hardness. Somewhat similar to a harder H3 (>=39°) on the BH. A softer 38° or 40° (Bty) version of the G09C would be nice.

FH: Lots of spin, good feedback especially when opening up with a spinny loop, precise/controlled, fast enough, quite high throw angle but not too high for me. Definitely recommended.
BH: Just like with FH but with the restriction that you have to be really in a good position and properly execute your strokes to be able to put your opponents under pressure if you are further away from the table. Keeping the ball in play is of course possible but that's not enough for me on the BH/too much for me in real matches.
Speed
6
Spin
8
Control
8.5
Glayzer O9C
Pros
  • Heavy spin
  • Good control
  • No need Boost
  • Alternativ of Hurricane 3 neo orange sponge
Cons
  • Slow if bad technique or low body power
Glayzer O9C The top sheet with identical technology to that which is used in the Dignics 09C you can read butterfly homepage here https://www.butterfly-global.com/en/product/glayzer/

I use Glayzer O9C both in BH and FH, my blade is DONIC Original True Carbon Inner. Glayzer O9C is very similar to Hurricane 3 neo, but less tacky and faster. At the beginning, the throw angle was surprisingly high after adjustment and it has lots of spin when you top spin, of course you have to have good technique like the Chinese have, then the Glayzer O9C will be deadly.
In the serve you can generate a lot of spin and where this rubber shines most is on the receive. It is very easy to touch the ball short due to the stickiness and at the same time the rubber has enough power to perform forehand and backhand flicks.

Many people say Glayzer O9C is very slow but it is faster in I expected. If you don't top spin that much, Glayzer O9C is not for you but if you start using Glayzer O9C and start to develop it top spin you can develop quickly but then you have to learn the Chinese technique or is very similar to the Chinese technique because out of it best Glayzee O9C. Ps I would assume a sponge hardness of approx. 50-52° EUR. Officially, the hardness level is 42° JPN.
Speed
8.3
Spin
9
Durability
8.7
Control
9.1
One member found this helpful.
The best balanced blade i played with yet
Pros
  • control
  • speed
  • heavy (90+g)
  • nice handle
  • ok price
Cons
  • not the best in any of those things
Its probably the best blade when you want to attack with high spin and speed, but still dont want to loose out on controll. Especially great for players who have a good base technique and want to grow with a faster blade.

On my humble opinion it has even greater control than an allwood blade. Simply because there are 2 layers of wood over the alc carbon layer you have a better feeling right before hitting really hard.

I personally use the Donic BluefireM2 on both sides and still have the feeling the spin is not crazy, which is completely fine for me. It still feels really easy to open up the game with it.

The handle is indeed really short, as mentioned here before, but still thick enough imo.

The speed again is really good but nothing crazy like a Fan Zen Dong ZLC. Compared to an allwood blade its still really fast.

And thats what this blade is. Its not the best at any of those points but is really good overall with great control. This probably the best blade for amateur players who are maybe in their 2nd - 5th year.
Speed
8
Control
10
Hardness
7
Durability
9
One member found this helpful.
Xuperman Powerplay - X 41º / 2.1mm / Black
Pros
  • Short game
  • Serving
  • Counterlooping
  • Linearity
Cons
  • Flat hits, counters, active blocks
  • Availability
  • Linearity
  • 2.1mm only
I'm no EJ by any means; cured of that years back. Even so, in admiration of "the spice of life" Xu Xin and his attempt towards a post-pro life in bringing Xuperman-branded rubbers to market made me curious.

Usually, Fastarc G-1 is my go-to; it has been for years. So that's my main frame of reference. My level: upper Dutch regional leagues.

So I ordered a few slabs of the Powerplay X rubber, in black, at 41º. I've been training with it for a few weeks now, and have played some tournaments with it.

It took some adapting to get full stability. That took me a few sessions.

This rubber is solid, reliable, and it's not boring. Here are a few takeaways, based upon my impressions.

  1. Spin it. This is not a rubber for a flat hitter, blocker, counterer.
  2. Gears. This rubber is both very slow (even dead) upon low-impact shots, but offers a lot high-end power.
  3. Effort is required to produce quality, both in terms of power and spin.
  4. Serves and short game are fun, and when taking care to engage the sponge (to make deep contact) high spin levels can be produced. Opponents are often surprised by the level of spin on short pushes.
  5. Kill- and counterloops are deadly. If you're in position, and able to put in the effort.
In terms of results, I've been having good wins, no unexpected losses. I engaged a few national league players in tournaments, took a few games and forced them to refocus (and then destroy me). I don't credit the rubber, but even so, it certainly didn't hamper my play.

I'll be playing it for a while. However, as I'm aging I do realize the amount of effort required is rather high, especially in countertopspin rallies. I'm going to see how that pans out; I've not yet decided.

One impediment that amplifies my doubts is availability. I had to scoure Ali Express to find it, and one of the things I value deeply in the end is also to have a dependable, reliable supply. Buys shouldn't be gambits, and I'll allow no room for doubts on material quality in the mental part of the TT game.
Speed
8
Spin
8.5
Control
9
2 members found this helpful.
P1ngP0ng3r
P1ngP0ng3r
Thanks for sharing your input. Won't bother trying the rubber as I'm no fan of Chinese type of rubbers.
(succes in de najaars competitie en misschien komen we elkaar tegen??? (1st klasse zuidwest)
yoass
yoass
Update: after scouring Ali, I actually bought it from ProTT. Just in case.
Well ballanced
Pros
  • Control
  • Balance
  • Easy to play
  • Friendly
  • Dwell Time
Cons
  • Needs time
I've been using many years Petr Korbel Japan OFF, then Jun Mizutani SZLC, then Boll ZLF. To my style I think it is best blade. You can play very hard(if you have enough power in hand), but you can play ridiculous spinny, what I love. Actually dwell time on it is awesome, you need time to master it, but it seems, that this blade will stay with me many years.
Speed
8
Control
9.6
Hardness
6
Durability
7.5
My Review of the Korbel SK7
Pros
  • Relative high speed
  • Designer appearance
  • Price
Cons
  • Relative lack of flexibility
  • Relative low control
  • Relative heaviness
Speed: This blade has a relatively high speed, a little bouncy and sometimes hard to control because of this. It was paired with two Tenergy 19s.

Control: A relatively amount of control, a little bouncy for the short game.

Feel:
Surprisingly, this blade had a great feel, with some vibration.

Stiffness: This blade has a relatively low amount of flexibility, it is rather on the stiff side. Because of that, the throw angle is not too high, which does not really suit me.

Durability: As durable as any other blade. Sometimes during regluing the upper layer of wood was seperated from the second layer. However this only affected the edges at small territories, nothing serious. It does not break if you do not throw it around (which I did :D).
SPINNNNNN
Pros
  • Spin
  • Control
  • Serve/receive
  • Price
Cons
  • Speed
  • Smashing
Amazing rubber, perfect if you have a large stroke forehand. Also very durable and cheap.
Speed
5
Spin
10
Durability
8.6
Control
9.6
A spinnier version of a Timo Boll ALC
Pros
  • spin
  • price
Cons
  • flared handle
Plays almost the same as a Timo Boll ALC, maybe a bit slower/softer (the Gewo blade is also a wee bit thinner when I compare them).
1 big difference though: I can generate a lot more spin than with the Timo Boll ALC.

Flared handle seems even thinner than a Boll ALC and the shape is less pronounced, almost between flared an straight.

For a smaller price, you get a more forgiving version of a Timo Boll ALC.
Best rubber for loopers, especially penholders
Pros
  • spin
  • control
  • short game
  • loops far from the table
  • loop-kill
  • sidespin
  • you need to use good technique
Cons
  • you can't flat hit
  • you need to use good technique
This is my favorite rubber of all time. Before I found this rubber, I was using Hurricane 3. All of the characteristics of Hurricane 3 that I like, this rubber has even more. If you like Hurricane 3 I highly suggest trying this rubber.

I currently use Skyline 2 on both sides when I play penhold, and I use it on my backhand (my stronger side) when I play handshake grip.

I do not boost this rubber, as I like to play with it unboosted. I am quite strong so it does not bother me to have to put in extra effort to get a fast ball. Make no mistake, when you hit the ball hard with good technique, it goes FAST, even faster than Tenergy. However, if you do not hit with power and correct technique, the ball will go very slow. This can be beneficial for control in the short game. Because of this I am not sure how to rate the speed of this rubber.

One of the main features of this rubber is that you need to use good Chinese technique -- power comes from your legs, and you need to lightly brush the ball (rather than hit through it). In some ways this is a pro, since it reinforces good technique and makes you learn good technique quickly -- when you hit the ball correctly, you will feel it and it feels very good. However, this is also a con, since you need to make a good quality effort with every single hit. You cannot be lazy, even for a single stroke.

The spin on big loops far from the table is unparalleled. The loop-kill (Ma Lin's signature shot) is incredible -- I see why Ma Lin used this rubber. Control in the short game is amazing. Throw angle is very low (even lower than Hurricane 3).

The main thing I like about this rubber is the feeling -- the ball stays on the rubber for a long time, and you can really "pick up" the ball and "throw" it with Skyline 2. In the short game, you can "pick up" the ball and "drop" it where you want.

There is one downside of Skyline 2, which is that you can't flat hit the ball. Every stroke you make must have spin on it, it's the only way to get a consistent shot. If you try to flat hit, the ball will fly away randomly -- I think it is due to the rubber being extremely sticky.

If you do not boost this rubber and make sure to clean it, it will stay sticky and last for many months.
Speed
8
Spin
10
Durability
10
Control
10
Interesting rubber with unique qualities. Sidespin monster!
Pros
  • sidespin
  • counterspin
  • looping
  • fishing
Cons
  • backspin
  • loop-kill
I got my hands on a sheet of Xuperman Powerplay-X and tried it for a 3-hour playing session tonight. I thought it had some really unique qualities, and wanted to share my thoughts about it.

A bit about me:

I'm around 1500 USATT rating and I typically play 1-sided penhold (with occasional RPB, which I am still learning). Xu Xin is one of my favorite players and I really try to imitate his playing style, so when I heard that he developed a new rubber, I had to try it. Like Xu Xin, I am tall, quick, and strong, and my backhand attack is inconsistent, so I typically try to cover most of the table with my forehand. I also like to hit powerful sidespin loops from far behind (and below) the table -- this is my main strategy for winning points in games.

Most of my playing experience is with tacky Chinese rubbers (Hurricane and Skyline series) and a bit with hybrid rubbers (D09c, K3, Rakza Z) so this is generally what I am comparing to Xuperman when I say it is fast or spinny or whatever. My main reference is Skyline 2, which is what I have been using for the past year.

Skyline 2 is a rubber that was developed for Ma Lin, and used by Xu Xin in his professional career. It's slower and spinnier than the popular Hurricane 3 and it excels at
- short game control and blocking
- loop-kill (somewhere between a loop and a smash, one of Ma Lin's signature shots)
- spinny arcing loops when you take the ball from far behind/below the table (Xu Xin's signature shot)

Usually my racket is Nittaku Miyabi (a 1-ply hinoki blade) with DHS Skyline 2, unboosted, on both sides. Today, I put Xuperman rubber on the forehand of my blade, and left Skyline 2 on the backhand. Unfortunately, the Xuperman rubber only comes in black so I only put it on one side. I did not boost the Xuperman rubber.



Physical properties of the rubber:

Xuperman Powerplay-X is slightly tacky -- not nearly as tacky as DHS Hurricane or Skyline rubbers, but it will briefly hold the ball on the paddle upside down. The sponge feels slightly softer than DHS rubbers. The topsheet and sponge are both quite stretchy.


Playing impressions:

The first thing I noticed was the ease of the loop. Even forehand drives will come off with a substantial amount of spin. I can absolutely see why Xu Xin wanted to develop this rubber and why he likes it. The closest thing I can compare this rubber to was a lightly boosted blue-sponge Hurricane 3. It also felt similar to Andro Rasanter C53.


Sidespin: More than anything, I think this rubber helps to add sidespin -- my sidespin was absolutely deadly today. Even though my loops usually include a lot of sidespin, my playing partner missed a lot of my loops today because they drifted too far to the side. Sidespin serves were very spinny and curvy. I'm not sure what kind of material properties create this sidespin capability, but it was really interesting to play with.

Out-of-position hits: The other main thing I liked about this rubber is that it really helps you when you are in a bad position. With Skyline and Hurricane rubbers, you need to hit all of your shots with perfect Chinese technique (power from your legs, light brushing, etc) in order for it to go on the table. With Xuperman, you can still hit pretty-good shots when you are off-balance, stretching for it, or otherwise in a bad position.

Topspin: The topspin was alright, not as good as Skyline 2. I think my loops are usually around 70% topspin and 30% sidespin, but with the Xuperman rubber, the ratio was reversed.

Speed: In terms of speed, the rubber was quite a bit faster than unboosted Skyline 2. It felt like it had a bit of catapult effect, almost like a tensor rubber. Contact time is less than Skyline 2, but still more than most tensor rubbers. Its speed is similar to Rakza Z in my opinion (but with a much lower throw angle).

Fishing: This rubber reminds me of Skyline 2 with its fishing capabilities. The rubber is a lot bouncier, and so the fishing shots end up being higher than they are with Skyline 2. This makes them harder to smash for the opponent.

Counterspin: This rubber really excelled at counterspin. It's not very sensitive to incoming spin, which is very nice.

Backspin: Backspin is my main complaint about this rubber, it was noticeably lacking in comparison to Skyline 2. I probably need to learn how to use the rubber better, but after 3 hours I did not manage to find a good way to create heavy backspin -- something which is usually a big part of my short game. EDIT: after trying some more, I found that you can create backspin by giving a very sharp jab under the ball -- so sharp that your wrist bounces back after. At the same time, you have to be very relaxed in the wrist and arm. Seems difficult to execute consistently.

Blocking: The blocking is faster than Skyline and Hurricane rubbers, so it is taking me some time to adjust. I thought it was a bit less controlled, but not too bad. With Xuperman rubber you need to control the angle and actively block fast onto the table.

Loop-kill & smash: One of the main reasons I like Skyline 2 is because you can make very fast topspin smashes with it. In fact, smashes with Skyline 2 require some element of topspin -- if you smash with Skyline and don't use topspin, your shot will be very unpredictable. Hurricane 2 and Hurricane 3 have this property to an extent as well.

Xuperman Powerplay-X notably does not have this property. Xuperman rubber allows for flat, no-spin smashes, but you cannot get a very good loop-kill with it.

Throw & Trajectory: The throw angle was a bit higher than Skyline 2 but still pretty low. Able to loop underspin easier than Skyline 2.



Conclusion:

I think I will continue to use blue-sponge Skyline 2 until my next tournament, at least. After that, I think I will give Xuperman a serious try and maybe post a better review once I have learned to use it. I may also try to use it on my backhand in the future.

I really enjoyed the sidespin and security in awkward positions, but I don't think that is worth the downsides. It will be a huge disadvantage for me to lose backspin. Additionally, because Xuperman is faster than Skyline 2, it has less control than Skyline 2. I am strong enough to hit hard with Skyline 2 when I need to, so the increase in speed is not very valuable to me, but if you are not so strong you might find benefit from Xuperman Powerplay-X.

I think this is a very good rubber if your playing style is like Xu Xin's. For other playing styles I am not so sure. I may try playing handshake style with it and update my review.
Speed
7
Spin
9.8
Control
9
4 members found this helpful.
Butterfly Hybrid for the masses
Pros
  • Spin
  • Control
  • Blocking
  • Flat hits
  • Serve receives
  • Weight
  • Faster and easier to generate spin/speed than Chinese unboosted rubbers
Cons
  • Looping heavy underspin requires good footwork
  • Not suitable for players not used to non-bouncy rubbers
On a 7 ply Andro Timber 7 Off/S (limba-ayous), this is a very safe rubber for the vast majority of amateurs and hobbyists. Gives you plenty of spin and speed to finish off points, as well as rewards good technique.

The unique Butterfly Spring Sponge feel is there without the downsides of uncontrollable speed or high spin sensitivity. Perhaps more advanced players would find it too slow on wood blades and would need to pair with a Viscaria-like blade.

Also you would probably not like it if you've never tried harder linear rubbers (like H3, H8, Big Dipper, Gear Hyper etc). But it is easier to play with compared to those...
Speed
7.8
Spin
8.2
Control
8.9
SPIN
Pros
  • Spin
  • Control
  • Short game
  • Serve
Cons
  • Speed
Amazing rubber from butterfly. Very spiny on open up’s but doesn:t have the speed for 5th ball attack.
Speed
7.4
Spin
9.2
Durability
8.8
Control
10
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