Latest reviews

I can be very brief in this review.
It looks as good as it plays.
Like any ALC-wood, it has a wonderfully, crisp feeling.
This one just offers more feel than a Viscaria or Timo Boll ALC.
Also its handle is just perfect.
Recommended for every attack-minded player, who likes versatility and safety in their shots.

Coming from Tenergy 05 on the FH, this is what I found, having played with it for about 6 months.
First thing that stood out was the lack of bounciness. Finally, I could again hit through the ball and not worry about drifting long.
Smashes are so much more easy because of it. Second thing that stood out, was the short game and touch play. Easily the best part of the rubber.
I didn’t need to change my technique a lot, the only difference was the amount of spin on the ball (higher) and control was much easier

Serving required a bit of training. Tenergy 05 is superb for serving. As is the Gold Arc. You just need to engage the sponge more to get the spin you want.
Now the thing that really required a change: topspins and counterlooping. Tenergy 05 does a lot of the work for you, which is sometimes excellent (when counterlooping close to the table), but a lot of the time it makes you ‘overhit’ balls, because the precision needed is too high (for me).

This resulted in a change of technique. My FH has now again become my main weapon. I have so much more variety with it from spinny openings to loop kills, everything goes with this rubber. You simply don’t have this freedom with 05. Lastly, the durability is excellent, which I very much like.

Cons? As with any high performance, fast rubber, your timing on counterloops need to be good. Other than that, I really don’t have much to complain, it is simply that good. It isn’t brilliant in one area, it just does everything well. Treat it right, and you can trust this rubber, like a good dog.
I will be sticking with this for a long time. A shame it isn’t easy to acquire where I’m from.

Highly recommended for every developing and semi-decent player who looks for a forgiving rubber with maybe 5% less high-end performance than Tenergy 05.
As most of us are not pro’s, they won’t really notice or need the extra 5 percent, rather the extra control this one gives you.

I changed from Tenergy 05 to this. Here’s what I found, having played with it for over 3 months now on my backhand.

The standouts on this rubber are the precision when blocking and counterpunching/looping.

I always found that Tenergy 05 required a (too) deft hand when blocking. You always have to be super precise with it.
Mistakes and errors of judgment get punished. This rubber shone where the 05 fell apart: during blocking and short pushes.
Coming from the 05, what a delight to find yourself suddenly having time on the ball and not having to worry too much about being precise.
Short pushes were suddenly really short and loaded with spin. Blocking, active blocking and counter looping was a blast.

The last thing that stands out is its trajectory. Like Dan mentioned in his video, you always have the same trajectory and the same contact on impact.
It does this so much better than the 05, where the rubber is like a trampoline if your technique/timing isn’t perfect. The trajectory is lower and shorter and on first sight you think your ball is going to drift long, using the same technique as 05, but the amazing thing is, it doesn’t. Even 3 months in, this is apparent.
This let’s you rip balls and go for shots, you wouldn’t dare with the 05. I put this difference mainly down to the hardness of the sponge, being a lot harder than 05.

Some cons? These are mainly concerned with your technique/timing. The rubber asks you to play your backhand in a very designated way:
1. Stay low. Don’t stand straight up, your ball will miss the table and your timing will be off.
2. Hit the ball just before or at the highest point. The rubber does the rest for you, don’t be afraid to hit early and you will be amazed at how much control you actually have.
3. Use your legs! This one is the most important one. If you are a player who just uses his arm to spin your backhand, this rubber is not for you. You need to use your whole body. The rubber is like an extension of your body, the more you put into it, the better the result.
4. Compact stroke. The dwell time is not as long as in the 05. It pings of the bat faster. This means that your stroke doesn’t need to be as long to get the most out of it. Slow, explosive strokes with the backhand are best, hence why this rubber shines in counterlooping and banana flicks.

Durability is on the same level as 05, however, this one plays really good right of the bat. You feel with 05 you need to get through the rubber a bit, before you get the maximum out of it, not this one.

Overall, I am deeply satisfied with the rubber. It does everything better than 05 in my eyes, and it has none of the drawbacks. I will be trying this rubber out for the FH as well. But maybe in between seasons, not right now.
With the release of Dignics, so shortly after the 05 hard, I feel like this rubber gets overlooked. A shame, really. It’s 25 percent cheaper than Dignics.

I would recommend this rubber to any aggressive player, looking for a stable hard hitting powerhouse of a rubber. This is most certainly not for a beginner, or developing player, rather for a player who wants a stable rubber to get exactly what he wants out of his shots.
A master of all, but a stubborn one at that.

Having played with it for about 4 hours on 2 separate training sessions, here are my thoughts (playing with 2 Tenergy 05's):

Design & Handle: I really like the design with the phoenix print up front and the nice and classy straight handle. Nothing too out of the ordinary.
The straight handle is a big plus, especially compared to the flared one. It fits nice in the hand.
Serving: Great for serving. Low and spinny serves, short, half-long, long, you name it, very easy.
Short game: Best aspect of this blade. As this has ZL Fiber, and no carbon layers, you get a lot more feedback. The touch is amazing.
Looping: Very easy to generate a lot of power from short and mid distance. Also does the spin shots very well. You notice the control and forgiveness on every stroke. Timing needs to be accurate though.
Far away from the table: Some people complain about the lack of power, I don't really know why. Speed is more than enough. Counter topspins from far away are a joy. Surprised at how well the blade smashes.

Conclusion:
I was looking for a replacement for the DHS W997, which was a bit too powerful and lacked (with Tenergy 05 on the FH side) touch and control. This blade gives me the control and balance that I was looking for. I don't know why it isn't very popular, I don't know anyone who plays with it. Would definetely recommend it to a variety of players. If you have any questions, feel free to ask

To sum this blade up in a nutshell: great design and handle, ridiculous speed, suprising huge amount of control and incredible gears.

This was the blade I was looking for, really, just wow. The moment I hit my first ball with it, I was sold. I play with two Tenergy 05's on both sides, and the combination is perfect. Perfect dwell time, perfect spin on serves, pushes, open ups, drives. I will be playing with this for a long time.

Only downside is that the blade is a little bit heavy (especially with Tenergy's on), but that's about it. I will be making a more detailed review when I reglue my rubbers, stay tuned.

Update:

I have been playing with this blade for the past 4 months and here are some of my experiences:

1) speed: Very, very fast with a low arc (even with Tenergy's on). Short game takes delicate touch. Would recommend a chinese rubber on the FH side.
2) spin: Easy to generate a lot of spin on open ups, serves and touch game.
3) Control: Easy to block due to its speed and sweet spot, counter topspins are a blast. All in all if you are not a well rounded and advanced player, you do notice some lack of control
4) Serves, short pushes and long pushes: Serves are very effective, you can vary the spin a lot and keep your balls low at the same time. Short pushes are a little difficult and you need a firm hand. Flip kills are easy though. Long pushes are easier to control, due to its speed, you don't need a lot of power yourself.
5) Away from the table & counter top spins: Far away from the table is where this blade really shines. Defensive play is easy, counter from 2 to 3 metres behind the table is deadly, but again, you do have to be careful of the speed.

Conclusion:

For people who are already at the top of their game, this is one the best blades the market can offer you. As for me, as a developing player, I need some more control and something with a little less speed. If you do want this blade I would recommend putting a chinese rubber on the FH side, as this neutralizes some of the speed and problems in the short game. You can put a tensor rubber or Tenergy on the BH side, that is just your personal preference. If you have any questions, please, feel free to ask.