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Pros
  • Spinny
Cons
  • Bouncy
  • Spin sensitive
I tried this Barracuda on Stiga Maplewood NCT V CPen. My previous blade is Yasaka Musashi Deluxe JPen with Yasaka Mark V.

Although some reviews say this rubber is slow, as I have been using a more orthodox rubber Yasaka Mark V I feel this Barracuda is not that slow (although this could partly be due to the fast Maplewood.

I find the high throw is a big problem to me as the ball tends to go over the table even if I try to hit the ball very lite. This might be somewhat compensated by reducing the thickness to 1.8mm.

I usually mix some various directions of side spin when I drive, and it is obvious that this Barracuda provides better spin than the previous Yasaka Mark V. However this at the same time means I will also be more sensitive to incoming spin from opponent.
Speed
8
Spin
8.2
Durability
7.6
Control
6.4
Pros
  • Average spec
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • Average spec
I use Yasaka Mark V on Yasaka Musashi racket (JPen). Actually this Yasaka Musashi racket was initially with Yasaka V-Stage but I felt it did not fit me very well and switched to Mark V.

Overall I find Mark V quite an "average" rubber - not particularly fast/bouncy, reasonable tackiness yet not affected by the opponent's spin too much, therefore generally speaking it suits an all-round player like myself.

On the other hand, the advantageous "average" spec could also be a disadvantage for more advanced players. Considering that more high performance rubbers have been developed nowadays, this orthodox rubber may not fulfill advanced players' demand. In that case depends on their requirement they'd better upgrade to other faster/spinner rubbers.
Speed
6
Spin
6
Durability
8.2
Control
8.1
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