Have two Astro glued on 190 Cpen. Astro M black FH and Astro S red RPB. Uncut weight of black is 67.7g and red 66.5g which are on the heavy side. Blade itself is 84.5g and total setup weight is a manageable 186.8g. This rubber is a heavy weight contender as usual.
Astro has a shine and grainy top sheet. Initial feel is that Astro got lots of grip and dwell in play with less bounce than standard Airoc. Could change after some breaking in (feels more alive after a few days). Final speed is more or less the same if not better. Any difference in feel could be due to the freshness of the new sheets. Can't say it is a hugh step up from Airoc but it is definitely not any let down.
I see a pip structure difference between the two. Airoc's pip is very small and short in a cylindrical shape. Astro is also small but looks trapezoid.
Astro is pretty good on its own and strike a perfect balance between Speed, Spin and Control with a capital "C".
If you check the ratings between Calibra Tour M, Airoc M and Astro M on the package, they are very much the same in every categories with the new Astro reaching 152 in speed. But the small print said maximum rating is 150 so Stiga has to make their new rubber look good and exceed the Airoc's already high 149 by 3 points. I think they can make up something out of nothing if they have to.
One word about cutting. I found it among the easiest rubber to cut. The same cutter can't give a clean cut through the Calibra Tour sponge. That is one big plus for me. I hate jagged edges.
If it is any lighter I may give it 5 stars.
Astro has a shine and grainy top sheet. Initial feel is that Astro got lots of grip and dwell in play with less bounce than standard Airoc. Could change after some breaking in (feels more alive after a few days). Final speed is more or less the same if not better. Any difference in feel could be due to the freshness of the new sheets. Can't say it is a hugh step up from Airoc but it is definitely not any let down.
I see a pip structure difference between the two. Airoc's pip is very small and short in a cylindrical shape. Astro is also small but looks trapezoid.
Astro is pretty good on its own and strike a perfect balance between Speed, Spin and Control with a capital "C".
If you check the ratings between Calibra Tour M, Airoc M and Astro M on the package, they are very much the same in every categories with the new Astro reaching 152 in speed. But the small print said maximum rating is 150 so Stiga has to make their new rubber look good and exceed the Airoc's already high 149 by 3 points. I think they can make up something out of nothing if they have to.
One word about cutting. I found it among the easiest rubber to cut. The same cutter can't give a clean cut through the Calibra Tour sponge. That is one big plus for me. I hate jagged edges.
If it is any lighter I may give it 5 stars.



