Latest reviews

Pros
  • ABS plastic
  • very durable
  • bouncy
Cons
  • bit overpriced
  • some not round
I got a couple of boxes a couple of weeks ago... so far quite like it, first it didn't broke (but, I lost 1 ball, and give 1 to my sparring, so it's not like I play the same ball for two weeks...), second it's feels lighter and harder than DHS D40+ and Nittaku Premium (which I mostly use), but not to the point of lightness of XSF/Kingnik/... type of balls, so overall I liked new SD ball (I don't like light weight balls, I don't "feel" them), it fells more "bouncy" and "lively" than D40+ (when I drop (at the same time, subjectively) D40+ and SD to the table from the height (same, subjectively) about 30 cm then SD bounce noticeably longer and higher), and not much worse than Nittaku Premium for me, but SD is much cheaper than Premium... also, from 2 boxes (3 balls in a box, so 6 balls) 1 ball is not round at all, others at least acceptable, so in general they are not as round as almost any Nittaku Premium ball is...

So decided to fully migrate to this ball, tomorrow will get another 3 boxes... but still bought 1 box of DHS D40+... it's just they really are alike, I have no problems when I play on tournaments if I play one match with NSD ball and next match with D40+, it's just playing with NSD ball is a bit more joyful to me, but D40+ is a bit cheaper and sometimes I use them, when it's a pity for me to play with NSD ball (for example at work, where we have such a rough surface on walls, that any ball will be killed in a few hours of playing maximum)...

Conclusion: Good alternative to DHS D40+ ball, a bit pricier, but a bit more "bouncy", for me it's worth to overpay a bit...
Roundness
7
Hardness
8
Speed
8
Durability
9
For Liner Shoe in Shoes
Pros
  • Great grip
  • Breathable
  • Comfortable
I have been using these shoes for the last few weeks and I am very pleased with them. They have a snug and comfortable fit which is perfect for agile table tennis movements. Also great grip on the soles, and have a sleek modern design and are a more elegant colour then a lot of modern table tennis shoes in my opinion. Not flashy, just simple and smart design suitable for men and women equally. Would definitely recommend these shoes to people, although these aren't the lightest shoes I've ever had they are definitely not heavy and offer very good support too. Obviously as I haven't been wearing the shoes for a long extended amount of time I can't comment too much on the durability, but they certainly seem of a higher quality than previous Stiga shoes.
Comfort
9.8
Grip
9.4
Durability
9.8
Weight
3.7
Pros
  • Aggressive style
  • Block Punch
  • Powerful topspin
Adding my own description as I cannot read Japanese and want to review it.

STYLE: two-sided Jpen with rounded head FINISH and APPEARANCE: excellent - an attractive red & thin JPen handle out of wood - looks great & will not get dirty/deteriorate as cork does. Two lenses on the handle - white Nittaku Large Ace & red LA at the tip. Has a black edge guard and is slightly sanded FEEL: rather hard THROW: rather flat, I tried it with a Rhyzm rubber and it was too flat, matches very well with high throw rubbers SPEED: towards OFF+

MY OBSERVATIONS: - suited for a very aggressive style with rubbers on both sides close to the table/mid distance. I use JP01 on FH and 388C-1 on RPB side. - offers a very stable JPen grip plus good wrist movement - encourages fast strokes and swings - excels in the fast game: TPB block/punch, TPB-smash, FH-smash, powerful topspins - I flick serves & pushes & occasionly punch with medium pips RPB - great for both relentless attacking and combination play
Pros
  • Spin
  • Looping
Cons
  • Flat hits
  • not that fast
Initial impressions:
I have tried this rubber on a Nittaku Vioncello, Vodak Hinoki Carbon, and I am using at as my current FH rubber on my Stiga Infinity VPS V. The rubber has a blue cake sponge that has a somewhat fuzzy texture but it is still quite hard. The rubber also has plastic film on the topsheet and is quite tacky especially the red one. The red rubber also has a slightly dull shade of red. When you hit the ball with the rubber it has that classic Chinese rubber sound and the ball can stick to the rubber. However, the tackiness level is not as much as DHS Hurricane rubbers. It also is important to note that the red rubber is tackier and slower than the black rubber so if you are thinking about using the rubber get red if you want more spin and a slow high arc on your loops and get the black rubber if you want more speed and a fast low arc on your loops.
Playing experience:
When serving you can generate a good amount of spin especially with the red one if you brush vigorously but for me it is easier to produce variation using European rubbers. The short game is quite good and it is very easy to push the ball quite short and spinny. However, if someone gives you a slightly longer push and you try pushing back the ball is going to pop up quite high. Another area this rubber struggles with is opening up. Getting a strong open up requires perfect timing and brushing. You can do weaker and higher open ups quite easily but that is not a very good idea. Where this rubber shines is those top to top rallies, counter looping, and the follow up attack. The loops have low arc and have a large amount of spin. When looping you have to remember to open your arm up and use your body in your shot in order to get the ball where you want. You also have to accelerate your stroke upon contacting the ball in order to get the ball where you want. If you brush slowly with no power the ball is either gonna drop off your racket or go flying off the table. Remember that this rubber is not very forgiving when it comes to bad timing or flat hitting. Smashing the ball or passive blocking requires good touch though it is definitely more effective if you block actively and try to smash using the opposite side of the racket (assuming you are using a different rubber there.)
Speed
7.3
Spin
9.1
Durability
8
Control
7.4
Pros
  • Spin
  • Speed
  • Control
Cons
  • Durability
I am a modern defensive player who attacks on the forehand with tenergy 05fx and uses p1 curl long pimples on the backhand. I also twiddle when necessary to attack and defend.

Tenergy 05 fx is a great rubber for forehand and backhand as it has all the charaestics that a attacking player needs. I like the amount of controlled spin and speed u have when hitting a loop from either side. I feel this is for intermediate to advanced players. I moved from sriver when i first started to nimbus to tenergy and thought this was good as i progressed. I am a division 1 player in the Romford league.

The only slight disadvantage point is the durability. I am trying to keep it as clean as i can to get maximum use.
Speed
7.2
Spin
8
Durability
3.5
Control
6.5
Pros
  • power attack
  • short play
  • spin
Cons
  • soft attack
On a occasion got myself a red R50 on ultramax sponge... didn't expect much from it, because recently bought R47 with 2.0 sponge and wasn't impressed with it's performance compared to tenergy 05 max rubber that I use on both sides of a blade (tried it on Apolonia ZLC blade... on BH it was "so-so", on FH not bad, but 05 is much better), I just wanted to try new blade that I bought (Innerforce ZLC)... but, to my surprice, R50 ultramax was fantastic on FH, especially when you make powerful topspin, I was quite dumpfolded when I realise that the more powerful topspin is the more control you get (with 05 for me it's quite an opposite), also the powerful topspis has quite low through angle, but still have a lot of rotation and (as I already sayd) a loooot of control, so it's quite hard for the opponent... the thing I didn't like in R47 2.0, the "cushion" feeling of the sponge, in R50 ultramax on FH is a great thing for short play and block, but, as I sayd, topspin is great thanks to hard and thick sponge... the are still cons though, when you try play relatitely "soft" and slow topspins control is lacking (I think the "cushion" feeling of the sponge is a main reason), so IMO if you attack with this rubber it needs to be done with some power, "soft" attack is not for this rubber, and for my lousy play it means that this rubber is not for my BH, which doesn't have much power, so on BH I prefer Tenergy 05 which compensates my lack of power with bouncy sponge...

So my choice for now is R50 ultramax on FH and Tenergy 05 on BH... but it's a choice for Innerforce ZLC blade, still haven't tried R50 with Apolonia ZLC blade, hope it will be as great as on Innerforce... also, currently Innerforce ZLC with red R50 ultramax on one side and Tenergy 05 1.9 on the other is weight quite much and have quite noticeable overweight to side of the racket with rubbers, and I like it, it helps me to accelerate wrist on the topspin in the moment before racket contact the ball which probably give additional rotation on power to the ball, so maybe some part of my WOW effect of R50 is actually due to that...
Speed
8
Spin
9
Durability
8
Control
8
Pros
  • Cheap
  • Quality
Cons
  • Non-existant
Firstly, I purchased this blade for £20 so I wasn't expecting big things but it has changed my entire game. I was playing with much faster blades and didn't even realise how inconsistant my short game and control was until i picked up the sweden extra. It does everything very well. I play a mostly offensive game, quite close to the table with fast rubbers - Gold Arc 8 and Rasanter R47. The control is fantastic and allows me to keep pushes short with lots of spin while still being able to produce enough power to finish a point. My ability to counter topspin has improved a lot and blocking is also great. I have yet to find any downsides to this blade and it has me looking at all of the other blades in a similar price range in a new light - considering I could buy 4/5 (probably more!) of these for the price of one fast Butterfly blade!

I believe this blade would probably suit most players looking for an allround - offensive game. With slower rubbers it would be great for beginners and then all you need to do is upgrade the rubbers as you improve. Unless you're playing at a very high level it really will do everything.
Speed
7.5
Control
9.6
Hardness
2.3
Durability
9
The Xiom ZX3 blade is the flagship blade of the Xiom Feel Series. This is also the most expensive blade among the 8 newly released blades in the Feel series. I had the opportunity to play with this blade for several weeks at the same time testing this. The ZX3 has a very high quality craftsmanship. Although it doesn't say on the blade surface that this is kiso hinoki, I have confirmed that this is kiso hinoki as what the HX Pro and HX blades are also made from. This is a very fast blade. This is the 2nd fastest blade in the Feel series with the HX Pro being the fastest one. Some people would say that the ZX2 is the fastest because it is thicker than the ZX3 but I feel a small difference in extra speed and kick on the ball with the ZX3 compared to the ZX2. Both blades are OFF+ and stiff but the ZX3 is slightly softer than the ZX2 that it makes looping. The ZX3 is about 88-89 grams and feels slightly head heaavy. Most of the Feel blades produce are on the medium heavy or heavy side of weight. Xiom says that they intended this because the new Xiom Omega 7 Pro and Euro Versions are lighter than current ESN and Tenergy rubbers so to combine with the Feel blades will make the racket not too heavy. Anyway, the ZX3 loops great despite being a very fast blade. It is not as fast as a Schlager Carbon but a few levels slower. The blade is very bouncy but it keeps a good control. Also, despite being stiff, there is a mixed feel of softness upon impact of the ball. The ZX3 attacks really good near until far the table but even near the table the blade is very controllable. It is both a looper's blade and an aggressive loop driver/smasher blade because it can just do any attacking stroke with great precision and ease.
Speed
8.3
Control
7.8
Hardness
7.6
E
ericd937
Wow. Sounds like I should buy this. lol I'm currently using Strato. How does it compare to Xiom Strato?
Pros
  • Feeling
  • looping
  • awesome control
Cons
  • none
Alot of feeling and control! Quite fast! Recomended!
You have to try if you haven't!
Speed
9
Control
9.5
Hardness
6
Pros
  • Control
  • Looping
  • blocking
I used this blade since 3 months ago, with H3neo on FH and Xiom Vega pro on BH. I get good control at slow ball and touch play, but the blade is fast when used for attack, topspin or mid distance looping (the blade is : Off). Low trajectory and long dwell time, nice feel on hand and light, mine is 89 gram, so it is quite light and feel soft. Nice for using mid distance play because I can control easily an returning the ball to where I want. But difficult to glue rubber on it, because the NCT surface layer is too slick, so need to sand the surface. This surface layer is actually useful for hardening the surface and make the blade harder and fast. also when changing the rubber to be very easy and sponge not tearing caused by sticky glue, but I think Stiga need to make it rougher for making easy to attach the rubber but still easy to remove it
Speed
9.1
Control
8.5
Hardness
5.7
Durability
6.5
Pros
  • Very Spinny
Cons
  • Heavy
I DO NOT boost this rubber and have been playing with Skyline TG3NEO Domestic 39deg version for about 4months still playing like brand new after cleaning.
I am an all-rounded player who prefers to play 1-3ft from table.

It is important to note that this rubber feels so so similar to H3NEO with the difference mainly being the throw angle. The throw angle is higher on the Skyline and also feels a little softer probably due to the pip structure. It makes it an easier rubber to loop and block with but at the 3rd ball kills and top lvl loop kills less dangerous than H3NEO.

This rubber allows me to vary the spin when I want and also flat hit or counter hit (closer to table). It's great for the short game and it excels for my awkward block shots where I like to suck the speed/energy and almost double bounce it (very good when opponent is mid distance looping it), I have found only the chinese tacky rubbers allow me to do this with such consistency and quality.
If I find myself 4-6ft from table the looping definitely takes more energy, full arm strokes/usage of waist/wrist are a must to produce a loop good enough to compete with rubbers like Tenergy and win a point.

These rubbers last a long time, you just need to make sure you clean with water after every session and use the protective films to get a long life 6+months. Without booster the rubber is definitely not as fast like Tenergy but has many gears and can reach high speed with the full stroke as I mentioned. The spin speaks for itself in all departments, the tackiness helps a lot with this. I find I have a lot of control with this rubber also but control is too diverse a topic to explain properly. But i find it great for blocking and service receive and slow spin up openers.
Speed
7
Spin
10
Durability
9.5
Control
8.8
Pros
  • Easy Flicking
  • Feel
  • Easier Flat Hit
Cons
  • Expensive
Observations:

  • A Bit Spiny
  • Vertical Alignment
  • Fast
  • Med-Hard Sponge
  • Flat Circular Pip
SP vs Topspin: Fun and Easy . Usually ends up aggressively Flat Hitting with an racket angle of " | ". For a stronger spin, Closing the angle just a bit will do the trick.
SP vs Backspin: Brushing results into a slightly spinny ball. If I were to rate it, it is easier.
Sp vs Receiving: a slight tap can send the ball popping up. Make sure to just to push very gently.
SP Flicking : Easy because of the slightly harder sponge. I kept on flicking heavy chop serves.
SP Chop blocking: Most of the Time, its usually just turns into no spin but hit a bit harder it can give a slight backspin.
SP Blocking vs Topspin: Not Linear. it still makes an arc when blocking.
SP Service: Surprised me a bit. This Rubber can generate heavy spin especially when i dig it in the sponge. The feed back was outrageous. My mates were surprised that the serve came from the SP and not an inverted rubber.
Speed
9
Spin
5
Durability
7
Control
7
Pros
  • Forgiving Rubber
  • Spinny
  • Superb Control
Cons
  • Expensive
I had a hit with this new rubber from butterfly. The word "Tolerance" was given emphasis over the PVs from butterfly and I know the reason why. It is because it is such a forgiving rubber. Adjusting from a Chinese rubber BH to a Spring sponge/High Tension rubber took a bit of time.
Topspin to topspin: I had to close the Angle more. It has Low Throw.
Looping Backspin: It requires opening up a bit more and brushing upwards even more.
Service: I had a hard time adjusting on the service game and incorporating the High toss serve because its a bit bouncy for me. it produces massive spin if the ball dug into the sponge. Need to practice more.
Flicking: Since the sponge is soft, its a bit hard.
Banana Flick : E-A-S-Y. My favorite part of the test.
Other Observations:

  • Pink Sponge
  • Low Throw
  • Non Tacky
  • Soft
Speed
6
Spin
7
Control
9
The HX version is a thinner version of the HX Pro with the same Kiso Hinoki outer plies. The blade has slightly wider wing part compared to older models like the Omega or Vega Series blades. The handles of the 2 blades are thicker by a millimeter. Usually, when I measured the older blades they have, the handle thickness is just 25mm+. With the HX Pro it is 26mm+ and the HX version almost at 26mm. The wing or neck part of the blade needs to be sanded slightly but this is not a big problem. The only concern that I have is that the metal logo at the sides of the handle easily tarnish because of sweat from the hands. I would suggest probably sealing or varnishing the logo to prevent this from happening.
The HX version is a toned down version of the HX Pro and it has control written all over it. The HX version is thinner and definitely slower than the HX Pro but still plenty fast. I would compare the speed of the HX version as slightly faster than the Stradivarius but slower than the Ignito. For other brands, the HX version is as fast as or slightly faster than the Timo Boll ALC with a more solid feel. The HX version can be everybody’s carbon blade because it is that just good of an offensive carbon blade. The one who used it aside from me even commented that it has the same control of a Timo Boll Alc but has a slightly different feel because of the different composite materials used. The HX version is good for spinning mostly near and mid-distance from the table. Near the table, it is good to loop with because of the control and not fearing the ball overshooting the table but the HX version is best at middle distance. If you want to play far from the table, you would probably need a faster rubber like the Omega V Pro. The one I used for the test for both blades and other Feel blades is the Xiom Omega Euro DF.
Speed
6.7
Control
6.8
Hardness
6.8
Durability
7.5
The HX Pro is purely a balde with pure brute force. I Do not knwo why this is labelled as OFF only but suppsoedly this is OFF+ with a stiff feeling. I tested this blade using a Xiom Vega Europe DF rubber and also with some Chinese rubbers.
The Hx Pro blade is the thickest blade in the Xiom Feel Series. It is about 7.1mm thick but it is not the heaviest blade but the Feel SX blade. The Feel series blades are being marketed by Xiom as their next generation blades. Their previous blades like the Omega or Vega series are not as numerous compared to the Feel series which has 8 blades to choose from! The outer plies of the HX Pro is said to be a high quality Kiso Hinoki that is 200 years old+. Xiom says that they are trying to get higher qualities of their products in the market compared to their past products and also can even compete with Butterfly. Both blades have a slightly wider wing part compared to older models like the Omega or Vega Series blades. The handles of the HX Pro it is 26mm The wing or neck part of the blade needs to be sanded slightly but this is not a big problem.
The HX Pro attacks so well with very strong shots. The blade is a little unforgiving that is why you have to fully execute your strokes properly. If you have half cooked strokes or poorly executed strokes, the HX Pro may not be the blade for your. This blade is really made for advanced types of players and is very good far from the table even with just medium speed rubbers. The blade can be played good in a short game like blocks or flicking but drops shots need sdjustment because the blade is very bouncy. Overall, this is a powerful blade to use but needs a good set of skills. In terms of looping, the HX Pro can still loop good but it is more specialized in power looping. Near the table it seems to be fitted for loop driving and taking the ball at the peak of the bounce or off the bounce. The HX pro is good in overpowering the opponent’s underspin return but it is even better doing counter looping or counter spins mid-distance from the table or far from the table. The HX Pro’s speed puts it really at mid-distance to far from the table if you attack the ball with spin.
Speed
8.5
Control
6.6
Hardness
7.9
Durability
8.3
The ZX1 has burnt or heat treated limba outer plies. The Xiom website has pictures of the ZX1 having hinoki outer pleis but in reality it has limba outer. I think this was just an error posting in Xiom's part. The ZX1 is a lightweight offensive blade with good control. It is about 85-87 grams in weight and weight distribution is towards the head. Mine is almost head heavy with Xiom Omega V pro and Euro rubbers. The ZX1 is the slowest among the ZX blades. It has a loser feel to the old innerforce alc blade or the carbonado 145. The ZX1 is a flexy blade that looping is its big advantage. It is not as fast as the ZX2 or 3 but it can be compensated by using faster rubbers. Although, a lot of people would prefer the ZX2 and ZX3 blades due to their extra pwoer and speed, the ZX1 is enough for most people with average skills.
The ZX1 feels more woody than being a composite blade. This is a good thing because this is for people who want a faster blade than just an all wood blade but does not want a sacrifice of the wood feel, the ZX1 is an excellent blade for them. The ZX1 has a medium arc when looping. I have tried both the Xiom Omega V Europe and a Chinese rubber on the blade. Both rubbers can loop really great when using the ZX1.
Speed
7
Control
7.6
Hardness
6.7
Durability
7.9
L
lucatt
would you recommend it for my first carbon blade i play with yasaka ma lin extra offensive?
Or wich carbon blade is good for the first one ?
Xiom Feel AX
-84 grams, medium stiff


This has Koto outer plies wirth Carbon Aramid layers. This is my favorite blade among the feel series blades (my personal preference among all Feel blades but ZX3 and ZX2 are awesome too). This is cheapfor a composite blade among the Feel blades and if I am not mistaken this is in the range of the Xiom Quad V1 or Clipper CR which is about 60USD. It is made in China but the quality is not inferior, although the Japan-made blades like the HX and ZX blades (with the exception of ZX1) have a better quality finish. Nevertheless, what made me fall in love with this blade is that it is blade with complete package. Yes, it is not as fast as a Viscaria because I would rate it as OFF and not an OFF+ blade but the speed is more than enough. I am biased about the feel but among the composite Feel blades, the AX is the one that has best feel. It has little to no vibration. It has a thin 7 ply construction and it provides enough flex to loop the ball slowly and with great spin or loop drive the ball. In short, the AX is dynamic blade where you it can give you the spin you wanted in a blade or be a powerful attacking blade but maintains a good amount of control. I really like the Xiom Vega Euro blade even until today. They possess almost the same speed and control but the AX has more flex and the surface of the top plies are not as hard. The AX does not feel too hard but does not feel soft that it decreases your power. Also, a good bonus is the weight. The Blade ranges about 84-87 grams. My blade is 84 grams and I paired it with a Xiom Omega VII Pro and Euro rubbers, the set up is light. Even with the Globe 999 national and Omega V euro rubbers before, the set up does not feel heavy and not even head heavy compared to other blades I had in the past. This is the dark horse among the new Feel blades because a lot of people who have tried the 8 blades during my testing period really like the blade because of how it plays. When this arrived at a store, the AX sold only for a few days before running out of stock. I think it is safe to say that the AX is the blade that was really unexpected and surprisingly good despite the cheaper price. This blade made me shift to a controlled composite blade due to me wanting a less physically demanding set up.
Speed
7.5
Control
8.2
Hardness
6.6
Durability
7.3
Xiom Feel SX

Anegre are the top plies of the Xiom Feel SX blade. Anigre is an African hardwood used by several blades in the market like Yasaka an some Butterfly blades. The Janka hardness of Anigre is substantially harder at around 700+ compared to the Janka value of Limba which is around 400+. This gives the SX a bit heavier weight due to having a denser and harder wood. The SX has a weight range of 95-99 grams according to Xiom and I got mine at 95 grams. The blades construction is superb and the Anegre’s surface seems to be semi smooth and not as smooth as Hinoki top plies of other Feel blades.

The Feel SX Blade is a heavy blade for a lot of people and I caution people before buying it. Xiom said that the SX was intended to be heavy and for me the 95 gram weight is not that I can handle easily if I use it with both inverted rubbers. With a long pimpled rubber then this set up is good. The blade is a solid attacking blade. It feels woody on impact. Although it is a basically a carbon-zephylium blade, it retains some feel. There are times that the SX can almost be as fast as the HX PRO but they kinda feel different on impact. The SX feels like a classic, hard 7 ply all wood from those old Chinese blades while the HX Pro feels like any modern hard-hitting blade.
If the SX had been lighter and thinner, maybe it would be more playable to a lot of folks. You have to really like heavy blades or you have a strong arm to play this set up fully. Xiom says their newer rubbers like Omega 7 Pro and Euro are lighter and can be paired with the SX in order to reduce the weight. My Xiom Omega VII pro rubber is 45 grams cut to 150x157 and the Xiom Omega VII euro is 43 grams cut to the same blade. So if I were to use the blade’s weight at 95 grams plus the 2 rubbers the total set-up weight it about 183 grams which is still on the heavy side. So I would recommend this maybe to attacking long pip players. One inverted on the forehand and one pips out rubber with thin or no sponge at all. I tried the Feel SX with a 755 Long Pips and it worked perfectly fine. It can attack and block well with the LP on the bh side.It can chop block near the table but it cannot chop defensively even outside the table due to its raw power.
Speed
8.4
Control
6.5
Hardness
7.7
Durability
7.7
Pros
  • Feeling
  • Lightweight
  • Control
Cons
  • smallish handle
  • fragile
Hi, I had the occasion to play with this blade for a while now. I am approximately 2200 USATT. This blade is overall very appreciable and I will show you why.

The Donic Ochvtarov feat is a lightweight and controllable table tennis blade.

Mine came at 77g. Because of its weight, one can easily change from bachand to forehand and the transition is easier to make. The blade itself has a lot of feeling. When it comes to slow loops or to impart spin, one can produce enourmous amount of rotation. It is very easy to catch low balls and to generate spin.

For the speed, I would rank it at off-. It has sufficient speed combined with powerful rubbers ( I am using el-p on the forehand side and rasanter r42 in the backand side ).

The little minus is that it has a small handle, it you have big hands it wont feat ;) you in the hand . Another little con is that because of its weight it is fragile. In fact, I used it for 6 months now ( with 6 hours of training a week ) and it is already in bad shape.

Overall, it is a controllable offensive blade with sufficient speed and ease of imparting spin.
Speed
7.2
Control
8.7
Hardness
5.5
Durability
3.5
Pros
  • Feeling
  • Spinny
  • Spin-insensitive
Cons
  • Arc
My go-to rubber for BH, and on and off for FH too. I've been trying out a few rubbers: Tenergy 05 (FH presently) and —80, Rozena, Rakza 7 and —Soft, Nanoflex FT40, Rasant Grip, Rasanter R42 and —R/V47, Evolution EL-S. My level is intermediate, and as I'm aging my eyesight, agility and stamina aren't improving. I don't expect to improve my overall level of athleticism much if at all, which leaves skillz and smartz as areas for improvement. Usually, I play an offensive game, staying close to the table, opening up on both wings but not necessarily brush-looping or powerdriving everything; I also like to have the (very) aggressive counter, punch block as an option, and when having the option my favourite kill is the flat hit smash, both on BH and FH. The main blade I'm using is the Andro Treiber K, which is quite similar to the perhaps more well-known Butterfly Viscaria or Timo Boll ALC blades.

Nanoflex FT 48 is remarkably apt to my game. In direct play, it to me is unrivalled. No other rubber even comes close. This is especially true for active blocks, aggressive counters, classic flicks (not much used anymore, but the body remembers and executes, still) and smashes.

It is at 48º relatively hard, and many opt for something softer as a BH covering. I did find T05 and Rakza 7 a bit edgy, a bit too explosive, on the BH side, so much so that confidence in passive play (pushes, chopblocks, passive blocks/drop shots) and service reception in general suffered a bit. Not with FT48. My lithmus test there is if I can execute a very controlled slow, ultra-spinny brush loop on a strong push or chop dripping with underspin. With FT48 I can do that confidently (and with FT40 easily, but that's a different story). And there's no other rubber I've tried that lets me do this and is a good companion as well in passive play and flat hits. EL-S does bring these things to the table, but not as strong as FT48 does. Rasanter V47 does come somewhat closer, but is the lesser of FT48 in direct play.

When forced away from the table, FT48 offers extra gears of power and spin for counterlooping. And if you're sent fishing, lobs are controlled so you can still press the opponent by loading them with spin and placing them awkwardly — killing a weaker attack from second position a moment later.

It is rather insensitive (like Rasanter) to incoming spin, while still (again, like Rasanter) being able produce high spin levels when sufficiently engaged. If you supply the head speed and power and find the proper contact angle, spin will be deadly. If for some or other reason a fifth-ball offers itself as an opportunity, the resulting loop often wins the point or severely presses the opponent not merely by its speed, but mostly by its depth and level of spin. An open invitation to return to the table and kill it often gets extended after such a powerloop — if the ball returns at all. That being said, Tenergy 05 (but not T80) trumps FT48 in spinlevels in brush loops, kill loops and counterspins; which is why I'm tinkering it (again) with it for my FH, which is slightly more spin-oriented than my BH. I should not forget to mention here that the arc FT48 provides is not as high as some. You need to adapt your technique, and re-find your angle, when opening heavy backspin, and you'll open with some speed and an arc that is lower than T05 or FT40. To many, including me, that means that opening up on backspin with power is slightly less easy than with these high-throw rubbers. The window of safety over the net is slightly lower. I consider this to be a reasonable price to pay for the exceptional qualities offered in active blocks, counterhits and counterloops on my BH side and am still making my mind up about this on the FH side of things.

It's all in the balance. One can interchange and play with any of these modern(ish) rubbers, and each one has its own mix of stronger and weaker points. If all you do is brush loop everything, you might prefer something else.

Yet even in that balance, there are winners and losers; some that in the balance truly excel. I do dare to claim that FT48 is superior to T80 in every aspect relevant to me; and don't misunderstand this for a statement about T80 being a weak or poor rubber. It is not: T80 is a powerful, and versatile weapon in its own right. Which is shadowed by this precious little thing that FT48 is.

Still judging things in the balance, the Rasanter family comes close. To me, FT48 has a slight edge over them in direct play, when spinning they are comparable and close; perhaps a max-sponged R42 might offer a more comfortable spin-oriented game than a 2.1 FT48, at the cost of the direct game. Rozena is very good, in the balance of things, but to me FT48's direct play feels superior and when spinning they are comparable, with Rozena reminding slightly more of the tenergies — a comforting feel, for many.

My relations with TT equipment are becoming more and more stable over time. I've been happily married to my blade for a long time, and I've been using FT48 for a long time, have strayed for a short period of time, returned to it happily and am now resolved to stay with it, convinced there's nothing else that suits the BH better out there. As for my relation with the T05 now living with me on my FH, it's complicated, and I'll either evolve to grow into a lasting relation with it — or settle upon FT48, probably a slightly thicker one, or a Rasanter or Bluestorm at some point.
Speed
8.4
Spin
9.2
Durability
9.2
Control
9.6
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