Latest reviews

STIGA Genesis M Rubber
Weight: 66 grams uncut, 42.5 grams uncut
Sponge Hardness: 47°
Hardness: Medium/Hard
Speed: Medium
Spin: High
Blade used: STIGA Carbonado 90 and STIGA Infinity blade (Dan), STIGA Hybrid NCT Wood blade (Tom)


Written Review

Initial

The Genesis rubbers were released in July 2016 and are completely different to predecessor STIGA rubbers in terms of composition. Right out the packaging I could feel the high quality. The top sheet being very glossy and aesthetically quite similar to Chinese rubbers such as the Hurricane 3 but not as tacky. The rubber comes in a protective film which you need to peel off and the sponge is orange and porous.

The pores of the rubbers themselves are quite large and it's hard to tell the difference between the soft and medium versions with the only real difference between them being the sponge hardness. The Genesis Genesis Medium has a sponge hardness of 47 degrees.





Topspins

The first thing that impressed us with these rubbers was sheer amount of control they give you. The ball snaps of the bat quickly yet you feel very safe and confident in your strokes. Again there are similar characteristics to a Chinese style rubber in how that the Genesis rubbers feels, with a hard sponge and a grippy surface.

Speed

The Genesis is a responsive rubber however not as responsive as traditional tensor type rubbers. You don’t get the same spring effect you feel in traditional tensor rubbers. This means you have to utilise more body and rotation when playing shots. What we like about the Genesis is the sponge effect feels quicker than most Chinese type rubbers giving the Genesis a Euro, Chinese feel. The Genesis rubbers have a consistent contact and provide more control than most tensors, as the rubbers tacky nature gives you more time on the ball.

Brush the ball

Due to the Chinese style topsheet it is important to brush the ball during your stroke. You don’t get away with hitting the ball flat. This means you need to adjust your bat face by opening it more to allow for the medium throw angle. The advantage of this really helps with topspinning low balls or when you are out of position.

The medium version definitely produces less of sound however Tom preferred the medium version to the soft as he wants a bit more pace on the ball. He finds the medium to produce high spin and control and enough speed to finish the point.

Spin

In today’s modern game it’s important to generate a lot of spin especially with the plastic ball. These rubbers do just that with the tacky surface gripping the ball extremely well producing lots of spin. This was very noticeable against backspin and in the short game.

I could produce a lot of spin on my open ups and liked the pace I could produce on the fifth ball. I did find it a little tricky to get as much power as I would have liked when the incoming 5th ball was slow. To generate the power needed to win the point required a good use of legs, body and timing at top of the bounce.

Serve and touch

Initially I served into the net on quite a few occasions. The tacky rubber keeps the ball on the rubber for a long time. After some slight adjustments with my technique I produced a spinny consistent serve. During short play, this is the area of the game is where the rubber excelled. Keeping the ball tight around the net was easy due to the grip.

Counter topspins

A particular area the Genesis works super well in is during a counter topspin. The grippy topsheet brings the ball down quickly and low over the net allowing for a strong attack

Backhand flicks

Another advantage of the genesis was picking up low side and backspin balls on the return of serve using a backhand flick. The rubber grips the ball superbly even against the lowest of backspin serves. I really liked the follow up backhand punch and topspin I could do after the flick. I could be play very aggressively whilst maintaining accuracy at the same time. I found the soft gave me a lot more control on the backhand, its softer nature gave me more time to play strong shots with the backhand.

Away from the table

When away from the table you can really make the ball kick off your opponent's side due to the vast amount of spin.

Conclusion

To conclude, STIGA have definitely upped their game with these latest Genesis rubber series and are an improvement on their previous high end rubbers such as the Airoc and Calibra series. The Genesis soft and medium both pack a lot of punch in terms of spin and they really grab the ball well due to and the grippy topsheet. These rubbers don’t feel completely like a Chinese rubber in the sense that they are not as hard and are not extremely tacky, they also have more dwell and a crisper feeling. The balance between speed and control is excellent which gives you plenty of safety in your strokes.

In comparison to other rubbers the Genesis is spinnier than an Evolution rubber for example however it is slower. For those who find some rubbers too responsive to incoming spin and hard to control Genesis could be a good alternative. They are especially effective in the serve and receive game. If you're an all out power player you might find the Genesis series slightly too slow however for those players who value spin and control more these may be the rubbers for you. This is not to say the Genesis are slow rubbers they just require more use of legs and rotation to get the same speed as a Tenergy for instance.

We would recommend the medium for players who take the ball early and play aggressive opening attacks, the rubber works well from close to mid range to the table. I personally like the soft version especially with its loud sound and clicky feel which gives a bit more control and works especially well on the backhand side for blocking and counter hit shots. These rubbers are fantastic for active blocking and controlling the table. For players wanting more speed the medium would be a better choice over the soft. STIGA have developed a high quality top end rubber that produces supreme spin and control without compromising on speed. We feel that the Genesis rubbers are a refreshing update from STIGA and are the best STIGA rubbers currently on the market for advanced attacking players.

Got the Genesis M rubber as soon as it was available and immediately felt a big improvement in the spin in my game. The topsheet is very tacky, which helped to generate lots of spin during serves. Combined with the Clipper Wood this rubber is amazing.

Although I use TPE Fight myself, a faster version of this blade, my sister uses TPE Nature. As a girl who manipulates speed and control mainly in her game, this is the perfect blade. Although its made for mostly control, the blade surprisngly has a lot of power and speed. Great blade, awesome feel, and definitely something to try!

Along with the 80+ pairs of sneakers I collect as a hobby, in my closet I have about 3-4 pairs of these babies. Definitely the best table tennis shoe I've ever worn. Along with the comfort, great look and lightness, this shoe lasts me the longest. As a pro player training 5-8 hours a day, these shoes last me months longer than any of the other shoes i've had experience with. Get yourself a pair now!

If I had to choose between a lifetime supply of Tenergy or a life time supply of Joola Rhyzm, I would pick the Rhyzm in a heartbeat. By far, this rubber is the best I've used. The durability of this rubber is comparable to those of Hurricane. The spin, speed and power are balanced perfectly. As a mainly backhand attacker, I use this on my backhand and I am able to vary spin and power in different occasions. Definitely try this rubber if you're an attacker like me!

As a sponsored player of Joola, I tried many blades from them. After using Viva for the first couple years, I quickly transitioned to Rossi Fire, Wing Carbon, and many others. Recently, I was asked to try the TPE Fight. This blade is by far the best blade I've ever used in my career. The power and control is perfectly balanced, making it the best combo for the player that can loop and defend. Definitely recommend this blade to my attacking mates!

Hi,

I have recently been using the Freitas blade and I can honestly say that even with the limited time I have used it with, it feels great!

Very consistent bounce all around and feels very comfortable in the hand...I am yet to test durability as I haven't had it that long...but im sure its fine

Overall its a very fast and also controlled blade with a nice feel to the hand - would recommend to anyone - and the price isnt thaaaat bad either!

Xiom Vega Europe DF Rubber
Weight: 41 grams cut (151x157mm blade)
Sponge hardness: Soft
Speed: Off-

I have not used the Xiom Vega Europe for a while. In 2009 it was my favorite rubber when it first came out. I wanted to go back to XVE because I missed the feel and control plus spin I got when I started playing with the polyball. I contacted my local Xiom distributor in Philippines, www.pingpongonline.com, they sent me the new Vega Europe DF. The blade I used in the review was the STIGA Exclusive blade.

The Xiom Vega Europe DF feels very much like a 35-degree European hardness. When I pressed against the rubber it felt soft. When comparing side by side the original Vega Europe and Vega Europe DF the original felt a bit harder. The Vega Europe feels more of a 37 degree sponge hardness. The pimple structure looks identical between the two with the only difference it seems is the hardness. The Vega Elite is still the soften Vega Rubber in the series. When comparing all 3 rubbers in terms of hardness the Vega Europe DF is between the original Vega Europe and Vega Elite.

While testing the rubbers I used the Nexy 3* polyball, I felt right away that the original Xiom Vega Europe is slightly faster than the newer DF version. The speed of the DF felt between the Vega Elite and Vega Europe. The sound of the Vega Europe DF was very loud, the Vega Series is known for its sound, the DF was louder by a few notches. In terms of categorising the speed, the DF ranged from ALL+ to OFF- speed, but in general the speed on all of my strokes was OFF-.

I found the DF rubber to work well inside the table on shots such as short pushes, drop shots and serves.Serves in particular are very controllable and not too bouncy. The spin on my serves and sharp pushes seemed very high when you compress the ball onto the sponge.

The topsheet of the Xiom Vega Europe DF is very spinny and feels grippy, infact spinier than the original Xiom Vega Europe.

Comparing to Rasant Beat: The Vega Europe DF is spinier than the new andro Rasant Beat rubber, however the Beat is faster. The advantage with the DF is looping and spinning the ball.

The DF rubber produces a medium arc which I liked when looping or spinning the ball. When contacting the ball thin strokes were not the way to go with the DF version. Even with the plastic ball the DF rubber is very spinny. The rubber is not to sensitive to incoming spin and is highly controllable on blocks and controlling the heavy spin. I found the Europe DF more suited for the Forehand. This was because it is designed for close to the table producing lots of spin, at mid distance you need more effort because of the softness of the rubber. On the backhand I could have done with a bit more pace. If you are a player who likes to block, spin and drive on the backhand then the DF would suit you well. I think to make the rubber faster you need it on a faster blade like the Xiom Zetro Quad or the Stradivarius blade. This rubber would pair well with carbon blades as the spin and control would balance well.

Overall, the new Vega Europe DF rubber is a great all round attacking rubber designed for the plastic ball. The high control and forgiveness of this rubber would even be suitable for beginners. This rubber is excellent for learning the strokes because its very balanced between spin and control and a reasonable amount of speed.

A very good blade with good control and it's all wood fast blade (off+).I think combined with rubbers like xiom vega china or pro you can get good spin ,better control and fast to.

So I've used Xiom Omega 5 Europe in max thickness on a Nittaku Redshank blade.

Throw angle:
The rubber has a high throw on slow and medium paced shots but on fast strong shots the throw angle lowers. This fact led me to a conclusion that the rubber is good for backhand and not so good for forehand if you hit hard.

Spin:
Spin on serves is good.
Spin on slow shots is very good. The rubber is great for a nice spinny opening topspin.
Spin on fast loops is OK. Can't say that it's very spinny or not spinny - just OK.

Speed:
The rubber is medium fast. It's slow on slow shots and not very fast on fast shots (for example Tibhar MX-P is about 30% faster in my opinion)

Control:
Just great!

What I didn't like:
I didn't like the change of the throw angle on fast killing shots (it just drops and that's why it's pretty hard to loop kill a nicely pushed ball). Again with MX-P a have no such problem for comparison.
After 2 months of regular play (4h a week training + about 2-3hours of free play) it lost a lot of grip (a significant drop in performance).

What I did like:
It's a great rubber for backhand (high throw and medium catapult help a lot here).
It's great for serve in receive - very controlled and very good for opening shots.
The rubber has great control and using passive shots with it is very easy.

All in all it's a great allround rubber with emphasis on spin. It has great control, good spin and medium speed so it's a great weapon for a player that likes to play a controlled tactical game.

I made a hard decision after nearly 6 years of using the Donic Waldner Senso Carbon blade that it was time for me to look for something new, something with a bit more speed but still a softer carbon touch.

I tried the Mizutani ZLC on the advice of one top international player but found it was a little stiff for my liking. When I heard about the Apolonia ZLC I messaged the man himself to get an idea of what it was like. He appeared to be loving it, so I figured I would give it a try.

Initially I found adjustments a little tough as the WSC was a great control blade and not quite as fast. After trying the blade for 5 or so sessions I felt it had worn in and I had made the necessary adjustments and the improvements have been clear.

I love the inner layer carbon concept and the Apolonia combination of carbon close to the core cushioned by a double layer of softer limba wood really creates a unique situation. The speed of the ZL Fibres along with the improved spin and touch from the outer wood layers creates an amazing composition for playing with incredible spin and great speed but without being too stiff to control the game.

I have been playing with it daily for a couple of weeks now and it grew on me really quickly. I'm happy to say it will be a permanent fixture and I have decided to make the changeover!

Check out my review below:
http://www.mhtabletennis.com/2016/08/mhtabletennis-reviews-butterfly-tiago.html

Playin it since may. I came from Primorac jap. and tested the LS from a friend. I really fell in love with the feeling it gives to you while playing. It really helps to generate lots of spin.
It´s perfect for Topspin near and 1-2m away from the table. I like the softer touch it has.

All in all a perfect Topspin blade.

Played with T05 and Aurus Soft

My EL-S arrived last friday and glued it in my backhand replacing H3-50. The sponge has a faint smell of booster like what you will expect in MX-P but the smell in MX-P is stronger. It was raining last friday night when I tested it so the rubber is moist. I did backhand mini topspin drill and I was surprised that the ball shoots fast, faster than MX-S and slighltly faster than MX-P. The feeling was meh and there is nothing special about it. I did match play and surprisingly I struggled with my backhand or maybe because of the moist. I went home really disappointed and I was just staring at the rubber thinking (I should have gone with MX-P) lol. The following day the weather was good and when I started doing backhand drills. As if the rubber was repenting about the night before, the ball was even faster and more controllable and grabs the ball really well. I did matchplay and what I found was...

Serving:
I tried it twice the underspin was really heavy and deceptive. It looks like a float ball but weighs a ton.

Receiving:
Receiving on the backhand side was really easy especially when doing the banana flick. Pushes are loaded, short and controllable due to the low catapult effect.

Flicking:
Flicking is a breeze the rubber grabs the ball well and adds sufficient. no, rather tremendous spin that helps it clear over the net.

Blocking:
I had struggle in blocking at first but when I adapted it is much easier than 05. I think due to slightly lower spin sensitivity. after a few adjustments I can do different types of block very well. Punching, counterspin, nullification and even chop block.

Spin:
This is the best part, I was very skeptic about the claims in the forum and found myself smiling like a fool. This rubber produces more spin than 05 and MX-S. They were having a hard time blocking my backhand topspin due to the tremendous spin and it is very funny cause I am unaware of it at first. the ball feels heavier in 05 due to the help of spring sponge. I let my friend try my racket and blocked his backhand and I was surprised of the spin that I had to really close the angle or nullify the ball to return it successfully.

Due to the cheaper price and fantastic spin this rubber will probably stay in my backhand and one thing is for sure, it plays really bad when moist. The sponge feels really hard but adjustable. The rubber is really suited in my backhand cause chinese rubber in the forehand is still better hehe. One last thing, about the dominance of Tenergy 05 IMO this rubber can replace it if you can get rid of your decision making bias. As a psychology student I notice many decision making bias among players.

http://www.businessinsider.com/cognitive-biases-that-affect-decisions-2015-8
Especially numbers 3, 5, 8, 9, 17 and 13 which is the placebo effect

Tenergy 05 is a flagship rubber, and has been leading the market for years now. Tenergy 05 is regarded as the most spinny in the Tenergy line, as well as the most popular.

To start off, I believe it is not as fast as people make it out to be. Sure, it is fast - but there are faster rubbers. The trade-off with a loss in speed means more spin, and this sure does have a lot of it.

This is definitely one of the spinniest rubbers I have played with. Only a few other rubbers have competed or outperformed the rubber in this regard. This also means it is very sensitive to incoming spin, so if you make a mistake reading a serve or do not have the ability to read spin adequately, this rubber will punish you. Coupled with that is a high-throw angle, meaning that misreading a sidespin and/or topspin serve will fly off the end of the table, or a no spin serve will pop up and get killed. With that being said, the high-throw angle are inherently its best and worst features - depending on the user.

If you are an advanced player with very good control, I believe that is when you should use this rubber.

For a beginner or intermediate player, this rubber is not ideal. The hard sponge, high-throw and intense spin capabilities can just make this rubber a nightmare to play with if your skill and ability just is not good enough. It may seem to be inconsistent to these players, or too fast. They may not be able to handle the sensitivity. There are lots of factors about this rubber that make it a make or break rubber. It is different, but it is what a lot of modern players want. You can play slow, fast, spinny, flat etc. and this rubber will just provide.

You will gets tons of spin on your serve, and your fast serves will be very fast due to the hard sponge... if you can control it. Like I said before, if you cannot control it, it will feel like a nightmare to play with.

Pushing is good, flicking is great, looping is out of this world and blocking really couldn't be that hard.

If you know how to play properly, and you have the right abilities, the high-throw angle, hard sponge and high spin capabilities make this rubber your wet dream. If you're not consistent or lack proper technique, do not buy this rubber. It will make your life a living nightmare.

Ultimately a great weapon - but only if you know how to use it. I cannot emphasize it enough!

Unboxing
The TA ZLC comes in a beautiful presentation box in the colors of the Portuguese flag. The handle of the blade has the same color scheme and on the front side of the blade Tiagos name and the coat of arms of Portugal which is containing five blue shields forming a cross and seven golden castles. On the blade it is shown in black.
On the back of the handle the new green holographic sticker is placed.
The quality and finish is superb as always when you buy a Butterfly blade and it looks like a has a fine layer of sealing from the factory.

















Composition: Limba-Limba-ZLC-Ayous-ZLC-Limba-Limba
Handle: Flared
Head size: 157x150mm
Thickness: 5.8mm
Weight: 88g


Test setup: FH DHS H3 Neo 2.15mm and BH Tenergy 05 2.1mm





Drive
When driving with the TA ZLC I didn't expect that the blade had the amount of feel and the control it had. The Zylon-Carbon layer adds lightness, stiffness and flexibility to the blade. Another thing that was noticeable was the large sweet spot.


Loop
Looping with the TA ZLC was a dream! This blade is a pure spin machine and the dwell was good even with the H3. The arcs with H3 was low to medium and with the T05 it is more medium. The balance of the blade was to the middle even though playing with heavy rubbers. The blade gives a lot of flex and an enormous dwell which is obvious in the loop to loop game. This also noticeable in Dan’s review.


Block
In the passive game I could really feel that the blade gave a lot of control, stability and consistency due to the large sweet spot and the composition of Limba and ZLC. Still if I was a bit active on the ball the blade still felt controllable. If you are a bit tense you will still hit the ball on the table.


Flick/short game
As I mentioned earlier in the review the TA ZLC has a lot of dwell which is one of the pro’s in this part of the game. On service receive I was able to put quality balls on the table. Flicks are made with ease and the ball just feels like it stays forever until you have unleashed a spinny banana flick. This was one of the fun parts playing with the blade.


Conclusion
Butterfly has made a signature blade for Tiago Apolonia. The price is high at 189.90 Euro (in Europe) or 259.99 USD (in US) compared to the Innerforce ZLC 189.90 Euro (in Europe) and 236.99 USD (in US). In Europe is price is the same but in the US there a 20 USD difference. So is it worth buying the TA ZLC? The thickness of the blade is 5.6mm and the IF ZLC 5.7mm. The TA is more flexible and feels just a nodge faster. Also the design is just flawless. If you are looking for those features then, yes!


I would recommend the blade to players who focus on an allround game with spin and speed and plays close to mid from the table. Also the player that favors the short and over the table attacking game. Then this looping machine is what you are looking for.

A short intro

The DHS Hurricane 3 Neo is the most popular chinese/tacky rubber on the market. It has always been a big temptation to try this rubber, and, finally, I decided to give it a try. Please note that I DID NOT BOOST this rubber and it was glued with water based glue. I am currently using it on the forehand side of my Butterfly Timo Boll Forte blade along with Donic Acuda S2 - MAX thickness on the backhand side. I have been using it since Jan-Feb this year playing around 10 hours a week.

First impressions

Out of the package the rubber comes with a protective film on the topsheet and a similar thing on the sponge, since the sponge already has glue on it. After glueing the rubber to the blade and removing the protective film, it reveals its strong tackiness being able to pick up a ball without any issues. The sponge won't even remind you the one of the Euro/Jap rubbers - it's a lot harder and with minuscule pores. Another interesting thing that I noticed is that the uncut rubber was definitely smaller than an uncut sheet of Acuda rubber.

Gameplay - Speed

As the Hurricane 3 Neo is a chinese rubber I was expecting a catastrophic lack of speed that would require me to improve the power of my shots. But the first week playing with this rubber was quite strange. The first impression about speed was "OK, it's just a little bit slower than a euro rubber, so nothing serious" and I was certainly surprised by that, also it didn't feel as hard as I expected it to be. In the first week, it felt like an almost ideal rubber. After the first week, the sponge started to become harder, the speed started to decrease considerably, and , finally, I began to feel that lack of power I was expecting. I think the process of slowing and hardening didn't last more than a week. After two strange weeks, the rubber didn't have any major changes and has been very consistent since then. The above mentioned lack of power took quite some time to adjust to, because the speed gap between the Acuda S1 Turbo I had used before and the H3N is pretty evident, and the further away you go from the table, the more evident it becomes. Before I gained more power in my shots, the speed of this rubber was enough only when looping close to the table. To be honest, I didn't quite have a normal counterlooping away from the table in the first month. If you have enough power to handle this rubber away from the table, it becomes a deadly weapon, since it's absolutely fantastic close to the table.

Spin

Definitely the biggest plus of the H3N. The tackiness allows you to get massive amounts of spin if you get a good brushing contact. I think no european rubber is able to generate such an amount of spin as the H3N does. It certainly helps a lot in the opening topspin against backspin. You also have the possibility to get more spin on the serves and pushes/chops because of that.

Control?

Usually people refer to a rubber's control to be either good or bad or anything else. I think it's not quite correct to do so and the H3N convinced me that on different shots rubbers may feel either safer or uncomfortable - and that's not the case of H3N alone, but let's get closer to the subject. When does the H3N feel uncomfortable and when it feels safer? The answer is in rubber's tackiness - on the one hand, it makes the rubber more vulnerable to incoming spin, which means passive blocking should be, formally, a weak point of this rubber. However, I found there is only need for a bit of adjustment, because the rubber may be tacky and you need to be able to read spin, but actually it is just a little bit worse at passive blocking. At the same time I found the hardness and the lack of springiness of the H3N being a huge plus, because the rubber has a very solid feel which I like very much. Yes, in passive blocking and serve receive - where you also have to deal with opponent's spin, there may be question marks, but in the other departments - short game, looping, flipping, pushing/chopping, counterhitting, serving I feel this rubber is absolutely safe.

What kind of shots does this rubber suit?

As I wrote above the rubber may be not so efficient(vs. Euro/Jap rubbers) when dealing with your opponent's spin passively. So, passive block and passive serve receive are the shots where the Euro rubbers have got the edge. Looping away from the table may be an issue if you aren't able to get enough power to come from your hand. But what you get instead is more spin(really more spin) and control on your loops and serves, a better short game. This rubber lifts backspin easier than any euro rubber can. Also, it's way easier to kill opponent's slow spinny loops. The forehand flip kills are the shots that surprised me the most and which have become one of my most dangerous weapons since switching to H3N.

Durability

I have noticed recently that near the edge of my racket, some pips started separating from the sponge. I've talked to a chinese friend and he said that this is uncommon for Hurricanes and has to be the result of my actions. Also it seems that a small bubble is starting to form. So, durability seems a little bit questionable for now, but taking into consideration that this rubber costs only 20$ that shouldn't be that big of an issue. I have another sheet of this rubber so I'll see what happens to it when I'm done with this one.

What else to take into consideration about Hurricane 3 Neo?

1. This rubber is best if you play active strokes. It will help you only if you are 100% on each shot.
2. It's a slow rubber so it will require you effort to play it and athletic ability.
3. It's a tacky rubber, so it's attracting dust and dirt very fast. I am cleaning it quite often with my breath or sweat and so far, so good, after more than half a year of use, it's still tacky and grabs the ball very well.

Conclusion

The DHS Hurricane 3 Neo is definitely a rubber that won't suit everyone. It's slow speed and the fact that it's a little more reactive to spin may be an issue for some, as it requires to be active and athletic at the table and having enough power away from the table. But it also can deliver an enormous amount of spin when having the right brushing contact and very good control on active strokes. It has a hard solid feel which no Euro rubber can deliver and which I liked very much. This tacky rubber also requires to be cleaned regularly as it attracts dust and dirt pretty quickly. For me, durability is a little bit questionable, but I won't jump to make conclusions that this is not a durable rubber, as it's only the first H3N I've got. The price of this rubber is absolutely fantastic compared to Euro rubbers and allows you to get 2-4 Hurricanes for the price of an Euro rubber. I would reccomend this rubber to the attack-minded player which stay close to the table most of the time and wouldn't mind being required some effort in order to use the H3N to its full potential. As for now, I am not planning to switch to another rubber on my forehand side and I want to keep playing it as it really makes me work at the table and I like it.

*EDIT 2 November 2016*

So after almost a year playing with Hurricane 3 Neo and switching to another sheet there are some more points I would like to add to my review :
1. Quality control is far from ideal, the second sheet is significantly less tacky than the first.
2. After about 7 months of use, a bubble appeared on the sheet near the sweet spot area, and that was the reason for the change.
3. The rubber is quite sensitive to humid climate, because the ball starts slipping on the topsheet and you fail to generate a decent amount of spin.

An amazing bat in the right hand for the right style of play, I've been playing Table Tennis since the early 90's and due to life happening I stopped for around 15 years, last year I started playing again in a local club and since I've been out of the loop with current technologies and trend I bought this bat and pair it with 2 Tenergy 05 thanks to the recommendation of a good friend who's a coach. He told me "You can't go wrong with these combo".
Here is the thing, after a years playing with this combo I can see where he is coming from, the bat is amazing, it helps you in a way, top-spins are fast, initiating with loops as usually effortless on both sides BH and FH however I am about to change this blade for a slower, cheaper all-wood blade, why? you ask?
Well I happen to play close to the table most of the time with aggressive looping and flicking serves, and despite my efforts most of my blocks and exchanges close to the table end up going out of the table, the bat has indeed great control but it's still too fast for heavy aggressive game close to the table at least for me, I just feel I couldn't tame and use this bat to it's full potential, and no I am not a beginner I have a proper technique and knowledge of the game.
To sum up, this is an amazing composite blade, it does everything with little to no effort, but, keep in mind that if you are used to all-wood blades or if you play an offensive game close to the table you might need some adjusting and taming to do.

I used this blade with Tenergy 80FX on FH and Airoc astro S 18mm on BH. This blade is fast with long dwelling time and generates good spin, and also has good control, and blocking. This blade generates vibration which makes nice feeling touch, and when I stroke the ball strongly, I feel the blade's vibration makes the ball faster like catapult effect. But one thing I don't like is sound when touching the ball slowly or at the gently touch... like sound generated from hiting the hollow thing...

I used this blade with Tenergy 80Fx on FH and Acuda S2 on BH. This blade is fast, and good for producing spin. and I can feel a nice touch in my hand when hitting the ball. and also it is good for blocking and top spin countering. But when I'm receiving serve and playing for touch play I often fail, my ball return is often high and sometimes out off the table, maybe because of my pushing skill is not good, but when I use may Mapplewood NCT with the same rubber attached, I play better, even for speed stroke, slow push and returning serve..... so my conclusion Clipper CC has less control than Mapplewood..

Having used Chinese DHS Hurricane Neo 3 (Provincial ) on my forehand i have experimented with lots of euro rubbers on my backhand-usually Stiga rubbers such as Calibra and Airoc types to varying successes. However in search of my perfect combo and yes i will admit to being an equipment junkie i was intrigues to see a Chinese/Euro rubber on the market that i wanted to try.

The attraction i thought was to try a top sheet that i could boost with Haifu oil i had been using on my DHS Husrricane 3 Neo -blue sponge to great effect.Euro rubbers don't work well with Haifu so i have been boosting with Pang vulcanized rubber glue on the euro ones i mention above which is fine but short lived as the con of such treatment. I couldnt find any info online from anyone trying the Haifu on this new rubber so i thought id share my experience with you on here.

Firstly i bought the 2,2mm red S version as i prefer to play with a softer rubber on my backhand for spin and blocking but i have yearned for mre power when punching/smashing from my backhand side-a holy grail to have all these traits i hear you say.

The top sheet was definately Chinese on inspection of its characteristics. The protective film on the sheet is similar to DHS one- the feel although not super tacky has a similar feel and it has a firmness that is unmistakably Chinese in its production. The euro / Jap rubbers especially Butterfly last in my opinion/experience about 3-4 months if practising and playing regularly every week- far too short in my opinion for a £50 a sheet item. My DHS by comparison has not chipped or split over the last 4 months after putting 3 layers of oil on the sponge and playing 4-5 times per week, so durability is a consideration to me.

Now i had a choice, do i use the safer 'vulcanized' rubber glue as a short speed glue effect or go for the same Haifu oil treatment i give my DHS Hurricane Neo 3 Rubbers. My brain said go for it!

A layer of white copydex, dried then a thin layer of Haifu followed. 6 hours drying later no doming occurred- not unusual in itself i reassured myself.

Another thin layer of Haifu later and doming occurred- about 3 inches or so. Great i thought its reacting like a Chinese rubber should

Another layer applied and 24 hours later blade meets rubber- great

I couldnt get to the training venue quick enough- i was like a kid on Xmas eve.

2 hours of practice with a very good looper as my sparring partner and these are my findings-

Spin- Very Very Spinny- serving looping and applying backspin was so easy with this rubber. You have to brush contact well to get the best out of this......
If opening on my backhand from 3/4 length underspin i found backhand looping really good as the arc was nice and low and i could apply some pace to the ball knowing the topspin would land it where i wanted at the other end.

Speed- Fast i mean as fast as Tenergy 05 - which i have used before. My partner on the other side stated without prompting that he noticed a difference in my power and speed of my backhand smashes or punch blocks. Great i thought.

Blocking- I love nothing more than to block on my backhand whether as a defensive block or my preferred weapon to block in an attacking way using the pace of the opponent against them
This rubber was better than my Airoc Astro S or Calibra Tour S for this technique in my opinion. Consistently my opponent looped with pace at my backhand and i would with some control move the ball around the table at will and with some pace to win points.

I use an OSP Ultimate 3CRW blade which has a large sweet spot and with these rubbers in my opinion i have found my perfect combination of blade/rubbers/my offensive style.

Any questions please PM me.
Mark