Latest reviews

This was the BH on my first custom. I played with this on a bat lent to me by my coach and thought it was great. Similar experience on my own bat. It is good on the BH. Great speed, decent spin and just nice to use. But on the FH is where it shines. The loops from 1 step back are a dream. I can destroy a backspin serve and with enough power to finish the point on the 4th ball. I have used this for at least 11 hr a week and it is still playing like its new. Overall, this is a fantastic starter rubber for someone with good technique looking for a cheapish and durable tensor.

good for all levels on BH

I used the Rozena on BH with a TB ALC blade. I was not impressed. I used to play with T05-fx on backhand and decided to change to something a bit slower for more control. While it was a bit slower it was also a LOT LESS spiny and less gripy. Long story short I liked the Tenergy more. Rozena was only 14 Eur cheaper than tenergy so still pretty expensive for what it offered. I liked that it was a bit less responsive than the Tenergy which helped me a bit when out of position.However I see a lot of people recommending that rubber so I am sceptical about what I did wrong, xD

After a short break (of 5 years) I couldn't keep up with my carbon blade (TB ALC) so I decided to go back to a slower 5ply blade. I wish I had this blade when I started table tennis, but oh well! It is soft and pairs well with a lot of rubbers, it is not too fast and it has very good dwell time that helps in spin generation. The only thing I don't like is the handle which is kinda thin for me, but this is not enough to discourage me from using it.

This is a very interesting blade from Xiom.
The blade is an outer construction with NO Carbon, only a synteliac fiber.

The blade has good speed and a great feeling. In comparison to other outer carbon blade the SAL is not so fast and has a longer ball contact. Compared to innerforce blades the ball contact is shorter.
It has more control than outer carbon blades. But the SAL is direct and crisp overall.

The blade works very good with hard rubbers.
It is maybe 5-10% slower compared to the HAL from Xiom.

Since I have been using the Butterfly Petr Korbel blade (Japan version) for a very long time and I had the pleasure of trying the Europe version as well, I can give you a full-fledged comparison. Let's start with the visual inspection: The premium machining of the Japan version as opposed to the Europe version is immediately noticeable when both are in front of you, the Japan version has serial numbers.

Handle design: The grip of both is very handy - very comfortable (for small and medium hand players), the handle of the Japan version is a bit wider and flatter, but I have tried it before with a much wider handle - blade made with grip e.g. Gewo Aruna Carbon ALL+ compared to which the Petr Korbel Japanese version is noticeably thinner, the handle of the Europe version is thinner than the Japan version and more convex, when playing, both were very comfortable for me.

Game features: For the sake of the comparison test, I borrowed the Europe version from one of my fellow players, and since I am an attacking player FH Yasaka Rakza X (max version), BH Yasaka Rakza Z (max version) I use 5 layers of Revolution Nr.3 glue, I put the same rubbers on the Europe version, my experience is that the Japan version is noticeably faster, however, the ball detection is very similar, spinning the ball from under the table with both blades is very easy, the extra speed of the Japan blade is provided by modifying the stacking of the changed wooden layers, and the Japan version is a little thicker and heavier, mine is 95 grams, (the Europe version is 88 grams), it is true for both versions that the head size of the blade is larger, which also means a larger hit area, in case of max rubbers or 2.1 spongy rubbers you get a head-heavy racket, the Japan version is a better balanced blade and the handle did not feel hollow during playing, I felt this with the Europe version. I don't like this feeling, but there are players who do, so I won't bring this up as a negative for the Europe version. Both blades use rubbers with a medium-hardness sponge for the best pairing.

Final word: Both blades are great blades in their price range, the Japan version is a premium quality blade that doesn't lack strength and ball sensing. For those who are small and medium-handed players and want a great, premium-crafted blade with great ball detection that doesn't lack speed, I can recommend the Butterfly Petr Korbel Japan version. The Europe version is slower, but with more power and fast rubbers, it will be fast enough for offensive play.

The Baracuda is a tensor rubber from Donic available in 3 thicknesses and 3 colors. I have used only the blue colord one, so my review is only valid for the blue rubber.

It is a relatively quick rubber with a moderate amount of catapult. Quite a bit bouncy for the short game, but it also depends on the blade. With technique it is a tamable rubber.
It's spin levels are rather high, but not extraordinarily high as some suggest. It is above the average rubber's spin, but not in the very high levels. It is easy to generate that high spin with the great amount of grip that can be found on the topsheet.
It is a light rubber with a relatively high throw, so can be used with heavier blades.

Some players have suggested that is has a high durability. I have experienced the opposite, for me it is broken after 2 months, I have lost half the grip. It is highly spin sensitive, but not surprising given the high spin capability. In high humidty and dusty places the rubber's performance drops quite a bit, so should be cleaning regularly.

I tried a sheet of red Vega China on the backhand side of a penhold Neottec Voodoo Classic.

It plays mostly like an unboosted Hurricane 3, with a bit more speed on certain shots. The differences are:

1. You really need to dig into the sponge to get a spinny ball. Brushing is not great for spin.

2. Blocking is faster. Counterlooping is very easy, and you can just hit straight through the ball for a fast smash.

3. Throw angle is slightly higher than DHS rubbers

4. A little bit less dead than unboosted DHS rubbers -- a bit less control in the short game.

Honestly I can't complain too much. Counterlooping is better than H3, but brush-looping is worse. It's a good rubber and I'll use it until it wears out. But I don't see myself buying this instead of a Hurricane 3 or Skyline 2. DHS rubbers are cheaper and better, in my opinion.

In this new video series we take a look at each of the TTD Team players equipment setup, why they use it and get an insight into each players game. In this first episode we've got Tom The Frog. Tom's setup is a STIGA Cybershape Carbon, with the DNA Hybrid Hard rubbers on both sides of his bat.

Hey guys, recently I travelled to the Ochsenhausen Table Tennis Club in Germany to hang out with the 3x French Champion Simon Gauzy!

In this video, I did some training with Simon, he shows me how he does some of his INSANE trickery shots and we take a look at his racket setup, including the new blade he is using, the andro Synteliac VCI and Rasanter C53 rubbers.

Hey guys, we’re joined by an absolute legend of the game, 5 x World Champion Jorgen Persson! Jorgen Persson won the singles event in 1991 and won the team event for Sweden alongside Jan Ove Waldner and others a staggering 4 times!

In this video, I do some training with Jorgen, he shows me how to do his famous backhand punch and we take a look at the rubbers he is using, the Donic Bluestar A1 on the Forehand and the Bluestar A2 on the backhand!

Hey guys, in this video I'm joined by the World’s Best Defender Ruwen Filus! Ruwen has a highest world ranking of 18 and has won multiple medals with Team Germany including a silver medal at the World Championships!

In the video, I do some training with Ruwen, he teaches me how to defend and we take a look at the rubber he chops with… The Butterfly Feint Long 3. We also surprise him with the new Diode Pro blade to see how he gets on with it.

Been playing for about seven years and I tried this rubber just to see butterfly products starting at a lower price range. I will say that I am disappointed with the spin the rubber generates. It is almost like an anti-spin rubber. I may also say that this is a good rubber for beginners. It is fast and soft.

I've played with this blade for a few sessions and I'm already liking it a lot. The thing I noticed right away is how controlled this blade is in the short game. I can receive serves and place them close to the net. I can also return powerful loops very softly. 10/10 in this regard, this blade is incredible in the short game.

This blade seems to be designed for the traditional Chinese style -- aggressive close-to-table play, with lots of chop blocks and flicks. It really excels in this style.

Remarkably, I think this blade is actually faster than a lot of carbon blades, especially when flicking and smacking the ball.

My setup for this blade was:
- Xuperman Powerplay-X FH
- DHS Hurricane 3 BH
- cpen style blade
weight: 210 grams

A bit about me: I've played mostly with 1-ply hinoki blades, and usually use the Nittaku Miyabi. I've also played extensively with the Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive (MLEO) blade. I've also played with the Stiga Dynasty Carbon for a few months now. These are my points of reference when assessing the Rosewood NCT V.

Compared to Ma Lin Extra Offensive: The Rosewood feels halfway between the Ma Lin Extra Offensive and the Dynasty Carbon. Rosewood NCT V feels generally pretty similar to the Ma Lin Extra Offensive -- they have a similar ply construction, after all. The Rosewood has more "pop" than the MLEO -- it's a bit faster, has a higher throw angle, and it makes a cracking sound when you hit the ball. With Ma Lin Extra Offensive, you need to be very active in your blocking, but with Rosewood you can be much more passive, and you can take pace off of the ball more easily. With hard drives, the MLEO is much more forgiving if you don't use the correct racket angle. Rosewood is more forgiving than MLEO when looping far away from the table.

Compared to Dynasty Carbon: The Rosewood has a few characteristics of the Dynasty Carbon as well -- it engages heavily in response to topspin, which allows for good counterattacks, and it allows one to play powerful shots when swinging hard. I think the Rosewood lets you flick the ball faster than Dynasty Carbon, but it is slower and less-controlled on loops.

Compared to hinoki: this blade is much more controlled in the short game but much less controlled when looping far from the table. The feeling is completely different from hinoki.

Short game: This is the place where the Rosewood really shines, in my opinion. Rosewood allows for a more passive short game than Ma Lin Extra Offensive -- it lets you touch the ball with a loose wrist and still return a very spinny ball. With MLEO, you need to block actively to play well in the short game, but with Rosewood you can play passive blocks much more easily. With the Rosewood, I found it quite easy to return powerful loops very slowly and close to the net -- something which surprises my opponents.

Driving: When driving with this blade, keeping your wrist and elbow tense will make a very powerful shot -- almost like a carbon blade. I would say the drive is even faster than the Dynasty Carbon. The stiffness of your wrist really plays a big role in how you play with this blade. If your wrist is loose, you can touch the ball very softly. If your wrist is tense you can smack the ball very hard.

Looping: It seems to me like you have to be very careful when looping. You should have a loose wrist, and try to make very tangential brushing contact with the ball. If your wrist is even a little bit tense, you will smack the ball and it will not be so accurate. But if you can manage to stay relaxed, the loops are very nice and spinny. If you are careful, this blade will generate more spin than Dynasty Carbon. But it is less controlled than Dynasty Carbon -- a small error in technique will result in smacking the ball out of bounds. Furthermore, hitting hard will result in a higher throw angle, so you need to compensate for that as well.

Counterspin/counterattack: This is another really nice aspect of the blade. If you attack a spinny ball, you can press it down hard and make a great counterattack. This will activate the outer layers and make a "pop". Compared to other blades, you need to angle the Rosewood down quite a lot when counterattacking. This takes some time to get used to -- I hit a lot of balls off the table when counterattacking.

Flicking: The flicks are really nice, and it pairs well with the short game that this blade lets you play. I think this blade allows you to flick even faster than the Dynasty Carbon. When playing with this blade, I would try to keep the ball as close to the net as possible, and then flick the ball when my opponent made a small error. Playing a short game with flicking kill-shots is a good way to use this blade.

RPB: Rosewood has a very stable backhand, I think. I usually don't have a very accurate penhold backhand, but it felt very safe when playing with the Rosewood.

Penhold vs handshake: I think that this blade is only particularly good for penholders. Usually I get a cpen blade, and I play both penhold and shakehand with it. Usually, I find that the blade feels pretty similar with both grips. For the Rosewood, this was not the case -- when I tried playing handshake style, there was almost no feeling. I suspect that you need to have fingers in the middle of the paddle (like with a penhold grip) to take full advantage of the feeling and touch that this blade has. It seems like most of the feeling does not get transferred to the handle. But maybe this is different if you get a handshake-style version of this blade.

I put a Dignics 09C on the back of my FZD ALC to pair with my H3 Neo Blue sponge (exact same setup as Fan himself lol). Backhand rubbers I have been searching for a long time for the perfect for me. D05 was too quick and spin sensitive for my liking, Fastarc P1 felt weird to me, hard to explain, K3 was good but durability sucked, and H3 was too slow for blocking and too low arc. 09C is everything I want in a BH rubber; the high arc might feel extreme to some but I really like it as I play more forward loops on my BH, it feels really safe and lands more often than not with adequate speed. Since I last used H3 Neo on my Bh, this 09C was a good speed for me. The spin generation for my topspin’s and open ups were too much for my buddy to handle. I struggle with the short game a lot, the 09C is excellent in this area with lots of control and not that spin sensitive at all. The only thing I don’t like is the price: $110 CAD i paid for this. But i’ve heard good things about durability so we shall see how much is value for money. Also it is not as tacky as H3 which some may not like, and not as fast and high arc as Tensors I have used like D05, so if you are coming from tensors be aware you will need a transition period. I would recommend this rubber to anyone of any level who is an attacker on either side, especially Bh. For FH I might twiddle to try out but I prefer H3 Blue for my FH as it provides more spin and control for my topspins, but I think many will love this on FH too!

This is the Dignics 09c substitute that you have been looking for! This rubber can actually compete with Hurricane 3! This is a proper hybrid rubber with amazing playing qualities.

I tried this rubber on a Ma Lin Extra Offensive blade with Hurricane 3 on the other side, and I tried using it on both forehand and backhand. I liked it on both sides but it really shines as a backhand rubber -- the backhand flick is amazing.

I realize that technically this is not a hybrid rubber because it doesn't have a tacky topsheet. But it feels like a hybrid rubber because of the hard sponge. I usually play with extremely hard Chinese rubbers, and T05 Hard feels really natural to me. I've tried other hybrid rubbers, and the ones I like most are Rasanter C53 and Hybrid K3.

I've tried T05 and T05FX, and did not like either of them at all. So I think it's funny that I liked T05 Hard so much; it's truly a very different rubber. T05 and T05FX felt very uncontrollable to me -- if you do not hit with the exactly correct racket angle, your ball will not land on the table. T05 and T05FX are very sensitive to incoming spin, and playing the short game is very difficult. But T05 Hard does not have these issues; it suits the Chinese technique very well.

In particular, you can make slow loops with T05 Hard which you cannot do with the other versions of T05. You can do counterspins without having to worry about having exactly the correct angle. You can brush the ball very nicely if you play with a loose wrist. The short game is much more controlled (I think this is because the ball doesn't sink into the sponge as much, so there is less opportunity to be affected by spin). Despite being slower in the short game, this rubber is much more powerful than the other Tenergy rubbers at high speed. If you want to hit hard, you can really put a lot of energy into the ball. With the other T05 rubbers, I felt like I was bottoming out the rubber on medium-hard shots.

I've also tried Dignics 09c, which I did not like because it has a very high throw angle. T05 Hard still has a higher throw angle than Hurricane 3, but it's moderate and more manageable if you are used to Chinese rubbers. T05 Hard feels somewhat similar to Dignics 05, but even better (in my opinion) because it has a harder sponge.

The loop-drives with T05 Hard are very direct. It feels similar to the loop-drives you get with a Chinese rubber. Since T05 Hard is not tacky, you have to engage the rubber more to produce spin, especially at low speeds. At high speeds, I found that you can hit with similar technique to Hurricane 3 -- H3 grabs the ball more with tackiness, but T05H has a higher throw angle to make up for its lesser grip on the ball.

With T05 Hard, I found it easy to loop far from the table, and even from under the table. The backhand loop feels really good, in particular -- you can create a lot of spin with a short stroke. Hurricane 3 requires a longer stroke to create a comparable amount of spin. When using long strokes, H3 will create more spin, but T05 Hard can come close.

Disclaimer: to control the ball well with T05 Hard, you have to use a very loose wrist. This works well if you play with a head-heavy racket, so you can "throw" the racket at the ball instead of holding it tightly in your hand. I imagine this rubber will be harder to play with if your racket is lighter and you need to control it tightly with your wrist. Luckily, T05 Hard is pretty heavy and lends itself well to being "thrown". It pairs well with Hurricane 3 or Skyline 2, or any other heavy Chinese rubber. My setup ended up being ~205 grams.

Tenergy 05 Hard is still only around 39 degrees on the Chinese scale. I would like to see a Tenergy 05 Extra Hard one day, so they could make something comparable to Hurricane 3, 41 degrees. It would also be cool if they made a harder version of Dignics 05. Honestly, Butterfly should just come out with Hard versions of all of their rubbers.

If u have good technique then this rubber is amazing. I use unboosted and still get enough speed. Probably works best on a powerful carbon blade like long 5 or Viscaria.

Allow me to start by saying that this is probably a really good rubber... for professionals. But for amateurs I think most of us are not good enough to take advantage of it. I wanted to see what the hype was about, so I bought a sheet of this rubber (for way too much money) and was not so impressed by the outcome. I've tried several other hybrid rubbers which feel better than this one, including: Tenergy 05 Hard, Rasanter C53, and Tibhar Hybrid K3. Even Dignics 05 feels better to me, and I mainly use Chinese rubbers.

I personally cannot get over how high the throw angle is. It makes it very hard to loop the ball from behind/under the table, which is where I hit a lot of shots. I suppose the high throw angle can be nice when flicking an underspin ball close to the table, but let's be realistic -- no one under a 2000 USATT rating does this in a way that would be benefitted by D09c. Fan Zhendong probably gets some benefit, though.

The sponge hardness is nice, and it allows you to play some very fast shots if you put in the effort. But you have to add some spin -- flat hitting is somewhat unpredictable.

Dignics 09c is very sensitive to incoming spin, so you need to be very precise with how you hit the ball.

D09c generates a lot of spin in a very short stroke. Usually (with Chinese rubbers for example) you need a bigger stroke to generate a sufficient amount of spin. But the high-end of spin with D09c is still less than Chinese rubbers. Same with high-end speed.

Unlike other hybrid rubbers (mentioned above), Dignics 09c is very heavy. Some people might like this but I think most will not. If you want a lighter rubber, K3 and Rasanter C53 are better options.

All in all, I cannot find too many faults with this rubber. It's a great rubber and lots of people use it for a reason. Personally I REALLY dislike the throw angle, and I think there are better options out there for less money. So I will give it 3 stars.

Nittaku Miyabi has a lot of nice qualities. This was my main blade for a long time, and currently I am still using it for about half of my playing time. I have this blade in cpen, jpen, and handshake (FL) but mostly I use the cpen.

I started as a jpen player, and I really like the feeling of one-ply hinoki. If you're a jpen player who is interested in playing cpen, I would recommend this blade -- it's a great way to transition. I should warn you though: if you play with rubber on the backhand, the feeling of the wood will be significantly dampened. The one-ply hinoki doesn't feel as good as it does when you're playing jpen, but it still feels better than any other wood blade I've tried.

Over the time I've played with this blade, I've used:
FH: DHS Skyline 2, DHS Hurricane 3, Xuperman Powerplay-X
BH: DHS Skyline 2, DHS Hurricane 3

The combination I like best is Xuperman Powerplay-X FH, Skyline 2 BH.

Looping: Playing loops with this blade feels like spreading warm butter. The feeling on the ball is incredible, and the wood is soft enough to create a "catapult effect" while also having a long dwell time. I really enjoy looping far from the table. Recently I've tried two of Xu Xin's blades, but still the Miyabi is the one that feels best for playing the iconic "Xu Xin Style" loops and counterattacks from far behind the table.

Driving: The drives with 1-ply hinoki are a dream. Not as nice as when playing jpen, but still really nice. If the ball has any topspin on it, you can take it off the bounce and drive it fast to a hard-to-reach corner of the table.

Blocking: Miyabi is really good for drive-blocking and chop-blocking. Drive blocks must be very active; they can be extremely fast and inconvenient for the opponent. Chop blocks are really nice too: with a small motion of the wrist you can create sidespin, underspin, etc. Several players have asked if I have long pips (I don't) because I was able to block their topspin and return an underspin. It's very easy to create weird uncomfortable balls for your opponent with this blade. It works best if you take the ball directly after the bounce.

Counterspin/counterattack: If you have time to set up a full stroke and counterloop, the counterattack is wonderful. The contact time ensures that you have enough time to grab the ball and throw it in the direction that you want. However, if you are trying to counterattack with a drive stroke, this stroke becomes very unstable unless you take the ball directly off the bounce. For this reason, I tend to play far behind the table so that I have time to play counterloops with a full stroke. Playing close to the table with this blade seems very challenging to me.

Flicks: flicking is ok. It's not as good as Ma Lin Extra Offensive, or Stiga Rosewood. Instead of flat-hitting, it is best to add a bit of topspin to your flicks. This will improve stability.

Control: I would say that the Miyabi has exceptionally good control when playing loops far from the table. The blade is quite fast, and it has very good control when playing fast shots. HOWEVER, it is very difficult to touch the ball lightly and place it close to the net. A very interesting combination, indeed.

Short game: This is the part that I have the most trouble with. A better player than me could probably manage to return the ball softly, but I find it very difficult (especially with two rubbers on the bat, which dampens the feeling of the kiso hinoki). Typically my strategy with this blade is to avoid the short game -- I serve long and return long so we can get to the open rally as quickly as possible.

Fishing/lobbing: I have to add a section on this because I enjoy it so much. This blade is amazing for fishing and lobbing far away from the table. I do this quite frequently in matches, and wait for a good opportunity to counterloop -- something that the Miyabi is also very good at.

Size: Unfortunately I am a large person with big hands, so my fingers cover most of the bat when playing with a smaller blade. This blade is substantially bigger than other kiso hinoki cpen blades I have tried (including Darker Speed 90). I would have chosen Darker if they made bigger blades, but the quality of Miyabi is nearly as good as Darker so I am not too disappointed. The size is the primary reason I chose this blade, but it is not too much of a compromise on quality. If you like bigger blades, this is the one to get.

Durability: Don't bang this blade on the table and it will last a long time.

I'm a FH/BH aggressive looper, I play near the table with occasional

This blade has the speed and the spin of a Viscaria, maybe tiny less speed at same blade weight, but it has an awesome touch and feeling of the ball, something that Viscaria haven't.

I own and used several xiom blades: 36.5 ALXi, TMXi, TMXi Pro.
36.5 ALX, compared to those xiom blades, has better balance, better speed/weight ratio and better touch/feeling.

This blade is truly a gem, I dont get why it has no reviews, up to now, on this site.