Latest reviews

Pros
  • Seems like cell.
Cons
  • SLOW
First of all, the design is really nice. It also is very round, and it isn't much harder than the "old" ball. It isn't lacking in spin. If anything it is MORE spinny than the "old" ball. However, it is MUCH slower. I hit shots that would never go on, and they land short of the edge of the table. It seems like the ball floats instead of cuts through the air. If anything is going to make rallies longer, it's this thing.
Roundness
9.1
Hardness
6.6
Speed
3
Durability
6.3
Cons
  • breaks
  • unspinny
  • slow
I take out the box. I show my friends, and everybody excitedly looks in and gets ready to hit. We take one out. I drive first, slow hits, to someone's block. Then I pull away to start looping. I strike the ball. It hits the opponents side and literally does not bounce. It sits there. My partner picks it up, drops it on the table, and it breaks in two. In 2 minutes, the first ball has broken. This keeps happening for all the balls, and soon my six are all broken. DON'T BUY THIS. It says it's a 3 star ball, and I'm giving it three stars. It truly deserves less. I can't give an accurate description of it's attributes (spin, speed, ect), because THEY ALL BROKE BEFORE I COULD TEST ANYTHING
Roundness
3.7
Hardness
9.2
Speed
3.6
Durability
1.2
Pros
  • Consistent
  • Spinny
  • Similar
Cons
  • harder
These balls are made in the same factory as the XSF balls, and therefore are the same. I have tried both, but either way the review would work for either.

These are the most similar to the "old" balls out of the poly balls I have tried. The spin seems nearly the same, there is a slight decrease in speed, and there are no roundness problems. It is also more durable than any of the other poly balls. People say the Nittaku PREMIUMs are the best, and I have not tried those, but these seem like the best of the many that I have tried.
Roundness
10
Hardness
8.6
Speed
6.5
Durability
9.7
Pros
  • Superb control
  • Nice feel
  • Great design
Cons
  • Price
Coming from my current setup W997 with H3 PROV NEO and T64 I decided to keep my H3 NEO on FH and try T05 on the BH side. The following impressions are after 8 hours of training during this week.

Counter drive: When counter driving I had to adjust a bit coming from my previous setup where the trajectory of the ball were lower. After some minutes the balls were hitting the table again. :) One thing I noticed from the 145 Carbonado blade was the feedback was greater than the W997 and Viscaria FL. This is a big “like” for me.

Loop: I did not need any larger adjustments when looping with the Carbonado 145 from the FH. Here I noticed the blade had a tremendous dwell allowing one to “hold” the ball to create deadly spinny loops even though the blade is fast. The consistency was high due to the large sweet spot which the Textreme carbon gives. BH with T05 is a great combination where ball has a medium arc. When trying to brush the ball as much as I could the spin phenomenal which gave my partner difficulties blocking the ball. I did not put a lot of effort into the strokes but the spin was great. Blade flexes a bit more than the W997.

Block: In this aspect of the game the Carbonado 145 is very balanced between control and speed. Due to the Textreme carbon giving the blade a large sweet spot and absorbs the energy from the ball I did not feel at any points that my blocks were out of control.

Short play: Is very easy with the 145. With the setup I used the ball did not bounce of the rubbers even T05 it was easy the keep the ball low to the net.

Flicks: Again due to the limba top ply and the rubber combination getting grip in to the ball did not feel too difficult even on heavy backspin serves.

Mid distance: Here the Carbonado 145 is very balanced playing balls in low/medium arc without putting a lot of effort in creating power. Again the sweet spot helps on the consistency getting balls on the table.

Conclusion: The Carbonado 145 is a blade in the range of OFF. I will recommend this blade to players who plays close to mid distance from the table. It is minded for an all-round game where spin and speed is very balanced. The blade is special due its new fiber technology giving the blade a characteristic feel which is positive. Also the blade is stiff due to the Textreme layers, but still it has a lot of dwell. In a comparison of Viscaria FL this blade is a tad slower, has more dwell and a whole lot more feel when playing. I have decided to switch to the Carbonado 145 as my main blade.

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Speed
8.5
Control
9.4
Hardness
8
Durability
9.5
Still the best of the celluloid balls. Rarely if ever see a bad one. Very consistent bounce until they give up the ghost. Yes they get dirty quite quickly, but it doesn't seem to affect the play. They make a truly wonderful sound off the bat when you catch them right, and seem to be able to take any amount of spin you have the ability to give them. So what if they cost a little more ? Be glad we play TT and not golf !
Roundness
8.9
Hardness
9.6
Speed
8.5
Durability
10
For Rhyzm in Rubbers
Pros
  • Fast
  • Bags of spin
  • Affordable
Cons
  • Not much
I have this on a K7 - a nice hard blade and perfectly suited to the rubber as someone else said. It works (for me) just as well on forehand and backhand. Hard-hit shot and loops travel very fast indeed, on the other hand when you get into a pushing competition with some boring defensive merchant it's just as easy to play soft and short. The only thing I do find is that drop shots tend to die into the net if you're not careful - the rubber is very slightly tacky and you need to remember that because of this the ball won't rebound off a stationary bat unless it was travelling at a speed to start with. But overall - what's not to like ?
Speed
9
Spin
8.8
Durability
8.5
Control
8.5
Pros
  • perfectly round
  • durable
  • seamless
Firstly,I have to thank Mr Moon from Nexy for sending me this ball along with my Actium.

This ball was tested side by side with a celluloid ball,and the results I had made me look forward to the poly ball age!

It has a higher bounce than the celluloid ball,and less spin(slightly less,but noticeable).

It is perfectly round.

It has a distinct sound compared to the celluloid too(obviously as the material is different:p)

It took me less than 5 minutes to adjust completely to this ball,and I am really satisfied with it.

I actually even prefer it over the celluloid balls.

EDIT:
I have already played with this ball for more than 3 hours,and there is only a small scratch that indicates damage.So this tells me that this ball is really durable too.

I hope that in the near future,all brands will be as good as these.
Roundness
10
Hardness
7
Speed
6.5
Durability
9
Pros
  • Nice looking
  • Durable
  • confortable
Cons
  • Would like more colors
I have been playing with the Instinct shoe for the last four month now and I have used them maybe 6-8 times a week in practice. The shoe is very durable and many in my club are as satisfied as I am with this shoe. It's a light shoe with a very grippy sole that still looks almost completely new. I think it's the best Stiga shoe so far and I feel very light and fast playing with them!
Comfort
8.9
Grip
9.1
Durability
9
Weight
3
Pros
  • Spin
  • low trajectory
  • low throw angle
Cons
  • Durability
  • Boosting
  • long range
After giving a 'small break' like 15 years in table tennis, I was used to Sriver and Tackiness mostly in 1998. I've just noticed that DHS Hurricane 3 Nat and Nat Blue was for me to continue for progressing. This rubber helped me a lot for improving my drills, how to shoot, spin, block, serve, positioning with foot etc. Definetly for players who love to play in close range. You really need to train yourself as you've to use your whole body for spinning like Chinese players but this is the way how you learn to play.

So, as a result, this rubber is a monster when you boost it. You always need to be ready for every position in means of foot, body, position. You really need very good footwork to handle this. If you do the necesities, then this rubber is the ONE.

Only handicap is you lose control away from the table.
Speed
9
Spin
10
Durability
6
Control
9
Pros
  • Durability
  • Speed
I've used this boost for the rubbers bought from ttnpp which is DHS 3 Nat and Nat Blue sponge especially. Definetly boosted nicely and lasted over 20-30 hours of playing, nearly one month. To be honest, i don't have much booster experience, only used this booster. Probably used 10 times at most. Still have it. :) After boosting, I've noticed especially increasing speed of the rubber than the spin.
Pros
  • Power shots
  • Control
  • Drive
Cons
  • Spin
I've bought this rubber for my FH to test. Very similar to Tour series. To be honest, I hated on my FH in means of spin. Totally frustrated. I couldn't hold more than 2 weeks, switched to Tenergy 05 and took a deep breath. This rubber is very disappointing in means of spin.

If you play in mid/far range, you notice the strength-power-more spin of the rubber and If you play all-a-around, you can enjoy with this rubber. BUT...
If you are more close/mid range player, this rubber is not for you.
Speed
9
Spin
7
Durability
8
Control
8
Pros
  • Very cheap
  • Round
Cons
  • not durable
I have been playing with these balls for nearly two years,and my observation is as follows:

Hardness:7/10
Roundness:9/10
Speed:8/10
Durability:5/10
Consistency:8/10
Cost: <$4 for 6

This is the cheapest 3 star ball I have seen in South Africa,going at less than $4 for 6.They are made in China.

The price vs quality is by far the best in South Africa.

On doing the roundness test,6 out of 6 balls were nearly perfectly round.

The only problem is that the balls crack easily if played with often,but then who cares? It is cheaper for me to get Dunlop 3* balls than getting Yasaka training balls.

In my opinion,this ball is well worthed.I do not see myself changing to any other brand soon.
Roundness
9
Hardness
7
Speed
8
Durability
5
Pros
  • Lightweight
  • thin
  • relatively fast
Cons
  • Not fastest
  • not spiniest
  • expensive
I have been using this blade for 3 months now and I loved it. I had a Stiga Maplewood blade before, and this blade feels very different from Maplewood. First of all, it is very thin, light(78g) and well made. The handle and wood feels expensive and nice. Because the lightweight, I feel I can recover from strokes faster comparing with Maplewood. However, using same rubber, the speed and spin has also dropped comparing with Maplewood. Sometimes my opponents can return heavy shots that was previously difficult when I was using Maplewood. The good thing is that I do better in continuous attacking due to the fast recovery. It is a bit expensive(£100) for a blade. But if you can afford it, and you need a lightweight yet fast blade, you won't regret.
Speed
8.5
Control
7.5
Hardness
8
Durability
9
Pros
  • Great spin
  • Fast speed
  • Easy to control
Cons
  • a bit heavy(87g)
  • A bit too thick
This is my first blade used for penhold (rubber on both side). Comparing with another blade Stiga Rosewood XO, the maple wood can generate more spin and speed. It is also easy to control once you get used to it. The dwell time of the ball is great, due to the soft nature of the blade. The only drawback is that it is a bit too heavy and thick for penhold play. Compare with Rosewood XO, the recovery time is longer and it can feel too thick.

Overall, a great blade that is underestimated, highly recommended for loopers.
Speed
9
Control
7
Hardness
5
Durability
10
Pros
  • Ok Quality
  • Speed Average
Cons
  • Breakage Common
  • Lack Feeling
These balls are in the middle range of the pack, they are ok. We use them to train and they are more durable than some of the other balls like the Joola and the Double Fish. They are difficult to spin, the speed is okish and the bounce is not too bad. They are a relatively good level of roundness.

I did a review on my first impressions of the DHS plastic ball and it seemed ok at the time, it's growing on me still :)
Roundness
6.6
Hardness
7.6
Speed
6.5
Durability
4.2
Pros
  • Relatively Round
Cons
  • Too Slow
  • Non Durable
  • Hard to Spin
Not much of a fan of the Joola Super P ball. They break frequently and feel a little slower than some of the other plastic balls. Let's be honest, all of the plastic balls are fairly terrible at the moment so it's hard to give a good review. Joola are probably in the bottom half in terms of performance and quality. I have trained and competed with a wide range of plastic balls and Joola are probably one of the ones which need most improvement.
Roundness
5.5
Hardness
6.7
Speed
4.6
Durability
2.2
Pros
  • High Arc
  • Great Spin
  • Soft Feel
Cons
  • Edges Flake
I used this rubber on and off for 2-3 years during University and it was my go-to forehand rubber. I loved the soft feel of the sponge, the ball really sinks in and offers good feeling. It is perfect for producing a high arc and safety on opening balls as well as offering a spongy impact for blocking and control. The only thing I can say wrong about it is that the edges do start to flake after 2-3 months as it is very soft.
Speed
8.2
Spin
9.2
Durability
6
Control
8.2
Pros
  • Great Spin
  • Good Power
  • New Ball +
Cons
  • Not Forgiving
This rubber is absolutely great with the new ball. It has a good balance of porous but firm sponge with a tacky topsheet. This allows for a high level of power and spin combined with accuracy and a relatively good level of control to keep it all together. It is great for 3rd ball and low trajectory attacking plays and also is very effective in serve and return. I reviewed this rubber with tt11 and thought it was really good!

Speed
9
Spin
8.5
Durability
8
Control
7.5
Pros
  • Well Balanced
  • Reasonable Price
  • Long Reputation
Cons
  • Outdated
This is probably the most stable attacking rubber out and was incredibly popular for many years in the sport. It has a strong mix of spin, speed and control all carefully mingled together. This was dubbed as the perfect rubber for developing and intermediate players at one point and is good value for money also. It's a classic!
Speed
7.8
Spin
7.4
Durability
8.3
Control
7.7
Pros
  • Cheap
  • Tacky Spin
  • Firm Sponge
Cons
  • Limited Ability
This is a fantastic rubber for it's incredibly low price. It is a typical cheap Chinese rubber, tacky surface for producing decent amount of spin. Firm sponge gives a crisp impact on the ball and the control ratio is OK. It's not the best rubber out there by a mile but for dollar value it's certainly a good one!
Speed
6.6
Spin
7.7
Durability
6.9
Control
7.7
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