Weight: 71 grams uncut
Hardness: 50 degrees ESN scale
Speed: OFF++
In my opinion, this is the flagship rubber of Stiga today. The DNA Pro rubbers are composed of 3 rubbers but this for me is their best rubber right now. This is considered as a thin topsheet-thick sponge rubber so it is possible that the sponge thickness could still reach 2.2mm at its thickest. I have noticed a great deal of effort placed on the quality and overall production of the rubber. The rubber seems very durable including the sponge. I have reglued the rubber a few times transferring it to different blades just to test its properties and I have not encountered any instance of sponge tearing up or separating due to the removal of glue. I used a Stiga water-based glue Connect for the tests and
dried it using a hair dryer. The sponge holds firmly when you are removing the glue and it is a good sign of not having a brittle sponge. Sponge is porous with a thin topsheet. Unlike other ESN rubbers of its generation, the pimples seem longer and narrow compared to the Rhyzer 50 or 45 version. The topsheet is medium or medium soft. I could feel the firmness of the topsheet separately and not just the sponge unlike other brands that have an obvious soft topsheet to compensate for the sponge, the DNA H offers a grippy but firm topsheet. I checked the colors and the red topsheets are bright cherry red color instead of the matte red dull color of a different design.
I was excited to test this rubber and I glued it immediately to the Dynasty blade (I also used this in a Rosewood V). I placed 1 thick layer onto the sponge and 1 thick layer to the blade. I used a hair dryer to immediately dry the glue. I did drillings immediately using the DNA H in my forehand and backhand. In the forehand to forehand drill, I have noticed a very high arc even when not doing topspins or brushing and just plain hitting the ball. This is a good indication for my part since for most people they could have a very forgiving rubber wherein it does not hit the net easily compared to other rubber's low arc. The DNA version is very bouncy and fast even at 50 degrees. Other 50 degree rubbers are outright not that fast but this one even on a semi passive stroke, you can feel the bounciness that it can give you when hitting the ball . FOR ITS speed, I can definitely say it is more bouncy faster than the Rasanter R50 and Joola Rhyzer 50 but 1 or 2 notches. You can feel the difference in speed but the difference is not too big. They have different feel when you are using them so you cannot say they are the same rubbers.
Now for the fun part, the DNA H version is a very spinny rubber. The very grippy topsheet bites the ball easily and when combined with the bouncy and hard sponge, spinning or looping the ball requires little swing. In fact, you can do Timo Boll style. I can safely say that it has the bounciness of the Rasanter R50 but also has the spin and even more spin than the Joola Rhyzer Pro 50. So what makes the DNA Pro H different? It seems the DNA H has more to offer like increased amount spin and speed and that is automatic but the best thing I have observed about the DNA H is that even at close to the table distance, the DNA H has a good amount of control. While it is very fast and bouncy, it seems a bit forgiving for its speed. Ideally, this would still be an advanced level's rubber since the rubber and sponge feel firm and hard and you would need a good amount of skill in engaging the sponge and brushing the ball using the topsheet. If you have used a Chinese rubber in the past effectively, then all you need is an adjustment in the speed but other than that I would suggest this rubber for all out attackers and this is awesome both in backhand and forehand as an attacking rubber. In fairness, I had a teen player I was coaching for a day and she used the DNA H as both forehand and backhand rubbers, she never had any difficulty switching to them coming from Tibhar K1 Hybrid rubber which her arcs and throw were a little wild. She is using the DNA effectively and to almost the same amount of spin but better control so I guess it can show that the rubber is very forgiving. Thes best way to optimize this rubber's performance is contacting the ball with a good amount of brush and at the same time with sponge engagement. This has gears like other hard rubbers so you can take this on a slow and controlled stroke or go an all out power stroke. As far as memory goes comparing MXP 50 degrees and DNA Pro H, I would say DNA H is more bouncy with probably the same level of spin but at the same time, with less shrinkage upon removal of rubber and better control near the table. I find the higher arc of the DNA H more forgiving. I cannot directly compare it with the Omega 7 Asia since they are different type of rubbers and at the same time the sponge hardness of the Omega 7 Asia is about 2 degrees higher. All I can say is that the DNA Pro H can compete also with the Omega 7 series.
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