Stiga Mantra S

[Floyd07]

Hi
Well yesterday i received my first sheet of Stiga Mantra S to try out on my backhand
For those who don't know this is a JAPANESE topsheet with Euro Sponge

Last night i was eager to oil with Haifu to see how it would react- ive put 2 layers on over the last 16 hours or so and its really 'domed' up well giving an indication of how much its stretched.

Tonight i have a training session to test it on my backhand- i use H3n on my forehand so its important i have a soft rubber that i can block with as well as creating a lot of spin from looping from my b/h

One i get back i will post my findings. At the risk of prejudging the rubber i have found it to be less tacky than the Genesis or Airoc S rubbers i have used

Will post later...........................

 

[Airoc]

The rubber is made in Japan COMPLETELY.

 

[Baal]

I find it amazing when peopke go straight in with booster without trying it without it first.

 

[NextLevel]

I find it amazing when peopke go straight in with booster without trying it without it first.

So do I.

 

[AndySmith]

Gah. Really want to know more about Mantra, but the boost will make it very hard to get a handle on how it plays from the description.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I guess Yogi Bear will be reviewing soon
he received the samples couple of days ago

 

[TurboZ]

I wonder what is the exact reason why Mantra was recalled after briefly on sale last year. My first Genesis bubble after days of play so hopefully it is not the case.

 

[Airoc]

I wonder what is the exact reason why Mantra was recalled after briefly on sale last year. My first Genesis bubble after days of play so hopefully it is not the case.

As far as I know, it never went on sale, could be pre-ordered maybe. Stiga noticed quality issues before rollout on a broad basis - which exactly remains their secret. But there were already issues with "variying" qualities of Airoc before (although all my sheets were good ...) so probably a wise decision ...

 

[bobpuls]

My genesis is holding just fine .... also after boosting....

 

[Floyd07]

For those players who do like to boost their rubbers here is the review-

Stigas Mantra S is far softer than the Airoc or Genesis S- you can tell that even as you attempt to hold the sheet -it just flops around!

I tried the 2.1mm and found the following-

This rubber i found to be fast and spinny- you can really feel the ball sink in to the rubber and therefore dwell time is excellent- especially good for backhand looping v underspin.

Additionally i found pushing and serving to be effective with this rubber from my backhand
Counterhitting and driving is really impressive with much speed and power. And heres the great thing blocking is so good with control and feel allowing for soft hands to get the best out of blocking.

The Mantra rubber is not a heavy rubber so the blade doesn't feel top heavy (DHS HN3) is a heavier and denser rubber.

Although the surface of the topsheet is not as tacky i found this to be a spinnier rubber than both Astro s and Genesis s and i for one will be changing to this rubber- in fact order a couple of sheets to keep me stocked up!!

 

[TurboZ]

As far as I know, it never went on sale, could be pre-ordered maybe. Stiga noticed quality issues before rollout on a broad basis - which exactly remains their secret. But there were already issues with "variying" qualities of Airoc before (although all my sheets were good ...) so probably a wise decision ...

I remember seeing it for sale on Dandoy briefly, I can click and add it to cart but was removed when I decided to go ahead a day or two later, then heard the news of a recall. They might probably cancel my order even if I paid for it but that was what happened last year.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

For those players who do like to boost their rubbers here is the review-

Stigas Mantra S is far softer than the Airoc or Genesis S- you can tell that even as you attempt to hold the sheet -it just flops around!

I tried the 2.1mm and found the following-

This rubber i found to be fast and spinny- you can really feel the ball sink in to the rubber and therefore dwell time is excellent- especially good for backhand looping v underspin.

Additionally i found pushing and serving to be effective with this rubber from my backhand
Counterhitting and driving is really impressive with much speed and power. And heres the great thing blocking is so good with control and feel allowing for soft hands to get the best out of blocking.

The Mantra rubber is not a heavy rubber so the blade doesn't feel top heavy (DHS HN3) is a heavier and denser rubber.

Although the surface of the topsheet is not as tacky i found this to be a spinnier rubber than both Astro s and Genesis s and i for one will be changing to this rubber- in fact order a couple of sheets to keep me stocked up!!

Could you compare it to 1 or 2 euro style mainstream rubber? (eg. Evolutions, Tenergies, Rasants, Rakzas...)

 

[Airoc]

Could you compare it to 1 or 2 euro style mainstream rubber? (eg. Evolutions, Tenergies, Rasants, Rakzas...)

tenergy "euro style"? Could hardly think of a more uniquely Japanese rubber ...
All the best "European" (that means German, since there is only one factory) stuff is modelled after it.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

tenergy "euro style"? Could hardly think of a more uniquely Japanese rubber ...
All the best "European" (that means German, since there is only one factory) stuff is modelled after it.

Sorry, I should write 'eurojap' style . I meant by that non hard tacky rubbers. It's right now?

 

[Airoc]

Sorry, I should write 'eurojap' style . I meant by that non hard tacky rubbers. It's right now?

I guessed that you meant that, but never sure what people believe or are led to believe. When Evolutions first came out everybody celebrated the new "Japanese" rubbers that put an end to the made-in-Germany tensor rubbish, and that was just marketing. Clever, though.

 

[TTHopeful]

For those players who do like to boost their rubbers here is the review-

Stigas Mantra S is far softer than the Airoc or Genesis S- you can tell that even as you attempt to hold the sheet -it just flops around!

I tried the 2.1mm and found the following-

This rubber i found to be fast and spinny- you can really feel the ball sink in to the rubber and therefore dwell time is excellent- especially good for backhand looping v underspin.

Additionally i found pushing and serving to be effective with this rubber from my backhand
Counterhitting and driving is really impressive with much speed and power. And heres the great thing blocking is so good with control and feel allowing for soft hands to get the best out of blocking.

The Mantra rubber is not a heavy rubber so the blade doesn't feel top heavy (DHS HN3) is a heavier and denser rubber.

Although the surface of the topsheet is not as tacky i found this to be a spinnier rubber than both Astro s and Genesis s and i for one will be changing to this rubber- in fact order a couple of sheets to keep me stocked up!!

Sounds like a effective rubber. How does it compare to Tenergy do you think?

 

[yoass]

I find it amazing when peopke go straight in with booster without trying it without it first.

One might indeed wonder how it plays unboosted. I do, in fact; and I'd like to see it compared to Genesis S, Rakza 7 Soft, Rasant Grip, Evolution EL-S, Tenergy 05-FX and 80-FX and such... No doubt it's not like Tenergy 05 ("not as bouncy as! throw not as high as! ..."), but hey, that doesn't say all that much.

 

[Floyd07]

Sounds like a effective rubber. How does it compare to Tenergy do you think?

I had been a big advocate of Tenergy 05fx on my backhand but got a little fed up of replacing it every 3 months at £50 a pop......The Stiga Mantra i hope (only time will tell) will last longer. In terms of it in action, I am so impressed with the Mantra's action- i stand close to the table and require my backhand rubber to be good at backhand looping underspin to open up and counterhitting with pace as well as blocking- having only spent 2 hours of training with it its early days obviously but i prefer it over tenergy 05fx which i used in '15..
The reason, apart from the cost effectiveness is that i can throw a spinny backhand loop over the net down both flanks with ease with this- i had problems with my technique in this area with other rubbers (netting most of them) but the dwell helps spin it with pace and generate a useful shot consistently in my drills. Cosmetically its a pleasing red-lighter then the deep red of tenergy in colour- almost like the Sriver colour in the 70's it was commented on by my tt colleagues

 

[Floyd07]

 

[Floyd07]