Yinhe Mercury 2 vs 9000E

[JRW911]

Has anyone used both of these rubbers before? If so, can you tell me what the difference(s) is/are? Of the two, I've only used Mercury 2. TIA

 

[tackyfh]

The 9000 series is more beginner-friendly, the shot is more linear and slower than Mercury 2 so it's better to use speed-glue or booster when you play with it. The topsheet of 9000 deteriorates quite fast (about 1-2 month) and along with it is the durability of the sponge, all 9000e and 9000z' sponges I've used teared easily when re-gluing after 3 month into use.
In short, Mercury 2 is better lol

 

[Kopp]

In short, Mercury 2 is better lol

Couldn't agree more. Mercury 2 is probably the best cheap rubber.

Of the two, I've only used Mercury 2. TIA

Don't change until you're ready to upgrade to expensive ESN or BTY/DHS rubbers.

IMHO.

 

[tackyfh]

Couldn't agree more. Mercury 2 is probably the best cheap rubber.

Don't change until you're ready to upgrade to expensive ESN or BTY/DHS rubbers.

IMHO.

me too, tbh we won't be able to use those high-end rubbers to their full potential so it's not worth buying them anyways

 

[turbozed]

The 9000 series is more beginner-friendly, the shot is more linear and slower than Mercury 2 so it's better to use speed-glue or booster when you play with it. The topsheet of 9000 deteriorates quite fast (about 1-2 month) and along with it is the durability of the sponge, all 9000e and 9000z' sponges I've used teared easily when re-gluing after 3 month into use.
In short, Mercury 2 is better lol

I've been using Mercury 2 on my FH as a beginner (about 3 months worth of coaching and 1 month of random hitting/playing) and I plan on sticking with it for the rest of the year. I was planning on switching to Jupiter 2 after that but noticed that those are disappearing on Aliexpress and Lazada/Shopee. I notice you're using Loki Rxton 5 and other users seem to like it too.

Would Rxton 5 be a good step up from Mercury 2? If you've tried Jupiter 2, how does the Rxton 5 compare? I've bought a couple sheets of Jupiter 3 but worried that it would be too fast and bouncy for my level.

I'm looking for a bit more grip and spin. As an experiment I just recently boosted my used Mercury 2 sheet with 2 layers of baby oil. I'll post my experience using the boosted Mercury 2 here after I've used it for a few sessions.

 

[mocker88]

I've been using Mercury 2 on my FH as a beginner (about 3 months worth of coaching and 1 month of random hitting/playing) and I plan on sticking with it for the rest of the year. I was planning on switching to Jupiter 2 after that but noticed that those are disappearing on Aliexpress and Lazada/Shopee. I notice you're using Loki Rxton 5 and other users seem to like it too.

Would Rxton 5 be a good step up from Mercury 2? If you've tried Jupiter 2, how does the Rxton 5 compare? I've bought a couple sheets of Jupiter 3 but worried that it would be too fast and bouncy for my level.

I'm looking for a bit more grip and spin. As an experiment I just recently boosted my used Mercury 2 sheet with 2 layers of baby oil. I'll post my experience using the boosted Mercury 2 here after I've used it for a few sessions.

I would check out Rxton 3 instead of 5. It's a bit softer than Rxton 5.

 

[lodro]

Sorry for barging in here but did somebody mention RXTON5 ???
I am not quite sure if we are talking about the Mercury II in the blue packet, with a white sponge ?
If we do, I can see no comparison between the two.
For me the Mercury was much too bouncy and I could not handle it at all but the Rxton 5 with 1 layer of Seamoon makes perfect sense especially if one plays a tight game close to the table.

 

[Kopp]

MERCURY 2 is more than enough for a beginner to train with and progress to an intermediate player, and only then upgrade to more expensive ESN or BTY/DHS rubber. There's no need to change for other Chinese rubber on that period, unless one is infected with the EJ virus.

MERCURY 2 is a tacky rubber that is at least as good as (or better than) any other grippy rubber in generating spin. It depends on the player's technique and ability to generate spin, not the rubber.

IMHO.

 

[lodro]

MERCURY 2 is more than enough for a beginner to train with and progress to an intermediate player, and only then upgrade to more expensive ESN or BTY/DHS rubber. There's no need to change for other Chinese rubber on that period, unless one is infected with the EJ virus.

MERCURY 2 is a tacky rubber that is at least as good as (or better than) any other grippy rubber in generating spin. It depends on the player's technique and ability to generate spin, not the rubber.

IMHO.

I played with Mercury 2 and bouncy rubbers are not good for beginners to learn spin.
Sticky or not, giving spin to the ball needs some fast action and by the time the beginner is acting, the ball has already bounced away.
Yes, they are cheap, dirt-cheap actually but for the same price one can get other rubbers that are better suitable for beginners

 

[turbozed]

I played with Mercury 2 and bouncy rubbers are not good for beginners to learn spin.
Sticky or not, giving spin to the ball needs some fast action and by the time the beginner is acting, the ball has already bounced away.
Yes, they are cheap, dirt-cheap actually but for the same price one can get other rubbers that are better suitable for beginners

That's interesting to hear that there are rubbers that are much better for beginners than Mercury 2 because I assumed it was a good beginner rubber.

I'm having trouble generating good spin and higher arc with Mercury 2 so maybe there's a better rubber for that?

I thought that boosting the sponge with baby oil would soften up the rubber and give me some more spin but after playing with it for an hour, the rubber has become super fast and bouncy with an even lower arc. Maybe because I boosted my medium sponge sheet?

I'm guessing I could just stick to Mercury 2 out of the package for now but I'd be curious to try out Rxton 5 for developing my FH since it's so cheap (only about $8 or so here in Vietnam).

 

[lodro]

That's interesting to hear that there are rubbers that are much better for beginners than Mercury 2 because I assumed it was a good beginner rubber.

I'm having trouble generating good spin and higher arc with Mercury 2 so maybe there's a better rubber for that?

I thought that boosting the sponge with baby oil would soften up the rubber and give me some more spin but after playing with it for an hour, the rubber has become super fast and bouncy with an even lower arc. Maybe because I boosted my medium sponge sheet?

I'm guessing I could just stick to Mercury 2 out of the package for now but I'd be curious to try out Rxton 5 for developing my FH since it's so cheap (only about $8 or so here in Vietnam).

when you get the Rxton5 see if the sponge feels like cardboard to you it does to me.
I apply one thinn coat of seamoon and let it dry for 24 hours then glue it on the blade as u
sual. Now for me it is just right. I never take the rubber off for re-boosting, it seems to stay boosted.
all the best. For so little money you can't go wrong

 

[Kolev]

The kids in our club don't know what tacky rubber is, but they train systematically with a dedicated coach 3 days per week and play a competition or two. The progress they show is mind blowing. All of them are fast and capable of creating crazy spin and most of all they can control the ball the way they should. Of coarse they need more experience but it will come with time. Why would they need a tacky rubber?

 

[tackyfh]

Would Rxton 5 be a good step up from Mercury 2? If you've tried Jupiter 2, how does the Rxton 5 compare? I've bought a couple sheets of Jupiter 3 but worried that it would be too fast and bouncy for my level.

I haven't played Jupiter 2 on my fh yet but from my experience with Rxton 5 (no booster/speed glue used) I'd say that it was a bit fast at the start but once you're used to it then there won't be any problem, it'll be a great rubber to improve your forehand.
Btw, what's the hardness of your Jupiter 3?

 

[turbozed]

Just wanted to share my experience boosting the Yinhe Mercury 2. I used a medium hard sheet that had about 30 hours of use already.

First off, Mercury 2 does not have a fragile sponge. I pulled the rubber off the blade with no issues and also removed all the old glue just fine with zero damage. I feel like it can probably be reglued several times (but who would bother at $5 a sheet?).

I used 2 thin layers of Johnson's baby oil. The rubber did not dome at all the first layer, but did so after the 2nd layer. The rubber grew about 2mm so that I ended up cutting the excess of the blade. It also stretched the topsheet so that I can see the pip structure when I put the plastic film on it. It resulted in a scuffed up and uneven look to the topsheet.

Playwise, the rubber became noticeably bouncier and faster. Honestly, it was a lot more than I expected. The first few minutes playing with it felt like playing with my Fastarc C-1 with how the ball jumped off the rubber. Either I've adjusted or the effect wore off a bit, but it's definitely manageable now.

The most important part for me is that it's much easier to generate topspin with it now. In training, I was able to achieve the brushing contact more consistently, and my topspins were a lot loopier. I asked my coach if he noticed the same and he said that it was very noticeable.

Overall, I'm happy with my little experiment. I'm not sure how long the effect will last, but I'm currently enjoying the feeling of hitting spinnier balls. I will probably only use one layer of oil on a fresh sheet when it's time for a change.

 

[Kopp]

I used 2 thin layers of Johnson's baby oil.

How?

 

[turbozed]

How?

A bit less than a tablespoon of baby oil on the sponge of the rubber and then spread it evenly with an applicator (the applicator absorbed some of the oil too). Wait 8 hours or overnight.

Repeat process for second layer. But after second layer, let it dry for 2 days before gluing it onto the blade.

 

[lodro]

A bit less than a tablespoon of baby oil on the sponge of the rubber and then spread it evenly with an applicator (the applicator absorbed some of the oil too). Wait 8 hours or overnight.

Repeat process for second layer. But after second layer, let it dry for 2 days before gluing it onto the blade.

I will have some people screaming at me for saying this but in my experience baby oil seems to last the longest, it might never really go away completely. It does not curl the sponge as much as commercially sold boosters but good enough.

 

[turbozed]

I will have some people screaming at me for saying this but in my experience baby oil seems to last the longest, it might never really go away completely. It does not curl the sponge as much as commercially sold boosters but good enough.

I was surprised by the amount of curl I got from it after 2 layers of baby oil. Expected a slight curl but it wound up looking very similar to pictures I've seen done with haifu.

Im also surprised that baby oil is only a mild booster as this has completely changed the rubber. It's a couple notches more bouncy and speedy than I expected (or wanted).

Going to keep a close eye on how it changes when (if) the effect wears off. If I can get a couple months of play/training out of it (about 8 hours a week) without losing much consistency then I think I'll stick with boosted Mercury 2 for a while.

 

[lodro]

I was surprised by the amount of curl I got from it after 2 layers of baby oil. Expected a slight curl but it wound up looking very similar to pictures I've seen done with haifu.

Im also surprised that baby oil is only a mild booster as this has completely changed the rubber. It's a couple notches more bouncy and speedy than I expected (or wanted).

Going to keep a close eye on how it changes when (if) the effect wears off. If I can get a couple months of play/training out of it (about 8 hours a week) without losing much consistency then I think I'll stick with boosted Mercury 2 for a while.

The problem here is that as the boosting slowly diminishes we are adapting to it automatically.
As an example : When i first glued up a Rxton5 unboosted it thought "phuiii, this is not going to work for me". So I gave it 1 layer of seamoon and re-glued it and loved it. Surely the booster is long gone (or is it????? ) but I now do not feel the need to re-boost, it works for me just fine.

 

[turbozed]

The problem here is that as the boosting slowly diminishes we are adapting to it automatically.
As an example : When i first glued up a Rxton5 unboosted it thought "phuiii, this is not going to work for me". So I gave it 1 layer of seamoon and re-glued it and loved it. Surely the booster is long gone (or is it????? ) but I now do not feel the need to re-boost, it works for me just fine.

That doesn't sound all too bad either. Sounds like training wheels for a rubber that's a bit dead or a bit hard to play out the package. Small boost to ease you into it.