So, I feel like my BH is MUCH MUCH MUCH stronger than my FH. What would you recommend to go with the skyline 2 with a weaker FH than BH? (I plan to work on my weaker areas not just focus on my stronger ones)
If your backhand is stronger than your forehand, then you can even try Skyline 2 on BH. I am also a backhand-dominant player, and for my backhand I switch between Skyline 2 and Hurricane 3. Hurricane 3 is a bit easier to perform compact wrist/elbow shots with; whereas Skyline 2 really requires a full stroke with good technique. You can't go wrong with either of them, imo.
Skyline definitely has a higher frustration threshold -- it does not tolerate bad technique. Therefore, it makes you play with good technique (which I think is good for learning, but people have different philosophies about this). When you smash the ball, you have to hit hard (but if you do hit hard, the ball will go FAST -- faster than any other rubber I've played with). You can check my review (and other reviews) of Skyline 2 on this site if you are curious what I and other people think about it in detail.
For forehand, Skyline 2 and Hurricane 3 are also great options. A lot of people like the blue sponge versions on forehand (but they are more expensive). If your forehand is actually somewhat weak, then maybe go for Hurricane 3. But even Skyline 2 on a weak forehand will do well, because you can make slow prolonged strokes that have a lot of spin.
Either way, I'd say you can't go wrong with any combination of Skyline 2 / Hurricane 3 rubbers. If you feel like one of your sides is somewhat weak, then maybe try the 3-50, 8-80, or 3-60 versions which have a softer sponge. Do keep in mind that the Skyline series was created for penholders, while the Hurricane series was created for handshake players.
You are mixing up Xiom Vega Europe Hybrid v.s. Xiom Vega Europe. Xiom Vega Europe Hybrid has a 45 degree ESN sponge, not too hard and not too soft.
Oh yes, sorry. Good point. Definitely don't get Xiom Vega Europe. The hybrid version is probably better, but for a backhand-dominant player I think they can just use a Chinese rubber. It will be cheaper, too.
Therefore even if the OP were to use soft ESN rubber like 39 degree or 42.5 degree (aka Xiom Vega Europe, Rakza 7 soft, etc.), it would not hinder his RPB development. There is no need to bottom out the sponge. You literally try to brush every ball when you use RPB.
I suppose this is somewhat true, especially for your style of play. I imagine that you (like most people) are forehand-dominant, so you don't really think about making power-loops, smashes, or flicks with your backhand. However, as I am a backhand-dominant player, I frequently loop and counterloop using my RPB. Having a harder rubber is extremely helpful in these strokes and gives me a lot more power. I've tried soft rubbers on the backhand and I frequently bottom out on them.
Double side Chinese rubber can make the blade too heavy. I would argue having a too-heavy blade would play a bigger role in hindering the development of RPB.
Yes, you are right about this. Having two Chinese rubbers can make the blade heavier by 10-20 grams. For many people, this is an issue. For me it is not an issue as I do a lot of rock climbing and weightlifting, so my wrists and arms are quite strong.
There is also a benefit to having a heavy blade: you can create momentum with it, and loosen your wrist for the point of contact. Often (especially when making a power-loop with RPB), I almost "throw" the racket at the ball, and create momentum before contact so that I don't have to hold the racket very tightly when I am making contact. With a hard rubber and heavy racket, this produces a light brushing stroke that is also very powerful. But I recognize that doing this requires a lot of wrist strength.
If you want something lighter, and tend to hold your wrist tight throughout the stroke, a great rubber is Stiga Mantra Pro XH (XH stands for extra-hard). But honestly unless you have a wrist injury I think you'll be fine with Chinese rubber.
@RokosBasilisk if you think you can "throw" the racket like a frisbee and make contact with a loose wrist, then heavy rubber is definitely a good idea. You can see Xu Xin's technique here:
Xu Xin uses Hurricane 3 on the backhand, I believe. At some point he was also using Skyline 2. But you can see that he uses his arm and shoulder to "throw" the racket, so that his wrist can remain quite loose. You can also see that he starts his stroke very low, and makes a stroke which is almost as big as the forehand stroke. Having a heavy racket facilitates this (and Xu Xin uses a very heavy custom racket which is larger than standard rackets).
If you feel like you want to control the stroke with your wrist, then try Stiga Mantra Pro XH. It will make the racket lighter. An example of a player who holds the wrist tight throughout the stroke is Wang Hao:
Wang Hao's stroke is much more compact than Xu Xin's, but Xu Xin definitely creates more spin. Wang Hao used ESN rubber on the BH, like Sriver, Mark V, or Bryce.
