H3 42 degree blue

[mamedium]

Hello,
My first post here. I've been using H3 42 blue on W968 and I really love it. The spin is enormous, the speed is much better than 40 and about 25% faster than 41. What I really like about it is after 2 layers of booster, it still stays elastic and the sound is always cracking, does not get soft after 2 months (the 41 is getting way softer).

After using 42 for about 3 months, I switched back to 41 and no surprise, 41 feels a bit soft to my (new) taste in H3. 41 is a bit easier to spin but 42 is just a different animal, especially when stepping away from the table, the ball becomes a rocket when doing FH loop. It feels like I don't really need to care about opponent's spin. I can just counter without thinking much.

I have tried the 42 on another 968 Golden, it didn't have the effect of the original 968 (which is a bit softer than the Golden). The Golden feels like an outer blade, better Bh but the flex isn't that great.

If you're a H3 user and want to up your game, H3 42 is worth a try!

(I bought mine on Aliexpress and ProTT)

 

[Attitude]

Hello,
My first post here. I've been using H3 42 blue on W968 and I really love it. The spin is enormous, the speed is much better than 40 and about 25% faster than 41. What I really like about it is after 2 layers of booster, it still stays elastic and the sound is always cracking, does not get soft after 2 months (the 41 is getting way softer).

After using 42 for about 3 months, I switched back to 41 and no surprise, 41 feels a bit soft to my (new) taste in H3. 41 is a bit easier to spin but 42 is just a different animal, especially when stepping away from the table, the ball becomes a rocket when doing FH loop. It feels like I don't really need to care about opponent's spin. I can just counter without thinking much.

I have tried the 42 on another 968 Golden, it didn't have the effect of the original 968 (which is a bit softer than the Golden). The Golden feels like an outer blade, better Bh but the flex isn't that great.

If you're a H3 user and want to up your game, H3 42 is worth a try!

(I bought mine on Aliexpress and ProTT)

Interesting insight but the level of your gameplay would be essential information imo for your statement.
The reason for that is, imagine someone reading that using 40/41 and is not sure if they would be capable of penetrating the rubber itself or if they just lose even more feeling because of the hardness.

Information like that is valuable but not really applicable if you dont know if your technique and abilities match the requirements for that equipment.

 

[Jslick89]

What kind of booster are you using?

 

[mamedium]

Interesting insight but the level of your gameplay would be essential information imo for your statement.
The reason for that is, imagine someone reading that using 40/41 and is not sure if they would be capable of penetrating the rubber itself or if they just lose even more feeling because of the hardness.

Information like that is valuable but not really applicable if you dont know if your technique and abilities match the requirements for that equipment.

My level of play and rating is around 2300 - I have beaten quite a few 2100s very easily.
The hardness is probably the biggest concern when talking about H3: it is between the Nittaku blue and H3 40.
Not as soft but definitely not a brick. With booster applied correctly, the rubber is quite lovely to use.

My concern all those years training and using H3 is the hardness declining after boosting, with 42 it seems not a problem.
In terms of style, the Chinese loop style is a bit different than the Europe style (there are already discussed topics so I won’t go there again) - but the hardness and the springiness of a hard rubber - or should i say an elastic one - is quite good on an inner blade. The control in short game is much easier only if I put my body close to the ball.

The best part of this 42 is it forces you to use your body and legs when hitting FH - I consider it as my “training” rubber. My stroke would have to be more relax and whip-py to maximize the potential of the equipment

So back to my original post - I am not saying it is for everyone (a few 1900-2000 players tried and could not penetrate the rubber successfully) but I’d say it is definitely an upgrade if you own an inner blade like 968

 

[mamedium]

What kind of booster are you using?

Im using Kailin 2 layers and DhS glue

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

While I agree with 42 is great, it is still down to player's personal preferences.
I have few top 100 players who don't use 42, they only use 41.
I personally prefer 41 too,

 

[mamedium]

While I agree with 42 is great, it is still down to player's personal preferences.
I have few top 100 players who don't use 42, they only use 41.
I personally prefer 41 too,

I agree, the 41 maximum boosted is lethal. 42 isn't for everyone. I also tried the Malong version and really liked it too even it says 42.5 hardness - not sure if that is correct but it played quite nicely

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I agree, the 41 maximum boosted is lethal. 42 isn't for everyone. I also tried the Malong version and really liked it too even it says 42.5 hardness - not sure if that is correct but it played quite nicely

Ma Long's one is special
its plays so might easier than 41 national

 

[longle]

I agree, the 41 maximum boosted is lethal. 42 isn't for everyone. I also tried the Malong version and really liked it too even it says 42.5 hardness - not sure if that is correct but it played quite nicely

Ma Long version is 41 sponge combine with 43 topsheet as I heard, all of the top CNT rubbers are custom made (combining a sponge with a different topsheet). I think for amateurs 41 pro neo blue is top notch, some China provincal players came to VN last year, they all use H3 41 Pro Orange as their FH

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Ma Long version is 41 sponge combine with 43 topsheet as I heard,

Ma Long's sponge is not 41
it measure harder

you don't have 43 topsheet hardness - I have not heard of this before.

 

[longle]

Ma Long's sponge is not 41
it measure harder

you don't have 43 topsheet hardness - I have not heard of this before.

yeah I'm not so sure about that either. I also heard that Chen Meng uses a softer topsheet than normal

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

yeah I'm not so sure about that either. I also heard that Chen Meng uses a softer topsheet than normal

they do have harder/softer topsheet
but they don't use "43" or something like that to spec it.

 

[GOAT 🐐]

Y’all are all falling into the blue sponge hype,
trust me I used to too. I recently changed to National orange 40 on forehand on my W968-8 and my forehand was immediately much better. The rubber gave more bounce, arc, and confidence, I beat multiple 2400 last tournament.

 

[longle]

Y’all are all falling into the blue sponge hype,
trust me I used to too. I recently changed to National orange 40 on forehand on my W968-8 and my forehand was immediately much better. The rubber gave more bounce, arc, and confidence, I beat multiple 2400 last tournament.

yeah it's easier to use, but the blue looks.. cooler you know

 

[Attitude]

Y’all are all falling into the blue sponge hype,
trust me I used to too. I recently changed to National orange 40 on forehand on my W968-8 and my forehand was immediately much better. The rubber gave more bounce, arc, and confidence, I beat multiple 2400 last tournament.

Cant relate to that actually. BS always felt way more dynamic in my tests. Arc was flatter too.

 

[GOAT 🐐]

yeah it's easier to use, but the blue looks.. cooler you know

So basically the ”hype”. Ur loosing out on a lot of performance because you can’t hit through the blue sponge. I can assure you that anyone under 2300 can’t hit through blue sponge and use it properly. The arc protection is close to none

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I am also a blue sponge person.
I have a couple of orange sponge....so I was bored and tested it again (After many years of not using it - ps, I used it for many years before), i took it off after 1 session and gave the other sheets away.

In my circle I have only see younger female player using orange briefly, one of them is a chopper.
we did later change her to national blue sponge.
so I don't think anyone is using orange sponge (forehand) any more.

 

[land_killer]

For me, 39 is a little bit soft, 40 is a little bit hard but acceptable. 40 after the second time boosting is perfect.

 

[Grumms]

Y’all are all falling into the blue sponge hype,
trust me I used to too. I recently changed to National orange 40 on forehand on my W968-8 and my forehand was immediately much better. The rubber gave more bounce, arc, and confidence, I beat multiple 2400 last tournament.

Cant relate to that actually. BS always felt way more dynamic in my tests. Arc was flatter too.

You might be both right. Even on Nat. or Prov., there is unconsistency. I have a BS Nat. 40° that, boosted twice, is uncontrollable, no short pushes is possible with it. I have other BS 40° (Prov.) that are totally controllable, boosted twice too. On another forum, people were surprised that I find my Nat. BS so uncontrollable, one even boosted his 5x and finds it totally find control-wise.

So you might be both right, but not considering the exact same rubbers.

 

[mamedium]

Y’all are all falling into the blue sponge hype,
trust me I used to too. I recently changed to National orange 40 on forehand on my W968-8 and my forehand was immediately much better. The rubber gave more bounce, arc, and confidence, I beat multiple 2400 last tournament.

with the same hardness, blue is harder. simply put: the blue sponge is a different kind, it may look denser than orange.
orange sponge is relatively easier to access speed and higher arc - that might explain it is better for matches due to higher security. the trajectory of blue sponge is flatter.