New Stiga Mantra Pro

[Scarfed Garchomp]

I recently bought a sheet of Mantra Pro and found it had a reverse curl. Should I have boosted it lightly once to make it flat? Or this is normal and won't affect the performance? I already glued it onto my blade by the way.

View attachment 33613

This is how they come. Just beware of shrinking if you take the rubber off after some usage

 

[po-stit]

Background

I've been playing since i was 9years old (I'm 35) with some pauses in between during college and early work. I've had a very traditional coach who taught me how to brush loop the first ball and "kill" the second ball even if that means going forehand on all the table. It's not unusual to score the point on the open loop because of spin. So considering all this my backhand is not the best. So, after the glue ban I've been struggling to find a decent backhand rubber that fits my game. Previously i was using sriver Fx and Bryce fx on the backhand with speed glue. Currently with my not so perfect backhand i struggled with receives and even blocks mid game. I was craving for a softish, low spin sensitivity and decent grip rubber but couldn't find anything that fit the bill. Ultimately I chose the Tenergy 80fx because it was the closest to my requirements. Backhand top spin and blocks were better but service receive was still a nightmare. The Tenergy 80fx sometimes felt too soft, too spin sensitive and with lower grip that i wanted.

I've tried many others including Rakza Z that i felt gave me some security and stability to my backhand on receives and touch play, however the high arc and the sudden "explosivity" of the rubber when i accelerate the ball didnt give me confidence. I was overshooting the table too many times.

I had this Mantra Pro M i ordered from aliexpress because of the low price and decided to give it a try. Oh my, why didnt i give it a shot before, this rubber is all i was asking and more. This is the first time after the glue ban that i've ever felt comfortable on my backhand again and even had fun.

"Review"

The rubber itself is not soft but plays like its a soft rubber with the benefits of a hard rubber. Im not sure why, maybe because the topsheet is soft but it definitely doesn't feel like a hard rubber. It has the stability of a hard sponge but have the dwell of a soft rubbers so the feeling with this rubber is nothing like i ever experienced, it's like the rubber grabs the ball and throws it in the right direction everytime, its unreal. Also it's not spin sensitive, i feel i can flick almost every shot. I think someone mentioned that the rubber is "supple" and i think it describes the feeling perfectly. In my opinion it's not a speed demon nor is the most spinny rubber ever but i do think the feeling, safety and the spin insensitivity gives me so much confidence that i can be more agressive.
The arch is medium low, at least is definitely lower than 09c and rakza z but i've never had any problem on placing the ball on the table. Lastly but not least, when i play a little bit harder the rubber as an amazing "clicky" sound. Not sure if thats the sponge bottoming out but i dont notice a drop in speed, at least for me.

For the price paid i think its the best rubber around, and to be honest if this rubber had another brand imprinted on it (Big B) im sure people will be using it more and giving raving reviews despite the "high price" in Europe. Don't get me wrong, im still using Tenergy 80/Dignics 80 and love it on forehand but im more curious to try the Hard or XH version of the Mantra Pro and see how it compares.

For reference i was using the Mantra M on a Harimoto SALC.

 

[doppelmoral]

I bought a sheet of Mantra Pro H during Aliexpress springsale for 27€ and tested it on the backhand side of my trusted AJH TMXi Pro.

Without going into much detail, this is one of the best if not the best rubber in terms of price-performance. It does everything very well without excelling in any department. It is just very balanced, good speed, good spin, easy to block, easy to receive. No wear of the topsheet after a few sessions.

If you are tired of EJ‘ing and just want to settle on a cheap rubber that has good performance, mantra pro H is perfect. It costs around 50€ in most shops in Europe, just saying

 

[tzifos]

I was a G-1 guy for years. I liked it (I still like it very much) but after trying Mantra Pro M 2.0mm I stuck with it. I can find it cheaper than G1, it lasts as long as G1 did, as fast as G1 in my VKM blade, spin about the same if not better than G1, and with lower throw than G1. It suits better my game and I can FH-chop better than with G1. Now I am a MantraProM guy

 

[doppelmoral]

Has anyone used both mantra pro m and etika 47 (both daiki rubbers) and can make a comparison?

 

[victorwei]

I have tried Pro H on my backhand of Stiga Danasty carbon Chinese penhold it feels soft. I have used the non-pro version of Mantra H it feels great. Anyway, I am a Chinese penholder with reverse backhand techniques.

 

[BlueInGreen]

I bought a sheet of Mantra Pro H during Aliexpress springsale for 27€ and tested it on the backhand side of my trusted AJH TMXi Pro.

Without going into much detail, this is one of the best if not the best rubber in terms of price-performance. It does everything very well without excelling in any department. It is just very balanced, good speed, good spin, easy to block, easy to receive. No wear of the topsheet after a few sessions.

If you are tired of EJ‘ing and just want to settle on a cheap rubber that has good performance, mantra pro H is perfect. It costs around 50€ in most shops in Europe, just saying

I have recently put on a sheet of Mantra Pro H (Violet) on my AJH TMXi Pro, and can confirm all of your descriptions.

Some background: the backhand has always been my weaker side, and I have never quite found a BH rubber that I'm fully confident in like I am with H3 on FH, especially on limba inner-carbon blades that I'm so fond of. Viscaria-type blades, in my personal experience, are far more comfortable on the BH side, making the set of viable BH rubbers for them much larger. Inner blades, though, tend to be more picky with rubbers. In the last 6 months I have experimented with Rasanter C53, Prov H3N 38° (boosted), H8-80 (both unboosted and boosted), and Sanwet Target National (soft 37° version for BH) and neither felt like a perfect fit. ESN-made rubbers can act too unpredictably for my taste and their durability tends to be iffy; H3 has superb spin and control, feels wonderful on perfectly-executed full swings, but I'm not good enough to be able to exploit that all the time, especially during match play. H8-80 felt like a compromise, allowing for easier access to speed, but its sponge didn't have the top-end power of H3 and the topsheet was much less tackier than H3, which didn't help with control. STN 37°, for the lack of a better word, was a rather weird rubber; It wasn't super tacky (couldn't really hold the ball in the air), but it was surprisingly spinny and in many shots it would feel very slow. Then it would sometimes become surprisingly quick (usually on loops), but not in the predictable way DHS rubbers tend to act — controlled on less powerful shots, powerful as you add more of your own power while adding spin.

So that journey led me to give another try to non-tacky BH rubbers, and so far (3 sessions in) it has gone pretty well. Mantra Pro H feels softer than 50°, is much easier to play and has sufficient power, nice feedback and a pleasant clicky sound on powerful hits, good control and stability, while being surprisingly linear for a grippy high-tension rubber. As expected, compared to Chinese tacky rubbers it requires more attention and a lighter touch in the serve/receive game to keep the ball tight, though it is manageable. The only shot that I am struggling with is the BH flick on short balls, as I'm more used to the feeling of a tacky rubber grabbing the ball for me and creating a safe arc. So far I have a tendency to overshoot on those shots, but I suspect that will eventually fix itself as I adapt more to Mantra Pro and adjust my technique to engage the sponge further on BH flicks.

 

[Spartan-727]

Can anyone compare the mantra pro h to dignics 05?

And then to other rubbers made by daiki. Such as nexy Etika, Hammond z2, others not listed here.

Would really appreciate knowing the comparisons for speed(initial vs overall), spin, control, arc.

 

[po-stit]

Can anyone compare the mantra pro h to dignics 05?

And then to other rubbers made by daiki. Such as nexy Etika, Hammond z2, others not listed here.

Would really appreciate knowing the comparisons for speed(initial vs overall), spin, control, arc.

I just bought a Mantra Pro H and wil try to compare the the Digncis80

 

[po-stit]

Can anyone compare the mantra pro h to dignics 05?

And then to other rubbers made by daiki. Such as nexy Etika, Hammond z2, others not listed here.

Would really appreciate knowing the comparisons for speed(initial vs overall), spin, control, arc.

In the meantime i've used the Dignics 05 and tried the Mantra Pro H.

Mantra Pro H on Innerforce ALC
Dignics 05 on Harimoto SALC

Mind you that my first impressions where from a rubber i bought from Aliexpress, the Pro M in black. After that i bought two sheets (one from the same seller as before M and H variantes) and they came with different packages. The first one came in a package that had two folds and the newer ones came with a single fold package (like butterfly rubbers). I don't think that they are fake but would like to point that out.

My impression is that there is not much difference between the M and the H. The newer M that i bought (RED) feels slightly harder than the black M i've bought before and feels slightly less "dwelly", almost like the topsheet is harder. It might be on my head but i think that even the black H feels more supple that the red M despite being harder.

Now, compared to the Dignics 05. I do feel that D05 is more Spin oriented while the Mantra Pro H is more speed oriented or even more balanced, if that makes sense. It's not a spin demon but i would say it has about the same spin as a tenergy rubber. The D05 have that clicky, springy feel when you brush the ball while the Pro H doen't have it as much. You do feel that springiness but not on the level of Dignics, more close to Tenergy.

Regarding speed, i think its about the same as Tenergy 80, which in my opinion is as fast as Rozena. I dont think its super fast but not slow by any means. Dignics on other level, is slow on slow shots and a bomb when you acelerate. It's still controlable but super fast and in my opinion is a differente beast.

In summary, i do think that the Mantra Pro M is closer to Tenergy than its to Dignics, however i think its better thatn Tenery in some regards, like the low sensitivity to spin, and lower catapult.

Take these impressions with a grain of salt, i'm using the Pro M on the Backhand and the Dignics 80 (now 05) on the FH. I dont have as much time with the H on Forehand like i do with the Dignics.

 

[Spartan-727]

In the meantime i've used the Dignics 05 and tried the Mantra Pro H.

Mantra Pro H on Innerforce ALC
Dignics 05 on Harimoto SALC

Mind you that my first impressions where from a rubber i bought from Aliexpress, the Pro M in black. After that i bought two sheets (one from the same seller as before M and H variantes) and they came with different packages. The first one came in a package that had two folds and the newer ones came with a single fold package (like butterfly rubbers). I don't think that they are fake but would like to point that out.

My impression is that there is not much difference between the M and the H. The newer M that i bought (RED) feels slightly harder than the black M i've bought before and feels slightly less "dwelly", almost like the topsheet is harder. It might be on my head but i think that even the black H feels more supple that the red M despite being harder.

Now, compared to the Dignics 05. I do feel that D05 is more Spin oriented while the Mantra Pro H is more speed oriented or even more balanced, if that makes sense. It's not a spin demon but i would say it has about the same spin as a tenergy rubber. The D05 have that clicky, springy feel when you brush the ball while the Pro H doen't have it as much. You do feel that springiness but not on the level of Dignics, more close to Tenergy.

Regarding speed, i think its about the same as Tenergy 80, which in my opinion is as fast as Rozena. I dont think its super fast but not slow by any means. Dignics on other level, is slow on slow shots and a bomb when you acelerate. It's still controlable but super fast and in my opinion is a differente beast.

In summary, i do think that the Mantra Pro M is closer to Tenergy than its to Dignics, however i think its better thatn Tenery in some regards, like the low sensitivity to spin, and lower catapult.

Take these impressions with a grain of salt, i'm using the Pro M on the Backhand and the Dignics 80 (now 05) on the FH. I dont have as much time with the H on Forehand like i do with the Dignics.

Thanks for the review!
I bought the mantra pro H for my forehand and have used it for about 20 hours now.
I do feel that it's easier to play than dignics or tenergy because there is less catapult. Not to say it isn't fast though, I can hit past people now that I couldn't before. Overall very easy to play and I'd recommend you give it a try for the forehand.

 

[po-stit]

Thanks for the review!
I bought the mantra pro H for my forehand and have used it for about 20 hours now.
I do feel that it's easier to play than dignics or tenergy because there is less catapult. Not to say it isn't fast though, I can hit past people now that I couldn't before. Overall very easy to play and I'd recommend you give it a try for the forehand.

Im planning to try the MP H on my forehand as well and see how it goes. I still struggle with Dignics at times.

 

[enoxzr]

Just ordered a pink Mantra Pro H on AliExpress, needed a cheaper option as FH rubber for a second racket. Running DNA Platinum M on my main racket, Mantra Pro's tend to feel soft, so opted for the H.

Normally I run black FH and coloured pips on BH. Does anyone know if there is any noted difference between the black and the newer coloured Mantra Pro's?

 

[S2000]

II have played for a year with Mantra Pro M. It works really well both on forehand as well as backhand.
Loops great both BH and FH
Slap - better then expected
Blocking - really good
Counter push on backspin - works great not so spin sensitive.
Smash - good on both FH and BH
Chopping - works but not so fantastic.
I can play unexpectedly far from the table with a 5ply Donic Waldner Off.
Has higher throw than DNA Platinum S and for me no discernible difference in spin. DNA P S is faster though bu not by very much. I put on new Mantra Pro M and uncut weight was 64 respectively 63 grams. DNA Platinum S was 66 g. To me it is better for lifting loose backspin then with DNA Platinum. Might be practice needed there.

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

Just ordered a pink Mantra Pro H on AliExpress, needed a cheaper option as FH rubber for a second racket. Running DNA Platinum M on my main racket, Mantra Pro's tend to feel soft, so opted for the H.

Normally I run black FH and coloured pips on BH. Does anyone know if there is any noted difference between the black and the newer coloured Mantra Pro's?

All the Pro H I have used are colored, I've tried Pro M in red and Pro XH in black, but I didn't feel any differences in topsheet feeling between the different colors. Pro H remains my favorite though

 

[doppelmoral]

I tried Mantra Pro M during this summer, after liking Mantra Pro H quite alot. I got my sheet for 23€ from Aliexpress, crazy good price

Mantra Pro M felt quite soft, softer than 47.5 degrees. The rubber is obviously very similar to Mantra Pro H, but it was more bouncy and the catapult kicked in fast. Definitely a rubber build for speed rather than spin

Mantra Pro series is easy to play, and the ball lands on the table. Its spin insensitive, easy for shortgame, receiving, and blocking. Still, there is something that bothered me about Pro M. The topsheet is not very grippy, so thin contact is a no-go. Ball will just feel empty with low spin. With sponge engagement, shot quality is more than fine, but I just cannot make the ball ‚bite‘ into the rubber. I assume its because the topsheet is not grippy enough and doesnt allow for this feeling , which you would get from playing ESN/Butterfly rubbers. So even though it wont feel like I made a good shot because this lack of bite, the ball has decent quality actually. soemthing to get used to.

Mantra Pro H has the same topsheet, where its difficult to make the ball ‚bite‘. Still, due to the slightly harder sponge, it felt more comfortable with the Pro H version to go for loops and openups. Note that I usually prefer 47,5 degrees on my bh

 

[kevin.c]

I tried Mantra Pro M during this summer, after liking Mantra Pro H quite alot. I got my sheet for 23€ from Aliexpress, crazy good price

Mantra Pro M felt quite soft, softer than 47.5 degrees. The rubber is obviously very similar to Mantra Pro H, but it was more bouncy and the catapult kicked in fast. Definitely a rubber build for speed rather than spin

Mantra Pro series is easy to play, and the ball lands on the table. Its spin insensitive, easy for shortgame, receiving, and blocking. Still, there is something that bothered me about Pro M. The topsheet is not very grippy, so thin contact is a no-go. Ball will just feel empty with low spin. With sponge engagement, shot quality is more than fine, but I just cannot make the ball ‚bite‘ into the rubber. I assume its because the topsheet is not grippy enough and doesnt allow for this feeling , which you would get from playing ESN/Butterfly rubbers. So even though it wont feel like I made a good shot because this lack of bite, the ball has decent quality actually. soemthing to get used to.

Mantra Pro H has the same topsheet, where its difficult to make the ball ‚bite‘. Still, due to the slightly harder sponge, it felt more comfortable with the Pro H version to go for loops and openups. Note that I usually prefer 47,5 degrees on my bh

This is just the review I've been waiting for, thanks! Can you compare the Mantra Pro M and H vs Omega 7 Pro and Omega 8 Pro?

 

[piligrim]

I tried Mantra Pro M during this summer, after liking Mantra Pro H quite alot. I got my sheet for 23€ from Aliexpress, crazy good price

Mantra Pro M felt quite soft, softer than 47.5 degrees. The rubber is obviously very similar to Mantra Pro H, but it was more bouncy and the catapult kicked in fast. Definitely a rubber build for speed rather than spin

Mantra Pro series is easy to play, and the ball lands on the table. Its spin insensitive, easy for shortgame, receiving, and blocking. Still, there is something that bothered me about Pro M. The topsheet is not very grippy, so thin contact is a no-go. Ball will just feel empty with low spin. With sponge engagement, shot quality is more than fine, but I just cannot make the ball ‚bite‘ into the rubber. I assume its because the topsheet is not grippy enough and doesnt allow for this feeling , which you would get from playing ESN/Butterfly rubbers. So even though it wont feel like I made a good shot because this lack of bite, the ball has decent quality actually. soemthing to get used to.

Mantra Pro H has the same topsheet, where its difficult to make the ball ‚bite‘. Still, due to the slightly harder sponge, it felt more comfortable with the Pro H version to go for loops and openups. Note that I usually prefer 47,5 degrees on my bh

If you say it's spin insensitive then no wonder you have problem to create spin and grab the ball )))

 

[Julzig]

Sounds almost same to Nexy Etika, it shines more with full swings or hitting. For short game it does lack a little bite and is the only thing that annoys me too. With the harder version it was easier to let the soft topsheet work, because of the reduced bounce.
Since Mantra Pro can be found so cheap I might buy a sheet when I replace my rubbers.
First is Butterfly Zyre and Dignics on the plan.

 

[tzifos]

I cannot find problem in short play, I use Mantra Pro M, and pushes (heavy or not, long or short) with FH and BH (I twiddle) and flicks (FH) are more than fine.