I can't play with Tensioned or Hybrid (EU, Jap) rubber anymore on forehand

[Zwill]

I have tried to use Glayzer 09c, Xiom Vega China plus and normal, Dignics 09c on my forehand side but after using Chinese rubbers for the last year and before for about 7-8 years now I just forgot how to use Hybrid or Tensioned rubbers. Sure, I can use them pretty darn well, but they feel slow, and I feel like they lack spin so badly. They don't eat the ball well, and the contact time is so short that I just can't use them anymore.
I really got a liking to the "internal" energy Chinese rubbers that try to copy boosted H3 BS, and their stability and consistency and long contact time and insensivity to spin, but also high spin generation potential is something I never find in tensioned or hybrid rubbers from BTY or ESN. Also, some Chinese brands make their rubbers pretty darn light, and they still have the boosted feeling while being light, while ESN achieves less or similar performance with 10-15% higher mass, and BTY is comparable in mass with their D09c.

The funny part is that on my backhand, I do use tensioned rubber, and I know it is much faster, but if I use it on my forehand side, it feels slow as hell unless I do flat hits. I do twiddle my racket for high balls just like how Chinese players do it.

And serving... omg like I can serve so well with Chinese rubbers, but my serves with D09c or G09c or ESN hybrids are so lacking. With Chinese rubbers, I can just bloody cut the ball hard, and I don't care much about if it's long or short, many people can't even pull it over the net, even if they get haemorrhoids trying so hard. In fact, a long and sharp cut is an annoying serve, and to my findings, long pips players can't handle that either.

The other problem I feel is that with ESN or BTY rubbers, the ball isn't immediately sticking to the rubber; it feels like the glue layer on non-Chinese rubbers is loose and the ball moves on it a smidge. I don't know about others, but for me this is so much insecurity that it now trips my brain into panic mode. While the ball does not slip but there's that feeling that the ball moves on the rubber (glue layer has give) a bit which I never feel with Chinese sticky rubbers.

I guess one more thing, if I use Chinese sticky rubber, I can hit as hard as I want, and the rubber can cope. If I use tensioned or hybrid, I feel like the topsheets just fall short. And literally the balls fall short into the net. Like the rubber can't deal with power.

I realise what I list is mostly a technique problem, but as I state in the title, I can only play with sticky Chinese rubbers properly now. I wonder if anyone else has similar feelings.

 

[MOJOJOJO-74]

DHS welcomes you with full arms 😂 I'm using Skyline 2 (Skyline 2 BS should be here any day now lol) and definitely love using them, especially coming off of short pips a few months ago.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

I have tried to use Glayzer 09c, Xiom Vega China plus and normal, Dignics 09c on my forehand side but after using Chinese rubbers for the last year and before for about 7-8 years now I just forgot how to use Hybrid or Tensioned rubbers. Sure, I can use them pretty darn well, but they feel slow, and I feel like they lack spin so badly. They don't eat the ball well, and the contact time is so short that I just can't use them anymore.
I really got a liking to the "internal" energy Chinese rubbers that try to copy boosted H3 BS, and their stability and consistency and long contact time and insensivity to spin, but also high spin generation potential is something I never find in tensioned or hybrid rubbers from BTY or ESN. Also, some Chinese brands make their rubbers pretty darn light, and they still have the boosted feeling while being light, while ESN achieves less or similar performance with 10-15% higher mass, and BTY is comparable in mass with their D09c.

The funny part is that on my backhand, I do use tensioned rubber, and I know it is much faster, but if I use it on my forehand side, it feels slow as hell unless I do flat hits. I do twiddle my racket for high balls just like how Chinese players do it.

And serving... omg like I can serve so well with Chinese rubbers, but my serves with D09c or G09c or ESN hybrids are so lacking. With Chinese rubbers, I can just bloody cut the ball hard, and I don't care much about if it's long or short, many people can't even pull it over the net, even if they get haemorrhoids trying so hard. In fact, a long and sharp cut is an annoying serve, and to my findings, long pips players can't handle that either.

The other problem I feel is that with ESN or BTY rubbers, the ball isn't immediately sticking to the rubber; it feels like the glue layer on non-Chinese rubbers is loose and the ball moves on it a smidge. I don't know about others, but for me this is so much insecurity that it now trips my brain into panic mode. While the ball does not slip but there's that feeling that the ball moves on the rubber (glue layer has give) a bit which I never feel with Chinese sticky rubbers.

I guess one more thing, if I use Chinese sticky rubber, I can hit as hard as I want, and the rubber can cope. If I use tensioned or hybrid, I feel like the topsheets just fall short. And literally the balls fall short into the net. Like the rubber can't deal with power.

I realise what I list is mostly a technique problem, but as I state in the title, I can only play with sticky Chinese rubbers properly now. I wonder if anyone else has similar feelings.

Confession of another Booster-Bro(tm).

 

[doppelmoral]

I have tried to use Glayzer 09c, Xiom Vega China plus and normal, Dignics 09c on my forehand side but after using Chinese rubbers for the last year and before for about 7-8 years now I just forgot how to use Hybrid or Tensioned rubbers. Sure, I can use them pretty darn well, but they feel slow, and I feel like they lack spin so badly. They don't eat the ball well, and the contact time is so short that I just can't use them anymore.
I really got a liking to the "internal" energy Chinese rubbers that try to copy boosted H3 BS, and their stability and consistency and long contact time and insensivity to spin, but also high spin generation potential is something I never find in tensioned or hybrid rubbers from BTY or ESN. Also, some Chinese brands make their rubbers pretty darn light, and they still have the boosted feeling while being light, while ESN achieves less or similar performance with 10-15% higher mass, and BTY is comparable in mass with their D09c.

The funny part is that on my backhand, I do use tensioned rubber, and I know it is much faster, but if I use it on my forehand side, it feels slow as hell unless I do flat hits. I do twiddle my racket for high balls just like how Chinese players do it.

And serving... omg like I can serve so well with Chinese rubbers, but my serves with D09c or G09c or ESN hybrids are so lacking. With Chinese rubbers, I can just bloody cut the ball hard, and I don't care much about if it's long or short, many people can't even pull it over the net, even if they get haemorrhoids trying so hard. In fact, a long and sharp cut is an annoying serve, and to my findings, long pips players can't handle that either.

The other problem I feel is that with ESN or BTY rubbers, the ball isn't immediately sticking to the rubber; it feels like the glue layer on non-Chinese rubbers is loose and the ball moves on it a smidge. I don't know about others, but for me this is so much insecurity that it now trips my brain into panic mode. While the ball does not slip but there's that feeling that the ball moves on the rubber (glue layer has give) a bit which I never feel with Chinese sticky rubbers.

I guess one more thing, if I use Chinese sticky rubber, I can hit as hard as I want, and the rubber can cope. If I use tensioned or hybrid, I feel like the topsheets just fall short. And literally the balls fall short into the net. Like the rubber can't deal with power.

I realise what I list is mostly a technique problem, but as I state in the title, I can only play with sticky Chinese rubbers properly now. I wonder if anyone else has similar feelings.

I see where you are coming from, but my personal experience is not so extrem. for the longest time, I couldnt use rubbers other than h3 neo on my forehand because their dwell time and bite always felt too low. chinese alternatives that I tried (STN, Rxton9) are really nice but they also do not bite like h3 bs. and the lack of bite, I felt it during loops, but also pushes and serves, so I am with you on that one

I still feel like I can serve well though with ESN rubbers. I also agree that the newer hybrids feel like they cant cope if you swing very hard, h3 bs feels alot more stable and powerful and like there is no limit. for the older type hybrids, especially regular vega china, they actually feel better to me, closer to h3. vega china offered me the support even for powerful loops and it does bite the ball very well (less than h3 but more than any other esn / bty rubber I know).

I think over the recent months / years, with becoming better at TT, I actually became more open to playing other rubbers on my forehand other than h3. I recently tried a sheet of bluegrip c2 from a friend and it was also easy to play. h3 is still the best feeling by far but with technique improving I am starting to appreciate other rubbers more (doesnt mean my appreciation for h3 diminishes)
as for most people, my biggest problem with h3 is the boosting process. I played this season with a dead h3 for about 2 months (39 degree prov bs, boost faded away) and then recently boosted a fresh sheet. boosted the new sheet beautifully, probably the best sheet I ever had. the racket felt just unbelievable, so easy to play and easy to spin, just wow. night and day compared to my dead h3. now 2 weeks later, that magic is already gone. sure, it still feels slightly boosted, but that perfect feeling is gone fast. I played a decent player yesterday who countered all my fh open ups, because I got good spin but the speed and depth was lacking too much. hitting harder is an option but not always easy to do once facing a better player. of course I am also using a rather slowish and linear blade (tmxi pro) where speed is not great on medium effort. for someone not regularly boosting, I assume a viscaria type blade fits better with h3. I am often too lazy to boost

being able to enjoy a boosted h3 for only such a short time, it makes want to play vega china again will probably glue a sheet next week.

 

[lodro]

as a sticky chinese rubber player i am tempted to simply dismiss EU and Tensor Jap rubbers as rubbish for the very reason the author mentions.
However, because i see so many good player play real well with these rubbers I can not dismiss them.
The change from one kind of rubber to another that is so totally different takes a lot of time and adjustment.

For example : I read that when his coach suggested to Mattias Falck to play with short pimple rubber and twiddles , it took Mattias 2 years to adjust and we a re talking a professional TTplayer here.

 

[mihalichtheone]

To me on the backhand side I switch between H8 and Xiom Vega X.

New vega x almost 100% outperforms Chinese rubbers, however after only 1 week of everyday play the ball starts to slip a lot during the shots where I have to be more passive (meaning, the top sheet becomes unusable in some situations). The sponge is dead later, may be in around 2 months.

With H8 I feel like when I pass the break-in period the top sheet never gives up and the sponge softens, but still has springiness and power on active shots.

BTY rubbers are the same as ENS, only last 2-3 weeks more in my experience.

So yeah, Chinese rubbers any day + more hours into training. The problem for me is that I feel like the booster evaporates very quickly Even thick layers do evaporate in 2-3 DAYS and it feels like the rubber is playable, in another 4-5 days the effect is completely gone.

 

[lodro]

The problem for me is that I feel like the booster evaporates very quickly

Interesting. May we know what kind of booster you use ?
I used to use Haifu Seamoon, the cheapest one and that lasted for many weeks.

 

[Zwill]

I see where you are coming from, but my personal experience is not so extrem. for the longest time, I couldnt use rubbers other than h3 neo on my forehand because their dwell time and bite always felt too low. chinese alternatives that I tried (STN, Rxton9) are really nice but they also do not bite like h3 bs. and the lack of bite, I felt it during loops, but also pushes and serves, so I am with you on that one

I still feel like I can serve well though with ESN rubbers. I also agree that the newer hybrids feel like they cant cope if you swing very hard, h3 bs feels alot more stable and powerful and like there is no limit. for the older type hybrids, especially regular vega china, they actually feel better to me, closer to h3. vega china offered me the support even for powerful loops and it does bite the ball very well (less than h3 but more than any other esn / bty rubber I know).

I think over the recent months / years, with becoming better at TT, I actually became more open to playing other rubbers on my forehand other than h3. I recently tried a sheet of bluegrip c2 from a friend and it was also easy to play. h3 is still the best feeling by far but with technique improving I am starting to appreciate other rubbers more (doesnt mean my appreciation for h3 diminishes)
as for most people, my biggest problem with h3 is the boosting process. I played this season with a dead h3 for about 2 months (39 degree prov bs, boost faded away) and then recently boosted a fresh sheet. boosted the new sheet beautifully, probably the best sheet I ever had. the racket felt just unbelievable, so easy to play and easy to spin, just wow. night and day compared to my dead h3. now 2 weeks later, that magic is already gone. sure, it still feels slightly boosted, but that perfect feeling is gone fast. I played a decent player yesterday who countered all my fh open ups, because I got good spin but the speed and depth was lacking too much. hitting harder is an option but not always easy to do once facing a better player. of course I am also using a rather slowish and linear blade (tmxi pro) where speed is not great on medium effort. for someone not regularly boosting, I assume a viscaria type blade fits better with h3. I am often too lazy to boost

being able to enjoy a boosted h3 for only such a short time, it makes want to play vega china again will probably glue a sheet next week.

Yeah, I totally get you, which is why I have been experimenting with some rubbers you "don't need to boost" but still Chinese-ish. Vega China is pretty good, and it reminds me of boosted H3 orange more so than anything else, and the topsheet is not the shitty C touch from ESN, which is useless after a few weeks.

I had a sheet of Bluegrip C2 and it's probably the most Chinese-like out of ESN, at least at that time, the C2 felt the most like a Chinese rubber, but the topsheet is just as terrible as K3 and if the temps get a bit colder it turns into ice... it's slippery.

as a sticky chinese rubber player i am tempted to simply dismiss EU and Tensor Jap rubbers as rubbish for the very reason the author mentions.
However, because i see so many good player play real well with these rubbers I can not dismiss them.
The change from one kind of rubber to another that is so totally different takes a lot of time and adjustment.

For example : I read that when his coach suggested to Mattias Falck to play with short pimple rubber and twiddles , it took Mattias 2 years to adjust and we a re talking a professional TTplayer here.

I never liked Tenergy much, but it is a good rubber and many can use it very well. I never could, but the T19 on BH was pretty sweet when I tried it. But I always well Tenergy doesn't have the grip, especially if the ball is a bit used and a bit shiny then Tenergy just slips the ball. Glayzer has much better grip.

From ESN I can count on one of my hands the rubbers I actually like. V15, G-1, MX-S/P... V15 and G-1 are good because they are durable and don't shrink (much).

To me on the backhand side I switch between H8 and Xiom Vega X.

New vega x almost 100% outperforms Chinese rubbers, however after only 1 week of everyday play the ball starts to slip a lot during the shots where I have to be more passive (meaning, the top sheet becomes unusable in some situations). The sponge is dead later, may be in around 2 months.

With H8 I feel like when I pass the break-in period the top sheet never gives up and the sponge softens, but still has springiness and power on active shots.

BTY rubbers are the same as ENS, only last 2-3 weeks more in my experience.

So yeah, Chinese rubbers any day + more hours into training. The problem for me is that I feel like the booster evaporates very quickly Even thick layers do evaporate in 2-3 DAYS and it feels like the rubber is playable, in another 4-5 days the effect is completely gone.

I used to play with Vega Asia which I quite liked, but I think V15 is better and durability is quite good. They really nailed that rubber.

 

[Zwill]

Yeah, I glued my STN3 back and it feels so good on Mizutani ZLC. I have no qualms, spin, speed, arc, push, serve all good. In fact I reel that the blade is being utilized, with tensored rubbers I feel like the blade is excluded from forehand, I don't feel anything. With STN I have similar feeling now like I had with Pinyi Cuifeng with Ice Cream Pro. But I feel the Mizutani is better on BH and STN is better at push than Cuifeng while being about as good at everything else.