Hello Friends,
I wrote a long review about the Vega Korea on my blog. Feel free to check it out:
The XIOM Vega Korea is one of the newest members in the Vega family. Released in 2023, XIOM describes it as a rubber that is “specialized for Korean style that prefers offensive spin drive an…
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Excerpt
Basic Facts:
In its uncut state, the Vega Korea weighs 68g. Cut to my An Jaehyun TMXi Pro Blade, the VK weighed 51g. Keep in mind that my blade has a large headsize of 160x152mm, so if you use a blade with a regular head size, the weight would probably be around 48-50g
Drive: On drives, the VK felt very controlled and comfortable. The first impression that I had is that it is noticeably softer than my usual backhand rubber, the Omega 7 Pro. It is easy to feel the ball and the blade and I was in full control of directing the ball. A surprise for me however was the speed of the VK. It is not slow at all, so it is easy to make good pace. The speed is comparable to the Vega X but still below the Omega 7 Pro. The trajectory was also longer than I expected, which in my opinion is a good thing on the backhand side.
Loop:
It took me a while to get used to the 45-degree sponge, as the softer feedback felt unfamiliar initially. After a while, I was able to really appreciate the speed-spin ratio of the VK. Due to the softer sponge, it is quite easy to let the ball sink, and you can feel the ball and your blade very well. Since the ball sinks into the sponge effortlessly, speed is generated quite easily and you only have to focus on making good spin. In my opinion, the VK works best closer to the table and when playing with medium power. When closer to the table, you will appreciate the control and decent speed that the VK provides. For both low- and medium power shots, the spin generation will be very good and sufficient to create a safe arc. The arc in general was of medium height, neither too low nor too high, just right for the backhand. In comparison, the arc of Vega X was higher and shorter, while the arc of Omega 7 Pro was longer and more dangerous.
On the other hand, when playing further away from the table, you will feel a lack of power. The softer sponge is not made for power, which is why the VK did not work well on high-power shots. The sponge bottoms out quickly or might feel slightly mushy if you really go for it. While the ball still landed on the table, the quality was somewhat lacking
Block and Smash:
Blocking was so good with the VK. I did not think I would like blocking with a relatively softer sponge, but to my surprise the feeling was excellent. The VK is very safe for blocking, especially on passive blocks. The speed is moderate and not very fast, and it was easy to return the ball safely. Compared to many other harder rubbers, it is more difficult to pressure your opponent with blocks, but on the other hand, harder rubbers can be a challenge to control. On active blocks, going topspin vs. topspin, the VK shines close to the table. It is very easy to overwrite your opponents spin and send the ball back with quality. The speed is just normal but the safety is outstanding. It was also quite easy to do block variations, including chop blocks or blocks that take the pace out of a ball
Serve Receive:
Relatively softer sponges are known for their ease-of-use over the table but might lack precision. To my surprise, this was not the case with the Vega Korea. When receiving, I was able to push short or deep with high precision and low over the net without having to adjust my technique. On active receives, the topsheet again gripped the ball exceptionally well, which made it possible to loop all of my opponents’ long serves. The most important factor here again was focusing on proper spin generation, and while my active receives were not all that dangerous, they were safe and spinny and brought me into the rally successfully.
Final Thoughts:
I found using the Vega Korea highly enjoyable. While the rubber somewhat forces me to play closer to the table, it was a joy to play with a easy to use rubber that is fairly fast and very spinny. The rubber shines at medium power strokes, which is in my opinion exactly how amateurs are often utilizing their backhand. And, even though it is not the spinniest or fastest rubber, when keeping the target audience and price-performance in mind, the Vega Korea is a great deal. Thanks to the added speed and dynamics in comparison to older Vega models, it is possible to play a modern backhand game without having to give up on control. Therefore, I can recommend this rubber to anyone who likes to rally and is looking for a rubber helps them enter those rallies.
