Best No-Booster Alternative to Boosted H3 National Blue Sponge on a DHS W968?

[struke]

Hi everyone,


I’m looking for the closest possible forehand alternative to a properly boosted DHS Hurricane 3 Neo National Blue Sponge for use on a DHS W968 National blade.


I do not want to boost rubbers at all—not initially and not every few weeks. However, I still want to preserve as many of the advantages of boosted H3 Blue Sponge as possible:

• Very high spin and a heavy, penetrating ball
• Strong grip and tackiness
• Excellent control in the short game
• A stable, predictable arc
• High power when accelerating fully
• Enough built-in speed and catapult without boosting
• Good counterlooping and performance from mid-distance
• The characteristic “kick” effect of a hard Chinese rubber on a flexible W968 blade

I understand that no unboosted rubber will feel exactly identical to boosted H3 National Blue Sponge, but I am looking for the closest overall replacement across all parameters, not simply the fastest or tackiest option.


Which rubber would you rank number one for this purpose? I would especially appreciate opinions from players who have personally used both boosted H3 National Blue Sponge and the suggested alternative on a W968 or similar inner-fibre blade.


Thanks!

 

[Lazer]

My first initial guess would be Dignics 09C…

My second guess would be Tibhar hybrid K3…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Gekko]

I've been through this journey. Everyone recommends the same tired rubbers.
You want it to feel like H3? It needs to be hard. HARD.
So be prepared to be in the 57.5-60 degree range in the ESN scale.

 

[jk1980]

I think anything non chinese will be quite different. If we stick to chinese brands i would recommend 729/Friendship.
The real question is if you actually experienced a well boosted h3 blue spongemor if you are just parrotting what others say about it.

I would recommend you to try the following versions of battle 2 gold: 39° red rubber (which has a different sponge than the black one), 40° red rubber, 39° black rubber, 40° black rubber. I named them in the order of easy to play -> more close to h3 blu3 sponge

 

[Tyce]

1. You've made plenty of threads pointing out

I do not want to boost rubbers at all

but what is your reason for not wanting to boost at all? Perhaps if you share your train of thought, people here will be more able to understand what it is you're actually looking for, as it seems you have not found it yet despite....

2. In said threads, you have also gotten plenty of suggestions, but instead of taking on the conversation, or trying those suggestions, you circle back and make yet another thread with the same question.

I think anything non chinese will be quite different. If we stick to chinese brands i would recommend 729/Friendship.
The real question is if you actually experienced a well boosted h3 blue spongemor if you are just parrotting what others say about it.

I would recommend you to try the following versions of battle 2 gold: 39° red rubber (which has a different sponge than the black one), 40° red rubber, 39° black rubber, 40° black rubber. I named them in the order of easy to play -> more close to h3 blu3 sponge

+1
I have the black 38° blue sponge Battle 2 gold and it's quite lovely once broken in. Yes, the topsheet behaves a little bit differently but as I've used SuperFX in the past the feeling is actually quite familiar to that, but clearly better quality and performance.
I do feel the 38 gets drowned out on a hard, stiff blade (FZD ALC) but on a 7-ply (Sanwei Fextra) it works very well.

 

[Kilogramme]

HI, I recently tried the Quan Shi Bao Power-F1. Brand of Fang Bo. I play it without booster, and it is really good. Feels like H3 boosted. Grip is insane.
Here is my review of both QSB rubber https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/quan-shi-bao-is-amazing.36049/post-582016

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

It would be nice if unicorns existed, but they do not.

 

[Coolsta Connor]

Honestly the closest you'll get is Zyre for majority of stuff although its not tacky and short game depends on who you are, it is hard to it has that going for it although fast. Absolute closest non boosted would be Chinese Team Dignics 09c.

 

[Faker]

Honestly the closest you'll get is Zyre for majority of stuff although its not tacky and short game depends on who you are, it is hard to it has that going for it although fast. Absolute closest non boosted would be Chinese Team Dignics 09c.

Chinese team Dignics 09c is too EXPENSIVE. I believe he doesn't want to pay a lot.

 

[Faker]

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/best-chinese-sticky-rubbers-that-dont-need-boosting.38053/page-11#post-582272

 

[Coolsta Connor]

Chinese team Dignics 09c is too EXPENSIVE. I believe he doesn't want to pay a lot.

If you want the next best alternative that's what you're gonna have to do.

 

[Coolsta Connor]

It's niche although Yuanjian (LGY's company) ZhanTian may fit the boxes although requires loads of effort:
despite never trying it yet i know everything about this rubber and am happy to answer every question. It is basically a 55º 2.3mm (or 57.5 2.1) harder, faster, tackier D09c that doesnt require boosting (although reacts well to it and I think could benefit from it in 57.5). It is quite expensive but durability is better than bty as shown above. I plan to buy this after my current D09c wears out. PS: They also have an upcoming unknown rubber on ITTF approved list.

Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

 

[struke]

It's niche although Yuanjian (LGY's company) ZhanTian may fit the boxes although requires loads of effort:
despite never trying it yet i know everything about this rubber and am happy to answer every question. It is basically a 55º 2.3mm (or 57.5 2.1) harder, faster, tackier D09c that doesnt require boosting (although reacts well to it and I think could benefit from it in 57.5). It is quite expensive but durability is better than bty as shown above. I plan to buy this after my current D09c wears out. PS: They also have an upcoming unknown rubber on ITTF approved list.

Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Thanks for the suggestion. What is the exact full name of this rubber and its manufacturer? Is it Yuanjian ZhanTian, made by Yuanjian, LGY’s company?


For a DHS W968 National, which exact rubber, hardness and thickness would you recommend for:

• FH: A hard and tacky rubber that plays as close as possible to a boosted DHS Hurricane 3 Neo National Blue Sponge, but without requiring any boosting.
• BH: A less tacky or completely non-tacky, more tensor-like rubber that is easier to activate and works especially well with the W968.

Price is not an issue for me. My only priority is finding the best possible rubber combination that matches these requirements. Please give me your exact recommended model, hardness and thickness for each side.

 

[struke]

Honestly the closest you'll get is Zyre for majority of stuff although its not tacky and short game depends on who you are, it is hard to it has that going for it although fast. Absolute closest non boosted would be Chinese Team Dignics 09c.

 

[Grumms]

Loki Arthur China for budget option.

 

[kindof99]

It would be nice if unicorns existed, but they do not.

Keep searching, you might find one.

 

[kindof99]

Victas TDE plays a bit like a national H3, but it is really really heavy.

 

[kindof99]

I feel most players are Ejing for a little extra spin or speed from rubbers. Is it really necessary?
If you are under USATT 2000, Loki Aisa/Rxton 1, both boosted lightly (or not) is fine for all your table tennis need.

 

[belllfador]

Victas TDE plays a bit like a national H3, but it is really really heavy.

TDE has soft topsheet with hard sponge. The level of stickiness is extreme — can hold the ball for more than 20s. The sponge is factory boosted and after a month becomes a brick that requires boosting. Throw angle is lower than H3.

H3 is rubber that wins points from services without any improvement in skills. And in my case, is like 2 points more on average. Only TG3 BS surpasses the level of spin that a well-cleaned H3 can generate.

 

[MOJOJOJO-74]

TDE has soft topsheet with hard sponge. The level of stickiness is extreme — can hold the ball for more than 20s. The sponge is factory boosted and after a month becomes a brick that requires boosting. Throw angle is lower than H3.

H3 is rubber that wins points from services without any improvement in skills. And in my case, is like 2 points more on average. Only TG3 BS surpasses the level of spin that a well-cleaned H3 can generate.

For me, TG2 BS was a little spinnier (haven't really tried TG3 enough to know if it was spinnier than H3 or TG2), but it felt very booster dependent where if you didn't boost it a certain way, it played dead, but I just ordered a TDE again because I've been the H3s QC been inconsistent, especially the weight has gone up drastically. I've only gotten 1 TDE that was very heavy, and the rest for pretty reasonable so I'm coming for the weight cut to be around 50g, if lucky 😎