Rubber recommendations for a counter-attacker

[merlin el mago]

Only boosting for non sanctioned tournaments, so for fun.

Also tried cement rubber for fun to remember the speed glue era of table tennis but still not the same due to the use of plastic balls in place of my beloved celluloid Nittaku***

The best is rubber cement, if was allowed for sure all pros will be using rubber cement.

 

[SorryForTheEdge]

Only boosting for non sanctioned tournaments, so for fun.

Also tried cement rubber for fun to remember the speed glue era of table tennis but still not the same due to the use of plastic balls in place of my beloved celluloid Nittaku***

The best is rubber cement, if was allowed for sure all pros will be using rubber cement.

When boosted does it behave like Tenergy 05?

 

[J-fed]

In the old days, Nittaku Hammond was optimal for the OP's described requirements.

If you look around, you may still find it. My local club still sells sheets of Hammond X, a faster version.

In modern times, you are looking for the med hard to hard sponged stuff, so ones like Calibra LT are the middle ground for that. Aurus may play even better. Vega Japan, Karis, M2 are a few othes out of hundreds.

Every outfit makes several in that class.

I'm a counter hitter mainly and have used Hammond. Honestly it was horrible. Not much spin or control which is actually necessary to grab the ball on positive blocks and flat hits. No arc. Flies long. Just a nightmare to play with really.
I still use the Hammond short pips though. I like small SPs rather than the modern wide ones if I go SP. They are excellent for the BH blocking game in a 1.5.

 

[J-fed]

Hello everyone,

My teammate plays mostly blocks (soft ones more often than not, sometimes fast) then counter attacks either flat or with some topspin on both wings.

His blade/handle broke off during our last league match (I don't even think it hit the table), he was playing with a Donic Burn OFF- with 2-year old Donic Bluefire M3 in 2.0mm on both sides. After trying another teammate's vintage Tibhar IV-L with 1-year old Joola Samba Sound in 1.8mm on both wings, which he liked, he ordered a new IV-L with a fresh set of M3's and really doesn't like the way it feels.

He's now ordered a new Donic Burn OFF- but has also mentioned he doesn't like the feel of new rubbers at all, my guess is they are too grippy and bouncy for his style. Wondering what rubbers he should get instead, I was thinking perhaps non-tension rubbers such as Butterfly Sriver EL (or regular or FX?), Cornilleau Drive Speed, Tibhar Rapid, Joola Samba, Andro Shifter, Yasaka Mark V, or perhaps even short pips?

Thoughts?

FH rubbers I've used this year were Friendship Focus 3 snipe 2.1 and Yasaka Rakza 7 soft 1.8. Both superb for counter hitting but different. Snipe is slow and has a break in period, then gets old pretty quick. Most people like it for BH. The control is phenomenal. Rakza 7 soft is an absolute beauty for the FH though. Can counter block & flat hit but the arc on the loop is great too and lifting chopped balls is way easier now. Pushes go fast and long. Def. not easy to control that but haven't been missing much.
I'd go with rakza 7 FH and Focus 3 Snipe on BH or the Hammond SP if he likes pips. Honestly I think SP are a great choice for BH. Moristo and the new Yasaka SP are the go to pips for most players now it seems and I'm sure they are excellent. I use LP nowadys though and can block and counter very well with them. Worth trying if you are adventurous. Requires real mental flexibility and a logical mindset though. You have to do what the rubber tells you rather than what you learned as fundamentals.
If looking for old skool rubbers. Coppa was always good and I'd go Sriver (S if available, EL if not ) over Hammond or Mark V for a counter hitter.

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

I'd go Sriver (S if available, EL if not )

I didn't know you could still get Sriver S, I thought they stopped selling it more than a decade ago to solely produce the L version

 

[J-fed]

I didn't know you could still get Sriver S, I thought they stopped selling it more than a decade ago to solely produce the L version

Probably. When I started playing again 5 or 6 years ago I only found EL. S was more of a crisp counter hitter though.

 

[J-fed]

Hello everyone,

My teammate plays mostly blocks (soft ones more often than not, sometimes fast) then counter attacks either flat or with some topspin on both wings.

His blade/handle broke off during our last league match (I don't even think it hit the table), he was playing with a Donic Burn OFF- with 2-year old Donic Bluefire M3 in 2.0mm on both sides. After trying another teammate's vintage Tibhar IV-L with 1-year old Joola Samba Sound in 1.8mm on both wings, which he liked, he ordered a new IV-L with a fresh set of M3's and really doesn't like the way it feels.

He's now ordered a new Donic Burn OFF- but has also mentioned he doesn't like the feel of new rubbers at all, my guess is they are too grippy and bouncy for his style. Wondering what rubbers he should get instead, I was thinking perhaps non-tension rubbers such as Butterfly Sriver EL (or regular or FX?), Cornilleau Drive Speed, Tibhar Rapid, Joola Samba, Andro Shifter, Yasaka Mark V, or perhaps even short pips?

Thoughts?

TTD's Rakza 7 review. They seem to agree it's got a real anti-miss factor and you can feel safe to really hit through incoming attacks. Highly recommend.

 

[merlin el mago]

When boosted does it behave like Tenergy 05?

No, not bouncy like T05, Fastarc G-1 with cement rubber gives a lot of more spin & speed but still it's a very good linear rubber.

 

[merlin el mago]

FH rubbers I've used this year were Friendship Focus 3 snipe 2.1 and Yasaka Rakza 7 soft 1.8. Both superb for counter hitting but different. Snipe is slow and has a break in period, then gets old pretty quick. Most people like it for BH. The control is phenomenal. Rakza 7 soft is an absolute beauty for the FH though. Can counter block & flat hit but the arc on the loop is great too and lifting chopped balls is way easier now. Pushes go fast and long. Def. not easy to control that but haven't been missing much.
I'd go with rakza 7 FH and Focus 3 Snipe on BH or the Hammond SP if he likes pips. Honestly I think SP are a great choice for BH. Moristo and the new Yasaka SP are the go to pips for most players now it seems and I'm sure they are excellent. I use LP nowadys though and can block and counter very well with them. Worth trying if you are adventurous. Requires real mental flexibility and a logical mindset though. You have to do what the rubber tells you rather than what you learned as fundamentals.
If looking for old skool rubbers. Coppa was always good and I'd go Sriver (S if available, EL if not ) over Hammond or Mark V for a counter hitter.

I don't like soft inverted rubbers to block, also the blades make an important role: better for block are stiff or hard blades so better avoid very flexy blades.

 

[J-fed]

I don't like soft inverted rubbers to block, also the blades make an important role: better for block are stiff or hard blades so better avoid very flexy blades.

I agree about blades. I like the feel of flexy blades but honestly performance wise, this Sanwei echo is the best 5 ply I’ve ever had. No vibes but don’t need it. Control is great and it has a great overdrive when you bottom out the sponge.
Soft modern rubbers seem so good to me for blocking though. You can really catch the ball and hit through it.
The old skool rubbers yes, harder was generally better. Still can’t understand why Hammond had such a good rep though. I tried to like it. I really did.

 

[J-fed]

A bunch of the “spin everything!” crowd over here hates running into Calibra LT vengefully.

We have a few counterhitters that use Coppa X2 on somewhat harder, but usually not wildly speedy, blades. The Timo Boll Forte comes to mind.

Sounds a good set up to me (having never used it). How is modern Coppa? was a fine rubber BITD. I always thought is mind boggling that Sriver/Mark V remained so dominant despite it's existence and Waldner's marketing.

 

[merlin el mago]

I agree about blades. I like the feel of flexy blades but honestly performance wise, this Sanwei echo is the best 5 ply I’ve ever had. No vibes but don’t need it. Control is great and it has a great overdrive when you bottom out the sponge.
Soft modern rubbers seem so good to me for blocking though. You can really catch the ball and hit through it.
The old skool rubbers yes, harder was generally better. Still can’t understand why Hammond had such a good rep though. I tried to like it. I really did.

Sanwei Echo is hard & stiff that's the reason you like soft sponge rubbers & it's very good to block but if you pair with for example Nittaku Fastarc G-1 still will be better to block because the rubber is very linear and as bonus is very good to counter topspin.

 

[J-fed]

Sanwei Echo is hard & stiff that's the reason you like soft sponge rubbers & it's very good to block but if you pair with for example Nittaku Fastarc G-1 still will be better to block because the rubber is very linear and as bonus is very good to counter topspin.

Great info. I haven't made that step yet. Will try when I have used this one enough. I also like to chop when coaching though so I compromise a bit. G-1 OK for that?

 

[merlin el mago]

In your country is the best seller from several years ago....

 

[J-fed]

In your country is the best seller from several years ago....

Oh gosh. I'm definitely not gonna use it now. Asahi is the best selling beer. I rest my case.

 

[merlin el mago]

Great info. I haven't made that step yet. Will try when I have used this one enough. I also like to chop when coaching though so I compromise a bit. G-1 OK for that?

Why not, if you have enough skills and choose an appropriate thickness and defensive blade.

 

[passifid]

Great info. I haven't made that step yet. Will try when I have used this one enough. I also like to chop when coaching though so I compromise a bit. G-1 OK for that?

it's not going to be easy imo at all for proper chopping, but i am awful at chopping so maybe ignore me

 

[J-fed]

Why not, if you have enough skills and choose an appropriate thickness and defensive blade.

I'm all for chopping, but not for chopping and changing. This blade is a beauty so I'm sticking with it and will find the best rubbers to fit with it. Currently very satisfied but up for trying G-1 next time. My main game is the angles and blocks at relatively close distance. Just chop and counter at distance for fun and for the benefit of others mainly.
I use LP on BH so it's good practice for the kids.

 

[merlin el mago]

I also use LP on BH.

 

[J-fed]

it's not going to be easy imo at all for proper chopping, but i am awful at chopping so maybe ignore me

I get that impression. Most rubbers are not good for chop so far as I can see. This Rakza also not great but I can hit the table so long as the opponent is worse than me