What Are Hybrid Table Tennis Rubbers and Why Are They So Popular Nowadays?

[victormanriquey]

Oh i see, any d09c alternative that you know?

Answered this above @ber but plenty yes, I like Joola Dynamic, Helix Hybrid, BlueGrip C2 (need to test J1/J2 before year ends) and also LAC boosted I liked too. From the above list, I'd choose the dynamic or the helix hybrids as my favs until now, but more coming soon as i keep testing stuff!

 

[victormanriquey]

Hello. It’s great that some manufacturers are releasing entire series of hybrid rubbers—hard, soft, and medium—so you can choose whatever suits you best. Chinese rubbers like the "Hurricane 3 Neo" come in one-degree increments, which is fantastic... but they require a booster. That’s why I like hybrid rubbers—especially when they come in full series.

Fully agree @neon !! Another reason why hybrids are very cool

 

[victormanriquey]

After 2 months of play, the center of the rubber visibly wears out. It changes color. Has issues gripping the ball. Then this area grows and ball starts slipping. C55 lasted a tad longer like 2 weeks longer. I play a lot of multiball so this might accelerate the process.

Ah damn, like the Gewo Iconixx I recently reviewed, that's a pity but it is what it is, this is for me a reason not to buy that rubber, some people may not mind, but I'm a bit picky with grip issues, if i feel like i have lost some grip, i change, and I dont want to change every 2 months (unless boosted rubbers that is, but I use those less nowadays due to hassle haha). Thanks @Haito for info! ❤️ I'll test it anyways but good to know

 

[merlin el mago]

Will be good if BTY release several hardness versions of D09C like ESN & DHS are doing.

 

[Tyce]

Never going to happen. You want a softer D09c? There's G09c. Different hardness versions don't fit into Butterfly's product model since they did it with Sriver.

 

[victormanriquey]

Will be good if BTY release several hardness versions of D09C like ESN & DHS are doing.

Yeah but they won't as @Tyce just mentioned, it's a pity but it is what it is. That's why I'm positively surprised about the helix hybrid which comes very close to D09c (not in durability from what I have heard, but in my initial experience it's doing fine) and has the different hardnesses, will review very soon but definitely one of the key differentiators of the helix hybrid there

 

[ber]

I have it at home in a beautiful package waiting to be tested, I'll tell you soon @ber !! Don't dare to say without giving it a spin

eager to see!

 

[ber]

Answered this above @ber but plenty yes, I like Joola Dynamic, Helix Hybrid, BlueGrip C2 (need to test J1/J2 before year ends) and also LAC boosted I liked too. From the above list, I'd choose the dynamic or the helix hybrids as my favs until now, but more coming soon as i keep testing stuff!

Hmm, they all are priced similarly. Another question will it pair nicely with the Long 5 and G1 in backhand?

 

[victormanriquey]

Hmm, they all are priced similarly. Another question will it pair nicely with the Long 5 and G1 in backhand?

Yeah I think so, I suspect the Joola dynamic will be nicer than the others on FH, it's a bit more linear and harder feel like the chinese rubbers, helix feels a bit better on BH for me (but i like D09c on BH, personal taste, if you differ that's perfectly fine! ), they have a bit more initial catapult and if you can hit hard on FH, you may not need as much, specially given you use long 5, so my initial guess without knowing all other nuances is the dynamic.

Btw, you can buy it with 25% discount (which is nice), click on any article of my blog where I get the product from our club sponsor and scroll a little bit until you see the 25% discount chip from tabletennisstore.eu (see image attached how it looks like), use that link, works for other products as well (which is even nicer)

For example you can find the 25% off link here: https://www.tabletennisequipmenthelp.com/blog/joola-trinity-hugo-calderano-charged-dynamic-review

Ps. I also liked the joola charged a lot on FH, but its more demanding, so do take that into account, but on Long 5 great fit imo

 

[merlin el mago]

Yeah but they won't as @Tyce just mentioned, it's a pity but it is what it is. That's why I'm positively surprised about the helix hybrid which comes very close to D09c (not in durability from what I have heard, but in my initial experience it's doing fine) and has the different hardnesses, will review very soon but definitely one of the key differentiators of the helix hybrid there

I feel the 09C more spinning that NZUN 50 but I'm not sure if it's due to the hardness of sponge or kind of topsheet.

Could be pure hybrid more spinny than thensor hybrids by nature?

 

[merlin el mago]

Let me see! I think:
- D09c: pure hybrid
- Codexx: tensor hybrid but have not played it
- Bluestar: tensor
- Nuzn: tensor hybrid
- K3: pure hybrid
- J&H: tensor hybrid
- Triple doube extra: i think pure hybrid but have not played it
- Dynarz ZGX: i think tensor hybrid but have not played it, maybe @Matt Hetherington can help us here

Hope that helps!

This post have to be moved to the 1st post, also if possible adding more rubbers and info related.

 

[merlin el mago]

Never going to happen. You want a softer D09c? There's G09c. Different hardness versions don't fit into Butterfly's product model since they did it with Sriver.

It's a pity because G09C it's very slow.

 

[victormanriquey]

I feel the 09C more spinning that NZUN 50 but I'm not sure if it's due to the hardness of sponge or kind of topsheet.

Could be pure hybrid more spinny than thensor hybrids by nature?

Yes for sure, D09c has more spin than NUZN 50, even if NUZN has a lot of spin already I think it's the whole rubber, not just one factor of it.

About tensor hybrid vs pure hybrid, it's not always the case that a pure hybrid spins more than a tensor hybrid, for example nuzn or tibhar mk have in my opinion more spin than something like glayzer 09c (as you said above @merlin el mago ), and it's also easier to get the spin out of the rubber. But what we can say as a more general rule is that tensor hybrids have more built-in catapult on the lower gears, so they activate easier, which is both a good and a bad thing depending on the situation

 

[victormanriquey]

This post have to be moved to the 1st post, also if possible adding more rubbers and info related.

I've started working on a rubber database of all I have tested (only things i have tested in depth goes there, i want quality and something you can trust, not yet another AI aggregated index) and some of those are in there, with their rubber type and many other characteristics ranked. I don't do numbers because is hard to do exact numbers but you can take words as numbers as well, words can be a bit more nuanced, so I prefer that, absolutes are hard in table tennis

I have not announced the database yet because im building it first, it doesnt have too much volume yet, and im also iterating on it (im a software product manager after all haha) with people feedback (did some updates today for example) so consider it in beta still, but you can see it below

Rubber DB link: https://www.tabletennisequipmenthelp.com/rubber-database

Ps. Need to keep on testing, also tensors and more tacky to make DB more complete!

 

[Tyce]

So I had the pleasure of playing with Frogs bat for a bit (bat swap challenge), and the DNA hybrid XH really had that forgiving hybrid feel paired with a rocket sponge underneath. I can see how it fits his game, the control level is very high, but when you are looking for more, it's there. Had a literal blast with some FH shots that I didn't even need to put any effort into.

 

[ZSQ]

Thanks @ZSQ , appreciate your kind words and I indeed try my best to analyse all brands and be independent ❤️ Sorry it took a bit to answer, it's busy at work, software nowadays is a mad world with AI! haha

But getting to your comment, you are probably a good intermediate, I know in China coaching is very good so you will have likely a good foundation as your coach says, I never dare to compare China levels to other countries, so for our standards, maybe you are an advanced even

From what you say, you have a clasical setup of hybrid (or normal with Rxton 3) chinese FH and tensor BH with an all wood blade, nice and easy, I like that setup. Then you changed to viscaria which is a big change (maybe inner would have been a nicer step in between) and played with more advanced rubbers so to say. I have not played with K1 but players have mixed feelings on it. Mantra is a good rubber, i have tried, nothing wrong with it, so if you like it, keep it

D09c/D05 are indeed tough to use, if you feel like you are not there yet, no need to waste money, there are plenty of better options and cheaper!

So, in any case, now that I have more info on your situation, if you are going to keep the Viscaria, and you want to keep a hybrid forehand (but more towards pure hybrid or tensor hybrid), then you have many options! The key is what you want to play eventually with, and also what suits your technique and needs at the moment. For example:
- If you like the philosophy of D09c (pure hybrid, high throw, high catapult on high gear, low on low, great grip, high durability) but you can't handle the rubber itself yet, then go for Rakza Z 2.0 or Joola Trinity Dynamic 2.0 or Helix Hybrid 52.5 (or preferred hardness) as they all get you close to D09c but are more forgiving and have less catapult at the high gear. There are other options like Donic BlueGrip C2 but that one has more catapult in the middle gear, it activates easily. Glayzer 09c is in my opinion a good option too, but you will feel that the spin and speed are not comparable with D09c. But if it helps tame the Viscaria, then all good

So the key is, how much do you want to tame the speed of the viscaria:
- If a lot, and you like D09c philosophy, then go for Glayzer 09c or Rakza Z 2.0 or similar, the 'slower' ones
- If you don't need to tame the viscaria speed, and just want a D09c experience but with a bit more control and less price, then see what I mentioned above. I do feel that the Joola Dynamic will last longer than Helix Hybrid, doing a review of Helix hybrid very soon, so take that into account

Hope this helps! Happy to answer other questions you may have

Yes, my work is also related to IT and AI, so I completely understand your point of view.

About my level, you’re giving me too much credit. I still have a lot to learn.
One point where I might differ from you is that in China, many people don’t think inner-carbon blades are something beginners or intermediate players can handle well. They require more strength to hit through the wood layers to the carbon layer, and there’s a noticeable discontinuity between light strokes and powerful strokes, which makes them harder for ordinary amateurs to control. Outer-carbon blades, on the other hand, can provide speed more easily, so in a match we can use our heads more and rely less on power.
So when I was preparing to switch from an all-wood blade to more advanced equipment, I chose the Viscaria—the blade my idol Zhang Jike used back then—even though the version I use is completely different from the one he used.

For rubbers, we often say: if you don’t know what rubber to choose, choose Dignics, so that if you run into any problems, you can’t blame your equipment, haha.
However, I know that at my current level I still can’t tame a Viscaria with Dignics. I treat it as my ultimate goal.
I do like Tensor rubbers—they maximize the strengths of my BH. So my BH progression will probably be Mantra > Tenergy 19 > Dignics 05.
As a personal choice, I don’t like using boosters, which rules out any possibility of me using H3. But it also allows me to consider more alternatives. As you said, I might consider trying Rakza Z 2.0—I’ve noticed quite a few people discussing this rubber on this forum. Or maybe try Glayzer 09C first. Of course, the Joola Dynamic and Helix Hybrid you recommended are also within my consideration, which greatly narrows down the number of setups I need to try.So I’m really looking forward to your reviews in the future. 😁

Thank you for all your advice.

 

[Archosaurus]

Yes, my work is also related to IT and AI, so I completely understand your point of view.

About my level, you’re giving me too much credit. I still have a lot to learn.
One point where I might differ from you is that in China, many people don’t think inner-carbon blades are something beginners or intermediate players can handle well. They require more strength to hit through the wood layers to the carbon layer, and there’s a noticeable discontinuity between light strokes and powerful strokes, which makes them harder for ordinary amateurs to control. Outer-carbon blades, on the other hand, can provide speed more easily, so in a match we can use our heads more and rely less on power.
So when I was preparing to switch from an all-wood blade to more advanced equipment, I chose the Viscaria—the blade my idol Zhang Jike used back then—even though the version I use is completely different from the one he used.

For rubbers, we often say: if you don’t know what rubber to choose, choose Dignics, so that if you run into any problems, you can’t blame your equipment, haha.
However, I know that at my current level I still can’t tame a Viscaria with Dignics. I treat it as my ultimate goal.
I do like Tensor rubbers—they maximize the strengths of my BH. So my BH progression will probably be Mantra > Tenergy 19 > Dignics 05.
As a personal choice, I don’t like using boosters, which rules out any possibility of me using H3. But it also allows me to consider more alternatives. As you said, I might consider trying Rakza Z 2.0—I’ve noticed quite a few people discussing this rubber on this forum. Or maybe try Glayzer 09C first. Of course, the Joola Dynamic and Helix Hybrid you recommended are also within my consideration, which greatly narrows down the number of setups I need to try.So I’m really looking forward to your reviews in the future. 😁

Thank you for all your advice.

I think playing level matters a lot. I'm a lower level player and I prefer inner carbon because I can play wide angles and drop the ball short easier. I also swing with a lot of power and don't find it too hard to "activate". I can make dangerous winning shots from 5m+ away.

Outer is easier to make sufficient rallying shots with and to counterloop close to table, but those aren't super relevant for me because my power is sufficient for a bit above my level and counterlooping close to table just isn't a thing that's so common and players my level tend to block or drive them.

The only true advantage from something like Viscaria vs something like B2 for me is that the backhand punch and loop close to table is just more powerful, even when I use it. However it's easier to go long with it, so it's not a free lunch. To counteract it, I use quite fast rubbers on backhand.

At a bit higher level speed becomes a premium so I think you'd be willing to give up some of the advantages of inner for the advantages of outer, depending on your strategy.

 

[ZSQ]

I think playing level matters a lot. I'm a lower level player and I prefer inner carbon because I can play wide angles and drop the ball short easier. I also swing with a lot of power and don't find it too hard to "activate". I can make dangerous winning shots from 5m+ away.

Outer is easier to make sufficient rallying shots with and to counterloop close to table, but those aren't super relevant for me because my power is sufficient for a bit above my level and counterlooping close to table just isn't a thing that's so common and players my level tend to block or drive them.

The only true advantage from something like Viscaria vs something like B2 for me is that the backhand punch and loop close to table is just more powerful, even when I use it. However it's easier to go long with it, so it's not a free lunch. To counteract it, I use quite fast rubbers on backhand.

At a bit higher level speed becomes a premium so I think you'd be willing to give up some of the advantages of inner for the advantages of outer, depending on your strategy.

I completely agree with you: Equipment choices and tactical style influence each other.

At my level, my footwork isn’t really good enough to support fast movement away from the table. Of course, I wish I could be like, say, Hugo, but that’s very hard to do.

In fact, thanks to long-term anaerobic training, my strength is also above that of table tennis players at the same level. However, as I face tougher opponents, I find it doesn’t help me much—raw power alone isn’t hard for them to deal with. Instead, they use my power to cleverly control the rally, and I end up running back and forth and side to side from away the table, which drains more of my energy. I’m gradually realizing that what I need is speed, time, and less energy expenditure. This is also one of the reasons I switched away from an all-wood blade.

It’s not that one type of equipment is bad; they each have their pros and cons. You’re right—it depends on our strategy.

 

[victormanriquey]

So I had the pleasure of playing with Frogs bat for a bit (bat swap challenge), and the DNA hybrid XH really had that forgiving hybrid feel paired with a rocket sponge underneath. I can see how it fits his game, the control level is very high, but when you are looking for more, it's there. Had a literal blast with some FH shots that I didn't even need to put any effort into.

@Tyce you mean helix hybrid or DNA hybrid? For me the one who has what you describe is helix hybrid

 

[victormanriquey]

Yes, my work is also related to IT and AI, so I completely understand your point of view.

About my level, you’re giving me too much credit. I still have a lot to learn.
One point where I might differ from you is that in China, many people don’t think inner-carbon blades are something beginners or intermediate players can handle well. They require more strength to hit through the wood layers to the carbon layer, and there’s a noticeable discontinuity between light strokes and powerful strokes, which makes them harder for ordinary amateurs to control. Outer-carbon blades, on the other hand, can provide speed more easily, so in a match we can use our heads more and rely less on power.
So when I was preparing to switch from an all-wood blade to more advanced equipment, I chose the Viscaria—the blade my idol Zhang Jike used back then—even though the version I use is completely different from the one he used.

For rubbers, we often say: if you don’t know what rubber to choose, choose Dignics, so that if you run into any problems, you can’t blame your equipment, haha.
However, I know that at my current level I still can’t tame a Viscaria with Dignics. I treat it as my ultimate goal.
I do like Tensor rubbers—they maximize the strengths of my BH. So my BH progression will probably be Mantra > Tenergy 19 > Dignics 05.
As a personal choice, I don’t like using boosters, which rules out any possibility of me using H3. But it also allows me to consider more alternatives. As you said, I might consider trying Rakza Z 2.0—I’ve noticed quite a few people discussing this rubber on this forum. Or maybe try Glayzer 09C first. Of course, the Joola Dynamic and Helix Hybrid you recommended are also within my consideration, which greatly narrows down the number of setups I need to try.So I’m really looking forward to your reviews in the future. 😁

Thank you for all your advice.

Nice to be in the same sector, China AI is exploding so I'm sure is also crazy there. And I'm sure you play good, but always good to be humble, we're all just amateurs

Interesting what you mention about inner and outer blades in China, I did not know about that, every day we all learn something new! Thanks for the insight. And about what I think about it, I'm a bit in the middle because what you say has pros and cons, and funny enough, I use an inner blade but with outer traits, the B2X often behaves like an outer, same like the SYS blade that i liked, so I see the point, and I also see what it can cause (a lot of speed fast) so you know, I guess both philosophies have something for it, probably a lot of people in China stay with all wood for a longer time, then all good! And Viscaria is a fantastic blade, I have it on my shelf, still a beast! I attach you a photo of mine, I like the pattern somehow

hahaha good philosophy on rubbers @ZSQ xD at least you cannot blade the rubbers!!!! Great. T19 is not bad at all, but on Viscaria a lot of power, if you can handle it, all good, great combi

Yes all good, happy to help, let me know how your equipment search goes in the future, keep me updated!!

Best of lucks and talk soon