there's really something special about Rakza 7 and absorbing the speed off a ball when blocking. both versions work well but I had one block a step off the table on FH side with the R7 Hard that took everything off a strong ball and felt really nice. can save myself a little bit when caught off guard by blocking and staying alive with R7 on backhand too.
R7/R7H is able to generate spin nicely and it's a good balance between bounce/grip/speed/spin. R7 Hard may just have a little more snap to it and keeps ball out of sponge a little more on softer touches and slightly more to work with on strongest hits. maybe slightly easier to generate spin with R7 on softer opens. I turned racket around a little to try other way but no real big difference that I notice. it isnt like the difference between R7 and R7 Soft, which is very noticeable and a much bigger change.
been a few years since I played with Rakza 7 although I used it for a good amount of time on my allround blades. the adjustment came pretty naturally after some practice because it plays predictably and is simply a nice allround offensive rubber. will keep with it and could see myself playing with this setup for a while.
forehand-dominant player who opens frequently with backhand and blocks/controls mostly on that side but working to be more consistent and balanced with controlled spin and improved placement. it takes more effort to finish a point with R7/R7H than faster/harder rubbers, of course. but what you lose in finishing power I think you make up for with control and consistency. takes less effort to get spin on the ball with low/medium-power shots and arc is very manageable.
R7 has been around forever and R7H is very similar so plenty of feedback to review to see if fits what you are looking for. overall, fun to play with and meets my goals for the time being. here are some highlights from my practice matches during the first night with these rubbers on my Hugo HAL blade:
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Going to use this for feedback as I try these rubbers out over the course of this month. Not all positives, always trade-offs…. Take it mainly as feedback on Rakza 7, not a comparison with my previous rubbers in particular. There is a slight difference in feel between the R7 and R7H, think of it as a very tiny % of the difference between R7S and R7.
Just some additional feedback in general after two more sessions: As I have been used to harder sponge/stickiness, I do miss that a bit in terms of slower open ups and deadness when desired. Now, I need to make sure to engage the sponge a bit more to get the grip and arc. Conversely, lack of stickiness makes me need to be less exact directionally - both opening up vs spin and aiming topspin drives, as well as reactionary blocks. -- Forehand open vs long push: I am finding that I can open with lots of spin, high/medium/low arc, and get a really nice dip when the ball hits the table. Not playing this shot super fast, but the amount of spin is really solid and causing trouble... Backhand open: Have adjusted my angle some and using little more effort to hit the ball and also getting nice spin, particularly if I come around the side of the ball a bit more. Getting more blocks that sail wide off side of table and require control from opponent to deal with effectively.
The sponginess makes blocks and hits speedy enough but requires a little better touch on the softest shots to keep bounciness at bay. Still not feeling a big difference between R7/R7H. I like these rubbers for training people as blocking is nice and controlled. Next test will be playing more styles/players particularly pips over table (which was something I liked with R7 a while back but need to readjust without sticky rolls. Humid (less grip) / cold (harder feel) environments can have some effect on R7 as well.
--- random: sound is nice, edges chip easily as always on Rakza 7. I was told the rakza 7 rubber has more spin when hitting/blocking without hitting too hard compared to rakza 7 hard, so that is feedback on that. rakza 7 does feel slightly more lively.
