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

[Archosaurus]

We can disagree on things no problem

For me Big Dipper V and LAC and Battle 2 after testing feel all like Chinese hybrid, LAC and Big Dipper V having more hybridness than Battle 2.

And hurricane 3 is definitely a chinese traditional haha if i call that a hybrid, then i cannot call the rest hybrids

But why do you say that the above are not hybrids @Archosaurus ? Im curious now!

Ps. Need to test target still, so I cant comment on that, but most people say it is hybrid and after reading reviews feels to me like a Chinese hybrid

They don't have any surface tension, so they're not hybrids AFAIK. If LAC and BDV have tension, it's almost nonexistant. They're probably the most hybrid-y out of those.

Battle 2 is a traditional Chinese rubber, even when very factory tuned ala National Super Select, with a sponge only slightly less dense than H3. Target as well; completely untuned, with a dense sponge, at least for Target 3. If that's New Target it may be different.

If you stretch the definition too much and become super loose with it, then 2026 Hurricane 3 with 2-3 layers of booster is much more of a hybrid than Dignics 09c is!

 

[golden_son]

They don't have any surface tension, so they're not hybrids AFAIK. If LAC and BDV have tension, it's almost nonexistant. They're probably the most hybrid-y out of those.

Battle 2 is a traditional Chinese rubber, even when very factory tuned ala National Super Select, with a sponge only slightly less dense than H3. Target as well; completely untuned, with a dense sponge, at least for Target 3. If that's New Target it may be different.

If you stretch the definition too much and become super loose with it, then 2026 Hurricane 3 with 2-3 layers of booster is much more of a hybrid than Dignics 09c is!

BDV literally says "Max Tense" and "tensor effect" on the package. True, it feels closer to an older tensor e.g. Rakza, but it is indeed a hybrid.

 

[Archosaurus]

BDV literally says "Max Tense" and "tensor effect" on the package. True, it feels closer to an older tensor e.g. Rakza, but it is indeed a hybrid.
View attachment 43090

It's probably the most tensor-y out of those, but honestly they're exaggerating the effect quite a bit IMO. Moon Speed also has the "max tense" label and it's not remotely as bouncy as even low-end ESN tensors.

But yeah, fair, I'd say BDV is enough of a hybrid.

 

[victormanriquey]

The biggest hurdle for hobby players with hybrid rubbers is the activation of the sponge. Hybrid rubbers offer a great amount of control and spin capabilities, but based on my personal experience, I had to really make sure to hit through the sponge to activate the full potential of the rubber. Even then, due to the rubber hardness, and I refer to Rakza Rising Dragon 2 and Rakza Z, I felt that the speed reserves are slightly above average. I used both these rubbers on Viscaria.
Ok, I get it that speed is a two edged sword and I should only try to generate speed as much as I can readily receive back. I completely get that and 100% agree. However, my issue is with the ease of speed generation.
This comes to bite me more when I am tired and late on the ball. In that case, I felt that with hybrid rubbers I am not able to put that much quality on the ball as compared to a non-hybrid rubbers. But again, it is my personal experience.
So, essentially we need very good footwork and timing with the stroke mechanics of making the ball hit the sponge more in order to get the complete benefits of hybrid hard rubbers.

Yeah this is true, same with Chinese rubbers but a bit less with hybrids, which is also one of the reasons why some people move from Chinese, as you get older, the feet react less fast, condition decreases, eyes get slower, then it's harder to be in the right position at right tempo and a hybrid helps, coming from Chinese, it has started happening to me slowly, but i feel it haha

But what you say is indeed correct, you need to hit through it Good comment

 

[victormanriquey]

Manufacturers have been trying and offering hybrids for a while. The question is why hybrids are not popular until recently. the manufacturing technique improvement? ball change? table tennis technique change?

Good point yes @kindof99 , I think it's a couple things:

1. Hybrids getting better at doing the job they promise to do
2. The new ball for sure, you can hit through it much more
3. Technique has adjusted to the new ball to be more hit and less thin brush

All these combined make it so that nowadays playing with hybrids gives you more than before, so it makes sense for people to switch. Durability is still an issue in some older gen ones, but I think once they resolve that, it's gonna be hard for many people not to change

 

[victormanriquey]

Yes, I already see that you consider "hybrid-ness" to be a spectrum. What I'm curious about is, from your perspective, is there anything tacky other than H3 that you don't consider a hybrid?

Yes correct, for sure a sprectrum @oophyte . I consider many things tacky yes, H3 from DHS, some Rxton from Loki, 729fx (and similar) from Friendship, etc. So pretty much everything that resembles a H3/H3N yeah. But nowadays full tacky is getting less popular, even DHS has reduced tackiness in their own rubbers, even though they wont admit it, but its like this, due to the new ball and game being more focused on hitting and less brushing, there is less spin now and more speed, this is the new game, also why BH is more a thing now

This is also what @Haito mentioned

 

[victormanriquey]

Battle 2 is a traditional Chinese rubber,

Yes I can agree to that indeed @Archosaurus , it could be what we could consider one of the first very successful attempts to make a chinese rubber more elastic, more 'hybrid', but indeed it was made in the times where hybrids weren't a thing as such

 

[Haito]

BDV literally says "Max Tense" and "tensor effect" on the package. True, it feels closer to an older tensor e.g. Rakza, but it is indeed a hybrid.
View attachment 43090

Welp, when I played with it, it was more or less a brick still.

 

[golden_son]

Welp, when I played with it, it was more or less a brick still.

Tbh I agree. Even at 39° it's still pretty solid. But it does feel more lively than unboosted H3 OS at 39D.

 

[Archosaurus]

Yes I can agree to that indeed @Archosaurus , it could be what we could consider one of the first very successful attempts to make a chinese rubber more elastic, more 'hybrid', but indeed it was made in the times where hybrids weren't a thing as such

That's just an evolution of sponge design. The Battle 2 blue sponge is a lot like the DHS blue sponge; larger pores with slightly more variation. Of course some super minor surface tension from factory tuning in provincial and higher. My Super Select smelled like a fish market.

I think the real decider for hybrid is how much surface tension there is. We don't really have engineering numbers so there's no clear cutoff, but it's a "know it when you see it" kinda thing IMO.

 

[victormanriquey]

Welp, when I played with it, it was more or less a brick still.

Tbh I agree. Even at 39° it's still pretty solid. But it does feel more lively than unboosted H3 OS at 39D.

Yeah 39 is not that soft, softer feeling you get with Rakza Z, but with Big Dipper V, even with max tense, you can still feel it comes from the Chinese rubber high-density philosophy

 

[victormanriquey]

I think the real decider for hybrid is how much surface tension there is. We don't really have engineering numbers so there's no clear cutoff, but it's a "know it when you see it" kinda thing IMO.

Yes without the engineering numbers is hard to be accurate, you just rely on feeling, this gives me this feeling, that gives me that feeling, it's hard to be objective 100%, but we try our best

 

[TTpastor]

Yinhe Saturn S1 is a new contender here, I'll let you know how it feels when I've glued it in a few weeks time. It's going to replace Big Dipper 5.

 

[victormanriquey]

Yinhe Saturn S1 is a new contender here, I'll let you know how it feels when I've glued it in a few weeks time. It's going to replace Big Dipper 5.

Ah great would be great to know more, if it's nice I can always test it after you, I like Yinhe stuff Keep me posted @TTpastor !!