Project "First Chinese Rubber"

PolishTT17 · Jul 27, 2017

Hi Guys,

after many thoughts I ordered this week my first Chinese Rubber. A little revolution in my TT Career because I never played and also never thought about playing a C-Rubber. But in the last few weeks, months, I read a lot about the rubbers and also looked on the style of playing. The biggest pro argument was my stroke. At the moment I try to improve my strokes near to the table, specially my FH. I try to play it less arm and more wrist and underarm, because in the past I had a pretty long stroke. Off the table I still have my long stroke. And thats what the Chinese players have, so I decided to order a DHS Hurricane 3 Neo in the Blue Sponge version.
Today was my unpacking and i was really surprised about the soft topsheet and the (not as expected) mediumhard sponge. Isn't that exactly what Donic or Andro did in their newest generation of Rubbers? Thicker sponges and supersoft topsheets? So that was a really surprising first experience. But even before that the smell was really fishy

Now I'm really excited to play with the rubber. Just because I'm used to it, I put on a thin layer of Tempo Booster from Falco. I'll keep you updated and would be really thankful if you could tell me about you experiences!

Yamaguchi · Jul 27, 2017

I was on the same situation as yours but istarted with h3 provincial blue sponge. However, i found that rubber hard and inconsistent. I almost gave up using chinese rubber. Im also uncertain if i got the original one. Read somewhere that it has to be boosted but i don't like boosting.
Good thing i gave another chinese rubber a try. My 2nd c rubber is h350 which has i believe a medium sponge. I found this rubber very natural to my stroke and fell in love the first time using it. It has a medium throw which is just for me great from away the table or if i miss the peak of a haigh arc loop. It' excellent close to mid table most specially the off the table bounce. And i believe that this will be my fh rubber for a long time. Though a bit slow in speed compared to h3 and tensor rubbers, you can compensate the speed with swing and proper stroke.
But my c rubber didnt end with h350. Ive tried h3 neo. Found this rubber on the same weight as h350 at 46 grams cut. This rubber is very apinny, hight throw which is good for close to table and off the bounce hitting and is faster than h350. But i dont like is the hight throw. When i miss the peak of a loop ball, its hard for me to counter, it shoots up high or sometimes i hit the ball with the edge of the bat since i really need to close racket angle.

The bottom line, i sticked with h350. All rubbers are unboosted and tested with viscaria.

Btw, this is my first post after a few months of lurkering.

Jabugo · Jul 27, 2017

Yamaguchi said:
I was on the same situation as yours but istarted with h3 provincial blue sponge. However, i found that rubber hard and inconsistent. I almost gave up using chinese rubber. Im also uncertain if i got the original one. Read somewhere that it has to be boosted but i don't like boosting.
Good thing i gave another chinese rubber a try. My 2nd c rubber is h350 which has i believe a medium sponge. I found this rubber very natural to my stroke and fell in love the first time using it. It has a medium throw which is just for me great from away the table or if i miss the peak of a haigh arc loop. It' excellent close to mid table most specially the off the table bounce. And i believe that this will be my fh rubber for a long time. Though a bit slow in speed compared to h3 and tensor rubbers, you can compensate the speed with swing and proper stroke.
But my c rubber didnt end with h350. Ive tried h3 neo. Found this rubber on the same weight as h350 at 46 grams cut. This rubber is very apinny, hight throw which is good for close to table and off the bounce hitting and is faster than h350. But i dont like is the hight throw. When i miss the peak of a loop ball, its hard for me to counter, it shoots up high or sometimes i hit the ball with the edge of the bat since i really need to close racket angle.

The bottom line, i sticked with h350. All rubbers are unboosted and tested with viscaria.

Btw, this is my first post after a few months of lurkering.

It's nice to hear about new experiences with Hurricane 3 Neo. Any dramatic switch in rubber usually requires an equally dramatic switch with a player's style and stroke. From your experience, it sounds like you found a compromise with H3-50, because *it fit* your style more, which is perfectly fine. But a real move to H3Neo would require committing to learning a new style which is uncomfortable for most people. A good way to start off would be with a slow 5-ply wood blade so you can really feel your shots and develop your new forehand stroke. After a few weeks with the slow setup, you'll have a better understanding of what you can do and truly know if H3Neo is for you.

ttmonster · Jul 27, 2017

In my experience this is not entirely true. I have switched from Tenergy 05 , to Hurricane 8 and now to Hurricane 3 provincial ( boosted for the first time ) , its not like I had to change a whole deal in terms of the stroke. Yes if you are using a completely unboosted Hurricane , it might be the case. But in your case you are using Neo with a light boost , I don't think it will need a whole sale change in your technique. If I were you I would completely not stress about that and just keep playing with an open mind that it will take a little time to adapt. If you try to make things very conscious , there are chances that you will over do it and completely lose it .... with time you will find that there are other things that are possible with chinese rubbers , like short push and flipping balls which are not possible with bouncy european rubbers ... at least that is my experience ...

Jabugo said:
Any dramatic switch in rubber usually requires an equally dramatic switch with a player's style and stroke.

Yamaguchi · Jul 27, 2017

Thanks jabugo.
Ive already tried to do that to see how it feels with an all wood. First with yinhe n9 then pg7. It's just the speed that it differs and i still have an issue when countering when i miss the peak (ball going down). I have to hit it not very hard so it will not get too far. Which h350 just felt very natural to me when i hit tgose kind of shot or even every shot. If i am to compare them side by side, each has advantage and disadvantages.
Loop away the table. I find it hard for a high throw rubber.
Loop close to table. Both are excellent.
Serves. Neo is spinnier
Speed. H350 is slower but can compensate with your technique.
Throw. Neo has a very hi throw. H350 med throw.
Feel. I like the feel of h350 more.
For my style, i prefer h350. At first i was hesitant because it feels soft to touch (they said fh should be hard rubbers) but when i used it, i feel like the racket and rubber is part of my arm. Every stroke is very natural for me. I dont have to be thinking that i need to open or close the racket, it just fits my swing perfectly and gave me more confident to to turn body and swing hard every time.

Yamaguchi · Jul 27, 2017

I forgot to mention that i'm a returning tt player after 20 years played national level. Started playing again just last year and found tt is getting more interesting with more equipments nowadays. Hopefully my search for fh rubber is over.

Jabugo · Jul 27, 2017

ttmonster said:
In my experience this is not entirely true. I have switched from Tenergy 05 , to Hurricane 8 and now to Hurricane 3 provincial ( boosted for the first time ) , its not like I had to change a whole deal in terms of the stroke. Yes if you are using a completely unboosted Hurricane , it might be the case. But in your case you are using Neo with a light boost , I don't think it will need a whole sale change in your technique. If I were you I would completely not stress about that and just keep playing with an open mind that it will take a little time to adapt. If you try to make things very conscious , there are chances that you will over do it and completely lose it .... with time you will find that there are other things that are possible with chinese rubbers , like short push and flipping balls which are not possible with bouncy european rubbers ... at least that is my experience ...

True. My own personal experience is the same with requiring little conscious adaptation between T05 and H3neo. But others I have seen find it radically different. Perhaps it's the foundation that our style is built upon? Your key words "with time" is the bottom line. It does take time to discover all the differences/qualities with H3neo.

Jabugo · Jul 27, 2017

Yamaguchi said:
I forgot to mention that i'm a returning tt player after 20 years played national level. Started playing again just last year and found tt is getting more interesting with more equipments nowadays. Hopefully my search for fh rubber is over.

No, the search will never be over with new equipment being introduced every year. But then, that's not really a bad thing is it?

As for H3Neo, a relative of mine who was an absolute beginner 2 years ago was trained using H3Neo 38 degrees Provincial (supplied by his coach). Maybe if you give H3Neo another shot, you could try the lower hardness.

ttmonster · Jul 27, 2017

Also, one more thing I forgot to mention and this is not my experience, from what I have read across the forums , the blue sponge is specifically made for boosting its supposed to hold more boost , its supposed to be harder to start with , it really does not make sense to get a blue sponge rubber and not boost it ... again I have not yet tried it because it seemed too expensive to spend close to 80-90 dollars on a rubber which is going to last like 2-3 months at the most . Most players I have talked to don't like to boost it a second time. The point is if you are going to move away from Tenergy and the decision is somewhere tied to the price, it does not make sense to get a 80 - 90 dollar so called "national version" or "provincial" version rubber ... however, if you are a big fan of Hurricane and want to try out the "next level" ... that makes sense, having said that the difference might be too little at the amateur level .. again all this is based on reading and talking to people

Jabugo said:
True. My own personal experience is the same with requiring little conscious adaptation between T05 and H3neo. But others I have seen find it radically different. Perhaps it's the foundation that our style is built upon? Your key words "with time" is the bottom line. It does take time to discover all the differences/qualities with H3neo.

Yamaguchi · Jul 27, 2017

Jabugo said:
No, the search will never be over with new equipment being introduced every year. But then, that's not really a bad thing is it?

As for H3Neo, a relative of mine who was an absolute beginner 2 years ago was trained using H3Neo 38 degrees Provincial (supplied by his coach). Maybe if you give H3Neo another shot, you could try the lower hardness.

Haha. I agree. The thrill of trying new never stops but i'll try to hold myself. Will stick now with tensor bh, c rubbers fh. Maybe different variations.

Good thing youve mentioned the sponge hardness. My h3neo is commercial and haven't checked the hardness. But it's a bit harder than h350. Problem is i think there is no supplier of ble sponge neo here but if i could find some will give it a shot

Yamaguchi · Jul 27, 2017

And this forum helps me get more addicted to trying equipments. Haha

RidTheKid · Jul 27, 2017

My experience is that h3 neo blue sponge has a low throw angle and I like it.

SFF_lib · Jul 27, 2017

Yamaguchi said:
I was on the same situation as yours but istarted with h3 provincial blue sponge. However, i found that rubber hard and inconsistent. I almost gave up using chinese rubber. Im also uncertain if i got the original one. Read somewhere that it has to be boosted but i don't like boosting.
Good thing i gave another chinese rubber a try. My 2nd c rubber is h350 which has i believe a medium sponge. I found this rubber very natural to my stroke and fell in love the first time using it. It has a medium throw which is just for me great from away the table or if i miss the peak of a haigh arc loop. It' excellent close to mid table most specially the off the table bounce. And i believe that this will be my fh rubber for a long time. Though a bit slow in speed compared to h3 and tensor rubbers, you can compensate the speed with swing and proper stroke.
But my c rubber didnt end with h350. Ive tried h3 neo. Found this rubber on the same weight as h350 at 46 grams cut. This rubber is very apinny, hight throw which is good for close to table and off the bounce hitting and is faster than h350. But i dont like is the hight throw. When i miss the peak of a loop ball, its hard for me to counter, it shoots up high or sometimes i hit the ball with the edge of the bat since i really need to close racket angle.

The bottom line, i sticked with h350. All rubbers are unboosted and tested with viscaria.

Btw, this is my first post after a few months of lurkering.

Many people made a mistake when trying a Chinese rubber the first time. Many went straight to blue sponge. The provincial orange sponge is softer and you can have hardness between 37 and 41.

The orange sponge gives you better control and is linear. The blue sponge has more power reservoir and is less linear.

So I agree the blue sponge is quite inconsistent because it requires very precise stroke unleash the deadly power. That's why most CNT players use blue sponge.

Passionate about TT

Yamaguchi · Jul 28, 2017

SFF_lib said:
Many people made a mistake when trying a Chinese rubber the first time. Many went straight to blue sponge. The provincial orange sponge is softer and you can have hardness between 37 and 41.

The orange sponge gives you better control and is linear. The blue sponge has more power reservoir and is less linear.

So I agree the blue sponge is quite inconsistent because it requires very precise stroke unleash the deadly power. That's why most CNT players use blue sponge.

Passionate about TT

Is the blue sponge boosted or unboosted? From my unboosted experience, it is linear, less tacky or maybe i got a fake one. I just gave it up maybe some day try it again.

SFF_lib · Jul 28, 2017

Each Provincial and National H3 have boosted and unboosted versions. The boosted version is the well known "Neo" Hurricane.

Each Neo Hurricane has orange and blue sponge. So that means you have at least 6 versions of H3 to choose from.

I don't know if your BS is Neo or not. You can check the package.

Passionate about TT

Yamaguchi · Jul 28, 2017

SFF_lib said:
Each Provincial and National H3 have boosted and unboosted versions. The boosted version is the well known "Neo" Hurricane.

Each Neo Hurricane has orange and blue sponge. So that means you have at least 6 versions of H3 to choose from.

I don't know if your BS is Neo or not. You can check the package.

Passionate about TT

Its the non neo h3 blue #22. I liked the h3 neo but i liked the h350 much better.

SFF_lib · Jul 28, 2017

The H3-50 works well if your blade is medium to stiff. I have used it on a hinoki blade and it works wonderfully. Good control and spin.

Only Neo H3 provincial orange sponge can match H3-50 in terms of control but better spin and power.

When you find your H3-50 dead try a orange sponge H3 provincial.

Passionate about TT

PolishTT17 · Jul 28, 2017

First of all, thanks for that great discussion!

Today is the day! I'll try my new Hurricane!

What I got from all your posts is, that the control of the rubber is not that good, but isn't that a fact of every high power rubber? Specially when its boosted. The rubber is ready to glue and it really feels similar to my Andro Rasanter 47. Maybe it's my mind playing some tricks with me or it is like it is

Maybe if youre interested I can make a video of my first time playing a c-rubber. Could be really funny! I'll play on my Victas Firefall FC witch is a pretty good controlled blade with a good range of speed! Looking forward for this afternoon!

Suga D · Jul 28, 2017

I'm not sure if you came up with the right conclusion. I find the control aspect higher than in other rubbers.
I think you'll be amazed with serve receive, pushes and of course the serve itself.
The amount of control is unrivaled IMHO.
However blocking passively won't work anymore or not the way you are used to. If you try everything's gonna fall into the net. But that gives you room for blocking more actively or even counter looping at the table, as long as your reaction time allows it.
Hope you'll enjoy it!

PolishTT17 · Jul 28, 2017

Suga D said:
I'm not sure if you came up with the right conclusion. I find the control aspect higher than in other rubbers.
I think you'll be amazed with serve receive, pushes and of course the serve itself.
The amount of control is unrivaled IMHO.
However blocking passively won't work anymore or not the way you are used to. If you try everything's gonna fall into the net. But that gives you room for blocking more actively or even counter looping at the table, as long as your reaction time allows it.
Hope you'll enjoy it!

These are all points that I will like! Because of the plastic ball, we will have more time to play a active block on a topspin and so the rubber will force me to play it! I think thats a good thing! Also my serve is suffering because of the P-Ball, even we are playing the Nittaku Premium!
Your post made me just more excited to play

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