Review of Double Fish 8338

NDH

says Spin to win!
As part of my order with www.ttequipment.co.uk I picked up a sheet of Double Fish 8338 2.1mm Black - Note: The blade was a Yinhe T7s, which is rated as Off-.


I’ve been on the look out to try and find something that is usable for all levels of players at the clubs I play at - Most of whom don’t want to spend £30+ on rubbers which don’t really improve them.


My coach from 20 years ago used Double Fish (DF) and loved them, so when Dean from TTEquipment.co.uk told me he was going to stock them, I jumped at the chance to try some!


The packaging is nice - Probably a little nicer than I expected if I’m being honest.


8338 is billed by DF as a “forehand” rubber, with a thickness of 2.1mm and a hardness of 38-39 degrees.


However, out of the packet, it feels much harder than that to the touch.


There is also a strong glue smell out of the packet (reminds me of the good old days of speed glue).


The rubber is domed (see pic), and weighs in at 63g uncut. Note - The rubber still had the protective plastic sheet on there which is why it’s so shiny (63g is the weight once the plastic sheet came off).

IMG_1577 2.jpg

It’s a “non tacky” Chinese rubber, which makes me laugh, because it’s 10 times tackier than a Euro/Jap rubber - But it’s still no where near the tackiness you’d expect from an actual tacky Chinese rubber.


The rubber can pick the ball up from a table, to around 12 inches before it falls.


DF list the following stats - The scale seems to be out of 12


Speed - 10
Thrust - 12
Spin - 12
Control - 11


Playing Experience:


As I thought, it feels harder than 38/39 degrees - I’d say it was closer to 45 degrees when you start hitting with it.


Out of the 2 rubbers I purchased (8338 and Athlon 2), this was by far my favourite - It’s somewhere in-between a Chinese rubber and a Euro/Jap rubber. It’ll suit far more people who have a “western” style who want a rubber that has some Chinese characteristics, but also a little help from the sponge.


I could happily play with this on both the forehand and backhand, with little adjustment required.


If you are used to the springy Tensors (EVO/Tenergy etc), you’ll initially think it’s far slower - Which is accurate on passive shots. But as soon as you open up and get into the rallies, this rubber really shines.


The throw angle is low(ish), but higher than typical Chinese rubbers (higher than Athlon 2 as well) - Which allows you “some” misplaced footwork, but still requires you to be in position more than a typical Tensor does.


As stated above, when you find yourself out of position, you can’t get away with a passive shot - The ball simply won’t reach the other side. You’ll have to play a more forceful stroke, even if it’s just to get the ball back on the table.


Blocking is rock solid with 8338, and the ability to counter topspin is very good.


In some ways, it’s not too different from EVO-MX-S, although it can’t produce as much spin from a starting position (on serve for example). It’s also not as quick as MX-S on simple rallies, but can match it when playing forcefully.


Overall, I can’t see myself finding a better “hybrid” rubber which bridges a gap between “typical Chinese” and “Euro/Jap”. I can see a lot of players who are looking for a cheap (£18!) rubber, which also does an awful lot, picking this up from Dean at TTEquipment.

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As part of my order with www.ttequipment.co.uk I picked up a sheet of Double Fish 8338 2.1mm Black - Note: The blade was a Yinhe T7s, which is rated as Off-.


I’ve been on the look out to try and find something that is usable for all levels of players at the clubs I play at - Most of whom don’t want to spend £30+ on rubbers which don’t really improve them.


My coach from 20 years ago used Double Fish (DF) and loved them, so when Dean from TTEquipment.co.uk told me he was going to stock them, I jumped at the chance to try some!


The packaging is nice - Probably a little nicer than I expected if I’m being honest.


8338 is billed by DF as a “forehand” rubber, with a thickness of 2.1mm and a hardness of 38-39 degrees.


However, out of the packet, it feels much harder than that to the touch.


There is also a strong glue smell out of the packet (reminds me of the good old days of speed glue).


The rubber is domed (see pic), and weighs in at 63g uncut. Note - The rubber still had the protective plastic sheet on there which is why it’s so shiny (63g is the weight once the plastic sheet came off).

View attachment 17357

It’s a “non tacky” Chinese rubber, which makes me laugh, because it’s 10 times tackier than a Euro/Jap rubber - But it’s still no where near the tackiness you’d expect from an actual tacky Chinese rubber.


The rubber can pick the ball up from a table, to around 12 inches before it falls.


DF list the following stats - The scale seems to be out of 12


Speed - 10
Thrust - 12
Spin - 12
Control - 11


Playing Experience:


As I thought, it feels harder than 38/39 degrees - I’d say it was closer to 45 degrees when you start hitting with it.


Out of the 2 rubbers I purchased (8338 and Athlon 2), this was by far my favourite - It’s somewhere in-between a Chinese rubber and a Euro/Jap rubber. It’ll suit far more people who have a “western” style who want a rubber that has some Chinese characteristics, but also a little help from the sponge.


I could happily play with this on both the forehand and backhand, with little adjustment required.


If you are used to the springy Tensors (EVO/Tenergy etc), you’ll initially think it’s far slower - Which is accurate on passive shots. But as soon as you open up and get into the rallies, this rubber really shines.


The throw angle is low(ish), but higher than typical Chinese rubbers (higher than Athlon 2 as well) - Which allows you “some” misplaced footwork, but still requires you to be in position more than a typical Tensor does.


As stated above, when you find yourself out of position, you can’t get away with a passive shot - The ball simply won’t reach the other side. You’ll have to play a more forceful stroke, even if it’s just to get the ball back on the table.


Blocking is rock solid with 8338, and the ability to counter topspin is very good.


In some ways, it’s not too different from EVO-MX-S, although it can’t produce as much spin from a starting position (on serve for example). It’s also not as quick as MX-S on simple rallies, but can match it when playing forcefully.


Overall, I can’t see myself finding a better “hybrid” rubber which bridges a gap between “typical Chinese” and “Euro/Jap”. I can see a lot of players who are looking for a cheap (£18!) rubber, which also does an awful lot, picking this up from Dean at TTEquipment.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OmRyhLYxfQ8" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Sounds promising. How much does it cost? And why is it domed like that?

 
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