New Sanwei rubber - first look

I got accepted by Sanwei as one of the beta testers for Sanwei's new rubber (hurrah!) and just got it recently from their UK distributor (Topspin). I'll be reviewing this rubber over the next week or two. Note: Review complete and can be found further down this post.

Some pictures first:
It came in a vacuum sealed packet and it's still under lab testing by ITTF (hence the NULL sticker there)

You can see the rubber curling up a bit already out of the packet

A couple of close ups of the pips structure and the sponge

Review
I've gone through the testing period now - putting in about 12 - 15 hours of playing time with it and tried it across three different types of blades.


Glue: 2 layers of Revolution No. 3 normal viscosity.
Blades used: Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5, Stiga Arctic Wood, Yinhe 970xx-K (KLC)
Weight: (Uncut) 68.5g (Cut) 50.6g
Thickness: 2.1mm

The overall surface of the Sanwei Gear Hyper looks high quality with a matt-like finish to it. It had a light tack to it but shouldn't be regarded as a tacky rubber. I don't have specific details of the sponge hardness yet (though Sanwei has said that the samples should be 37 degrees) but it feels medium-hard to touch in my unscientific pinch test. It's softer than the Tibhar Hybrid K2 and slightly softer than the Donic Bluefire M2.


Two word summary: Controlled power


Right from the start, I could feel the rubber was very forgiving with shots. Across the blades used, only minor adjustments were needed to keep the ball on the table. A couple of my friends who tried it out even commented it felt a bit like Tenergy/Dignics though I'm sure they're talking about the ease of using it!


I'll add my thoughts on the performance on the three different blades at the end of this review


Power
One of the things I liked best about the rubber was it had a more linear nature compared to some of the ESN rubbers I've used like the Donic Bluefire M2 and the Rakza 7. I've struggled to use them on my forehand since switching over to mainly Chinese rubbers there about 3 years ago.


Recently, I've been using a Tibhar K2 and found I needed softer hands when blocking and to slow down my drives to keep the ball on the table. Not so with the Sanwei Gear Hyper. My offensive shots were more controlled and I felt I could better direct where my shots landed compared to the K2. I also tried it out against the Tibhar Evolution EL-S and found the Sanwei easier to use.


Speed-wise, I feel the Sanwei Gear Hyper has slightly less speed than the Donic Bluefire M2 and the Xiom Omega V Asia but had more control than both of them.


Power - 8/10


Spin
The Gear Hyper is capable of very high levels of spin, especially when brushing. The high levels of spin also kick in when serving the ball and, thanks to the linear nature of the sponge, it was also easier to keep the service low.


My regular playing partner uses the Bluefire M2 pretty much exclusively and he was able to execute the same amount of spin using the same strokes. He was impressed enough that he wanted to switch away to the Gear Hyper for his forehand.


Happily (for me!), I was able to impart similar levels of spin with the Gear Hyper compared to the K2 so, for me, this is my new favourite forehand rubber.


Spin - 9/10


Control
This is where I feel the rubber shines. It has enough elasticity to give the rubber speed but the level of catapult is low enough to make it a very forgiving rubber.


Other friends who've tried the rubber all commented on how forgiving it was.


Compared to the Bluefire M2, the K2, the Omega V Asia, and the Tibhar EL-S. This has higher control than all of them


Control - 10/10


Smashing
Perhaps due in part to the level of control, I felt this rubber was also good for smashing. Once the sponge kicks in, the ball gets spit out with great force but also, with good levels of accuracy. My playing partner commented that he always felt in control of his smashes with the Gear Hyper and was able to direct his shots with greater accuracy.


I felt the same too and had a more consistent third-ball attack through this rubber.


Not quite as deadly as the MX-P, Tenergy, Dignics and other speedy high catapult rubbers, but is still very capable at causing difficulties.


9/10


Chopping/Pushing
I was consistently able to handle chopping rallies and easily varied the amount of spin with this rubber. Shots that were usually harder to return with the K2 and the H3 were much easier to get over the net.


However, this rubber is still fairly spin sensitive so some care needed to be taken when chopping.


I'm not a defender but I also tried some deep, long defensive chops from further back and found it offered a good level of safety while generating enough spin to make it harder for opponents to loop the ball back.


9/10


Throw angle
This rubber has a medium-low throw angle. Higher than the Sanwei Target National but lower than the Bluefire M2, the K2, Omega V Asia, and the EL-S. As such, I feel this is more suitable as a forehand rubber. Players who prefer lower throw angles on their backhands could well consider the Gear Hyper as a controlled option.


Blade comments
Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5 - 3 ply blade with a balsa core and 2 carbon layers
The Sanwei Gear Hyper offered good amount of power and control for offensive strokes despite the typically bouncy nature of this blade. Initially, I was wondering whether there'd be too much spring considering the blade but my concerns were put to rest once I started using it.


Stiga Arctic Wood - 5 ply all wood blade
This is my blade and the Gear Hyper was much easier to use than the K2 I had on. At the same time, it was still capable of very high levels of speed when driving and smashing. My game is largely built on third-ball attack and blocking and the Gear Hyper suits me wonderfully.


Yinhe 970xx-K - 5+2 composition with 2 kevlar carbon layers
This is my playing partner's blade and he found the Gear Hyper more controlled than the Bluefire M2 he usually uses. His slow brush loops were still loaded with tremendous amounts of spin that were hard to return and his smashes were still very speedy.

Other thoughts
I'd reiterate my two-word summary - controlled power. For me, this will immediately replace my K2 as my forehand rubber once it gets released on the market.

Durability
Topsheet is still in great condition despite being used outdoors throughout the entire review period.

Shrinkage
The sponge had little to no shrinkage after the first cut. This is good news to players who like to move rubbers between different blades.

Who is this rubber for?
I hesitate to say it's an allround rubber as that doesn't seem to do it justice. It's not as powerful as some of the current and even older generation ESN rubbers but I feel it makes up for it with the level of spin and control it offers.

How much might it cost?
I'd estimate this might cost around £30 in the UK. At that price point, it'll offer a really competitive option to offensive rubbers like the Xiom Omega series and the Tibhar Evolution series. It's not out to compete with Tenergy and Dignics and I'm comfortable with that especially since I don't quite want to drop more than £40 for one rubber!


Thanks for reading!

the sponge is different from the ultraspin right?

ITTF Technical Leaflet T4: Racket Coverings

E. Administrative Procedure
The List of Authorised Racket Coverings (LARC)

New racket coverings should not be sold or distributed to any customers before all tests have been passed, the authorisation has been completed and the racket covering appears on the published LARC.

/Be happy/

My Gears Hyper rubber finally arrived and I have a different opinion about it. It has a recorded uncut weight of 66 grams and 38 grams cut to a 157x150mm blade (Xiom Offensive S) and Sanwei Fextra 7 ply. Me and my friends in the club all have the same unified opinion about this rubber. The gears Hyper has a non-stick surface. Despite having a plastic covering stuck to it when opening the box, the rubber is no way tacky after you wash and use it. It has a surface that looks like the Nexy Karis or Stiga Airoc. It looks like it is not grippy but in reality when you are using itm it is one of the grippiest non-tacky Chinese rubber I have used. I think the hardness is about 38 to 39 degrees.



Here's the thing, the Gears Hyper is a fast rubber. It is as fast as a regular ESN rubber like Acuda S2 or Tibhar Aurus. I understand when people say it is not that fast but contrary to what our test had, the Hyper Gears is a fast offensive rubber. It has a different mechanics in creating speed for a Chinese rubber. I suspected I had to use more of the sponge compared to when using it just like using a Jpn or Euro rubber. I felt it was as fast as a Stiga Airoc M or Nexy Karis M and that level of speed is already fast for most people especially with a Chinese rubber. It has a weird "tik" sound instead of a "thok" sound when hitting through.


About the spin, this is a very spinny rubber. At first you would think it is not but it deceives a lot of people assuming it is not spinny all because it is not a tacky rubber. The moment you hit through the sponge and use a spin-drive, the rubber produces a very fast, low arc spinny topspin. It is as spinny as modern ESN rubbers but you just need to have a good skill in using it. It is an all out offensive rubber up until mid-distance. The ball produced when doing heavy topspins kicks hard like a 50 degree ESn rubber that is loaded with spin and speed. This was designed primarily as a backhand rubber but me and my friends in the club really find it also very good as a cheap alternative to modern ESN rubbers that are a bit expensive. I know this rubber is not yet in the LARC but I know maybe around April this will be in the new LARC. I am eagerly awaiting for this to be sold worldwide because this is an outstanding rubber that it surprised a lot of us. This is also a good backhand rubber as it can do punchblocks and backhand loops easily. Again, I cannot begin to reiterate how spinny this rubber despite not having a tacky surface. The grippy surface is enough to blow everybody away the moment they use this. It is also cheap at bout 25USD price so it is a good alternative if you are in a tight budget.

Originally Posted by yogi_bear

My Gears Hyper rubber finally arrived and I have a different opinion about it. It has a recorded uncut weight of 66 grams and 38 grams cut to a 157x150mm blade (Xiom Offensive S) and Sanwei Fextra 7 ply. Me and my friends in the club all have the same unified opinion about this rubber. The gears Hyper has a non-stick surface. Despite having a plastic covering stuck to it when opening the box, the rubber is no way tacky after you wash and use it. It has a surface that looks like the Nexy Karis or Stiga Airoc. It looks like it is not grippy but in reality when you are using itm it is one of the grippiest non-tacky Chinese rubber I have used. I think the hardness is about 38 to 39 degrees.



Here's the thing, the Gears Hyper is a fast rubber. It is as fast as a regular ESN rubber like Acuda S2 or Tibhar Aurus. I understand when people say it is not that fast but contrary to what our test had, the Hyper Gears is a fast offensive rubber. It has a different mechanics in creating speed for a Chinese rubber. I suspected I had to use more of the sponge compared to when using it just like using a Jpn or Euro rubber. I felt it was as fast as a Stiga Airoc M or Nexy Karis M and that level of speed is already fast for most people especially with a Chinese rubber. It has a weird "tik" sound instead of a "thok" sound when hitting through.


About the spin, this is a very spinny rubber. At first you would think it is not but it deceives a lot of people assuming it is not spinny all because it is not a tacky rubber. The moment you hit through the sponge and use a spin-drive, the rubber produces a very fast, low arc spinny topspin. It is as spinny as modern ESN rubbers but you just need to have a good skill in using it. It is an all out offensive rubber up until mid-distance. The ball produced when doing heavy topspins kicks hard like a 50 degree ESn rubber that is loaded with spin and speed. This was designed primarily as a backhand rubber but me and my friends in the club really find it also very good as a cheap alternative to modern ESN rubbers that are a bit expensive. I know this rubber is not yet in the LARC but I know maybe around April this will be in the new LARC. I am eagerly awaiting for this to be sold worldwide because this is an outstanding rubber that it surprised a lot of us. This is also a good backhand rubber as it can do punchblocks and backhand loops easily. Again, I cannot begin to reiterate how spinny this rubber despite not having a tacky surface. The grippy surface is enough to blow everybody away the moment they use this. It is also cheap at bout 25USD price so it is a good alternative if you are in a tight budget.

Great write up! I'm still really looking forward to it's official release since I feel it bridges the gap between tacky Chinese-style rubbers with dead-ish sponges and the modern ESN rubbers with strong catapult effects. Great for someone like me who find ESN rubbers generally too bouncy on the forehand.

My friend has now fully switched over from the Bluefire M2 to the Sanwei Gear Hyper ever since I gave it to him after my review was done.

For the sake of additional comparison, I've also gotten a sheet of the Sanwei Gears 1.0 and on initial impressions, I feel the Gear Hyper has more elasticity and spin while retaining a high level of control.

And... I've just remembered you had a funky table being shipped over to you as well? How does that look?

Gear Hyper should be available from May.