Do we know if any World class players are currently using any of these tacky ESN rubbers?
If these rubbers are not really used by the “high profiled” sponsored players of the brands, what is the point of making them? Is it mainly about getting a slice of the Chinese rubber market - or more specifically a BIGGER slice of the Chinese market? Or were the brands so scared of the prospects of the Dignics 09c that needed their own alternative rubber(s) to compete with this? 🤔
Also, are there any soft sponged tacky ESN rubbers available? Like 45˚ or softer? I get that the tacky topsheets might not work well with a softer and more bouncy sponge, but I’d thought that at least one brand could have given it a try?
Hi,
Not sure if any World Class players are using this type of rubber.
There are loads of different rubbers available, and I would think that it’s only a small % of the rubbers available that are actually used by the Pro’s.
So, why make any other rubbers other than those used by the Pro’s? Just like blades ( there’s a shed load available!!)
Some rubbers are designed for beginners, and different level players, different styles of play etc
I think that there is is combination of factors, yeah, bigger slice of part of the market is one, and possibly performance could be another, driven by the various changes to the ball that have taken place.
As far as sponge hardness is concerned, as Yogi mentioned they generally seem to be 45 Degrees +