Nexy Etika review

says [IMG]
Normally I don't use (medium-) hard rubbers, but I did wanted to try the new Nexy Etika.

Version: Etika 47
Thickness: 2.1mm (as far as I know it only comes in 2.1mm?)
Weight uncut: 68 gr
Weight cut: 46 gr
Playtime: approx. 7-8 hours
Blades used: Xiom SAL, Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon, Stiga Energy Wood V2

About my playing style:
About 35 years playing TT. Playstyle is to focus on topspin (both BH and FH) and placement of the ball, rather than just speed.
(for the Dutch readers: Zuidwest, 1ste klas)

tt001.jpg


The firm sponge of the Etika 47 has small pores, especially compared to the Rasanter R48.
Etika is not one of those rubbers with hard/firm sponge and soft top sheet. I would say that top sheet and sponge are "in sync".

From top to bottom:
Andro Rasanter R48 2.0mm
Nexy Etika 47 2.1mm
Stiga Energy Wood V2
Donic BlueGrip S2 2.0mm

tt002.jpg


Etika doesn't have massive catapult effect (like Rasanter series for example) and because of this is plays linear. In my vocabulary this means it's predictable. No sudden and unexpected high arc topspin or jumped up pushes. You simply know how your shot will be as soon as you hit the ball.
It has a medium to medium low arc, which works very well for topspin close at the table, pushes and block. Especially when blocking, Etika gives a vicious return to the attacked. Many opponents where caught off guard by this. More aggressive push blocks were very satisfying :)
As Etika is a medium-hard rubber short pushes low over the net were easy to do. When serving, placement of the ball, was also very precise.
Although it's a fast rubber, it doesn't actually feel that fast. Because of the lack of lot's of catapult, it's easy to control despite it's speed. Having said that, I didn't try Etika on a true OFF or OFF+ blade, as I just know this isn't my thing.

The Etika 47 is not very sensitive to incoming spin, which works out great for opening on backspin or topspin over topspin.
However, this is also the downside of this rubber: it's harder to generate spin. I would say I have a decent serve and normally I make a straight point with my serve 1 out of 4 serves. With Etika, there was noticeable less spin in my serves and opponents returned my serves with ease. Same for the amount of spin in my topspin.

view
Etika using the SAL (87gr):
Wanted to try this combination first, as the SAL is a controlled OFF-/OFF blade, but the combination of Etika and SAL didn't work out for me. SAL barely has any vibrations and with the medium hard Etika, I just couldn't feel the ball as I'm used to.

Etika using Ma Lin Soft Carbon (89gr):
MLSC is my go-to blade if I need to step back for a while and need more consistency in my shots. Also a OFF- blade, but it's definitely slower and even more controlled compared to SAL. Combination of Etika and MLSC worked out much better for me. Ball stays just a bit longer on the blade (Limba outer vs SAL Koto outer) and my timing was better. I was able to play slow, short, low over the net topspin, but also fast full blown topspin. (sidenote: used Andro Hexer PowerGrip SFX on the BH and this was loads of fun)

Etika using Stiga Energy Wood V2 (87gr):
EW V2 is a ALL+/OFF- all wood blade and offers loads of control. As it's an ALL+ blade, you have to work bit harder to play fast topspin. Well placed topspin is a breeze and so is blocking with the Etika on this blade. Great combination for an all round playstyle, less suitable for offensive players.
(sidenote: used Donic BlueGrip S2 on my BH, but due to slow speed of the blade and (slightly) tacky top sheet, this didn't work at all for me)

Conclusion:
Etika 47 is great rubber if you are looking for a fast, but yet controllable offensive rubber. It's versatile rubber and suits different attacking styles. Creating spin with softer rubbers is easier and as I'm used to (medium-)soft rubbers, I had difficulties creating a decent amount of spin in my serves and topspin. Not sure if I will keep using Etika because of this, but I will surely give it another try.


PS: the above review is based on my personal opinion/experience/playing style and may very well differ from any other opinion.
 
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Wanted to try this combination first, as the SAL is a controlled OFF-/OFF blade, but the combination of Etika and SAL didn't work out for me. SAL barely has any vibrations and with the medium hard Etika, I just couldn't feel the ball as I'm used to.
I agree to most of your review, especially the linearity of the rubber. In combination with the reduced catapult it makes ETIKA totally reliable and gives confidence for your shots. And THAT is what a rubber should deliver, as opposed to magical tricks promised by some...

However, I find it fairly easy to generate spin with both versions of ETIKA, and for me both worked exceptionally well with Hugo HAL, which shouldn´t be worlds apart from SAL. But that´s personal preference, experience and also taste more than measurable fact.

In my opinion, the 51 degree version delivers to people playing hard ESN rubbers more control and and easier first ball on underspin. It also beats some of the Hybrids I know since like them it offers great control over the table and on passive shots, while unlike them it doesn´t require excessive effort to play a fast ball.

The 47 version faces stiffer competition. How shall I put this? When playing with ETIKA 51 I feel more in control than when I play with a 50+ ESN rubber. It´s noticeable. When I play with the 47 degree version I also have this feeling, but the difference between the 47 and other 47,5/48 degree rubbers isn´t as big.

In other words, I would choose ETIKA 51 over JOOLA Rhyzer pro 50 or NEXXUS 53, although they are cheaper. It´s justfied by the advantages.
But I find other 47 degree rubbers more attractively priced than ETIKA 47 and I don´t think the gap in the performance always justifies the gap in the pricing.
 
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I switched to Etika 51 on FH of an OFF to OFF+ blade... I make heavy heavy slow topspin so easy with both... I make massive counter topspin vs incoming topspin.

Etika is the first firm sponge rubber I can play with confidence on my FH.



Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk
 
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I switched to Etika 51 on FH of an OFF to OFF+ blade... I make heavy heavy slow topspin so easy with both... I make massive counter topspin vs incoming topspin.

Etika is the first firm sponge rubber I can play with confidence on my FH.



Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

I'm afraid the Etika 51 would feel like concrete for me, as I normally play soft rubbers. Maybe when I'm more familiar with the 47, I might give the 51 a try.

 
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I can say that Der_Echte, for the last couple years, prefered SOFT modern dynamic rubber on FH wing, the likes of T05FX or FX-S... but this 51 degree rubber does not play rock hard at all, I was very impressed.

47 degrees on the SDC SPARTAN is a beast of counter topspin and still makes slow heavy spin, not dissing 47 at all. the 51 version has what I say surprisingly more allround capability than one expects.
 
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Update.

Used the Etika 47 on Stiga Infinity VPS (85gr).The Infinity can be a bit "nervous" in the short play, but the Etika 47 takes cares of this. As it's less sensitive for incoming spin and because of it's firmness, short play is more solid and easy.
In my first review I mentioned the lack of spin I could generate with the Etika 47 and I was still struggling to get a decent amount of spin this evening. As I'm used to play soft rubbers, I let the ball really sink in the rubber. As the Etika is a medium-hard rubber, the ball doesn't have a lot of dwell time. After I adjusted my stroke (shorter swing) and angle of my bat, I did get a decent amount of spin. To get more spin in the service, I had to use more wrist movement.
As I expected, I found it more easy to topspin incoming backspin with softer rubber. On the flip side, topspin with the Etika 47 has a lower, longer trajectory and a nasty pop after the bounce it seems. Some opponents made a comment on this. Topspin with Etika is more "spicy", which I like.

Initially I wanted to go for a new blade, like one of the Innerforce BTY blades , but I'll stick with the Infinity with Etika for now. Maybe a bit heavier Infinity instead.
Also, I might try the Etika 51 one day, but despite the positive remarks in this thread, I'm afraid it might still be too hard for me liking. Especially as it's not a cheap rubber (50-60 EUR), it's a bit expensive for just to try it out.

By the way, when removing the rubber from another blade, the sponge teared about 1,5 cm. This never happened to me and I sure reglue a lot of rubbers of different blades.

I will post another update after a few weeks.
 
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I have gotton a few hundred hours out of each sheet (if I didn't rip the rubber on a corner !!).

Etika lasts longer than average.

A few hundred? Like 200 or 300 hours? I've gotten barely 60 hours from the last ESN rubbers that I played on backhand (V>11, V>15 Extra and BlueStorm Z2) and that's with boosting them in between because they first start feeling dead (and the trajectory flattens too much) and than usually the topsheets start to become non-grippy in the main hitting area. What's the "failure mode" of the Etika?

 
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Hi TTarc,

I have Etika 51 on the FH of the Mass Annihilation Unit. I used it 200 hrs+ and took it off before a toruney, I wanted a real fresh sheet and maximum potential for that tourney. That topspheet is still serviceable and looks like it will go another 100-200 before it hits the scrap heep.

If I can afford it, for a real imprtant major tourney, I replace my rubbers a week before tourney and break them in. For league I do not care, but major sanctioned tourneys where something is on the line, I will do all kinds of things to optimize my performance and do my best to get everything to peak on tourney day.
 
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I can say that Der_Echte, for the last couple years, prefered SOFT modern dynamic rubber on FH wing, the likes of T05FX or FX-S... but this 51 degree rubber does not play rock hard at all, I was very impressed.

47 degrees on the SDC SPARTAN is a beast of counter topspin and still makes slow heavy spin, not dissing 47 at all. the 51 version has what I say surprisingly more allround capability than one expects.
Hi Der,
like you used be, I get real twitchy when using a grippy top sheet with a harder 50+ degree sponge, notably the R53, R48 was much more ‘friendly’
tacky with harder sponges I can cope with.
the R53 does have a softer feeling than you’d expect, but I had to be way more precise with my strokes.
Does the same apply to the 47 and 51 versions of Ekita?
interested in trying out the Ekita in 51, especially if it is more user friendly than R53 was for someone of my capabilities!!!

 
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Hi IB66,

It is all about impact if a rubber or blade or blade/rubber combo will work.

I will give you an example of a rubber I can play with very well, the K1 series.

I slapped K1 Pro on the FH of the Long 5 blade and TRIED to play a double match... I think I landed 2 shots out of 10. I was so upset I wanted to toss that blade in the pile of wood to be used for heating homes. On MY blade, the MAU, I do exactly what I am trying to do, my landing percentages are very high if I am on time in position... not with the Long 5 though - felt like ball was not leaving the bat... I think that blade needs an impact like the prototypical H3 impact for power users... odd as I do NOT lack power at all, I make EASY POWER... but not with K1 and Long 5.

I was in a phase where I was learning the deeper impact needed for harder sponges, I had 1-1.5 years of MX-K 47... and after 6 months of Etika 51 on FH, I developed what was needed for that rubber to get the right deep kind of impact to really make Etika 51 perform.

That was me at thta point. Maybe you are ready for this impact now, maybe you are not. That is something to consider in equipment selection. I wasn't ready for a 51 sponge when I tried it, but I was developing and it did not hurt me at all to use 51 sponge on Etika. You may be in that situation, you may not be in that situation - YOU will know better.

That is the best way I can put it. You will not be making a terrible choice using Etika 47 if you do not know.
 
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Hi IB66,

It is all about impact if a rubber or blade or blade/rubber combo will work.

I will give you an example of a rubber I can play with very well, the K1 series.

I slapped K1 Pro on the FH of the Long 5 blade and TRIED to play a double match... I think I landed 2 shots out of 10. I was so upset I wanted to toss that blade in the pile of wood to be used for heating homes. On MY blade, the MAU, I do exactly what I am trying to do, my landing percentages are very high if I am on time in position... not with the Long 5 though - felt like ball was not leaving the bat... I think that blade needs an impact like the prototypical H3 impact for power users... odd as I do NOT lack power at all, I make EASY POWER... but not with K1 and Long 5.

I was in a phase where I was learning the deeper impact needed for harder sponges, I had 1-1.5 years of MX-K 47... and after 6 months of Etika 51 on FH, I developed what was needed for that rubber to get the right deep kind of impact to really make Etika 51 perform.

That was me at thta point. Maybe you are ready for this impact now, maybe you are not. That is something to consider in equipment selection. I wasn't ready for a 51 sponge when I tried it, but I was developing and it did not hurt me at all to use 51 sponge on Etika. You may be in that situation, you may not be in that situation - YOU will know better.

That is the best way I can put it. You will not be making a terrible choice using Etika 47 if you do not know.

Cheers Der,

When I wrote the post I was wondering if it could have been a technical improvement that had helped out with being able to play with a harder sponge.
My consistency has definitely improved over the last year, so I may be in a position to try a grippy top sheet with harder sponge.
As for the Long 5, I have one sitting perfectly in its lovely case !!!. As you mentioned 2/10 loop drives on table was a good result for me. I was using H3 Neo provincial, my forehand ain’t no slouch either, and I can spin it well. With that blade I found it kinda hard to judge how far that ball was gonna fly!!! Even with good or high top spin on it to drag the ball down it just seemed to go long. Not an equipment issue player issue!!! Ain’t it always😂

 
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