Best rubber for $30-$35 ?

Alex22 · Aug 22, 2021

Hello everyone,

This is my first time posting a forum here. I am currently looking for a rubber that sells for around $30, preferably on amazon because sites like tabletennis11 have shipping for ****ing $17 when you don't exceed a certain price point, and also I have a $20 giftcard on there that I'll use.
I consider myself between beginner and intermediate, more on the intermediate side but this is very subjective. I see myself as an offensive player.
It's my first custom paddle, and I've already ordered a DHS Hurricane 301, as well as a TSP Ventus Spin in Red Max thickness iirc, and I thought abt putting it on my BH, but that can change depending of the other rubber that I'll choose.

Anyways, I'm looking for an inverted rubber, most likely for my FH, with good/great speed, and great spin, good control if possible, and for $30-$35. If I'm not mistaken, my blade is quite fast (?) since it's 7 ply with 2 plies of carbon. Does that mean I can sacrifice a bit (not that much) of speed for more spin, because it'll balance it out ?
I don't want a rubber that's very different from the other one, because if one feels dead and the other is fast, then it'll just be weird.

What would y'all advise me ? Some ideas are Andro Rasanter R48, but apparently its performance drops quickly, DHS H3 Neo, but being a Chinese rubber Ig it's really slow, Friendship 729 Battle II seems like a great option.

Also I need advice on glue to assemble the racket, a good one because I don't want it to affect my racket's performance. I've been looking at Butterfly's, quite expensive, but great quality.

Thank you for reading and for your help 🤗

Alex22 · Aug 22, 2021

Hello everyone,

This is my first time posting a forum here. I am currently looking for a rubber that sells for around $30, preferably on amazon because sites like tabletennis11 have shipping for ****ing $17 when you don't exceed a certain price point, and also I have a $20 giftcard on there that I'll use.
I consider myself between beginner and intermediate, more on the intermediate side but this is very subjective. I see myself as an offensive player.
It's my first custom paddle, and I've already ordered a DHS Hurricane 301, as well as a TSP Ventus Spin in Red Max thickness iirc, and I thought abt putting it on my BH, but that can change depending of the other rubber that I'll choose.

Anyways, I'm looking for an inverted rubber, most likely for my FH, with good/great speed, and great spin, good control if possible, and for $30-$35. If I'm not mistaken, my blade is quite fast (?) since it's 7 ply with 2 plies of carbon. Does that mean I can sacrifice a bit (not that much) of speed for more spin, because it'll balance it out ?
I don't want a rubber that's very different from the other one, because if one feels dead and the other is fast, then it'll just be weird.

What would y'all advise me ? Some ideas are Andro Rasanter R48, but apparently its performance drops quickly, DHS H3 Neo, but being a Chinese rubber Ig it's really slow, Friendship 729 Battle II seems like a great option.

Also I need advice on glue to assemble the racket, a good one because I don't want it to affect my racket's performance. I've been looking at Butterfly's, quite expensive, but great quality.

Thank you for reading and for your help 🤗

brokenball · Aug 22, 2021

If you can buy from tabletennis11 in Estonia you will have more options. They have 4 for the price of 3 sales. I have R48 ( on my TB ALC ) and it is just a little faster than Rakza 7 ( on my TBS ) which is my favorite rubber. We I buy 4 for the price of 3 the cost of each rubber is less than $35 US.
I have had no problems with either rubber. They are both quality rubbers that I would buy again but I still prefer Rakza 7 even though it is just an opinion that I can't quantify.

Michael Zhuang · Aug 22, 2021

729 Battle 2, Yinhe Apollo 5, Sanwei Target National are forehand designed rubbers under $30. And of course Hurricane.Â

Funk Fu Master · Aug 22, 2021

You could order from sites like AliExpress. They offer shipping, even on smaller orders, or if they do charge for shipping, it's minimal (under $10, via regular post)

Alex22, on one hand you say you want the rubbers on both sides to be similar'ish, but then you're thinking of considering Rubbers like Andro R48 , and Friendship Battle II , which are quite different..

BTW, is okay, and quite common to have very different (Slow on BH, and fast on FH) rubbers on FH & BH, if your style of play demands it.. You'll get used it. It won't feel weird, after a few days.

For $35 (Not factoring shipping costs), you may find rubbers like Xiom Omega V, Tibhar Evolutions, Rakza etc..

+1 For Apollo 5.. Some other options are Yinhe Moon, Palio HK1977 Gold, and Palio AK-47 Blue

mocker88 · Aug 22, 2021

Check out Andro Hexer Powergrip and Grip. Maybe they're a bit expensive, but these are rubbers that have more control and spin than the Rasanter line, but lacks a little of the speed of Rasanter then. I found them similar to TSP Ventus Spin, but these have a bit harder sponge, and the grip is better in my opinion.

729 Battle II isn't faster than DHS Hurricane 3 NEO. I've played the Provincial and Gold versions and the original Battle II 36deg. The original 36deg (some years ago) is much slower than H3N, but good spin. Easy to play a looping game. The Provincial and Gold versions are more like H3N, but I found them a bit softer, giving you a higher arc when looping. Now comparing to the H3N 2.15mm 41deg and Battle II Prov/Gold 40deg. Both mine lost tackiness quite fast, so H3N gives you better quality all over, I think. Battle II Prov/Gold are quite similar to eachother and really nice rubbers as log as the grip is intact.

As Funk Fu Master says, Rasanter and Battle II are two totally different rubbers that requires different ways to play the game.

Kuba Hajto · Aug 22, 2021

Stretch it to Fastarc G1. It was the number 1 selling rubber for a reason. Really hard to wear down. Good speed and spin.

igorponger · Aug 22, 2021

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000817047375.html
Tamca 5000sweet dreams of the past

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001063234467.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002952709608.html

Gozo Aruna · Aug 22, 2021

Nittaku Fastarc G1.

Manto76 · Aug 22, 2021

Another vote for Fastarc G1, and perhaps C1 on the BH side if you prefer a softer BH.

Zeen · Aug 22, 2021

Right. Fastarc g-1 or xiom Vega pro would be the most reasonable choice.

good · Aug 22, 2021

Nittaku Fastarc G-1

+1. Sad, it's not available like 4=3 on tt11 anymore 😕
I ordered them now on dandoy store for $33.17.
But it limited time promo.

Der_Echte · Aug 22, 2021

THE BEST rubber does not exist, no one will ever agree on best and everyone has different requirements and priorities.

If you are DEAD SET on buying from amazon, your choices are very limited. I have a suggestion for you to get some gear you can use from amazon and be able to try gluing on for yourself.

Lookup GAMBLER ZERO RUBBER on amazon and you will see one of the results show a pair of rubbers for $29 and a 20% coupon. The seller is ZEROPONG, who is LA based and has been around as a seller for DECADES.

I would say try this, click on the link for the seller ZEROPONG and then click on STOREFRONT to see what Tom has for sale on amazon.

Add to your cart one of his custom built bats, like say the Rosewood Carbon $42 and then there is a 20% coupon) and a pair of Zero rubbers ($29.99 and a 20% coupon) the shipping is free. That gets you to $58 delivered for a bat assembled with case and two extra rubbers. Not bad.

What you can do is get some rubber cement from office supply store for $3 (4 oz elmers no wrinkle rubber cement) or get it of amazon for a little higher. You can take off one sheet from your new bat and practice regluing it. Lookup vid on youtube, it is real easy to do. With a new sheet, you are simply using scissors with small cuts all around, too easy.

So, for under $60 on amazon, you are set for a while until you get the hang of it. Later, if you are ready to try more Euro/Jap stuff, a store like TT11 for an order with say 3-4 rubbers - shipping is free. You normally buy this qty anyway.

It is a coincidence that I play with a lot of local players here who come from countries in the former USSR and east blck who migrated to USA.

The Zero and the Sevens rubbers are more control oriented rubbers that would suit you a lot better than the modern dynamic ones for now.

Der_Echte · Aug 22, 2021

I could tell you that Nexy's new rubber Etika is awesum, I could tell you MX-K is a beast. They both are, but a player like you will not immediately benefit from a modern dynamic rubber at this point. Your middle of the zone is control oriented rubber. I say this even as a distributor of a brand. (Nexy)

Cole (colesttt,com) and Tom (Zeropong) have a lot of stuff for you to start out with that is much more appropriate fro you where you are right now.

Kuba Hajto · Aug 22, 2021

Der_Echte said:
I could tell you that Nexy's new rubber Etika is awesum, I could tell you MX-K is a beast. They both are, but a player like you will not immediately benefit from a modern dynamic rubber at this point. Your middle of the zone is control oriented rubber. I say this even as a distributor of a brand, Cole (cloesttt,com) and Tom (Zeropong) have a lot of stuff for you to start out with that is much more appropriate.

Zeropong stuff is really really really really good. I worn out about 5 pieces of Gambler rubbers, all of them were dope. The issue is that I worn out 5 pieces of those rubbers. 1 month of mediocre intensive training and I worn the top sheet significantly enough that visible spots on the rubber lose their grip.

I agree there is no single ideal rubber. But as far as I understood, OP already has BH rubber and he wants FH rubber. Only rubber I would recommend blindly is Fastarc G1 and Xiom Omega 5 Tour/Asia. Those do not have butts. Like you know MX-P is good buuuut it is bouncy, Rasanter 48 is good buuuut it looses its qualities after a while, Tenergy 5 is good buuuut it is hella expensive and looses the charm quickly. For Fastarc G1 I could not find the but.

Both Fastarc G1 and Xiom Omega 5 T/A suit so many varieties of play and do that well enough that I could not find the issues with them.

Alex22 · Aug 23, 2021

Thank you everyone for your replies and for your time !
First off, I apologize I know there isn't a best rubber, depends of playing style, price point, and what you already have, and many other things, I forgot to precise for my situation.

I'll definitely keep in mind Fastarc G-1, the only thing is where do I buy it for a reasonable price ? I can't find it on tt11.com, but I'll try aliexpress. Can I trust this website though ? I've never ordered anything from there, and it's from China, so shipping to the US looks like a nightmare. Also seems that you don't get what you expect most of the time ?

I'm probably only gonna order the glue from amazon and use my coupon that way
I'm not gonna boost any rubber btw, forgot to mention that sorry.

The ones that I'm probably going to go with :

Fastarc G-1
Xiom Vega Pro,

There's also a Battle II Provincial Blue Sponge for like $26 on prott.vip, but it's probably a scam, so I'm not looking further into it.
I also thought about Sanwei Target National, but people say it's a huge disappointment, so yeah.
Andro hexer is too expensive, and xiom omega v tour and asia are a bit more expensive than the other ones.

CONCLUSION : Idk which one to pick between vega pro and fastarc g-1, apparently g1 is a bit spinnier but vega pro is a bit faster, is it true ? If it is, I'm probably going to go with the G1, my blade is already quite fast I think.

Michael Zhuang · Aug 23, 2021

Alex22 said:
Thank you everyone for your replies and for your time !
First off, I apologize I know there isn't a best rubber, depends of playing style, price point, and what you already have, and many other things, I forgot to precise for my situation.

I'll definitely keep in mind Fastarc G-1, the only thing is where do I buy it for a reasonable price ? I can't find it on tt11.com, but I'll try aliexpress. Can I trust this website though ? I've never ordered anything from there, and it's from China, so shipping to the US looks like a nightmare. Also seems that you don't get what you expect most of the time ?

I'm probably only gonna order the glue from amazon and use my coupon that way
I'm not gonna boost any rubber btw, forgot to mention that sorry.

The ones that I'm probably going to go with :

Fastarc G-1
Xiom Vega Pro,

There's also a Battle II Provincial Blue Sponge for like $26 on prott.vip, but it's probably a scam, so I'm not looking further into it.
I also thought about Sanwei Target National, but people say it's a huge disappointment, so yeah.
Andro hexer is too expensive, and xiom omega v tour and asia are a bit more expensive than the other ones.

CONCLUSION : Idk which one to pick between vega pro and fastarc g-1, apparently g1 is a bit spinnier but vega pro is a bit faster, is it true ? If it is, I'm probably going to go with the G1, my blade is already quite fast I think.

Aliexpress actually has one of their big shopping festivals starting in about 3 hours. It goes for a few days, and you can get some discounts on rubbers and blades. Shipping to the US takes 1-2 weeks with tracking data, really not too bad. Most of the items are really good for the price. You can buy rubbers from DHS, 729, Yinhe, Palio, Loki, etc. I would say you can definitely trust the site. You always get what is listed, and if you are unhappy you can get full refund. Also, most of the sellers will send you extra little gifts with your purchase.

You can buy glue on Aliexpress too, for quite cheap.

Lazer · Aug 23, 2021

Tabletennis11 deliver with DHL (free above a certain amount). To Sweden it takes 2-3 days sometimes less than 24hrs. To the US probably less than a week. I would never buy anything from a Chinese pirate site. Who knows what they will deliver. With the prices I have seen that can only be fakes.

Cheers
L-zr

Gozo Aruna · Aug 23, 2021

Gozo said:
Nittaku Fastarc G1.

I was typing on my small screen smart phone last night hence I could not elaborate much.

G1 is a good middle of everything rubber. Let me explain further:

It is a medium hard dense rubber that you can play like a chinese rubber should you decide to play chinese looping style in the future.

It is a tension rubber but not as bouncy as some of the newer ESN / Tensor rubber out there that destroy the linearity feeling ( something that I personally like ).

So, for a new hobbyist who have not decide which style he / she wants to gravitate towards ( either the chinese or euro looping style ), G1 is a good middle of everything to start with.

This is of course with the assumption the player is a hobbyist and not a serious TT athlete who is under some professional coaching.

Kuba Hajto · Aug 23, 2021

dandoy-sports.com has a discount right now on the G-1.

Best rubber for $30-$35 ?

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