Sounds like a rubber I should try next. Any idea what is the difference between the original Target National and the new "nano" Target National?
I think you're on the right track, H8 doesn't bubble up so easily as H3 and H8 doesn't need booster either. If you clean it and always apply a plastic foil on it it can last very long time. Some say that G1 is pretty durable for an ESN rubber (as durable as it gets), and since Gold Arc 5 is also ESN you might save some money initially but if the Gold Arc 5 wears out faster than G1 you might not have saved any money in the long run.
Where I live Joola Rhyzen CMD is one of the cheapest "proper" rubber you can buy. It's like a little more expensive then commerial H3 Neo. Not sure what's the situation there.
You’re right on the H8 thing. I’ve seen them last two years. But I think sometimes one must accept that high frequency and performance training is extremely costly. The reality is, something is going to cost a certain amount, and there is no way to get around that. You can only do what you can afford.
of course i am biased but i would suggest some Loki Rxton5.
they hit flatter than H3, are faster than H3 , cheaper than H3 and last longer than H3
Did i mentioned that i was biased ?
national team doesn't provide equipment. its not the job of national team to provide equipment.
national team other than provide salary, and airfare to tournaments, may also provide funding for coaching.
equipment is between the player and the equipment makers
there is many reasons, maybe Sato doesn't want to waste that rubber, especially it has bubbled.
So turning it around, her sweet spot is now out of the way of the bubble
I noticed this too, blue H3 can do some really great things. You just need to plant your feet real hard and smash the ball to oblivion. D09c can kinda do it but I think the sponge on it is too hard, much more difficult to hit down on the wood than with blue H3.
The group i'm involved with, currently no one is using H8-80
There is a chopper using H8, and we thinking to change her to H3 blue sponge. Not enough kick in the H8.
We had one that used H3 39 on FH and H3 37 on BH, but her technique doesn't suite 37 on backhand, so changed her to Fastarc G1.
A couple of girls use H3 39 on FH
Guys mostly using 40 on FH, and the guys prefer Tenergy 05H or D05 on BH.
So I can't say I have too much hands on experience to tell you from this group I'm with, but from what I hear from some overseas players, H8-80 seems to be a wow factor. Hu Heming of Aus talked about it, he tried all 3 (37, H8, -80) and felt in love with H8-80. His contract actually allows him to use another brand on BH and he was surprised H8-80 can replace his Butterfly.
But in China's NT or Provincial, the scale of usages of 37 out ways 8. But Butterfly still out ways DHS on BH a lot.
It's not so obvious to use H8-80 coming off from H3 on backhand. While H3 is rather insensitive and slow, the H8-80 is super sensitive and is quite bouncy. I think it makes the most sense to use it on an innerforce blade, possible like the Ma Long 5. Such blades on BH are quite hard work with a Bty or ESN rubbers that bounce well. With H3 it's really hard unless you use it specially for passive blocking game on BH, then it might be OK. It is pretty annoying if someone blocks very short. H8-80 gives that extra bounce to make a Ma Long 5 blade on BH to be normal, it does it better than ESN rubbers.
I think it's biggest weakness is the sensitiveness of the topsheet. It's much stickier than H3, and stretches a lot more too, which is great against underspin, but against topspin I could not really find my angle to do counterspins. I am left handed so I get a lot of topspin on my backhand which I like to counter occasionally, not just block all the time. Countering for me was very difficult. Blocking was okay but one needs to get used to it. Touch play was pretty nice with it tho, it makes a lot of spin on weak touches too.
It doesn't need boosting either and that way it's not heavy. Also didn't need to break it in like H3, the sponge is ready to go out of the pack.
)
But you can’t passive block with H3 on the backhand. You have to give it some force so it doesn’t just go into the net
Normally with Rozena or ESN rubbers with similar hardness I try to catch the ball in the rubber and sponge and let them do the work. With H8-80 I tried to do the same but it holds the ball so long and it can stretch a ton so I usually overcooked every shot. Maybe hitting trough the ball would be better, but it really is a sensitive rubber so I am kind of scared to counter with it.
That is plain wrong to generalize. If your opponent is not a weak little pleb and can attack with good technique, every passive block will go over the net.
But that is exactly the beauty of more controlled and hard rubbers. If you hit hard enough you can generate faster balls than with bouncy rubbers. But still you are capable of great short play and short blocks.
For example i just compared some gameplay of Ma Long at the Star Contender and Champions and he is able to play way more short balls and therefore can prepare his attacks way better than many other players (probably better than anyone else). In comparison i just watched Uda vs Freitas (Truls vs Freitas was another example) and here both players just went for the 3rd ball attack around 90% of the time and were able to make a nearly uncounterable shot because the opponent was not able to play the receive short and low enough. This happens way less often with chinese players. Partially because of their different playstyle but most certainly because of their equipment too.
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I meant that one needs more power to get the same speed on blocks.
