5 out of 5 rating for Evolution FX-S
Tibhar Evolution FX-S
Weight: 68 grams uncut, 49 grams uncut
Sponge Hardness: 42°
Hardness: Soft/Medium
Speed: Medium
Spin: Medium/High
Blade used: Tibhar Stratus Carbon blade
Written Review
Thank you to TableTennis11 for supplying us with these rubbers to review, be sure to check out their
website. The success of the popular MX-P, used by pro players such as Paul Drinkhall and Vladimir Samsonov, led these new rubbers to be highly anticipated in the latter part of 2016.
Initial inspection
Like previous Evolution rubbers the EL-S and FX-S are both ESN based, you can see our review of earlier models in the series
here. The FX-S has a sponge hardness of 42 degrees. The sponge hardness of the FX-S is similar to its predecessor FX-P.
The weight of the FX-S when uncut is 68grams and when cut is 49 grams.
The two (EL-S and FX-S) rubbers were each used on the Tibhar Stratus Samsonov blade and were used throughout the review.
Forehand Topspin
During the topspin exchange we noticed that nice rebound effect you get with the other Evolution series rubbers. The ELS in particular sprung of the bat quickly and had a medium to high trajectory. What we like about the Evolution series is their boosted effect you feel when you strike the ball, this has not changed with the new ELS and FXS.
Spin
One of the biggest advantages with the FX-S is its ease of use against backspin. The sponge and topsheet grab the ball well producing a lot of spin. The FX-S is a very stable rubber and I felt very confident going for power in my shots whilst maintaining accuracy. Also when I dropped off the table I could feel the ball dig into the sponge making me feel in control of the ball, producing a quality shot consistently.
Speed
We both found whilst using the FXS on the forehand it was slightly too soft and could be a little tricky to control aggressive incoming shots. The rubber worked well when playing at around 70% of max speed and going for spin during rallies rather than speed.
However the FXS came into its own and worked fantastically on the backhand side, it gave a lot of margin for error. The softer sponge of the FXS combines well with a compact backhand stroke. Again the FXS is not as fast as the ELS but but due to its softer sponge it was easier to produce spin. It felt really effortless when directing backhand shots down the line.
Short game and serves
During the short game the ELS is able to produce high amounts of spin on short aggressive pushes and flick shots. The ELS grips the ball well when playing the modern backhand flick made famous by the likes of Zhang Jike and Fan Zhendong. This is a similar case with the FXS where it really shines in the short game producing loads of spin with good consistency.
We liked serving with the FX-S, the topsheet gripped the ball nicely and produced consistent high end spin.
Away from the table
We found both the ELS and FXS similar when playing top to top rallies away from the table, the only difference being that the ELS is slightly faster.
Conclusion:
For players who play with more of an allround offensive game the FXP would suit especially on the backhand side. It has great control and nice feeling. I find you have a lot of accuracy in your shots as the rubber is forgiving. It is not as fast as the ELS but possesses more control.
Pictures
Weight of the Tibhar Evolution FX-S
Sponge hardness of the Tibhar Evolution FX-S
