Best Chinese Alternatives to D09c Tier List

[kindof99]

ok I have finally arrived at a place where I feel I can share my opinion on the Loki GTX pro alternative to D09c.

First of all I want to thank TensorBackhand for this post and all his personal consulting to me in private on chasing the perfect rubber in the chinese department. Most if not all of his advice has been spot on actually. And I saved myself a LOT testing out.

Ill try stay on topic for the Loki GTX.... So. I boosted it 3 times with Haifu Seamoon yellow. and it responded dramatically. I had to wait days until I could glue it on my racket. I put it on the Yinhe 01 pro as I already knew this was a great blade in so many ways. So this is a budget racket setup overall.
And Im comparing it with my regular overpriced Viscaria with Dignics 09c on both sides. The price difference between these 2 is staggering and a complete joke.
Weight are about the same for both.... around 196grams.
I dont want to go into the blades and comparison as this would be too long a post then. But I prefer the Viscaria a little bit more myself. However several other players actually prefer the 01 pro.... its that close.

Dignics 09c compared to a triple boosted GTX pro which is the top tier in tensorbackhands post.
the GTX pro does NOT have the baby oil as my understanding was its to make it easier to control. I felt no need for that as GTX is extremely easy to control to me. In fact its much easier than 09c to control. Especially in mid and long rallies. I think a LOT of people struggle with 09c due to its insane throw angle. It plays so different from many other rubbers its not easy to get used to. However, once you figure it out, its to your advantage. maybe. haha. Your strokes on 09c DEMANDS excellence. If your technique is lacking forget about it..... and get the GTX. you WILL land the ball on the table with it. And most likely with MORE spin than 09c as I find it a level higher in spin capacity. yup.... its MORE spinny than 09c. GTX is faster.... more spinny and easier to control. And cost a fraction..... but...... BUT.
Blocking is levels better on 09c. close play. levels better. fine subtle touch levels better.
So here is why it took me so long time to figure out whats going on with these 2 rubbers:
I play really well some days. My mind is sharp. nervous system responds really well. I got tons of energy. Other days its just not optimal. On those days I do more "lazy" shots. Minor correction mistakes. D09c will simply HATE you on those days. you play 90% with 09c you might as well just pack your shit and go home.
But on the good days its like this: I can now wield its true power and it LIFTS me up and I do shit I didnt even know I could do. Its teaching me the next level of play. And it works when done proper. Its like 1+1=3 kind of thing. And on those days the control is better than the GTX as I am in alignment with the nuances it provides.

I tried playing for hours on the good days with the GTX and its not doing the same for me. Its a great rubber.... I mean, really. great. I find it better than any ESN rubber I tried. And its the best chinese rubber I tried too. the only 2 rubbers I liked better is the Tibhar Hybrid k3(but it dies in just 1.5 months), and Dignics 09c.

So let me put it this way: If 09c didnt exist, or I couldnt afford shelling out that crazy money it cost, my go to rubber would be the triple boosted GTX pro.
My wife likes this better than her 09c. And several players here agrees with her and use it too. I know many who do not like the 09c very much and do not understand the hype. I do, but I can see it from both sides of why anyone would think the way they do. The differences are not that great(expect the throw angle maybe).

Now with all that said one of my biggest surprises in the chinese shopping journey was the Sanwei Inner Carbon 75 blade. Next ill try put the GTX on that one. will be fun.
Again thank you to TensorBackhand for making this great post on alternatives. I know this has helped a lot of young men/women get their hands on cheap but very high quality equipment without breaking the bank.

All sounds good, except three layers of booster. That is a no no for most players.

 

[Cadoia]

All sounds good, except three layers of booster. That is a no no for most players.

Yes. I would even say its also a lot of effort. Never boosted before but I was impressed how much time this takes. especially also having to wait for it to flatten out again. pretty much took 10 days before it was ready to be glued on from start to finish.
But for anyone on a budget who wants an amazing rubber who also dont need to worry about breaking tournament rules etc. this is an great option.

 

[_ak]

To be honest with properties like reaction to booster and tackiness it looks more like a personal favorites list but nothing to do with D09c as D09c get boosted less frequently and only mildly tacky.

Comparison of playing characteristics and how much adjustment in strokes is required would be much more useful. Like B2 is definitely tackier but I really hated it with it's brick like topsheet.

 

[_ak]

its also a lot of effort

And added weight, which can be even bigger obstacle for already often heavy rubbers. So perhaps judging them with no booster or minimal amount of it to make rubber good would be valuable.

A bit too many variables, I know 🙂

 

[Kxssh]

I use D09c for the bh what hardness should I get for J3 with the same feeling

 

[jaghaimo]

I use D09c for the bh what hardness should I get for J3 with the same feeling

I have measured multiple sheets of D09c and J3A. While I never had any spread in J3A (always same for a given hardness), I've seen a variance in D09c. Softer D09c (generally red) is like J3A 37 while harder are like J3A 38. Majority was equivalent of 38. Only one sheet I measured was the equivalent of J3A 39.

 

[Kxssh]

I have measured multiple sheets of D09c and J3A. While I never had any spread in J3A (always same for a given hardness), I've seen a variance in D09c. Softer D09c (generally red) is like J3A 37 while harder are like J3A 38. Majority was equivalent of 38. Only one sheet I measured was the equivalent of J3A 39.

so 37? or 39?

 

[TensorBackhand]

I use D09c for the bh what hardness should I get for J3 with the same feeling

J3 is a very hard rubber. Even 39 i think is harder than d09c.

 

[jaghaimo]

so 37? or 39?

As I said, there is a spread in D09c. This spread does not affect how you play D09c though. Can't tell much about this one outlier that I measured for a friend (equivalent of 39), as I never played with it.

So pick 37 or 38 depending if you want softer or harder. Personally I went with 38 for FH and 37 for BH. Ultimately, J3A is so cheap that I'd just buy 37, 38 and 39 (and maybe 40) and experiment with it.

Word of caution - J3A has a lower throw angle than D09c. While there's hardly any adjustment between H3N BS 39 (boosted) and D09c, there is an adjustment period (for me at least) between D09c and J3A.

 

[job59]

All sounds good, except three layers of booster. That is a no no for most players.

For me, it depends on your personal feeling AND the booster. I completely agree what ThePongProfessor is giving as a result of his tests. Falco Tempo Long > 3 layers. Booster Test

 

[Kxssh]

As I said, there is a spread in D09c. This spread does not affect how you play D09c though. Can't tell much about this one outlier that I measured for a friend (equivalent of 39), as I never played with it.

So pick 37 or 38 depending if you want softer or harder. Personally I went with 38 for FH and 37 for BH. Ultimately, J3A is so cheap that I'd just buy 37, 38 and 39 (and maybe 40) and experiment with it.

Word of caution - J3A has a lower throw angle than D09c. While there's hardly any adjustment between H3N BS 39 (boosted) and D09c, there is an adjustment period (for me at least) between D09c and J3A.

interesting I was going to boost two layers on the J3A anyways because its cheap. I’m just looking for a cheap copy of my main setup something fun to mess around with since I tend to play with friends over the summer a lot and I dont want to ruin the longevity of my D09c and H3N BS both boosted since they are expensive asf