Best Yasaka rubbers?!

[thomas.pong]

Playing with Rising Dragon n FH (me being shakehand FH dominant) is even better then R7/R7s, slightly more spin and speed. R7s on BH is ideal at this moment, both rubbers are excellent and definitely worth trying if you are in the search for "ideal" rubber

YSD (Chinese-style) and R7 (Euro-Japanese) are both excellent rubbers but different in the way they play. All a matter of taste and technique! YSD requires a bit more work and is more linear, but can produce loads of spin indeed with great control!

 

[thomas.pong]

YRD I feel has QA issues to address. After 1 year of buying, 3 rubbers have failed ( 2 black and 1 red ) due to topsheet separation and that too a new one which Yasaka has thankfully replaced! No Chinese brand will do that!

I've read this issue from several forum members now... that really sucks. How's the replacement holding up? Hopefully they've up their QA by now. Props to Yasaka for addressing your issue and providing you with a replacement at the very least.

 

[JST]

I've read this issue from several forum members now... that really sucks. How's the replacement holding up? Hopefully they've up their QA by now. Props to Yasaka for addressing your issue and providing you with a replacement at the very least.

(just want to say that I have 3rd sheet of RD red rubber in 9 months and no problems at all so probably my EU distribution is lucky on good batches or QA issues aren't so serious...)

 

[thomas.pong]

(just want to say that I have 3rd sheet of RD red rubber in 9 months and no problems at all so probably my EU distribution is lucky on good batches or QA issues aren't so serious...)

My friend was buying it from TT11 and didn't seem to have problems either.

 

[sderyke2002]

I think your original idea of swapping the R7S and MV for testing is a good one, based on the fact that you like both rubbers and want to see of they play on different blades. You can later on try the YSD on the FH of your secondary blade.

I used to live in MI. Where do you play if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks I will probably move the R7 soft to the Extra Offensive to pair with the Mk V, and put the spare piece of Mk V on the same bat with the RX soft. I take it you don't think the R7 soft would pair well with the YSD?

I am in Kalamazoo and we have a club that meets for about three hours Friday nights during the school year. Other than that there is almost no where to play without driving 40 miles or more. This is far different than what I had available when I was in the Navy and my game was at a decent level (and I was 40 years younger). I could go to a YMCA and play from 5 to 9 almost every night. I worry that maybe that is what it takes for my game to be passable. A former US Champ (Danny Seemiller) runs a club about 60 miles from here (South Bend, IN) and there is a tournament there next weekend but I doubt I am ready yet.

I see you are not too far from Mont St Michael. I have always wanted to visit there, my Confirmation name is Michael.

 

[thomas.pong]

Thanks I will probably move the R7 soft to the Extra Offensive to pair with the Mk V, and put the spare piece of Mk V on the same bat with the RX soft. I take it you don't think the R7 soft would pair well with the YSD?

I am in Kalamazoo and we have a club that meets for about three hours Friday nights during the school year. Other than that there is almost no where to play without driving 40 miles or more. This is far different than what I had available when I was in the Navy and my game was at a decent level (and I was 40 years younger). I could go to a YMCA and play from 5 to 9 almost every night. I worry that maybe that is what it takes for my game to be passable. A former US Champ (Danny Seemiller) runs a club about 60 miles from here (South Bend, IN) and there is a tournament there next weekend but I doubt I am ready yet.

I see you are not too far from Mont St Michael. I have always wanted to visit there, my Confirmation name is Michael.

I always enjoyed visiting Kzoo and Bell's Brewery! That's too bad there's not a place where you can play more regularly out there however. I hear Danny Seemiller's club is supposed to be really nice, you can always try the lowest event category, have fun and see how you fair!

I think the R7 Soft could actually pair well with the YSD if you like playing with this rubber. I just think that if you like the Mark V, the R7 Soft is the next natural step up, whereas the YSD is a Chinese-type of rubber where you need a big stroke to generate more power and speed at mid-distance, however it's more hands on close to the table.

Yes, I'm about 2 hours from Mont Saint-Michel, I really enjoy going there from time to time, breathtaking place!

 

[sderyke2002]

I always enjoyed visiting Kzoo and Bell's Brewery!

I think the R7 Soft could actually pair well with the YSD if you like playing with this rubber. I just think that if you like the Mark V, the R7 Soft is the next natural step up, whereas the YSD is a Chinese-type of rubber where you need a big stroke to generate more power and speed at mid-distance, however it's more hands on close to the table.

Bell's is the first among many now. The town has become a Mecca for micro-breweries. I bet we have almost 2 dozen in the area.

My loop has always been more a brush loop going mostly up not forward and then shooting off the table due to heavy spin - not much like the top spin drive everyone today calls a loop. That is why the more Chinese rubber with high tackiness appeals to me. But I do have a DHS hurricane blade with hurricane 3-50 rubber on both sides and never really got good with it. I blamed it feeling way too light, but since I do play well with MkV maybe the Chinese rubbers just aren't for me.

 

[thomas.pong]

Bell's is the first among many now. The town has become a Mecca for micro-breweries. I bet we have almost 2 dozen in the area.

My loop has always been more a brush loop going mostly up not forward and then shooting off the table due to heavy spin - not much like the top spin drive everyone today calls a loop. That is why the more Chinese rubber with high tackiness appeals to me. But I do have a DHS hurricane blade with hurricane 3-50 rubber on both sides and never really got good with it. I blamed it feeling way too light, but since I do play well with MkV maybe the Chinese rubbers just aren't for me.

That's a lot of breweries for the city! Fun!

The YSD is a little more of a hybrid (Chinese sticky topsheet, Euro/Japanese style sponge), not a straight Chinese rubber like H3, so maybe it could work well for you on the right blade. But if Mark V or R7S suits you the most, stay with that! And if you can, get a club started in Kzoo so you can get more practice in! Either at the U or a community center, someone's basement...

 

[sderyke2002]

Does anyone have any knowledge/experience with the old Yasaka Falcon 5 ply blade from the 70's. I have one and back when I played it I remember it being considered a fast bat. But I am not really sure how it compares to today's estimations of what is fast and slow. Back then Mk V was fast but is not considered so today. Have the bats changed as well.

I see many of the fastest bats are still full wood (not reliant on carbon for their speed) so it is possible the falcon would still be seen as fast today.

I am playing it with YSD and YRD on opposite sides and want to get some idea of if the speed is coming just from the rubber and they would be even faster on a modern bat or if they would be more playable on an all around blade of today.

 

[sderyke2002]

The YSD is a little more of a hybrid (Chinese sticky topsheet, Euro/Japanese style sponge), not a straight Chinese rubber like H3, so maybe it could work well for you on the right blade. But if Mark V or R7S suits you the most, stay with that! And if you can, get a club started in Kzoo so you can get more practice in! Either at the U or a community center, someone's basement...

I moved the Rakza 7 soft to a MaLin Extra Off with one sheet of Mk V and moved the sheet of Mk V that I had to take off to the now open spot on my MaLin Carbon to pair with the Rakza X soft (the Carbon is actually rated as a little slower than the Extra Off)

I played with my coach to compare them both against the Mk V and I came away with a new respect for the Rakza Xs. I can swing hard with full arm motion and get more controlled results with it than with the Rakza 7s. At least that was the the way it felt to me. My coach also said I was playing much better with the two faster rubbers than with the Mk V I have always used. They are also spinier than Mk V so I think I was getting more on my serves as well.