Hi,
Over the last 12 month I had the chance to test some Loki equipment and I would like to give you a summary of my thoughts.
Short summary about myself: I have a German TTR which went up and down between 1730 and 1900 in the last years, playing style offensive, dominant forehand, combined with a good footwork.
All the equipment which I tested did not get modified (boosted) and I also do not plan to boost.
My current setup: Loki W81 Pro Inner, FH: Loki Rxton 9 (H39), BH: Loki Telson 100
Loki Rubbers:
Loki Rxton 9 (H39): I tested the Loki Rxton 9 on several of my blades (DHS H301, Sanwei 75 inner, Yinhe Pro 11s and the W81 inner) and it replaced my previous FH rubber the “new Sanwei Target National” STN (International version and Chinese version medium-). The main drivers for the change are the longer dwell time and slightly higher arc, which helps me to be able to play balls with higher quality out of position. The speed on lower power shots is lower than with the SNT, my personal reachable end speed is kinda the same. For my playing style, the spin in server, short game, top spin etc. is on the same level and I can adapt quickly after 2 trainings sessions between these two rubbers.
Loki Rxton 5: This would be my go to FH rubber from the Loki brand, if the 9 would not exist. I really like the dynamic of the rubber and it pairs really well with the DHS H301, W81 inner and all wood blades like the Stiga Infinity VPS and Sanwei Fextra. For my level and playing style, I would also choose this rubber over an unboosted H3 Neo provincial 40 degree, which I also tested.
Loki Rxton 3: I tested the Rxton 3 (red) as BH rubber and had in mind to replace my BH at this time (H3 Neo 37 provincial). It is a little bit more bouncy than the H3 Neo, but I could adapt after 2 sessions and use the Rxton 3 without any issues. The rubber worked very well on the W81 inner, Sanwei 75 inner and DHS Bo B2X. I tested it also for one session on the Yinhe V14 pro. The blade is fun in training, but the in gameplay to fast, therefore I cannot give you any thoughts about “how the rubber works on outer blades”.
Loki Arthur China: I tested this rubber on the DHS H301 and Bo B2X before the Rxton 9 was available in Germany. I have mixed feelings about this rubber, I really like it in the open play and how easy it is to activate the rubber (counter loops, blocking, etc), but I never got a good feeling in serving, the receive game (especially long serves) and the short game. Because of this, I stayed with my STN.
Loki Rxton 7 (37): I tried the 7 on several blades, but the soft feeling, combined with the sticky surface did not work for me at all, so I stopped the testing already after one session.
Loki Telson 100: The Loki Telson 100 is the H3 Neo 37 Provincial BH replacement I was looking for a long time. Yes, the rubber is hard and it feels also kind of dead on passive strokes, but this is the same for the H3. The lost of the stickiness comes with a win on the dynamics of the rubber. When putting force in the strokes, the rubber rewards it with good quality shots, without loosing the controlled feeling of the H3. Open ups are more easily, because the support is better for my technic. Defensiv shots are also very stable. I only tested it on the W81 Inner and the rubbers works excellent for me on this blade.
Side Node: On the journey to my current setup, I also tested other rubbers which I did not mention: ESN, Chinese and Japanese rubbers.
I also have a the Kirin K1 and K3 rubbers unopened at home, but I will not be able to test it mid season.
Loki W81 Pro Inner:
The DHS H301 was my favorite and main blade for a long time. I really like the gears and the rewards of blade. A shoulder injury let me start looking into a new setup, which supports me a little bit better on my strokes. Adding different rubbers with more catapult did not work for me.
I thought I found my perfect blade with the Sanwei 75 Inner, but after a few month I had to admit, that this blade is to much for me on bad days. I made to many errors, especially when I was out of position.
With this in mind I started to look for an inner force style blade, which supports me better on bad days but keeps most of the strength. The limba surface keeps the ball a little bit longer than the koto surface of the 75 inner. The longer dwell time helps me on bad days to compensate weaker footwork. The downside is the speed of the blade, I have to work a little bit harder.
I own 2 W81 Pro Inner, 90 and 91g FL.
As I said, I am using the Rxton 9 and Telson 100 and it is a great setup. I read, that also Loki sponsored players are using this combination with Loki blades.
I also paired the blade with G1 (Max and Super Thick) on FH and DHS Goldarc 9 (37) on BH. This also works very well, but the MAX G1 is a little bit to bouncy and soft with the limba surface. Other Chinese Rubbers like Reactor Hyper Power, Big Dipper and Hurricane 3 Neo are also a good choice, based on the personal required characteristics.
If you want to know anything about the mentioned Loki equipment, feel free to ask.
