Hammond Z2 Special or Omega 8 Euro/Pro for Acoustic Inner?

[noFeeling]

Hello! It's my first post here.
My setup is Acoustic Inner Carbon with Fastarc C-1 on both sides and I'd say I'm a low intermidiate player, my backhand is my weaker side and I think I have relatively good feeling and blocking. With that said, I'm looking for a new BH rubber to try when the local league ends (3 weeks from now).

The short version is: should I go with Hammond Z2 special version (softer sponge, 45º) or Omega 8 Pro/Euro?

A little bit of context: C1 is really good for controlling the game, but I feel I don't get a lot of spin off it, a big part of it has to be my technique, I know. But with my FH I've noticed that my topspins don't have that much spin (before I used Rakza Z and I remember the oponents having more trouble with my attacks). So I thought that maybe I need something easier to activate in my BH, and I've read that Omega Pro/Euro usually are really good on the BH. And I've also read that Z2 is a good BH rubber but I think the normal version would be too much for me. The thing is that there is almost no reviews online for the Special Version. I'm also switching to G1 on my FH.

Thank you and sorry for all the text!

 

[ck1407]

Hammond z2 is not spin-oriented. You probably will get better spin with omega euro

 

[noFeeling]

Hammond z2 is not spin-oriented. You probably will get better spin with omega euro

Thank you! The other day I tried O7P and I liked the sensations, so I think Omega will be a good option

 

[Wrighty67]

C1 does not lack spin - stick with it and work on technique

 

[NetProphet]

Hammond z2 is not spin-oriented. You probably will get better spin with omega euro

The Z2 special is a softer sponge version of the Z2 so, although I haven't tried it, it's a different rubber in essence.
I have tried the Z2 though and it doesn't lack for spin at all. The relatively soft top sheet make spin easier to get than with harder rubber was my experience.

Having said all that info agree with Wrighty, a slight improvement in technique will probably fix things with the C1 as that's a very good rubber and should not need changing if spin is the aim here!

 

[latej]

Hammond Z2 - I played with it shortly on friend's blade, and more than a year ago, and the top-sheet felt harder than rubbers I used on the BH. I felt I can't get what I want on the BH from it, and it was my friend's impression too... He used it on the FH... But we all feel differently and that's fine...

I think C1 too is a good choice for your BH. Btw. I play O7P on the BH now (to kill it), it's a good rubber, but I prefer Glayzer very much over O7P.

 

[Haraold]

played a whole seson with the normal Hammond Z2,its fast ,so you have to be fast wth your brusj but if you are thath you get a shitload of spin.not to menteion the counterabilities with flatshots,blocks using spin of contrahent.
But Omega 8 China is tempting to test,but if you have he 7, i think you can upgrade at a later time.
Depends if the EJ is strong in you my Friend..

 

[noFeeling]

Thank you all for your replies! Don't get me wrong, I know C1 is an excellent rubber, and I'm not using it to its fullest. However, I've read multiple times that, being a 45° rubber, it feels harder. So I thought that, given my not-so-strong backhand, I could get better results with something easier to generate spin from. (In the meantime, I'll try to improve my backhand 😅.)

 

[Julzig]

Short answer:
If you think your technique isn't fully there yet, a top of the line rubber might be the wrong choice here.
As the others said, stick to C1 or try something like Vega (Euro/Japan/Korea).

Long answer:
The line between having good spinny shots and not hitting at all is very fine with modern flagship Rubbers. The possibility is there, that you don't know why you generete more spin with one Rubber than with the other yet, possibly because you just hit how you think you should. Some Rubbers tent to be more spinny while only brushing, with others you have to engage more of the sponge. I suggest to give the C1 one more life cycle and focus on the said thing and ajust.

 

[RomanAngerer]

Hammond z2 is not spin-oriented. You probably will get better spin with omega euro

For me, the regular Z2 is a spin/speed monster that even surpassed MX-P and T05 and was only behind H3 or hard European hybrids. It's also surprisingly grippy and not reactive to the incoming spin. It's a hard tensor (52 ESN), so the main downsides are: lower trajectory, price, and the fact that the sponge+rubber are so brittle they just disintegrate with any minor damage.

The author was wondering about the Z2 Special Version (47 ESN), but I genuinely haven't met anyone with that rubber, neither have I seen a review. So I am also curious about how it plays.

 

[Rinforzando]

For me, the regular Z2 is a spin/speed monster that even surpassed MX-P and T05 and was only behind H3 or hard European hybrids. It's also surprisingly grippy and not reactive to the incoming spin. It's a hard tensor (52 ESN), so the main downsides are: lower trajectory, price, and the fact that the sponge+rubber are so brittle they just disintegrate with any minor damage.

The author was wondering about the Z2 Special Version (47 ESN), but I genuinely haven't met anyone with that rubber, neither have I seen a review. So I am also curious about how it plays.

I'm playing with Z2 special and I never tried the normal version. It's a great rubber ! Not too reactive to incoming spin, spinny, powerful.
Only con for me is sometimes I would like a bit more dwell time. I don't know how to describe it properly, it feels like despite the soft topsheet and the soft sponge, the ball doesn't dig a lot into the rubber when topspinning resulting in a small dwell time window.

I'm going on the opposite direction and will go a step back trying again a fresh Fastarc G1 in max. Let's see how it goes.

 

[Brozi]

I'm going on the opposite direction and will go a step back trying again a fresh Fastarc G1 in max. Let's see how it goes.

Im using it currently, and im really happy with it. Really easy to get the spin, high maximum spin. The only problem is that my technique is not adequate enough yet to play powerful loop drives, but im working on it.

 

[RomanAngerer]

I'm playing with Z2 special and I never tried the normal version. It's a great rubber ! Not too reactive to incoming spin, spinny, powerful.
Only con for me is sometimes I would like a bit more dwell time. I don't know how to describe it properly, it feels like despite the soft topsheet and the soft sponge, the ball doesn't dig a lot into the rubber when topspinning resulting in a small dwell time window.

I'm going on the opposite direction and will go a step back trying again a fresh Fastarc G1 in max. Let's see how it goes.

Seems like the "short dwell time" is a common thing across the series, I was hoping that a significantly softer Special Version introduces extra dwell There's an upside to the short dwell, as the opponents usually don't expect the incoming spin (which Z2 still somehow produces) after the ball shoots off that fast.

G1 has a ton of dwell time, you will love it, imo.

 

[kapahoo]

I've used the regular version and wouldn't describe the topsheet as soft. I think that it is quite firm (even tough it is not very thick). That is also - I think - why it can be relatively non-reactive to incoming spin even though is also grippy, why the ball bounces off quickly and why the ball sometimes does not dig into the rubber.


Agree that it is a very fast rubber. Low arc.

 

[Rinforzando]

Seems like the "short dwell time" is a common thing across the series, I was hoping that a significantly softer Special Version introduces extra dwell There's an upside to the short dwell, as the opponents usually don't expect the incoming spin (which Z2 still somehow produces) after the ball shoots off that fast.

G1 has a ton of dwell time, you will love it, imo.

I hope I will have more dwell time, with still having more or less the same amount of spin.

 

[RomanAngerer]

I hope I will have more dwell time, with still having more or less the same amount of spin.

G1 surely has more dwell and about the same amount of spin as Z2.
The only downside of G1 for me is the lack of explosiveness, which is the main selling point of Z2 (at least the regular version).

 

[NetProphet]

G1 surely has more dwell and about the same amount of spin as Z2.
The only downside of G1 for me is the lack of explosiveness, which is the main selling point of Z2 (at least the regular version).

Yes G1 is more Linear for sure, to get more you have to give more but that's why it's easier in the short game which is usually more difficult for people on the FH side. All the control shots, receives, short push, FH flicks etc are easier (for me) with G1 for the same reason.

 

[Zezima]

G1 surely has more dwell and about the same amount of spin as Z2.
The only downside of G1 for me is the lack of explosiveness, which is the main selling point of Z2 (at least the regular version).

G1 and lack of explosiveness what?????

 

[NetProphet]

G1 and lack of explosiveness what?????

Compared to Z2 😉

 

[Rinforzando]

Compared to Z2 😉

I tried the G1 today, and I can't agree more, explosiveness of the Z2 special (I guess it would be the same with the normal Z2) is missing. With the Z2 special you can hammer down opponent topspin easily. With the G1 I didn't find the setup yet to do it consistantly.