Help! Rubber recommendations please...

[foreright]

So, I'm a year and a half or so back playing after a 27 (!) year break from the sport. Previously I was a decentish, county level player back with the old ball, old scoring system etc. using (heavily speed glued...) Mark V (whatever the speed glue version was - GPS or something?) on whatever was the fastest blade I could get my hands on - style was (and still is...) all out attack. This time around I'm considerably older but ultimately my style is not much changed - not doing a lot of pushing if I can help it, it's all about heavy loop on both wings. I'm playing the top division of a couple of local leagues with decent success.

Equipment-wise I'm using my own designed / built blades - went through 8 or 9 before settling on the current. Previously I tended to favour light weight and agility but this time around I've found that I actually prefer something with a bit more heft to it. Current blade is 102g (!), 5+2 ply, hinoki-hinoki-CF-Kiri-CF-hinoki-hinoki. The CF is 150g 2x2 twill weave carbon fibre - not ALC / ZLC or similar. The weight is mostly due to the longer than standard handle at 110mm and it's very nicely balanced and doesn't feel as heavy as the stats would suggest. It is however extremely quick - a fair bit faster and bouncier than my team mate's Viscarias and the like.

Rubber combinations I've tried over the last 18 months include:

Victas VJ>07 + MX-S - got these from my Dad, who acquired them from his club lightly used. I did like the MX-S although I think I preferred it on my forehand. The Victas was NOT good on my backhand. Way too soft. Also I thought the Victas was too slow and not spinny enough.

Xiom Omega IV Pro + Xiom Vega Europe - Likewise I liked the Omega IV, the Vega Europe was a bit too soft. Thought about "upgrading" to Omega VII but it's quite expensive here. These rubbers were not the longest lasting.

Palio AK-47 Red both sides - tried this out as I bought AK-47 Blue for my 8 y/o son (at the time...) to use. I actually didn't mind this too much but it didn't feel as premium / nice as the MX-S / Xiom. It also did not last long at all. It's definitely not as spinny as premium rubbers.

MX-P (regular, 1.8mm) both sides - Ordered the 1.8mm by mistake instead of max. I actually really like MX-P. It's plenty fast (obviously!) and I can generate ridiculous amounts of spin when it was new - way too much for most people at the club to deal with. If anything it's slightly *too* fast and it took me a long time to get used to controlling it. I'm able to bottom these out if I really go for it. I used these rubbers on a number of blades before settling on my current one which actually uses:

MX-P 50 (max) both sides - These were a great deal so I thought I'd try out the harder version. It's a little bit much for me to be honest. I've played the seconds half of the season with these and when I'm "on it", these are great - immense power, good spin - but when I'm having a less than amazing day they are not the easiest to control, especially with the super fast blade and I hit a fair few off the end of the table in games.

My feeling is that my best option is likely to go with MX-P (regular) in max on both sides and call it a day but was wondering if there's any other options I should be looking at?

Ie. something slightly slower than MX-P, a bit spinnier, preferably lighter (which rules out MX-S unfortunately...) and obviously cheap and will least an entire season (!!) would be amazing. Whilst I'm being slightly facetious about the last two, actually these are considerations - I'd rather not be spending a ton of money and I liked Rasanter early on but it *really* did not last long at all so that's out.

 

[Ultravisitor]

Only thing that comes to mind that lasts a whole season is Nitakku Fastarc G1.
Butterfly Dignics has also great durability, but is expensive

 

[foreright]

Only thing that comes to mind that lasts a whole season is Nitakku Fastarc G1.
Butterfly Dignics has also great durability, but is expensive

Both of those are quite heavy are they not? If I was going Butterfly I’d probably end up with T05 (or T05FX).

 

[Ultravisitor]

No, I think they are similar to the rubbers you mentioned.

 

[doppelmoral]

fastarc g1

 

[K.K]

fastarc g-1 and vega pro are the longest lasting ones, but both don't have the kick, katapult and dynamic that mx-p provides. something like victas ventus extra and xiom vega x are closer to the playing characteristics of mx-p but easier to play and last longer too, but not as long as something like fastarc g-1.

 

[foreright]

Thanks guys - I might see if I can find anyone at the club that has G-1. Otherwise I’ll most likely just end up buying MX-P and maybe switch to EL-S for the forehand as that’s likely a bit spinnier but not as hard as MX-S

For what it’s worth although most longevity would be nice, I’ve not been overly disappointed with MX-P in that respect even though it’s got a bit of a reputation for dropping off quickly.

 

[NetProphet]

So, I'm a year and a half or so back playing after a 27 (!) year break from the sport. Previously I was a decentish, county level player back with the old ball, old scoring system etc. using (heavily speed glued...) Mark V (whatever the speed glue version was - GPS or something?) on whatever was the fastest blade I could get my hands on - style was (and still is...) all out attack. This time around I'm considerably older but ultimately my style is not much changed - not doing a lot of pushing if I can help it, it's all about heavy loop on both wings. I'm playing the top division of a couple of local leagues with decent success.

Equipment-wise I'm using my own designed / built blades - went through 8 or 9 before settling on the current. Previously I tended to favour light weight and agility but this time around I've found that I actually prefer something with a bit more heft to it. Current blade is 102g (!), 5+2 ply, hinoki-hinoki-CF-Kiri-CF-hinoki-hinoki. The CF is 150g 2x2 twill weave carbon fibre - not ALC / ZLC or similar. The weight is mostly due to the longer than standard handle at 110mm and it's very nicely balanced and doesn't feel as heavy as the stats would suggest. It is however extremely quick - a fair bit faster and bouncier than my team mate's Viscarias and the like.

Rubber combinations I've tried over the last 18 months include:

Victas VJ>07 + MX-S - got these from my Dad, who acquired them from his club lightly used. I did like the MX-S although I think I preferred it on my forehand. The Victas was NOT good on my backhand. Way too soft. Also I thought the Victas was too slow and not spinny enough.

Xiom Omega IV Pro + Xiom Vega Europe - Likewise I liked the Omega IV, the Vega Europe was a bit too soft. Thought about "upgrading" to Omega VII but it's quite expensive here. These rubbers were not the longest lasting.

Palio AK-47 Red both sides - tried this out as I bought AK-47 Blue for my 8 y/o son (at the time...) to use. I actually didn't mind this too much but it didn't feel as premium / nice as the MX-S / Xiom. It also did not last long at all. It's definitely not as spinny as premium rubbers.

MX-P (regular, 1.8mm) both sides - Ordered the 1.8mm by mistake instead of max. I actually really like MX-P. It's plenty fast (obviously!) and I can generate ridiculous amounts of spin when it was new - way too much for most people at the club to deal with. If anything it's slightly *too* fast and it took me a long time to get used to controlling it. I'm able to bottom these out if I really go for it. I used these rubbers on a number of blades before settling on my current one which actually uses:

MX-P 50 (max) both sides - These were a great deal so I thought I'd try out the harder version. It's a little bit much for me to be honest. I've played the seconds half of the season with these and when I'm "on it", these are great - immense power, good spin - but when I'm having a less than amazing day they are not the easiest to control, especially with the super fast blade and I hit a fair few off the end of the table in games.

My feeling is that my best option is likely to go with MX-P (regular) in max on both sides and call it a day but was wondering if there's any other options I should be looking at?

Ie. something slightly slower than MX-P, a bit spinnier, preferably lighter (which rules out MX-S unfortunately...) and obviously cheap and will least an entire season (!!) would be amazing. Whilst I'm being slightly facetious about the last two, actually these are considerations - I'd rather not be spending a ton of money and I liked Rasanter early on but it *really* did not last long at all so that's out.

MX-P dies quickly, not worth buying unless you have loads of money to replace it often.
Is there any reason you haven't listed any Butterfly rubbers?
For speed, spin, dynamics and longevity it is hard to look past Dignics.
I have a sheet of D80 on my BH that is still usable after a year! I will be replacing it soon value for money it is top of the list imo.
You might consider D05 also for fast offensive play.
If D05 is too fast and unforgiving then I do reconmed the D80 followed by the regular Glayzer which is D05 top-sheet with a different sponge and costs appx half the price.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

MX-P dies quickly, not worth buying unless you have loads of money to replace it often.
Is there any reason you haven't listed any Butterfly rubbers?
For speed, spin, dynamics and longevity it is hard to look past Dignics.
I have a sheet of D80 on my BH that is still usable after a year! I will be replacing it soon value for money it is top of the list imo.
You might consider D05 also for fast offensive play.
If D05 is too fast and unforgiving then I do reconmed the D80 followed by the regular Glayzer which is D05 top-sheet with a different sponge and costs appx half the price.

MX-P is the placeholder for Zyre03.
Nah, he’ll be fine, after MX-P dies, he will be craving for that super-duper extra boing-boing feelin. And that is when Zyre03 comes in….

 

[foreright]

MX-P dies quickly, not worth buying unless you have loads of money to replace it often.
Is there any reason you haven't listed any Butterfly rubbers?
For speed, spin, dynamics and longevity it is hard to look past Dignics.
I have a sheet of D80 on my BH that is still usable after a year! I will be replacing it soon value for money it is top of the list imo.
You might consider D05 also for fast offensive play.
If D05 is too fast and unforgiving then I do reconmed the D80 followed by the regular Glayzer which is D05 top-sheet with a different sponge and costs appx half the price.

Yep, the longevity of MX-P is its major downside for me - I have never considered Bufferfly anything really as they are super expensive. Of course, there's the consideration that if it lasts twice as long then that's a thing.. but certainly in the past this was not the case. The thought of shelling out £160 on rubber is giving me palpitations though even though on paper the D80 looks like a good match for my game xD.

 

[foreright]

MX-P is the placeholder for Zyre03.
Nah, he’ll be fine, after MX-P dies, he will be craving for that super-duper extra boing-boing feelin. And that is when Zyre03 comes in….

Zyre03 is £90 a sheet - that's is completely mental however good it is

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

Zyre03 is £90 a sheet - that's is completely mental however good it is

MXP eight sheets a year, Zyre03 two sheets a year or maybe four max. You do the maths.

 

[foreright]

MXP eight sheets a year, Zyre03 two sheets a year or maybe four max. You do the maths.

Zyre03 is approx. 3 times the price of MX-P - the issue I have with this is that MX-P is a known quantity - ie. *I* like it... the Zyre03, I have no idea about and no way to try before buying as no-one at the club is using it as far as I'm aware so it's an expensive gamble.

I've potentially got the chance to try out Dignics and we have some Tenergy 05 players so I could potentially try that out although my blade is rather different to most people I know.

I'm BTW not using anywhere near 8 sheets of MX-P per year - it's lasting 5-6 months for me before it really needs to be swapped - I'm typically training 2-3 hours a week and then playing matches 1-2 times a week during the season, so not that intense.

 

[Gozo Zyreruna]

eight sheets on both side since I see in your profile you use it on both side.

Zyre03 is approx. 3 times the price of MX-P - the issue I have with this is that MX-P is a known quantity - ie. *I* like it... the Zyre03, I have no idea about and no way to try before buying as no-one at the club is using it as far as I'm aware so it's an expensive gamble.

I've potentially got the chance to try out Dignics and we have some Tenergy 05 players so I could potentially try that out although my blade is rather different to most people I know.

I'm BTW not using anywhere near 8 sheets of MX-P per year - it's lasting 5-6 months for me before it really needs to be swapped - I'm typically training 2-3 hours a week and then playing matches 1-2 times a week during the season, so not that intense.

 

[NetProphet]

Yep, the longevity of MX-P is its major downside for me - I have never considered Bufferfly anything really as they are super expensive. Of course, there's the consideration that if it lasts twice as long then that's a thing.. but certainly in the past this was not the case. The thought of shelling out £160 on rubber is giving me palpitations though even though on paper the D80 looks like a good match for my game xD.

But how much is an MX-P rubber that dies within 6 weeks V say a Dignics 05 that will last you at least 6 months and probably longer?

I know my D80 doesn't perform to the level it did when it was brand new but it's D80 and I'm at most a TTR 1550 player so even D80 at 75% of its capability is still plenty good for me and I have not yet lacked spin or power with it after 14 months.
I'll replace it during the summer but that will be 18 mths for €70! - there was a rare sale when I bought it.
I was replacing Rakza 7 every ~6 months at €45 a pop so I'm basically half price for these 18 months.
Im not expecting your experience will be identical but for many, the longevity does make the buy in price worth it.
And I've had the same experience with the D09C.
I've put that rubber (bought at same time as the D80) back onto my racket last week and it still performs very very well.
I tried G09c for 3 months before deciding it's not for me.
For maybe an ~1850+ player the drop off in these rubbers might make them unplayed at an earlier point in the timeline but for my level they are still more than enough so I guess it might depend on what level you're at. 🤷

And maybe the drop off in MX-P isn't so bad that it is actually playable for longer than a few months but I've not heard of anyone getting 12+ months.

Either way I think the Butterfly value equation is the superior value and superior performing rubber once you look after them.
This is another relevant point, I've looked after them meticulously which has certainly contributed to their extended life.

Anyway, let us know what you choose, be interested to see which way you go 👍

 

[foreright]

People do like to exaggerate - MX-P lasts a (good!) bit longer than 6 weeks xD The initial boost effect wears quickly but it stays usable for long enough. Granted the newer Butterfly rubber anecdotally lasts a lot longer and as you all say that does tilt the equation somewhat.

I’m playing tomorrow so I’ll see what I can beg / borrow / steal to practice with.

My gut feeling is that I want something a bit spinnier / grippier than the MX-P but I’ve been surprised by what actually feels good in practice plenty of times so am willing to keep an open mind.

Current combination is 190g though so I’d prefer not to go much heavier otherwise I’ll need to start working out!

 

[foreright]

Just to update this - I’ve had the chance to try a couple of different setups at the club over the last week and a bit.

A couple of coaches have recommended Dignics for me (as was mentioned above also!) and I had a decent session with the exact combination I was recommended the most today - that is 09c on forehand and 05 on backhand. I’m surprised it wasn’t as difficult to use as I was expecting - the 09c didn’t feel near as hard as the numbers might suggest for example. In terms of hardness it feels pretty similar to my current setup with the MX-P 50 but it felt like there was a good bit more control in that I was able to hit the ball a good bit harder (as in make a bigger harder stroke) after a few minutes to adjust with the overall ball speed being broadly similar.

Of course that’s a quick impression based on a short session but overall I can see that it would be something I could get used to and do well with. It’s definitely less bouncy than the MX-P which is likely a good thing for my game and it’s certainly spinnier too which is one of my main aims in switching.

The catch is that my wife wants to get this for my birthday which is not until July so I’ll have a bit of time to wait unless I can find some cheapish rubber on eBay to tide me over xD

Thanks for the input guys, I’d never have considered Dignics - especially not the 09c!