Base on the description of your playstyle, you might want to consider Tibhar K3 on both sides. K3 definitely require less effort to use compared to unboosted hurricane. Only downside is you probably need to change rubber at the 6months mark. This goes the same as donic blue grip J1 which is my fh rubber, just bought a new sheet after 8months (only dragged the purchase as I wanted my rubber to be as new as possible for upcoming tournament, will definitely change at the 6months mark)Hi guys!
So I currently use a Long 5 with unboosted hurricanes on both sides but am looking to change equipment entirely. I've been using this setup for about 2+ years now and it has suited me quite well but I feel it's time to change to something a bit faster, especially since I don't want to boost my rubbers. I am thinking about switching to FZD ALC blade (not 100% about this yet) but don't know what rubbers to use. I definitely want to use hybrid ones but I just can't make my mind up. Some of them also seem to have a few disadvantages that make me not want to use them at all - for example Dignics 09C is too expensive for me, K3 doesn't last long enough etc.
The ones I have been considering are:
Victas>15 sticky (although I have read people talk about the speed not being quite there)
Rakza Z (but the throw is quite high)
Glayzer 09C
Helix hybrid XH
It's worth noting that since I currently use Hurricanes I really value tackiness and spin on the ball which is why I am wanting to use hybrids and not go straight to European rubbers like tenergy.
My playstyle is a very aggressive fast game with plenty BH-BH exchanges and FH counters. I loop first against most long balls and enjoy playing positive shots at mid table distance.
If anyone can suggest any other rubbers/provide some insight that would be greatly appreciated
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I want to use K3 but from what I have read online the lifespan is really short, I haven't seen it last 6 months for many people - it seems to have a significant dip in performance after a month/month and a half and then dies after about 3. What has your experience been like with the bluegrip? How do you find it performs?
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I have been looking at the long 5 Gold version which is about 245 Euros. I can't find the W968 anywhere cheaper than 600-700 Euros so I might upgrade to the gold version because its much more affordable and looks well rated.
First of all, I boost my J1 with 2 thin layer of booster.
Rubber feels amazing the first 2 weeks then drops in explosiveness slightly and maintains for the next 5+months.
The durability issue with J1 is not with the sponge as sponge still pack a good punch. The issue is with the top sheet as the grip drops as I have smooth spots on my rubber after all the looping I do. This means that if you don't engage the sponge in your loops and use more thin brushing loops, the ball might slip.
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So do you boost only initially when using the rubber for the first time? Or is it every 2/3 months?
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My vote would be to go DHS Hurricane Long 5H blade from TT11 for more speed but a familiar feeling which won't require major changes to technique. https://tabletennis11.com/en/blog/post/dhs-hurricane-long-five-h
Overall closest rubber I have used to H3 which is fast enough without boosting and not stupidly heavy (e.g. NH3PTB) is Gewo Codexx Pro 55 Super Select.
Backhand wise, depends on the mechanics of your stroke and what you want to achieve on that wing, but if someone was using H3 37 on that wing unboosted and wanted something faster without boosting, I would suggest Xiom Jekyll & Hyde C52.5. I used to play H3 non-NEO 38 degree boosted on BH and I can play similarly with J&H C52.5 on BH.
You can buy these three from TT11, plus 3 lots of Nittaku adhesive rubber protection sheets (to trigger 30% discount), for 225 euros.
If you change things up more than this, you risk setting back your development and ability as a player, months to rebuild new muscle memory, at least that has been my experience as a recovering EJ of well over 10 years.
Overall closest rubber I have used to H3 which is fast enough without boosting and not stupidly heavy (e.g. NH3PTB) is Gewo Codexx Pro 55 Super Select.
Backhand wise, depends on the mechanics of your stroke and what you want to achieve on that wing, but if someone was using H3 37 on that wing unboosted and wanted something faster without boosting, I would suggest Xiom Jekyll & Hyde C52.5. I used to play H3 non-NEO 38 degree boosted on BH and I can play similarly with J&H C52.5 on BH.
You can buy these three from TT11, plus 3 lots of Nittaku adhesive rubber protection sheets (to trigger 30% discount), for 225 euros.
If you change things up more than this, you risk setting back your development and ability as a player, months to rebuild new muscle memory, at least that has been my experience as a recovering EJ of well over 10 years.
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If you're looking for an ESN rubber, choose Rakza Z. It was tackier than my H3 when I tried it on my friends blade. If you want another chinese rubber you can't go wrong with 729 Battle II, Big Dipper V, or Yinhe Jupiter III. Kind of the trifecta of non H3 chinese forehand rubbers.
Yup, plus STN and B3 - so quadri-/pentafecta, then😁
It would be great to know what are the go-to non-H3/ESN/BTY options popular in China - can someone shed some light?
The reason being TTD community may kind of self-reinforce knowledge on some specific rubbers that are being discussed and thus introduce perception bias. For example, we talked much about STN1, but little info available on STN3 (which some members seem to like a lot). BD1 was, obviously, a global hit, and there is no reason to believe that BDV which replaced it in production is not selling well; at the same time, it is IMO a completely different rubber. Yet, we don't talk about it much so don't remember about it when a topic like this appears.
@kamsky49
Completely agree here. Yet, make no mistake, B2 spin potential is very high, it's just that H3 is a monster in this regard.
Of note, B2 treatment with paraffin oil increases the throw angle, which was my main issue with the rubber out-of-the-box. Unfortunately, the effect is not 100% permanent, there is a mild and slow waning of effect afterwards (albeit not as pronounced as with more aggressive boosters).
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