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Keep in mind that I am not a very advanced player so the equipment reviewed doesn't have the same spin and speed as something like Tenergy. Nevertheless, I'm not bad and I can do the basic stuff.
1. Yasaka Mark V (used on both FH and Backhand on current blade and Donic Persson Powerallround V2)
Linear, controllable Jack of all trades Japanese rubber with very little tackniness.
a). Serving: 4/5. Capable of generating very good spin while serving but you need good ball-feeling and ball control for it. It was doing nothing for me once I switched from my slightly tackier and spinnier Palio Amigo but it took some practice and improved ball control to create as much spin out of it.
Excellent for creating deceptive serves because you can easily generate much less spin by doing the same motion. I was able to set up points very well against stronger opponents
b) Receiving: 3.5/5. Not that reactive to incoming spin but it's harder to do a lot with the spin that is being given to you. Not that difficult to keep the ball low.
c) Forehand loop: 4.5/5: Excellent control and I could generate some heavy topspin when I used this with Max thickness. Even good opponents were having trouble controlling the ball. It doesn't really punish bad technique but you need good technique to get good spin from it. Advanced players might find it lacking in the speed department but I love the consistency.
d) Forehand drive: 4/5: Good but not excellent for driving.
e) Backhand loop: 5/5: Wow, this is great on the backhand. Lots of spin when the sponge is engaged (ideal for the backhand as we brush less).
f) Flicks: 3/5. I found tackier rubber to be better for flicking serves with the Backhand. I can't do the Forehand flip well so I won't comment on that. The ball doesn't really cling to this rubber.
g) Blocking: 5/5: Not that reactive to topspin and you could give the ball a bit of a punch as well.
Overall: Great rubber and very allround. My recommendation is to get it in Max thickness as the spin was enhanced by quite a bit compared to the 2.0mm rubber without compromising on control. Cost: 25 euros in Germany.
1. Palio Amigo (used only on FH)
A bit tacky, low throw European/Chinese hybrid rubber.
a). Serving: 5/5: I could generate a lot of spin very easily with this rubber. It's hard to NOT generate spin using this while serving.
b) Receiving: 5/5: Very easy to keep the ball low because of the low throw angle. Reactive to spin but I don't have too many problems with that. You could place the ball more easily to uncomfortable areas while receiving and generate sizeable backspin to cancel out the service spin.
c) Forehand loop: 4/5: Plays very directly, which kind of suits my game. You don't really see the ball curving too much but my opponents did say that it jumped off the table with spin (think Ma Long's loop versus Timo Boll's loop)
d) Forehand drive: 5/5: The directness and the low throw angle makes it very ideal for driving the ball.
e) Backhand loop: NA
f) Flicks: NA, didn't use this for Backhand.
g). Blocking: Pretty good because of the low throw angle.
Overall: Advanced players will definitely find this rubber too slow for them but it's very good for beginners. Cost: 13 Euros
3. Joola Upp:
Very tacky, high throw european rubber.
a). Serving: 5/5: Backhand serves had a mean amount of spin with the slightest touch. A sizeable amount of weaker opponents received my serve to the neighbouring table
b) Receiving: 4/5: Had the advantages of tackier rubbers that I wrote about in the Palio Amigo segment but harder to keep the ball low because of the high throw angle.
c) Forehand loop: NA
d) Forehand drive: NA
e) Backhand loop: 2.5/5. The tackiness of the rubber works against the elasticity that is required to create spin while using backhand looping. The ball did not dip compared to when I used the Yasaka Mark V.
f) Flicks: 5/5. Any serve that was slightly high or long could be punished over the table with a backhand flick.
g). Blocking: 2.5/5: Very reactive to topspin, it's hard to keep the ball down. The throw angle is also very high.
Overall: Faster than the Palio Amigo and around as fast as the Mark V. I could also do a mean chop block Waldner/Ma Lin style with this rubber. Cost: 19 Euros.
3. Spinlord tiger (FH and used it for 2 weeks on BH)
Non tacky, elastic european rubber. Noticeably faster than Mark V.
a). Serving: 3/5: Challenging to create spin with this rubber though it can do fast serves pretty well. It has definitely improved my touch though as I have tried my best to keep my spin from the previous rubbers.
b) Receiving: 4/5: Very bouncy in the short game. It's quite difficult to keep the ball low and to push with backspin.
c) Forehand loop: 4.5/5: The high elasticity of the rubber lets you put quite a bit of spin on opening lopos. This rubber is definitely quite fast and opening topspins are definitely faster, compared to the slow looping curve that I would get from the Mark V. I've heard that it's a good thing to have a faster spinny opening topspin.
d) Forehand drive: 5/5: The higher speed of the rubber really shines in this department. You have to go over the ball because of the high throw angle, which is good if case you have a chicken-winged forehand and want to improve it.
e) Backhand loop: 3.5/5. Kind of bouncy and not as controllable as regular Mark V. It doesn't seem to have as much dwell as Mark V.
f) Flicks: 3/5: The non tackiness makes it quite hard to flick the ball using my BH.
g). Blocking: 4/5: Blocking wasn't a problem. The rubber can counter-hit really well though.
Overall: About 1.3x the speed of Mark V. It's like a faster version of Sriver from what I've heard. Cost: 16 euros.
1. Yasaka Mark V (used on both FH and Backhand on current blade and Donic Persson Powerallround V2)
Linear, controllable Jack of all trades Japanese rubber with very little tackniness.
a). Serving: 4/5. Capable of generating very good spin while serving but you need good ball-feeling and ball control for it. It was doing nothing for me once I switched from my slightly tackier and spinnier Palio Amigo but it took some practice and improved ball control to create as much spin out of it.
Excellent for creating deceptive serves because you can easily generate much less spin by doing the same motion. I was able to set up points very well against stronger opponents
b) Receiving: 3.5/5. Not that reactive to incoming spin but it's harder to do a lot with the spin that is being given to you. Not that difficult to keep the ball low.
c) Forehand loop: 4.5/5: Excellent control and I could generate some heavy topspin when I used this with Max thickness. Even good opponents were having trouble controlling the ball. It doesn't really punish bad technique but you need good technique to get good spin from it. Advanced players might find it lacking in the speed department but I love the consistency.
d) Forehand drive: 4/5: Good but not excellent for driving.
e) Backhand loop: 5/5: Wow, this is great on the backhand. Lots of spin when the sponge is engaged (ideal for the backhand as we brush less).
f) Flicks: 3/5. I found tackier rubber to be better for flicking serves with the Backhand. I can't do the Forehand flip well so I won't comment on that. The ball doesn't really cling to this rubber.
g) Blocking: 5/5: Not that reactive to topspin and you could give the ball a bit of a punch as well.
Overall: Great rubber and very allround. My recommendation is to get it in Max thickness as the spin was enhanced by quite a bit compared to the 2.0mm rubber without compromising on control. Cost: 25 euros in Germany.
1. Palio Amigo (used only on FH)
A bit tacky, low throw European/Chinese hybrid rubber.
a). Serving: 5/5: I could generate a lot of spin very easily with this rubber. It's hard to NOT generate spin using this while serving.
b) Receiving: 5/5: Very easy to keep the ball low because of the low throw angle. Reactive to spin but I don't have too many problems with that. You could place the ball more easily to uncomfortable areas while receiving and generate sizeable backspin to cancel out the service spin.
c) Forehand loop: 4/5: Plays very directly, which kind of suits my game. You don't really see the ball curving too much but my opponents did say that it jumped off the table with spin (think Ma Long's loop versus Timo Boll's loop)
d) Forehand drive: 5/5: The directness and the low throw angle makes it very ideal for driving the ball.
e) Backhand loop: NA
f) Flicks: NA, didn't use this for Backhand.
g). Blocking: Pretty good because of the low throw angle.
Overall: Advanced players will definitely find this rubber too slow for them but it's very good for beginners. Cost: 13 Euros
3. Joola Upp:
Very tacky, high throw european rubber.
a). Serving: 5/5: Backhand serves had a mean amount of spin with the slightest touch. A sizeable amount of weaker opponents received my serve to the neighbouring table
b) Receiving: 4/5: Had the advantages of tackier rubbers that I wrote about in the Palio Amigo segment but harder to keep the ball low because of the high throw angle.
c) Forehand loop: NA
d) Forehand drive: NA
e) Backhand loop: 2.5/5. The tackiness of the rubber works against the elasticity that is required to create spin while using backhand looping. The ball did not dip compared to when I used the Yasaka Mark V.
f) Flicks: 5/5. Any serve that was slightly high or long could be punished over the table with a backhand flick.
g). Blocking: 2.5/5: Very reactive to topspin, it's hard to keep the ball down. The throw angle is also very high.
Overall: Faster than the Palio Amigo and around as fast as the Mark V. I could also do a mean chop block Waldner/Ma Lin style with this rubber. Cost: 19 Euros.
3. Spinlord tiger (FH and used it for 2 weeks on BH)
Non tacky, elastic european rubber. Noticeably faster than Mark V.
a). Serving: 3/5: Challenging to create spin with this rubber though it can do fast serves pretty well. It has definitely improved my touch though as I have tried my best to keep my spin from the previous rubbers.
b) Receiving: 4/5: Very bouncy in the short game. It's quite difficult to keep the ball low and to push with backspin.
c) Forehand loop: 4.5/5: The high elasticity of the rubber lets you put quite a bit of spin on opening lopos. This rubber is definitely quite fast and opening topspins are definitely faster, compared to the slow looping curve that I would get from the Mark V. I've heard that it's a good thing to have a faster spinny opening topspin.
d) Forehand drive: 5/5: The higher speed of the rubber really shines in this department. You have to go over the ball because of the high throw angle, which is good if case you have a chicken-winged forehand and want to improve it.
e) Backhand loop: 3.5/5. Kind of bouncy and not as controllable as regular Mark V. It doesn't seem to have as much dwell as Mark V.
f) Flicks: 3/5: The non tackiness makes it quite hard to flick the ball using my BH.
g). Blocking: 4/5: Blocking wasn't a problem. The rubber can counter-hit really well though.
Overall: About 1.3x the speed of Mark V. It's like a faster version of Sriver from what I've heard. Cost: 16 euros.