New Stiga Mantra Pro

[doppelmoral]

I cannot find problem in short play, I use Mantra Pro M, and pushes (heavy or not, long or short) with FH and BH (I twiddle) and flicks (FH) are more than fine.

Yes, they are more than fine. It is not the quality of the shot that is being criticized. Its the lack of bite from the topsheet. If you use an ESN/BTY rubber and go for a fine but heavy push, you will get a feeling of 'ball holding'. It is just a form of feedback from your rubber+blade.

You dont really get this from mantra pro, and I think it is because of the topsheet that is not very grippy

 

[doppelmoral]

Sounds almost same to Nexy Etika, it shines more with full swings or hitting. For short game it does lack a little bite and is the only thing that annoys me too. With the harder version it was easier to let the soft topsheet work, because of the reduced bounce.
Since Mantra Pro can be found so cheap I might buy a sheet when I replace my rubbers.
First is Butterfly Zyre and Dignics on the plan.

I tried Nexy Etika 47 and 51. They are very similar with Mantra Pro, but basically cost double
Nexy Etika also has this topsheet that is not very grippy / almost feels slippery, good when activating the sponge but weak on thinner angles

If you want to keep using Daiki rubbers, for sure go for Mantra Pro

 

[piligrim]

Sound like it similar to Rozena

 

[tzifos]

Rozena is a bit more "bouncy" and speed comes "earlier". I cannot do a FH chop with Rozena.

 

[Arkady]

Yes, they are more than fine. It is not the quality of the shot that is being criticized. Its the lack of bite from the topsheet. If you use an ESN/BTY rubber and go for a fine but heavy push, you will get a feeling of 'ball holding'. It is just a form of feedback from your rubber+blade.

You dont really get this from mantra pro, and I think it is because of the topsheet that is not very grippy

I second that.
I also used Mantra Pro M this summer and while it's very nice for blocking and short game, when it comes to lifting underspin balls or deep heavy pushes, it underperforms because the topsheet lacks gripping. It's a quite "honest" rubber for it's price, but with drawbacks.

 

[tzifos]

It has a low trajectory and that is why it seems difficult to lift chopped or heavy down spin balls. It requires "legs" that is motion from the legs and up, but then it is "deadly", opponents struggle to block or return this ball!

 

[S2000]

I tried Nexy Etika 47 and 51. They are very similar with Mantra Pro, but basically cost double
Nexy Etika also has this topsheet that is not very grippy / almost feels slippery, good when activating the sponge but weak on thinner angles

If you want to keep using Daiki rubbers, for sure go for Mantra Pro

Hello I find that one need to clean the Mantra Oro regularily in order to keep the grip. Doing so I do not find Mantra Pro lacking grip in short play. The ball dig in for me. Maybe need good techinque involving short loops in order to lift backspin.

 

[S2000]

For me the throw is lower then Rakza 7 but higher than Stiga DNA hybrid comparing the M versions of Stiga.

 

[yamagata]

All the Pro H I have used are colored, I've tried Pro M in red and Pro XH in black, but I didn't feel any differences in topsheet feeling between the different colors. Pro H remains my favorite though

Does anyone else have the same experience, that blue/violet/pink and red are basically the same?

 

[doppelmoral]

This is just the review I've been waiting for, thanks! Can you compare the Mantra Pro M and H vs Omega 7 Pro and Omega 8 Pro?

As previously mentioned, Daiki rubbers such as Mantra Pro or Etika are not very grippy. If you clean them or slide over them with your palm, you can really feel how slippery these topsheets are. Instead, these rubbers rely on a topsheet that is under alot of tension. After you glued the rubber on, the topsheet is actually very stretched and you can see every single pimple shining through, just like with a well boosted h3. That is why these Daiki rubbers are very spin insensitive but very catapulty, the sponge is very reactive and shoots the ball out fast. Since the topsheet doesnt grip well on thin contact, players must activate the sponge to get a fast, low, deep loop that as solid spin. Mantra is praised because the price is low and its reliable, its really easy to play with this rubber and its intuitive, but the spin is mediocre if you go for lazy shots and solid / good if you go for bigger shots

ESN / BTY rubbers have a very different feel to them. In comparison to them, Daiki rubbers feel dull. BTY for example, if you play with d05 its really amazing, u can just full brush with the topsheet and because of the spring sponge the ball shoots out like a rocket, bouncy with a fast arc and high spin, its a great feeling but so hard to control. if you do the same shot with Mantra, the ball would be empty

ESN rubbers for me are in the middle between these two. Note that I am used to ESN rubbers and have played with omega 7 pro for a long time, so I am a bit biased towards them. But ESN rubbers are all more grippy than mantra pro. And omega 7 pro especially is a very balanced rubber, its performs well in every shot, not the highest spin but the spin is always good. You can engage the sponge, brush with topsheet, go for light push, heavy push, chop; and there will always be a nice feeling of dwell and bite. The topsheet is grippy which is why its easier to lift backspin or add spin to any shot. And of course, the maximum spin of xiom omega series is quite alot higher than mantra pro. Omega7 and Omega 8, if you go for power shots, the power and spin are amazing, good enough that many members of Korea National Team used them for years. Mantra Pro rubbers are more build for speed, they lack spin at the highest end

As usual though, for most players including myself (hobby players), it does not matter if I use bty, esn or daiki rubbers in terms of match performance. Overall, my results will be the same, technique matters. But what also matters in my opinion, is to have a comfortable shot feeling and good feedback from your setup. And I basically prefer the omega 7 pro in that regard

At the end of the day, Mantra Pro is king because you can get that rubber for 23€, which is half the price of any omega rubber, glayzer series etc etc. Mantra Pro wins because price performance is unbeatable, and as @Zwill said before, Mantra is very fun to play with. I basically keep mantra Pro on my backup and play with it in the offseason, because its springy and bouncy but lets you do all the shots easily. Recommend you to try it out if you can get a good deal, but dont expect it to be better than high end XIOM rubbers

 

[euphrate]

Backhand
I accidentally hit the table lightly when I did a BH loop, but the rubber thorned so badly.

View attachment 25983

Forehand
The worst part was that I didn't hit anything other than the ball. I think it's because of my FH loop, where I always hit the ball on the left side of the rubber.

View attachment 25984

This has never happened with my previous rubbers.

Because of this, I won't buy Stiga Mantra any more, but I liked it, so I might buy a rubber that ‘behaves’ the same. I was thinking of BTY Rozena.

What do you think?

Is it mantra or mantra pro? How long after use does this happen?

 

[TackyForehand]

Is it mantra or mantra pro? How long after use does this happen

That's for normal mantra. Mantra pro has a strong top sheet and almost never chips off. Excellent durability and maintains performance for at least 9 months of daily play

 

[euphrate]

That's for normal mantra. Mantra pro has a strong top sheet and almost never chips off. Excellent durability and maintains performance for at least 9 months of daily play

Nice, I'll buy mantra pro for my next rubbers

 

[d3nium]

I've started using Mantra Pro M on both sides and i absolutely love it, especially on BH.

@Zwill is right, it plays like a boosted G1.

 

[Zentriks]

Just ordered Mantra Pro XH and H. Around 26€ for one

 

[Draf]

I bought Mantra Pro M because it was on sale and seemed like it would suit my playing style. However, after reading this thread, I'm starting to think I may be out of my depth.

I'm still fairly new to the sport and currently use Xiom Vega Europe on my backhand.

My main concern is that I might struggle with backhand openings against backspin if I switch.

Is it significantly more difficult to perform backhand open-ups with Mantra Pro M compared to Xiom Vega Europe?

 

[Ultravisitor]

If you are a beginner, stick with Vega Europe. Mantra pro is a great rubber, but not for beginners. Maybe it suits you, you only know if you try. But it has a harder sponge, more spin speed and catapult and lower throw.

 

[Sriver1]

Mantra pro M is suitable for beginners. It also depends on the blade, of course.

 

[doppelmoral]

Mantra pro M is suitable for beginners. It also depends on the blade, of course.

I would agree that mantra pro m is suitable for beginners on a slower blade

also it teaches how to engage the sponge, mantra pro seriously doesnt grip the ball if you only use the topsheet

 

[Zentriks]

I would like to give my impression on these rubbers, especially Pro XH & H, even though there are already lots of them. But I don't think there are many people that played the Butterfly Sardius over a long time. So before I give you my impression, some background infos might be useful. The impression might not come over as thoughtful or detailed since I've never done it before writing it but hoping it turns out good so everyone understands what I mean😅

Background
I started table tennis as a young kid just playing as a hobby & at some time I joined a club since a school mate said I was playing pretty good even though I never trained like you do normally in a club. So I did that & joined as a preteen & played up till Covid in the u19 team. In 2021 I would have moved up to the adults for league games but we didn't have enough players, so I took a break for 5 years. So the last season, since we had enough players and some friends I made when I first started came back too, I needed new rubbers & played with Bluefire M1 FH & M3 BH on my Sardius. My coach swears on them being better than Tenergy, I never played Tenergy so I can't really compare.

FH: Yasaka Mark V, Donic Coppa X3, Andro Hexer, Andro Hexer Duro, Donic Bluestorm Z1, Donic Bluefire M1
BH: Yasaka Mark V, Donic Acuda S3, Donic Bluefire M3
Blade: Butterfly Sardius

These are the rubbers I have played with over the years till last season. And in my opinion I've never liked these rubbers, only Mark V & Acuda S3. Most of them were too unpredictable for me when I went for powershots. Shortplay wasn't really a problem for me with them. Sometimes the bounce was too much but you get used to it. I even used the Bluefires on my FZD ALC before going Dignics & I don't really like the Bluefires imo.

My play style is very attack oriented. If I have the chance to flick the ball I go there with my BH & might end the point with a BH/FH topspin. My BH is better than my FH. Or both as good.

My Impression
So I had my first session today with the Mantra Pros on my Sardius & I have to say they are really great for the price I got them. I mean even if it would cost 35-45€ I still think they are great. They do feel slightly tacky but not topsheet grippy & feel softer due to the soft topsheet, which lets the ball sink in easier.

With the rubbers I used till now is that the shots with the same power I used weren't consistent enough for me. Yes you could say maybe I didn't close my racket enough or it's just the wrong angle or too much power. I like the linear feel of the Mantra Pros, you can't make the first shot be the killshot as a other rubbers but you have to prepare for it. Still it's relatively easy to play since I know what I get out of it. Even more so when you play such a fast blade.

Regarding flicks & open ups I didn't have a problem with it. The way it grips the ball is different than ESN/Bty as already mentioned in the thread. Spin doesn't matter if I'm in position & contact the ball right. I impart my own spin & make it harder for my opponent. What I found hard at the beginning is playing powerflicks. They were faster once I got it right but the slower ones are already deadly imo. But having fast spinny flicks & slow spinny flicks which I could change at any time with a lot of safety is really nice.
When it comes to FH open ups, topspins on backspin balls, I felt really good & it was pretty easy. I thought it would be harder.

Counterlooping & topspins in general are relatively easy, you can really go through the ball. I could use 100% of my power to end the power & still feel safe knowing it's gonna land on the table. There's really no need to hold back much from what I gathered.

I even did some matches with my training partner today who has around 1350 TTR & it's always 50/50 between us. Most of the times we get into the 5th set & not much of a lead distance, it's always like 2 points. The first match today went into the 4th set & the Second into the 3rd. It wasn't really close this time. I had a very big lead in both matches. Like at least 4-7 points difference between us at the end of each set.
Normally the rallies end very fast but today the rallies went on & on. He is more of a rallye player than me, he doesn't like to end it after the 3rd/5th ball. I do like both. What made it really hard for him is that I changed the pace of the game very easily & flicked his serves directly not fearing what spin was coming to me, making it harder for him to attack directly.
It's the same playing style as always but I don't have to mind what spin he puts into the ball if I have to describe it. This was his impression as well.

Verdict
Tbh this rubber is crazy. The price/performance ratio is so good I wished I would've found this series of rubbers way earlier. It's a lot of fun to play with them, I let others play with it & they think it's really good as well. I've tried the old Mantra M on a FZD ALC from another club mate before & imo it wasn't good.
The thing with this rubber is, is that if you are out of position or don't have good contact it punishes you. It's a very honest rubber that helps showing the player what he has to do better.
XH FH & H BH are really nice for me, I could probably play both XH on both sides so that will be maybe for next time. Since I didn't buy the Pro M I can't make judgement on that. But it should be safer for most of the players on FH & BH.

Sry for the wall of text guys