Tenergy Hard Sponge

I'm not sure, I am having a hard time imagining how they would play.  I suspect the market for the FX versions is not really that large, so the  harder version could capture as much. 

Do you find that much difference from sheet to sheet?  I don't weigh my sheets but they seem fairly consistent to me.  It could just be, though, that I get used to whatever differences there are very quickly and also just figure the differences are due to new vs. old?  How often do you change sheets?

I guess what I meant to say was I can't quite feel that harder would be better, but I would try it to see, for sure.  Most of the time that's what you have to do.  (It's why threads where people ask how rubber x would pair up with rubber y strike me as strange, as there is only one way to really know for sure).

One reason I switched back from MX-P to T05 was because I preferred rubber just a touch softer.  But the topsheets of those two are not identical either, so like I said, I would certainly try it.

It does occur to me that Tenergy is not quite the same as it was four years ago.

also the way butterfly brought to market the bryce speed is revealing their timing; Tenergy 05 Speed is -I believe- right around the corner.

Baal wrote: Do you find that much difference from sheet to sheet?  I don't weigh my sheets but they seem fairly consistent to me.  It could just be, though, that I get used to whatever differences there are very quickly and also just figure the differences are due to new vs. old?  How often do you change sheets? I guess what I meant to say was I can't quite feel that harder would be better, but I would try it to see, for sure.  Most of the time that's what you have to do.  (It's why threads where people ask how rubber x would pair up with rubber y strike me as strange, as there is only one way to really know for sure). One reason I switched back from MX-P to T05 was because I preferred rubber just a touch softer.  But the topsheets of those two are not identical either, so like I said, I would certainly try it.

I think that if you exchange one Tenergy with another one, the difference is in average smaller than when you exchange e.g. one Viscaria with another one. And Viscarias (or Butterfly ALC blades in general) are fairly consistent in my opinion.

Anyways, I think that there can be large differences in terms of throw/ gripping characteristics in the open game, or whenever one swings really hard.
Softer versions just tend to have a lower throw in these cases, and I personally put many balls net-out or net only with softer versions (this is why I could never imagine having T05 FX on the FH).
This is also why in general I prefer Tenergys after about 2 weeks or so. The sponge (or overall rubber) seems to be a bit harder/denser.

But as usual, my words should be taken with a grain of salt, because I always tend to blame mistakes on the equipment when I change rubbers/blades...

probably it would suck because tenergy has very little topsheet grip.
so always, including for opening loops and any kind of loop you end up using the sponge.
if the sponge was harder the ball would not sink enough and the resulting shot would not be good.

if you want something that feels harder you could switch to a harder blade.
that's why alc blades are such a great combination with tenergy.

they had bryce hard in the past but bryce was made to be used with speed glue which softens it.


Edited by puppy412 - 11/24/2013 at 12:09pm

tt4me wrote: A harder sponge would probably result in more speed but less spin like T25.  Do you really want that?  I am sure there are many rubbers that are faster and less spinny but cost much less.  i know that T25 has the same sponge as T05 and the difference is the top sheet but I bet harder sponges have been considered or even tried.

I'm not talking about spin or speed, but consistent (linear) characteristics.

However, I can generate more spin with a harder T05 as compared to a softer one. Perhaps not in average, and certainly not more "easy spin", but if I want spin, a harder Tenergy can deliver more.

Here I also disagree with puppy412. I personally think that the topsheet of T05 is about the best ever.

jt99sf wrote: For the linear aspect, wouldn't a hard blade work just as well ?

Not really in my opinion. For sure I don't want anything harder than ALC or ZLC (I use the Rosskopf Emotion as of now).

I have to admit that I didn't have the inconsistency problems with Tenergy 3-4 years ago, so maybe there was a change in the Tenergy production similarly to the changes that they made to their ALC blades (which are all about 5 gr lighter in average these days).

Anyways, when I asked some "high" rated players at today's tournament, all of them seemed to be very familiar with the issue. Many of them are using Evolution MX-P on their FH by the way, mainly because it is easier to get it a bit harder, with similar overall characteristics.

Tenergy hard would only fill a need for a small percentage of players world wide. It would add weight and there would probably be a change needed in the Spring Sponge technology. I say those players seeking a harder sponge should look at Thors or Rasant or even Bryce Hard. Just my 2 cents.

Even without glue, hard sponge rubbers were popular with people who hit the ball hard enough to destroy softer sponge stuff.  For example, Sean O'Neil used to play with Sriver Kawatsuki partly because regular Sriver would bubble on him sometimes in a manner of minutes.

koshkin wrote: Even without glue, hard sponge rubbers were popular with people who hit the ball hard enough to destroy softer sponge stuff.  For example, Sean O'Neil used to play with Sriver Kawatsuki partly because regular Sriver would bubble on him sometimes in a manner of minutes. I recall when glue was legals I used to be able to bubble a Sriver FX after an horu of looping practice and Sean hits the ball quite a bit harder than I do. ILya

I've thought about this same thing before. I like T05 because it has the hardest feeling of the Tenergy line. And sometimes I think it might be even better if it was a few notches harder. (Except in cold weather any Tenergy sometimes becomes unplayable.)

where's nextlevel to say "this is a technique issue" ?

Edited by kurokami - 11/24/2013 at 9:14pm

LOOPMEISTER wrote: I've thought about this same thing before. I like T05 because it has the hardest feeling of the Tenergy line.

T25 feels considerably harder because of huge pips on topsheet.  I think a lot of people who find T05 to be a bit out of control would like it.  If somebody took away my T05, I would switch to T25, not T64.

It would play exactly like spin art, if you don't like spinart well then your imagination of what T05 in a hard version would be like is wrong :). Enjoy the spin art, its a good rubber for the few that hit hard enough