DHS FH / BH Help

Calling all DHS experts!

I'm an improving player, about 1400-1500 rating, who plays a two wing attacking game. I currently use a pre-made Palio bat, but the rubbers are getting rather shiny, and I think it's time to upgrade. I've had a hit with a few club members setups and I generally prefer the feel of Chinese rubbers with hard sponge over the European ones with softer sponge and in-built tension.

I have been looking at the DHS website, and have some questions for the collective mind:

1. As a general rule, what is the difference between neo and non-neo versions of the hurricane and skyline rubbers? I understand that the neo is 'factory-tuned' and thus might be a bit faster and also softer. I'm a learning player, so don't want something too fast. Would

neo or non-neo suit me best, as a general rule?

From the numbers on the website, it seems all the Neo versions are faster and spinnier, but have lower control. This makes me think the non-neo ones might suit me better.

2. What's the difference, in general, between the skyline range of rubbers and the hurricane range of rubbers?

From analysing the numbers on the website it seems they are described as 'grippy' rather than 'sticky' - what does this mean? Which would be better for spinny serves?

3. What would be to choose between the H3 and H2? From the website it seems that H2 is harder, spinnier and faster (and slightly less controlled). This would suggest that H2 would be better for FH than BH.

4. What is to choose between TG2 and TG3? From the website it seems that TG3 is a bit harder and faster, but slightly less controlled. Again, his would suggest that TG3 would be better than TG2 for FH.

5. G888, looks like the spinniest rubber DHS make, whilst being the slowest of the hard sponges. I don't know anything about this rubber - can you give some more ideas on this?

6. G777 also looks to be a nice rubber, being good control with plenty of spin and not too much speed. Can you tell me some more about this?

I will get an allround 5 play wooden blade (perhaps the DHS Wang Li Qin Magic) for these rubbers.

I think my requirements are:

- I would want something slightly softer on the BH

- I want maximum spin with maximum control, and am less concerned about speed

From my analysis of the data on the website, I think either G888 or H2 on the FH and either G777 or TG2 on the BH would be best. What do you think?

There weren't any ratings for h3-50 on the DHS website, so I couldn't add it to my spreadsheet.  I was given a sheet of H3 with #19 sponge (the pale orange one) - I wonder if it's similar.  Maybe that would be a good BH to a H3 / TG3?  Only problem is that it's black, and I've heard that the black rubbers are a bit tackier and better for serving, and I tend to mostly serve FH.  I guess I could serve and twiddle, but it seems most folk put H3/TG3 on the FH with black rather than red.

I have a friend who knows a person who went out to China for a training camp this summer and played with the new balls.  She said that most everyone is going for harder sponge as a consequence... data point.

Interesting.  I know we have to take manufacturer's ratings with a pinch of salt, but within a manufacturer's range you'd have thought the numbers would be indicative?

I have:

- 95/89/56 spin/speed/control for H2

- 95/88/57 spin/speed/control for H3

So that would agree with you - not spinnier, a but quicker, not so easy to control, and on a harder sponge.  So probably vanilla H3 would be better.