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Review - 4 Yinhe Rubbers (Apollo 5 and more)

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AndySmith View Drop Down
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    Posted: 04/19/2018 at 10:07am

We have a new Yinhe supplier in the UK (http://www.ttequipment.co.uk/) and they had a few bits and pieces in stock that I'd been wanting to try for a while now.  With the gradually increasing price of equipment across the board for eurojap rubbers (and with my EJing getting curtailed after a recent house move), I thought this would be a good opportunity to try a few bits out, so I've been using these for the past month or so.

Apollo 5 (Red, 38 degrees)





I tried the original Apollo many moons ago, and it was notable for its enormous level of tackiness.  It was tackiness from a bygone era really - flypaper tacky like older DHS and 729 rubbers used to be.  You don't see so much of that these days.  I skipped a few generations but wanted to give this new one a run out.

Visually, it looks like the same kind of topsheet as the original - very short pips being the stand out.  It's tacky, but not as tacky as the original Apollo I had and can lift a ball for about 1-2 seconds.  The sponge has very small pores.  It feels quite hard and looks totally different to the original sponge (from memory).

In play, it's really quite insane and hard to describe!

Basic drives, it feels a little slow.  The arc comes out very low and I needed to make some adjustments.  The feel is quite hard and there's some lack of feel in comparison with softer eurojap rubbers.  Apart from the lack of catapult and low arc, it's very easy to keep the ball on the table but it needs more effort (forward motion) when you try to increase the pace yourself.

Short game is incredible.  The low arc, low catapult, but massive grip/tack gives huge scope for variation in returns and spin.  It's spin sensitive in passive situations, but you have to play more actively because the low-gear speed is very sedate so it doesn't become an issue very often.  The spin on serves and sharp pushes is the highest I've seen for as long as I can remember (certainly the highest with the 40+ ball).

Looping is a challenge for me with this one.  Basic topspin shots come out slow and low, adding brush action increases the speed and spin but the throw never really gets very high.  So from distance, this rubber asks a lot from you (and would need a very fast blade).  Where this rubber shines is attacking from close-in, right over the table.  Brush looping with a fast action against short balls (or taking longer balls early) results in a really nasty ball - low with very high spin.  It's very hard for the opponent to read the spin levels because the arc stays very similar throughout a range of loops, and the short and low nature of the shot gives access to unusually acute angles.  In this respect, it reminds me a lot of DHS H2.  It rewards early, heavy spin attacks from close-in.  In the celluloid days it would be a great 3rd ball attack rubber, but with the bigger ball and reduced spin it might even become a 2nd ball attack rubber - attacking service receives with odd angles and extreme spin variation is an interesting option these days perhaps.

It has a very narrow focus on what it does well, so it's a rubber that won't suit everyone.  It has extreme properties and some of the shots I pulled off with it brought a lot of laughs out at the table.  And some very surprised reactions!  I suppose it's aimed at people who want that H2-type experience, which may be a very small target market.


Jupiter 2 (Black, Medium)

If Apollo 5 is Yinhe's extreme tacky rubber, Jupiter 2 is more of a prototypical modern Chinese tacky rubber and is easier to pigeonhole.   The tack level is about the same (can pick a ball up for 1-2 seconds), the pips are still pretty short, but the topsheet is a lot softer and the sponge pores are slightly bigger.

 

Basic drives the speed is good - a little slower/softer than H3N, but faster than the majority of cheaper Chinese rubbers (thinking KTL, 729 here), faster than H3-50.  The arc is much more natural and familiar than the extreme nastiness of Apollo 5.  Not as fast as common eurojap rubbers, or other hybrids like Big Dipper or Tibhar K1.

Short game is good - solid, predictable.  Tacky rubbers can bring advantages to this aspect of play, and you are either looking for this or you aren't.  There's reasonable catapult and it isn't quite as linear as H3N but handling is still very steady.

Looping is very good for a rubber of this type.  There is just enough catapult available to make it less focussed than something like H3N, which makes it easier to use in a wide range of situations.  Maybe DHS Skyline is the better comparison in fact.  Or perhaps the better analogy would be - the sponge hardness and topsheet softness puts it squarely in the middle of H3N and H3-50 for looping.  More catapult and slower than H3N, faster and lower catapult than H3-50, with the same kind of tackiness.  Less traditional than a "classic" Chinese tacky rubber, but more than a modern hybrid.  A half-hybrid.

 I think this would be a nice option for tacky rubber users who want the feel/catapult of a slightly boosted sponge but don't want to downgrade the sponge power, overall hardness or tackiness too much by moving to a hybrid like H3-50 or Big Dipper.

 

Venus 3 (Black, Medium)




This one seems to be more of an allround eurojap type.  The topsheet is soft, very grippy, and only just barely tacky (if at all) with taller pips.  The sponge is larger-pored than the other rubbers as well, but less porous than most modern ESN sponges.

Basic drives - what stood out here was the steady catapult that builds up.  The overall speed was a little too low on my main blade but moving to a harder/faster blade (Viscaria) for my second session was a much better combination (I'm used to a higher speed overall).  Although the speed isn't incredible, what stands out is how easy it is to get topspin on the ball from a variety of situations.

Short game is OK.  The lower-than-average overall speed helps and the topsheet isn't as sensitive to spin as the others.  Correspondingly, it's harder to add spin during heavy pushes.  The moderate catapult and useful grip does make it a good rubber to flip and flick short balls.

Looping is steady and reliable.  There isn't the need to worry about brush contact that you have with properly tacky rubbers, and it's very forgiving when lifting backspin or when playing loop-loop. The spin and penetration aren’t incredible but it's still pretty good, and I was impressed by how often I was landing technically demanding shots.  The lack of high-gear speed means you can counterloop with a good percentage, even if the result is safe rather than dangerous.

This one reminds me a lot of DHS Tinarc, although perhaps a bit slower.  For a eurojap comparison I'd compare it to Xiom Musa.  I'd certainly consider it if I was using a fast enough blade, or for a pure allround player with a slower blade.


Saturn Pro (Red, 38 degrees)

 I've used this one before a few years ago and really liked it back then in a combo with Big Dipper.  The topsheet is quite thin, reasonably hard and semi-tacky, similar to Big Dipper.  Tackier than Venus, less than Jupiter and Apollo.  It also feels pretty hard.  The sponge has a similar pore size to Big Dipper as well, although it looks thicker than any of the others.

Basic drives - topspin strokes are faster and more direct than the others, including Big Dipper, even with the slight tack.  It's a very precise rubber with a sharp feel on straight shots.  The arc is fairly low but by no means difficult to manage.  The solid and stable behaviour give it an edge when playing hard and flat shots - hitting through spin, active blocks and punches.  And it makes a crazy loud metallic crrrrrrrack sound on really heavy hits.

Short game -  The higher basic speed means the short game isn't quite as easy-going as the others on this list, but there is still a slight tack so I found it easier than most eurojaps.  Easier to deal with incoming balls at least, but it doesn't perform as well when adding spin in comparison with some.  Spin from serves or aggressive pushes isn't the best.

Looping isn't a strength of this rubber.  It does fare quite well on brush contacts and lifting backspin is pretty good, but the stiff, hard topsheet doesn't give enough assistance and it's hard to generate big arc without sacrificing speed.  It suits driving with power far more and so probably leans more towards players who don't drift too far away from the table.

 I do struggle to come up with a sensible comparison to make with Saturn Pro because I'm not sure there's anything else quite like it out there.  With the direct feel, medium sponge, predictable linearity and excellent drive performance then maybe it's like a slightly tacky, slower, medium-sponged Joola Rhyzm?  But that's too many modifiers to the description.

 

Wrap-Up

All four rubbers were of excellent quality and seemed very well made.  I have to admit, trying Saturn Pro again was a particular highlight and I'm going to give it a few more weeks to see if I want to make the switch on my BH side.  I also remember it lasting for aaaaaages last time - it just kept going and seemed indestructible.  Apollo 5 was just nuts - I'm sure it will be a total weapon for the right player, but it's focussed like a laser on what it does best.  Quality control is always a worry with Chinese brands (sponge hardness or topsheet tackiness variations etc) and I only got one of each rubber so it's hard to comment really, but it's something to bear in mind.

Dean over at http://www.ttequipment.co.uk/ was kind enough to include a few Yinhe S40+ seamless balls in my order as well, and they're almost indistinguishable to our usual Joola Flash balls if anyone is looking for an alternative (Flash, S40+, etc are a bit harder and less prone to breaking than the first batch of XSF seamless we used to use IMO) 



Edited by AndySmith - 04/19/2018 at 10:11am
This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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tom View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/19/2018 at 10:59am
how much did you pay for the Saturn Pro?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Egghead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/19/2018 at 11:06am
Originally posted by tom tom wrote:

how much did you pay for the Saturn Pro?
It says £19.00 at the website, but the package is not moon pro and Sun pro like.


Edited by Egghead - 04/19/2018 at 11:07am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dual700 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/19/2018 at 11:16am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AndySmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/19/2018 at 11:21am
Originally posted by Egghead Egghead wrote:

Originally posted by tom tom wrote:

how much did you pay for the Saturn Pro?
It says £19.00 at the website, but the package is not moon pro and Sun pro like.

Yeah, £19.

The packaging on Saturn Pro is a folding cardboard sleeve thing, similar to Big Dipper.

I should have taken more pictures!
This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/19/2018 at 1:58pm
price not too bad
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rocketman222 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/20/2018 at 2:23am
Had a brief hit with Gambler Mech Tek Predator.....its a really good rubber, plays like a hybrid and has decent amount of spin.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AndySmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/20/2018 at 4:37am
Originally posted by rocketman222 rocketman222 wrote:

Had a brief hit with Gambler Mech Tek Predator.....its a really good rubber, plays like a hybrid and has decent amount of spin.

I'd try more Gambler stuff if they had a reseller in Europe.  ZP's international shipping makes it hard to justify experimenting unfortunately.
This was a great signature until I realised it was overrated.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tinykin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/20/2018 at 10:03am
Originally posted by AndySmith AndySmith wrote:

".....I tried the original Apollo many moons ago,........"



I see what you did thereWink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kolev Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/20/2018 at 11:21am
Originally posted by rocketman222 rocketman222 wrote:

Had a brief hit with Gambler Mech Tek Predator.....its a really good rubber, plays like a hybrid and has decent amount of spin.


....and how is it? Share some more thoughts

Edited by Kolev - 04/20/2018 at 11:21am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cole_ely Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/20/2018 at 12:45pm
Originally posted by tom tom wrote:

how much did you pay for the Saturn Pro?

It's freakin expensive now...like $16 wholesale or something crazy like that.
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Please let me know if I can be of assistance.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sedis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/20/2018 at 1:18pm
Did you weigh the Saturn? Thanks.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote al_111 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/20/2018 at 3:50pm
Would you please put all these rubbers + BD and Battle 2 in order of lowest to highest throw angle?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rocketman222 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/20/2018 at 3:52pm
Originally posted by Kolev Kolev wrote:

Originally posted by rocketman222 rocketman222 wrote:

Had a brief hit with Gambler Mech Tek Predator.....its a really good rubber, plays like a hybrid and has decent amount of spin.


....and how is it? Share some more thoughts

I hit with it for less than five minutes, but here's what i can tell you

  1. The sponge is good, it works well with the topsheet and is grippy enough, easily more grip than Mark V/sriver, the grip can be comparable to some of the recent stiga rubbers like Stiga mantra S, Stiga Mantra M etc.
  2. The black rubber came with a blue sponge and the red came with a yellow sponge, and the yellow sponge is harder, i liked the blue sponge more.
  3. At 14$ a rubber, its a very good deal.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TTEquipment.co.uk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/21/2018 at 7:23pm
Originally posted by Sedis Sedis wrote:

Did you weigh the Saturn? Thanks.

Hi Sedis,

our recent batch all weighed 60g uncut.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sedis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/22/2018 at 3:17am
Thanks TTEquipment.co.uk, will you be getting Yinhe rubbers in different hardnesses?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TTEquipment.co.uk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04/22/2018 at 7:22am
Originally posted by Sedis Sedis wrote:

Thanks TTEquipment.co.uk, will you be getting Yinhe rubbers in different hardnesses?

Hi Sedis,

as we believe that most of our customers are likely to be local league/recreational players that are going have enough to think about with the type of rubber without the complexity of the sponge hardness, we have decided at this time to go middle of the road and stock medium hardness in all of our rubbers.

However, we are more than happy to try to help if someone required a specific rubber/sponge combination or non-stocked blade to do a special order with our suppliers.  Just pop over to the site and send us a message with your requirements.

Also, if we get enough "special orders" for a particular product, we may also consider stocking this on an on-going basis :)

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