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Review: Galaxy Mars Refresh |
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JasonRShaver
Beginner Joined: 02/19/2010 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 55 |
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Posted: 10/11/2010 at 12:15pm |
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Disclaimer: I am one of the owners of www.TTXOnline.com who sells the product reviewed. All people mentioned in the review received the product for free, but are not otherwise compensated.IntroIn late 2009, Galaxy introduced its new Max Tense sponge with the announcement of the Galaxy Venus II, a refresh of the previous Galaxy Venus. Then at the start of 2010, Galaxy announced that it was following up on its new Apollo refresh with a set of three rubbers aimed at the super-popular Butterfly Tenergy line. The first two rubbers quickly got named, Galaxy Moon would replace Tenergy 05 and Galaxy Sun would replace Tenergy 25. I was told to expect these new rubbers in May or June of 2010, but August rolls around with no update. Then, like Christmas in September comes the announcement that there were mold issues with Moon and Sun, but we would have our Tenergy 64 response in the form of a new Galaxy Mars refresh. PackagingGalaxy has been experimenting with new packaging recently, with the Apollo style vacuum sealing (used in the new MOXA sponge Galaxy Mercury II), and some improvements with their previous style like the new Galaxy Venus II. The Galaxy Mars refresh seems to 'kick it old school' by not changing anything on the outside. Nothing. Well, that is not true, they did put their new Shore-A hardness stickers on it. On the inside are two changes. The topsheet is no longer covered by a protective film, but instead has a blue paper liner with notes that almost seems like a xerox copy of what comes with all of the higher end Butterfly rubbers and the newer 729 products.
TopsheetHolding a new sheet of the old Mars and the new Mars next to each other, the topsheets obviously come from the same mold and does not include the new ITTF rectangle. While playing with a new sheet, I did manage to clip the edge of the table with the rubber and tore a largish gash in the rubber. It seems that Galaxy change the rubber formula for the refresh and the result is something more brittle. Playing around with a scrap cutting, I find that I can crack the topsheet without much effort. I will be sending a note to Galaxy about it after their holiday (National Day) and will update this review with any responses. As for the surface friction, the Mars rubber feels exactly like the sheet of Tenergy 05. No tackiness, just pure mechanical grip. All three TTX players near by noted how close the topsheets are in friction. Galaxy notes that this is there answer to Butterfly's Tenergy 64, but we did not take the time to break out a new sheet of Tenergy 64 to compare the pips size/count or friction directly. SpongeThe new Max Tense sponge is the real treat. This sponge should be the same as what we can expect from the new Galaxy Moon and Sun rubbers. Sitting down with a Butterfly Tenergy 05 2.1mm, Old Mars 2.3mm 34 degree, and New Mars 2.3mm 33 degree rubber, the change is obvious: The Tenergy sponge is famous for its "spring sponge" bubbles, while most Chinese rubbers are famous for sponges that can be used to squeegee a car window. Breaking out my Shore-A durometer, I tested the Tenergy at 34 degrees, the new Mars at its labeled 33 degrees, and the old mars at 39 degrees (5 points higher than its rating). When flopping the rubbers around in the air, the Tenergy is closer to feeling like a wet washcloth and the old Mars is like moistened cardboard. The new Mars feels MUCH closer to the Tenergy 05, but still a little stiffer. As for the bubbles, take a look at this awesome detail shot (click HERE for a super high-res version):
You can see that they did not quite get there, but the 'feel' of the sponge is the same. Looking at a Galaxy Venus II clipping, the sponge seems different, despite both being "Max Tense" sponges. I did want to make clear, this sponge is nothing like any of the countless Chinese sponges I have seen, but seemed like something out of Yasaka, Donic, or Butterfly. WeightHere is a quick visual breakdown. Note that the Tenergy sheet is about 5mm larger in width and height. I was surprised that the old Mars came out 8g lower than the new Mars. It is also interesting to note that the Tenergy is 0.2mm thinner, but still heavier than the 2.3mm Mars.
PerformanceFrom Jason (< 800 USATT): I put the sheet described above on my OFF rated, Galaxy V-1 Hinoki 3+2 CarboKev blade using Butterfly Free Chauk glue. I also tried a 2.3mm 37 degree on an OFF- Galaxy 5 ply Hinoki blade. I want to come out at the start and say that I am not a great (or even good) table tennis player. I have played with a large variety of gear out in the market now, including a large amount of the Butterfly, Donic, Yasaka, 729, and Gambler lines. Take my notes here as my impressions of what I got out of it, NOT what you, the reader, should expect. I am not good enough to get love from this rubber, the low throw forces me to brush my loops more than my skill allows, but when I am back from the table 5-8 feet, I find the product fast enough to cover the distance and enough spin to drop it down on the table. Blocking against my robot requires me to 'push down' on it more that I am used to. Chopping was took a bit to get used to, you have to put a bit more effort into keep the ball under control and I had issues chopping at the table. From a distance, things good much easier and I was able to place the ball with my normal amount of control while still keeping the speed up higher than my other favorite chopping rubbers (Galaxy 9000, Galaxy Apollo) If you take one thing away from this article, the Galaxy Mars refresh plays closer to Butterfly's Tenergy 64 rubber than anything else I have tried. If I did not see any branding, I would assume I was looking at something like the Yasaka Pryde, and not a < $20 Chinese rubber. All the above being said, this rubber was VERY different than other Galaxy products, and while people talk about Gambler Outlaw playing like Tenergy, it seems like I must be the only one who thinks Outlaw is like hitting with a rock. The Galaxy Mars refresh plays like a Japanese product and if it was branded as such, I think it would command a $49 price-tag. From Arcot (~1800 USATT): Physical Properties: The sponge looks
very similar to T05. also sponge feels close to T05 in softness. ConclusionAs a harbinger to the new Moon and Sun product, this makes me happy. The succeeded in breaking the Chinese mold and producing a product unlike any other product before. While my personal skill is unable to take advantage of this 'style' of rubber, I think that anyone looking for a mid-distance attacking rubber would find their $16.99 well spent. *** If you are a USATT 1800+ player who is willing to write a good (as in writing quality, not as in shill) review, please let us know! *** Edited by JasonRShaver - 10/11/2010 at 12:16pm |
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Phot0n
Super Member Joined: 09/17/2010 Location: Oregon Status: Offline Points: 149 |
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Awesome! Definitely my next rubber purchase (Mars V2). Thanks for the review and high quality pictures!
--Phot0n |
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Palio TC6 | Globe 999T FH & BH Palio TCT | Hadou FH, HK1997 BH Galaxy T-4 | 729 Focus-II FH & BH |
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Skyline
Premier Member Joined: 07/01/2007 Status: Offline Points: 3864 |
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looks abit like a red version of the black power golden cake sponge. as long as it doesnt look 99% the same as tenergy 05 sponge we can't not assume the rubbers play similar.
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haggisv
Forum Moderator Dark Knight Joined: 06/28/2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 5104 |
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Very nice detailed review indeed!
Did it feel like the new Mars was also tuned, like the Venus II and Apollo? |
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wyatt
Super Member Joined: 01/25/2009 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 403 |
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Can you compare the pip structure with T05? thanks
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Nexy Calix
Fh: T05 2.1 Bh: Pilot Advance 2.0 |
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JasonRShaver
Beginner Joined: 02/19/2010 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 55 |
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It has a tuned feel, but it is different than the Venus II. The Apollo has that whole soaked sponge thing going and the new Mars does not feel at all like it. (For better or worse). |
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JasonRShaver
Beginner Joined: 02/19/2010 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 55 |
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I don't have a good photo (I tried to take one but it did not come out well), but looking at them side by side, the Tenergy 05 pips are a bit taller and a hair wider, but the pips per inch seem the same. The new Mars vs. Tenergy 64, the pips per inch for Mars is more than T64 and a smaller.
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Skyline
Premier Member Joined: 07/01/2007 Status: Offline Points: 3864 |
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so is anyone going to try this rubber?
COME ON EJS.
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dalamchops
Platinum Member Joined: 11/30/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2272 |
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Edited by dalamchops - 10/23/2010 at 8:36am |
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Stiga Titanium 5.4 Cpen
Andro Hexer Pips 2.1 Donic Acuda S2 Max |
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Trottski
Beginner Joined: 10/08/2008 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 88 |
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Regards
Trottski
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Phot0n
Super Member Joined: 09/17/2010 Location: Oregon Status: Offline Points: 149 |
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"Homeless.. hungry... wife... kids... dog... spare change for new table tennis rubber?"
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Palio TC6 | Globe 999T FH & BH Palio TCT | Hadou FH, HK1997 BH Galaxy T-4 | 729 Focus-II FH & BH |
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rand111
Member Joined: 08/26/2010 Status: Offline Points: 38 |
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I'm willing to try the rubber.
My rating is about 1900 USATT. |
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valentinm
Member Joined: 11/29/2009 Location: Romania Status: Offline Points: 30 |
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Where can i buy this rubber in Europe?
ty |
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Skyline
Premier Member Joined: 07/01/2007 Status: Offline Points: 3864 |
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Has the original Galaxy/Yinhe T05/T25 clones available Galaxy Moon and Sun.
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JasonRShaver
Beginner Joined: 02/19/2010 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 55 |
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I just got this from a reviewer I gave a sheet of rubber to. He did not give me permission to use his name, but he is a ~2000 rated player in the Chicago, IL area. As always, please remember that I work for www.ttxonline.com and while we did not compensate this reviewer, he did get the product for free.
I also wanted to point out that as of this point, he is still using this rubber in his day-to-day setup.
Mars 2 Red 2.3 mm, 41 deg hardness review I obtained the above rubber for testing from TTXonline,
based in I initially tried the Mars 2 on the FH, but it seemed to lack the power, especially away from the table, in comparison to T64, so mainly used it as a BH rubber. First impression: The packaging is very nicely done (you can see the pic on ttxonline blog: http://www.ttxonline.com/Blog/post/2010/10/07/REVIEW-The-New-Galaxy-Mars-Rubber.aspx), comes vacuum sealed. Topsheet/Sponge: Topsheet has a nice shine to it, brighter red color compared to T64, and non-tacky. Comparing the topsheets, the pips on Mars 2 was shorter, and more densely placed (similar to T05 in this aspect) than the T64. The sponge on the Mars 2 I tested was thicker since it was 2.3 mm, but the color was very similar, and more dense than T64 (which seemed more porous in comparison). Speed: Definitely slower than T64, but at mid-distance, it was more than sufficient. Mars 2, however, was easier to control since less bouncy, and better for slower touch shots, like the flips. For speed, I would say, Mars 2 is about 80-85% of T64. T64>Mars 2 Spin/Serving: Compared to T64, Mars 2 was not as spinny, but when serving to my opponents, and based on my opponent’s comments, the serve using Mars 2 still has plenty of spin, although not as much as T64. Personally, I was able to control the serves better with Mars 2, and didn’t hit as many off the table, which was more frequent using the T64. Comparing spin, Mars 2 is about 85-90% of T64. Serving/control: Mars2 > T64 Looping : I still believe that there is no rubber out there that compares to Tenergy rubbers in power looping (especially from long distance), but I was quite pleased when looping with Mars 2. For such an inexpensive rubber, it has enough power from mid-distance. The throw arc is lower than T64, so from farther distance, one needs to really use more force, but in this aspect, played very similar to Xiom Vega Pro Max rubber (which is my current normal setup). For looping, I would have to say it will be a toss up between T64 and Mars 2, because it will depend on the style, and how far away from the table one plays. T64=Mars 2 Smash/Flat hitting: I thought this is where Mars 2 was excellent! When playing with T64, I often had my shots sail off the table, but when hitting flat shots with Mars 2, the ball seemed to dwell a little longer and I was able to hit more accurate flat smashes on a lot more consistent basis. I was surprised how close it played to Xiom Vega Pro Max in this respect. Mars 2> T64 Blocking: Eventhough the Mars 2 was 2.3 mm and 41 deg, the blocking was a lot easier, due to less bounciness of the rubber, in comparison to T64. Mars 2>T64 Pushing/Flips: As stated already, the touch shots were much easier with Mars 2 than with T64. Mars 2 > T64 Therefore, after playing couple of 2-3 hour sessions, I am very pleased, and optimistic about this rubber. For such an inexpensive rubber, Yinhe/Galaxy did a very good job in coming up with a SIMILAR rubber to Tenergy. As with some of the Chinese rubbers (Globe 999, Gambler Outlaw, Hurricane 3) that I have tried, however, I am a bit concerned about the durability. I will keep testing it, and will advise on the durability. However, as of now, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try this rubber as a replacement of T64 or even T05 or Xiom Vega Pro Max. I would recommend a slightly softer version of Mars2 if one is using it as a replacement of T64, and the harder version that I am testing as a replacement for T05, and for those who use Xiom Vega Pro Max, the Mars 2 (2.3 mm. 41 deg) plays almost 85-90% similar to it, although slightly less spinny. For such an inexpensive rubber, I am sure more people will experiment with it. |
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BeaverMD
Gold Member Joined: 11/09/2007 Location: Maryland, USA Status: Offline Points: 1897 |
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How different are these new Tenergy-series inspired Galaxy rubbers from the Venus II with "Max Tense" "Arbalest" sponge?
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JasonRShaver
Beginner Joined: 02/19/2010 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 55 |
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They are not tacky is the big difference. The sponge is pretty close the the same, but the top-sheets are very different, mostly they are softer rubber (it seems, I have not tested them).
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BeaverMD
Gold Member Joined: 11/09/2007 Location: Maryland, USA Status: Offline Points: 1897 |
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Thanks. I'm very excited about these new Tenergy-inspired rubbers. Even if they get close to 85% of the real Tenergies, I won't be disappointed.
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JasonRShaver
Beginner Joined: 02/19/2010 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 55 |
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I know the Mars V2 plays like a slightly more controlled T64 with a ~2000 rated player saying it was about 85-90% of the speed of T64. Moon was a more unique story, the 2.3 sponge is heavier than the 2.1 sponge by a noticeable amount, but we will have some 2.0 sponge being tested tomorrow. I will say that the speed and feel are amazing in their own right. I am almost afraid of people viewing it in comparison to other rubbers when it has its own awesome feel. I also am starting to fear that I did not import enough, and am try to get more right now, but it might take another month to get them. =(
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bozbrisvegas
Premier Member Joined: 09/27/2008 Location: Behind you Status: Offline Points: 3728 |
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would love to try these if anyone would like a tenergy lovers perspective :)
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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Did you?
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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Finally ordered a pair of Mars 2 from ttnpp. Initially, they have announced a harder sponge. The same day I got a mail from ttnpp asking me if I'd aggree on a softer sponge, as the harder is not available at the moment.
BTW, the sponge of Venus 2 is not the same as Moon and Sun (probably Mars 2 too), i.e. not MaxTense. It is less porous and much harder, in any case harder than Mercury 2 @ 40. Topsheet is also harder. BUT - what surprized me most in V2 was its enormous spin - even more than that of Mercury 2. This is a surprise, because I tried V2 on Clipper CR and discarded it at once. Now, 9 months later, I tried it again on T-11. It's quite different story. Edited by Imago - 06/05/2011 at 2:24am |
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dual700
Gold Member Joined: 08/11/2009 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1628 |
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+1. Get Venus 2 in black. Mine just won't die, still tacky even after 6-8 months. I wish it has thinner topsheet like Venus 1...
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BeaverMD
Gold Member Joined: 11/09/2007 Location: Maryland, USA Status: Offline Points: 1897 |
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Looking forward to your review. What hardness of Mars V2 will you be getting and what hardness of Venus 2 did you have?
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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Probably 34 and 35. The OP has 33 d as it seems from the cover. TTX is selling the rubber in 3 weight categories (1.7, 2.0, 2.3) and 3 hardness versions (33, 37, 41). Topsheet is 38-40 d, which is the same as Mercury 2. If it has the same physical props as Mercury 2, I will be much tempted to try a combination of Mercury 2 topsheet and Moon sponge 1.7 @ 41 d.
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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Yes, black Mars is 34, red Mars 35 d. Uncut red M is 60 gr, cut to 159x150 is 45 g. Just like Moon red. Black M is 67 uncut.
The structure of the pimples is the same as that of Moon. Thickness of the topsheet is also the same, color the same, and order the same. Unlike Mercury 2, which is horizontal, Mars 2 pimples are diagonal. It is very difficult indeed to find any difference between Moon and Mars 2 topsheet.
Sponge is also the same thickness and porosity as Moon.
After 20 minutes play, I could only say that Mars 2 is a sound version of Moon, has more top gears and higher throw on moderate and strong strokes. Spin is the same or less. A rubber for aggressive forehand.
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BeaverMD
Gold Member Joined: 11/09/2007 Location: Maryland, USA Status: Offline Points: 1897 |
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That's good news that Mars V2 is very similar to Moon because Mars V2 is cheaper Is it much different from other Chinese brands with Euro/Japan properties ex. LKT Rapid Speed, Red Diamond?
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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Moon, Sun, and Mars 2 are taxonomic kingdom in itself. As for the sound effect, Mars 2 is a simulacre of Nimbus Sound. And Mars 2 @ 35 feels harder than Moon @ 36. In short, excellent rubber for $ 9.
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dual700
Gold Member Joined: 08/11/2009 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1628 |
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I played 2 matches with Mars 2 33 degree, 2.0 mm.
I like it a lot. Easy to loop underspin, easier than using Mercury 2. It is less sensitive to incoming spin. Sponge is just like moon and sun, very jello-ish feel, like tenergy. I like the sponge quite a bit, it doesn't feel dead like most chinese tacky rubbers.
It's pretty fast, way faster than sun and moon. Tad bit faster than M2. Control is nice too, I don't miss a lot on my loops, the only drawback is if M2 has spin of 8.5, Mars 2 has spin of 8 at most.
I can see why they relate it to T64, having used T64 many times in the past, thought the throw angle is nowhere as high as T64, at least the feel and speed is close.
My loops were strange.. Not as spinny, but more flat/dead, if that makes sense, harder for my friend to block them, it shoots with low, long arc..
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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I am also bound to order a 2.0 - but @ 41*. How much are they cut? |
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