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Yasaka Rakza 9 Review |
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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Posted: 05/24/2012 at 8:52pm |
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received this test rubber from yasaka japan along with the rakza 7 for direct comparison through the kindness of pingpongonline.com
Specs: Color: red Size: 170 x 170mm Thickness: Max Weight: 72 grams Sponge hardness: Hard (like 38-39 degrees DHS Scale) Test blade: Yasaka Galaxya flared, Adidas Challenge Speed blade At first look the topsheet and sponge are obviously ESN made rubbers. I decided to as kfor the rakza 7 because i need a baseline comparison with the Rakza 9.The R9 has larger pores in its sponge compared to that of the R7. The R9 has a harder sponge. if the R7 is 36-37 degrees DHS scale, then the R9 is about 38-39 degrees. The topsheet is almost similar to that of the Joola Rhyzm and Tibhar 1Q. What it feels like? Hitting with it had a very loud sound. Doing drives and loops have a lower throw and it felt like an Acuda S1 turbo but a bit spinnier. Felt more like that of Tibhar 1Q and Rhyzm. Compared to the R7, the R9 has a longer but lower arc. The R9 is suited mid distance from the table whereas the R7 is best near the table. When hitting with the R9 it felt stronger on the smashing and driving part, it has lesser dwell time compared to the R7. R7 however is better at looping near the table. Counter driving for the R9 is a bit stronger. I would say the increase in the speed between the R9 and R7 by my estimate would be 10-15% with the the R9 being faster. How is the R9 inside the table? I was impressed with it while using it in my backhand. Receiving serves were not a problem as the rubber has less sensitivity to spin. Although its not as spinny as the R7, the R9 is good in making spinny pushes. It produces sharp and controllable pushes inside the table. To summarize the R9 is better at the following: Pushing - push chops are very spinny. Low, sharp and spinny pushes are very good with it. Driving, smashing and hitting - its hard and bouncy sponge is good during power shots that require more on speed and less emphasis on spin. Counter looping - away from the table the R9 performs really well adding to that a loud sound. its very long trajectory is suitable mid distance to far away from the table. The R9 needs a lil bit of these: a lil bit more spin - i find the R7 really spinny. Although the R9 has an above average spin, the R7 is still spinny on loops. a reduction in weight - at 72 grams uncut this rubber is heavier than Tenergy 05. Though i belve a reduction of density to reduce weight would decrease its power also. Speed: R9 > R7 R9 = Tibhar 1Q, Joola Rhyzm, Tibhar Aurus R9 < S1 Turbo, Stiga Calibra LT & LT+ Spin: R9 < R7 R9 > Tibhar Aurus, S1 Turbo, Calibra LT R9 = 1Q and Rhyzm One thing I also noticed with the R9 is that its a bit choosy on the blades you attach to it. I tried a 7 ply all wood blade that is very thin and it didn't felt right. It felt slow. I changed the blade to a stiffer 7 ply all wood blade and it felt better and faster. The R9 works well with stiff carbon blades as long as they are not on the heavy side. I would suggest to avoid using the R9 with 5 ply all wood blades that feel softer. Stiffer blades are ideal with the R9. |
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
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Nagatito
Silver Member Joined: 11/30/2011 Location: Costa Rica Status: Offline Points: 538 |
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Waiting :D
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Blade: Timo Boll ALC
FH: T05 BH: Roundell |
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jinlai
Super Member Joined: 12/21/2011 Location: Malaysia Status: Offline Points: 240 |
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Very impatient to see your review.
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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im still testing it today. i found out its not good for blades that are not stiff and i had to change it to another blade a 7 ply all wood blade and try to see what the results are. ill post probably tonight
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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review added
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
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Snakefish
Silver Member Joined: 12/09/2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 952 |
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Why did you find it's not good for a non-stiff blade ?
I have 1 Razka9 sheet & still deciding what blade to try it on
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Andro Treiber Z - fl
FH: Tibhar MX-D max BH: Tibhar Quantum ProX-blue,max |
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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snakefish, because it feels slow on blades that are not stiff
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GeneralSpecific
Platinum Member Joined: 03/01/2010 Location: New York Status: Offline Points: 2811 |
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Would you say that since Rakaz 7 is a competitor to Tenergy 05, that Rakza 9 is a competitor to Tenergy 64?
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Blade - Xiom 36.5 ALX FL
Forehand - Xiom Omega V Asia 2.0mm Backhand - Victas Curl P5V with Der Materialspezialist Firestorm Soft/Outkill 1.8mm sponge |
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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generalspecific, still not as good as T05 in some areas but the gap is not that big. The R9 wouldnt be comparedt o the T64 since they have different hardness in sponge.
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
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cotdt
Gold Member Joined: 10/19/2010 Location: Bay Area, CA Status: Offline Points: 1013 |
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Sponge hardness should be the same, no? Both are medium-hard. |
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Nittaku Resound
FH: Joola Timeless BH: Joola Timeless |
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yogi_bear
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yes almost the same some times the sponge feels harder than the T05's
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
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seguso
Gold Member Joined: 03/24/2010 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 1619 |
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tried rakza 9 2.0 today. it is very similar to bluefire m1, a bit lower throw (but still sharp arc) and a bit more control, more stable.
surprisingly, the speed was slower than coppa x2 (but it makes sense because it has more spin). |
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frogger
Premier Member Joined: 08/03/2010 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3062 |
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Nice review as usual yogi!
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Wood Paddle
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dauntless
Gold Member Joined: 10/06/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1471 |
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Anyone know if Razka 9 is suitable as a backhand rubber? I am thinking of using a 1.8 sheet on an Innerforce ZLC. Right now I am using Roundell 2.1 and it is fine & stable, maybe a little soft... but I tried Razka 9 the other night and it was not nearly as bouncy as T05, way lower throw -- even lower on average than T64 2.1 IMHO, but with plenty of control AND speed. Lots of guys are using various versions of Razka at my club and I am impressed with the results of the blades (confirming 2 out of 3 were stiff blades) I have tried it with. My experience is that it is very stable considering it is an ESN rubber (last ESN rubber was hexer and I hated it much) and word is its durable as well.
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1. BTY Primorac, Nittaku H3N, T64 2. BTY Primorac, H3N, Mendo MP Feedback
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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i tried it in the backhand it was good. the weight was the one that turned me off using max though 1.8 is light
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
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Roger Stillabower
Silver Member Joined: 02/17/2011 Location: usa Status: Offline Points: 803 |
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Shifter
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W0LovePP
Super Member Joined: 04/04/2012 Location: US Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I would imagine using R9 to a less stiff blade because of R9's hardness. I would use R9 to a stiff blade but only if the stiff blade is soft, or softer.
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W0LovePP
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Did you try R9 on your Xiom Extreme S? Does it feel too hard (the sponge) or too stiff on that blade? Thanks (I finally bought the Extreme S).
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garwor
Silver Member Joined: 06/02/2010 Location: Serbia Status: Offline Points: 730 |
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R7 seems still best choice for most players. Versatile, durable, not too expensive.
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Equipment database
Yinhe MC-2 FL fh: Xiom Vega pro bh: Xiom Vega pro Boycott Marcos Freitas for hidden services! |
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debraj
Premier Member Joined: 06/04/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3369 |
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Happy that Rakza 9 discussion came up again.
I am using Rakza 9 on my FH these days with 1QXD bh, but good chance i may use it for FH and BH as well. Rakza 9 is an excellent rubber for mid distant play.. with good control close to table and good power away from table. Rakza 9 has ZERO correlation with Rakza 7... it is from different genre. so naturally it is closer to modern esn rubbers like 1Q, bluefire, rassant etc. Rakza 9, in my opinion is structurally an improved Bluefire M1....more predictable. Functionally its improved Aurus....being more forgiving in opening loops than aurus. Also Rakza 9 gives very close to Tenergy feeling, with the throw angle between 64 and 05. the same has been said for many rubbers, i know. Rakza 9, is not a very hard rubber. Yogi, i think you may have got a wrong sheet, or you confused since you tested too many rubbers. Rakza 9 feels marginally softer than aurus, but not a soft rubber overall. Rakza 9's hardness is actually in 1Q level, but playing characteristics are very different. 1Q has a weird extreme low throw.. not that you cant adjust to it, but still striking. Rakza 9 is more mainstream throw, without any weirdness. Rakza 9 has a compartively firm topsheet and porous sponge... and hence it gives you a fluffy cushioned feel while you loop or drive. Normally this type of rubbers are easier to loop with but bouncy on the table...Rakza 9 somehow managed to stay tamed on table.. but not as tamed as H3 or Aurus. Rakza 9 blocks exceedingly well, opens loop easily, and with very good spin.. but not crazy spinny like 1Q-XD. Also it counterloops extremely well.. better than 1QXD, better than Aurus, better than Hexer HD, as good as 1Q, and as good as T05. on Serves Rakza 9 is failry spinny but H3 is definitelly spinnier.. even T05 may be spinnier in serves. T64 is not. Blocking with rakza 9 is a dream.. feels like you are blocking with a much thinner rubber.. and both active and passive blocks are easy to execute. I would ideally not recommend Rakza 9 low sponge thickness.. max or 1.9... but not below that. And yes it is very durable.... like all new generation tensors are. Even if you hit the corner of the table with Rakza 9 or 1Q-XD you will not make it chip. that's my take... Edited by debraj - 12/18/2012 at 12:09pm |
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Lestat
Super Member Joined: 01/16/2012 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 421 |
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Agreed, hardness is right in between Rakza 7 and Rakza 7 soft. But faster than both and dare I say more spinny - close and far from the table, despite official Yasaka ratings which still list Rakza 7 soft as the spinniest of all. Lovely rubber overall. Debraj, have you used Hexer (standard not hd, duro etc.) on the same blade and if yes, how would you compare the two?
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seguso
Gold Member Joined: 03/24/2010 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 1619 |
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this is strange... I have both rakza 9 and aurus regular, and my rakza 9 is definitely harder than aurus. also harder than t05. it is really hard, like sigma pro.
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dauntless
Gold Member Joined: 10/06/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1471 |
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Everything I hear about this rubber from people who are using it tells me this will work very well on my backhand. I have used Razka on several blades and it has speed and spin on faster harder strokes and an amazing ability to have the lower gears on block. Its actually a pain to play against folks using this as you think you have their game dialed in and there is just so much variation and control, a strong forehand loop is fast and with lots of spin, and the next block back after your counter-loop goes into the net because it is so slow and spin-less. Frustrating.
I think it bridges that gap well for people like me who need something in-between a "pro level" rubber and "club level" rubber. From everything I've read and from my limited use of the rubber, its medium hard and gets a bit softer after some play. Very playable and almost zero stroke change for me. I ordered red 1.8mm to give me a chance to have controlled blocks on BH and expect it this week sometime. If its great I can always dial it up to 2.0 later
Edited by dauntless - 12/17/2012 at 2:52pm |
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1. BTY Primorac, Nittaku H3N, T64 2. BTY Primorac, H3N, Mendo MP Feedback
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debraj
Premier Member Joined: 06/04/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3369 |
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Seguso new sheets of rakza 9 may feel different if you are comparing with old sheet of aurus. because aurus and rakza 9 both softens after playing some time.
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debraj
Premier Member Joined: 06/04/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3369 |
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Lestat: yes i have played with hexer.. when it first came out i was in love with hexer, because the ESN rubbers before hexer (plasma or roson) were not spinny at all. Hexer/baracuda/genius/xplode/vega pro generation ESN rubber for the first time introduced spin even in slow/mid shot...not just fast shots. Unfortunately Hexer, though spinny, becomes pretty slow after the initial tuning wears off. And then it creates challenge for blocks, and also for pressing on opponent in counterloops. i think ESN rubbers have come through 3 generations after hexer. And the current generation has overcome the speed problem and durability problem ...still retaining the spin and feel. Thats where Rakza 9 differs from original hexer. |
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slevin
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So how soft does R9 really feel after a couple of weeks: T05 soft?
Yogi says R7 spin is better. Is that corroborated by others here?
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Lestat
Super Member Joined: 01/16/2012 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 421 |
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Hmm, I thought you might be saying something along these lines. I have Rakza 9 mounted on a Zhang Yining ZLC - call it innerforce ZLC - and it feels a tad fast at blocks and sometimes at over the table/lateral topspins which have a tendency to go into the net (for the fear of shooting over the table). Once I'm past that however, it absolutely shines mid distance. I found its slight softness to be the perfect compromise between speed and control. I'd sacrifice some speed mid distance for more control at blocks, but not much. I suppose I oughta try Hexer just to get it out of the way.
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seguso
Gold Member Joined: 03/24/2010 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 1619 |
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actually I am comparing two new sheets, max vs max. but I think you're right that rakza becomes softer. Actually the reason I bought it is that I had tried another sheet, used, and it did not feel so hard.
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yogi_bear
Forum Moderator Joined: 11/25/2004 Location: Philippines Status: Offline Points: 7219 |
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if you brush like using a chinese rubber then R9 can be spinnier but if you use the sponge more then R7 can make spinning easier
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Independent online TT Product reviewer of XIOM, STIGA, JOOLA, SANWEI, GEWO, AIR, ITC, APEX, YASAKA and ABROS
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vic#74
Super Member Joined: 07/26/2010 Location: Russia Status: Offline Points: 442 |
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Bought it yesterday, hope it'll help me
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