Tabletennis11.com testing opportunity - CLOSED

Hello MyTT forum members,

I am delighted to announce that tabletennis11.com has made the following rubbers available for testing by forum members: 1) Tibhar Quantum, 2) Gewo Nanoflex FT48, 3) Victas V>15 extra, 4) Stiga Airoc Astro M, 5) Nittaku Alhelg, 6) Tibhar Nimbus Delta V, and 7) Donic Acuda Blue P1. All rubbers are black and provided in the thickest available version. You only have to pay for the postage (in order to send the rubber to the next tester on the list).

Please send me a PM if you are interested in testing any of these rubbers. This test will be restricted to US- and Canada-based members in order to avoid mailing delays. Mailing lists are posted below.

Conditions for testing: 1) post an honest a review on this thread within a week of receiving the test rubbers, including a brief description of your playing style, regular setup and (estimated) USATT rating to provide contextual background for your review; specify the rubber that you are testing as a headline in bold font, 2) keep your testing below 2.5 hours in order to allow as many forum members as possible to test the rubbers in near-new conditions, 3) you shall not boost the rubbers, 4) use only easily-removable non-VOC glue to attach the rubbers (i.e., no vulcanization liquid, speed glue, or Elmer’s rubber cement, 5) after complete testing, please wrap the rubbers using stretch-tite or plastic wraps to preserve the quality of the topsheet, and send it to the next person on the list (or to me, if you were the last one on the list).

Thank you tabletennis11.com for once again supporting this forum and making these rubbers available to us.

______

LIST OF TESTERS

Tibhar Quantum

patrickhrdlicka - done

ndotson - done 

JohnTrev - done

<<< TEST OF RUBBER HAS CONCLUDED >>>

 

Gewo nanoflex FT48

patrickhrdlicka - done

ndotson - done

JohnTrev - done

Victor_the_cleaner - done

BRS - done

<<< TEST OF RUBBER HAS CONCLUDED >>>

 

Victas V>15 extra

patrickhrdlicka - done

ndotson - done

JohnTrev - done

Victor_the_cleaner - done

BRS - done

rocketman222 - done

<<< TEST OF RUBBER HAS CONCLUDED >>>

 

Stiga Airoc Astro M

patrickhrdlicka - done

ndotson - done

JohnTrev - done

Victor_the_cleaner - done

Argothman - done

<<< TEST OF RUBBER HAS CONCLUDED >>>  

 

Nittaku Alhelg

patrickhrdlicka - done

ndotson - done

JohnTrev - done

<<< TEST OF RUBBER HAS CONCLUDED >>>

 

Donic Acuda Blue P1

patrickhrdlicka - done

slevin - done

ndotson - done

JohnTrev - done

BRS - done

<<< TEST OF RUBBER HAS CONCLUDED >>>

 

Tibhar Nimbus Delta V

patrickhrdlicka - done 

ndotson - done

JohnTrev - done

<<< TEST OF RUBBER HAS CONCLUDED >>>

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 05/08/2016 at 11:13pm

Review: Gewo Nanoflex FT48 (black, 2.1) –

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 05/15/2016 at 12:50pm

Unbiased reviews and marketing material serve two very different purposes: one strives to give you impressions as perceived by the reviewer, the other is designed to increase sales (this is also why, a lot of the marketing blurbs sound very similar). 

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 11/29/2015 at 12:56pm

I have some clothing from Gewo. Incredibly high quality at a good price. I am tempted to try something else from them.

Review: Victas V>15 Extra (black, max)

Earlier this fall, I was browsing for Tenergy 05 alternatives as I simply couldn’t stomach paying $65-75 every two months for my FH rubber. I came across this post in our forum, which discusses an interesting study from a Japanese magazine. The Victas V>15 extra emerged in the top 3 with respect to speed, grip and spin among likely T05 alternatives, thus securing a spot on my ‘to-test’ list. The marketing material states: “The ultimate weapon for aggressive offensive players! V > 15 Extra is a high-end offensive rubber, which will enable you to perform on a new level in topspin rallies. Feel the ultimate power and high-efficiency energy conversion of the innovative 47.5 degree offensive sponge and experience the unlimited potential of the spin-optimized top rubber sheet! Demanding offensive players who rely on aggressive topspins as well as topspin-to-topspin rallies will take their play to a new level with V > 15 Extra!”.

Initial inspection of the rubber: The black max sheet weighs 72g uncut (50 g cut to a 150x157 blade). It smells very ‘rubbery’ but without any booster smell - the rubber doesn’t dome. The rubber (sponge+topsheet) has a firmness that falls between that of Rasant Powergrip and Rasant Grip/T05, which fits with the 47.5 degree designation. The cream-colored sponge has small pores. The matte topsheet is essentially non-tacky and feels robust, which should minimize tears. There are ~13 pips per 5 cm of rubber in the horizontal direction, and ~21 pips per 5 cm of rubber in the vertical direction.

Playing impressions: Right from the get-go, I have the impression that the Victas V>15 extra is closely related to the Andro Rasant Powergrip. It has very good hitting power close to the table since it is fast. Loop-drives are low, fast and deadly. Slower FH loops have a long, medium-low trajectory. FH loops on strong backspin balls require a more open bat angle, presumably due to a medium-low throw angle and a shorter-than-average dwell time. Topspin-to-topspin rallies away from the table require more effort than I anticipated for a rubber this fast, but this is again probably related to the relative low throw angle. Flat ‘testosterone-hits’ away from the table are easy though. The rubber offers a decent feel in touch play, but I found it challenging to produce spinny short/long pushes with this rubber since it is so fast – other rubbers are better in that category (MX-P, T05, Gewo Nanoflex GT48). At the same time, I felt that the rubber is rather insensitive to incoming spin on serves, allowing me to carry out a wider range of aggressive serve returns than usual. Serving with this rubber is great. I felt that the V>15 allowed me to impart a lot of spin on serves – especially backspin.

In my opinion, the Victas V>15 extra caters to players with a relentless top-spin game, who are looking to impart strong spin on serves. Touch shots are possible but not where this rubber excels. It plays like a slightly softer and spinnier version of Rasant Powergrip. It is an excellent rubber, but perhaps a smidge too hard for me, given the existence of the MX-P or the Gewo Nanoflex 48. However, the differences are subtle and it would not be a major task to adjust. A top 5 rubber.

Evaluation using the TableTennisDb grading system: Speed: 9.5, Spin: 9.4, Control: 8.5, Tackiness: 0.5, Throw Angle: 4.5, Weight: 5.5, Sponge Hardness: 6.5, Gears: 8.5

TableTennis11.com sells this rubber for $40 per sheet.

Reviewer background and testing conditions: I am an allround-offensive player with a 2100 USATT rating. The test setup was a Nexy Zealot blade, my regular BH rubber, i.e., a 2.0 Adidas Blaze Spin spinny short pip and the Victas V>15 (not boosted), which was affixed using 2 layers of Revolution 3 normal viscosity glue. YinHe 40+ *** balls were used. After 15 min of warmup and 15 min of light drills, I played ~25 sets against my usual training partners.

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 05/15/2016 at 1:32pm

Review: Stiga Airoc Astro M (black, 2.1)

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 05/15/2016 at 1:36pm

PM sent. Review coming up in 1-2 days.

Review: Donic Acuda P1 Blue (black, max)

Back in the speed gluing days, I was an avid user of Donic’s Vario soft; more recently, I quite enjoyed the Bluefire M1 Turbo in one of my previous TT11 tests, and I was therefore looking forward to this new rubber from Donic. The marketing material states: “New pimple geometry. Excellent ball return. Medium hard, the dynamic attacking version. For all out attackers. A pleasure to play with, a rubber to be at ease with. The latest in sponge technology. This blue sponge with medium sized pores is softer than previous sponges, despite having a higher degree of hardness. A new pimple geometry: Thin long pimples with extra space between individual pimples. The latest generation in top surface rubber: grippy, as with Bluefire M1 Turbo and JP 01 Turbo but with slightly flatter ball arc. Ball return is excellent: Maximum control, a satisfying sound and so easy to play with."

My initial inspection of the rubber: The black max sheet weighs 68 g uncut (47 g cut to a 150x157 blade). I could not detect any booster smell, and the rubber doesn’t dome. The sponge is listed at 50 degrees but the rubber (sponge+topsheet) feels softer - I would estimate it at ~45 degrees. The characteristic blue sponge has a high density of medium-small pores, which might be why it feels softer. The topsheet is matte, without tack, and slightly profiled just like Stiga’s Airoc Astro series. There are ~11 pips per 5 cm of rubber in the horizontal direction, and ~18 pips per 5 cm of rubber in the vertical direction.  

Playing impressions: I hate to admit it, but the marketing material largely has it right. This is a medium-hard attacking rubber of the same ilk as Stiga’s Airoc Astro M, Tibhar’s Quantum, and Nittaku’s Alhelg, but with less spongy feel and better control. The rubber is not super-fast, but still plenty fast (similar to T05). It is extremely enjoyable to play with, offering some of the highest levels of control that I have encountered for a rubber of this speed category. FH drives, smashes and blocks are a pleasure and associated with a crisp feel and sound. FH loops feel less mushy than with the Astro M, Quantum or Alhelg, but also less crisp than with the harder Gewo Nanoflex FT48, Victas V>15 extra or Tibhar Evo MX-P. Medium-high arcs are generated on slow loops, while medium-low arcs are produced on fast loops. I found looping against backspin to be a breeze. Just like the Alhelg, I found the Acuda Blue P1 to be quite insensitive to incoming spin, which had positive repercussions for my serve return game (easy flips). It is relative easy to keep the ball short in touch play (pushes, drop shots) but harder to generate a lot of spin on these shots (insufficient sponge penetration?). Brush strokes do not produce high levels of spin, presumably because the topsheet isn’t particularly tacky. However, serves that fully engage the sponge, did produce a good amount of spin.

In summary, this is a medium-fast light-weight rubber that offers very high levels of control. It pairs nicely with blades having a hard outer veneer. It is one of the best rubbers in this hardness/speed category (Astro M, Quantum, Alhelg, T05, P7, Rasant Grip) that I have treid. 

Evaluation using the TableTennisDb grading system: Speed: 9.1, Spin: 8.9, Control: 9.6, Tackiness: 1.0, Throw Angle: 5.5, Weight: 4.0, Sponge Hardness: 5.0, Gears: 8.8

TableTennis11.com sells this rubber for ~$43 per sheet.

Reviewer background and testing conditions: I am an allround-offensive player with a 2100 USATT rating. The test setup was a Nexy Zealot blade, my regular BH rubber, i.e., a 2.0 Adidas Blaze Spin spinny short pip and the Acuda Blue P1 (not boosted), which was affixed using 2 layers of Revolution 3 normal viscosity glue. YinHe 40+ *** balls were used. After 30 min of warmup and light drills, I played ~30 sets against my usual training partners.

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 05/15/2016 at 1:49pm

Just a couple of concluding remarks from my end following this "testathon".

The seven rubbers fall into two categories, i.e., the MX-P like medium-hard rubbers (Nanoflex FT48 and V>15 extra) and those of medium hardness, i.e., the more Rasant Grip like rubbers (Quantum, Airoc Astro M, Alhelg, Acuda Blue P1, and Nimbus Delta V). My preferences from each category were the Nanoflex FT48 and the Acuda Blue P1, but all of the rubbers have something to offer to the (right) aggressive players.

Random notes. I did a blind press test to compare the hardness of the different rubbers – I got: Nanoflex FT48>MX-P>Victas>Alhelg>Airoc Astro M>Quantum>Nimbus>P1, which mirrors my playing impressions fairly well.

I also took a couple of close ups of the eight rubbers - from top to bottom: Quantum, Nanoflex FT48, Victas, Airoc Astro M, Alhelg, Acuda Blue P1, Nimbus Delta V, MX-P (my reference rubber), as seen from the bottom and the side.

Closer inspection reveals that the pore sizes decrease in the order: MX-P> Quantum>Nanoflex FT48>>Victas>P1>Airoc Astro M >Alhelg>>Nimbus

I look forward to read the reviews that will be trickling in from the other testers over the coming weeks!!

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 12/10/2015 at 2:34pm

thanks slevin: It has been some time since I've played with P7 and RG, but if memory serves me right, I would say the following:

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 12/11/2015 at 2:35pm

As mentioned in a previous post, if H3 neo is 10, then yes, I would say that a brand-new MX-P is around 3-4. It's sufficiently tacky that I have been worried about the effects of humidity (has not really been a concern though). It starts losing it's tack after a month or so. I haven't tried the Xiom rubbers and therefore cannot make a comparison.

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 12/10/2015 at 5:15pm

Thank you haggisv. I hope that forum members will find these reviews helpful... 

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 12/11/2015 at 11:56am

Awesome review ndotson! Thank you.

Edited by patrickhrdlicka - 12/13/2015 at 4:51pm

Review: Donic Acuda Blue P1

Edited by slevin - 12/16/2015 at 1:41am

Review: Stiga Airoc Astro M
http://www.tabletennis11.com/other_eng/stiga-airoc-astro-m

Initial Impressions: The feel of this rubber is a bit softer than my usual T05. Opening loops and counter looping felt pretty good. I was able to put consistent speed and spin on the ball with good control when looping against both topspin and backspin. Although consistent, my loops didn’t have the same ‘jump’ that I normally get with T05 and I could tell that I would not hit as many winners or overpower my opponents as often when looping with this rubber. Counterdriving and smashing were both very nice as I was able to hit through powerful topspin quite easily. I could play these shots close to the table with excellent control. Blocking and fishing shots were also good, but I needed to be more active with my strokes to avoid giving up easy kills to my opponents. Touch play, serve receives and pushes were nice as the rubber is not too sensitive to incoming spin (less sensitive than T05). I couldn’t push heavy enough to give my opponents much trouble, but that is not a critical aspect of my game and strategy.  

Grades:
Looping: B
Smashing/Driving/Hitting: A-
Blocking/Fishing: B
Touch Play: B+

Conclusion: This is a rubber that would suit my game just fine. I wouldn’t replace my T05 with it because of its somewhat weak looping ability, but I would be happy having it on a back-up blade. Pushblockers who use their FH to primarily smash and hit winners would do well with this rubber.

Grading Explanation: I’m using an arbitrary letter system to grade these test rubbers. The grades are all subjective to my preferences and playing style. The rubber was only tested on my FH. So, if you have a similar style to mine, hopefully this will be helpful.
 
Reviewer Playing Style: I play a modern defense style. I currently use BTY Feint Long 3 1.3 as my BH rubber,  and BTY T05 max as my FH rubber. I like to chop from mid and long distance with my BH, and chop-block close to the table. My FH is mostly used for close to the table smashes, blocks, and loop kills. Away from the table, I like to counter-loop and hit fishing shots. My current USATT rating is around 1750. The blade I used for this review was Donic Defplay Senso FL.


Edited by ndotson - 01/03/2016 at 11:25pm