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Gambler Equipment Reviews |
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SpiritualEnigma
Member Joined: 12/20/2015 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 22 |
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Posted: 08/23/2018 at 9:01pm |
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To begin with I will preface this that I'm only rated 1375 USATT. I've only played one tournament, however, so you can take that as you will. I'm a double winged looper control oriented player. I can chop somewhat as well, but it's not my main playstyle. I've bought an assortment of blades, rubbers, and balls to test for the local club and for what I will personally use myself. Gambler Blades: Vector Target, Fire Dragon Touch, Wing Wood IM8 Carbon Vector Target All+ 3 ply wood 2 ply carbon It's not terribly fast and is great close to mid table. Somewhat on the stiffer side and boy is the Target name is such a terrible name, but it is accurate. The ball absolutely will go where you want it to go. My problem with this blade was that it was a bit too stiff and hard for my liking and it reaches the carbon layer a bit too soon and reaches the high gear too quickly imo. The high gear on this blade is fast, I have trouble seeing this as an All Around blade. Fire Dragon Touch Off- The best of the 3 in my opinion. It's a little fast, but you can slow it down when you want to since the carbon layer is closer to the center of the blade the ball doesn't reach the carbon as fast as the vector target and has a much more woodier and softer feel to it which I prefer. It's supposed to be comparable to innerforce ZLC. I have not played with an Innerforce ZLC so I can't directly compare it to that. The blade has good dwell time, flex, and control. The ball has slightly less precision as the Vector Target, which is to be expected since it's more flexy. Wing Wood IM8 Carbon Not sure what happened with the R&D here or perhaps it's just personal taste. The feedback on the ball was so muffled compared to any other blade I've used that I couldn't get good feeling with this. Perhaps I did not give it enough chance as I only played with this blade for a day and then dismissed it in favor of the other two blades. The ball flies fine and nothing unpredictable, but the feedback on the blade just isn't there. I suppose this is for players that prefer less feeling in the blade. I did not notice an increase in spin compared to other blades, either. Gambler Rubbers: Mech Tek Predator, Nines Ultra Tack Gearz Sponge, Burst Gearz Sponge, X3 Diamond Gearz Sponge Mech Tek Predator My favorite of the bunch and appears to be Gambler's flagship model. I have this in 1.7mm and it is plenty fast for a very strong top spin game and enough power for putting the ball away. I don't go further than mid distance from the table so I can't comment at that ranges further than that but this is sponge thickness is great for close - mid distance. The topsheet feels harder than the other rubbers from Gambler and I like this. Not tacky either. It is a bit less sensitive to spin than the other sheets as well. High control, great spin, good power when you need it. No real complaints here. Solid rubber at a great price. Nines Ultra Tack I was confused with this and still am confused by this rubber. By the name and description it's supposed to be tacky, but it's not. It's not tacky at all, it's just as tacky as the Mech Tech Predator, which is not at all. What is different about this is that the topsheet is a bit softer than the Mech Tech, so you can get a bit more spin with less effort and more compact swings and if your technique is a bit lacking. It's good rubber plays similar to Mech Tek, but just has a softer topsheet. Good product good control, spin, power, etc. Nothing really bad about this either. Burst Not tacky at all either. For topsheet hardness it's inbetween Nines and Mech Tek. Plays more similar to Nines than Mech Tek. Same overall characteristics has no real weakness does everything good or great. X3 Diamond Slightly less hard of a topsheet than Mech Tek. Plays very similar would be hard to tell apart. X3 Diamond is a bit easier to make more spin with than Mech Tek. IMO this rubber is a winner as well. It was a toss up for me to decide between Mech Tek and this. This rubber is slightly easier to use and I would probably play a bit better with this rubber, but I opted to prefer the harder topsheet. Does everything well and this is a great rubber. Recap on the Rubbers: All 4 of these rubbers play identical, no difference in tackiness, just some difference in the topsheet hardness. Honestly the advertising for these rubbers is crazy. There is no difference in tackiness and if there is it's not noticeable to the touch or in play at all. If you're wondering about which to choose all of these play great and have no big difference. And at $14 a sheet they play great. I've been using the Mech Tek for about a month now and it still plays great almost new. High quality and durable for sure. ABS Ball Testing: Gambler P40+, DHS D40+, and Huichuan from Cole's Not a whole lot of information out there on direct comparisons so I bought a bunch of each to test. Gambler P40+ This is Gambler's seamed ITTF approved ABS construction balls and boy they are awesome. I can tell the quality control is great since each ball plays the exact same. These are durable too, have not had one break except for when someone steps on it. Feels hard and that gives it a nice weighty feel on your racket. I prefer that feel than it being softer. Spins well, hits well, and bounce is predictable exactly what you want in a ball. Very economical pricing as well $0.67 per ball DHS D40+ Yes these are the balls with Ding Ning on them and not the bad balls with Ma Long on the packaging. These balls are awesome as well. Great ball, has lots of powder on them when you get them, the texture is rough compared to Gambler and Huichuan. I can only assume these balls will wear out the rubber topsheets faster. I have bought 72 balls from ttnpp for this test since for some reason they sell it the cheapest by far and some forum members have come to the conclusion that they are factory second balls. I cannot comment on that. The batch I got play great spin well, hits well, and the bounce is also predictable, but not as predictable as Gamblers. I imagine that Gambler balls might have tighter QC on their balls. Durability is great as well. Had these balls the longest for several months and only a few balls broke from hitting. For the price these balls are great $0.56 per ball Huichuan Cole normally does not lead me astray, but these balls just do not cut it. They are softer than the other 2 balls making them feel lighter on hit, they spin okay, the ball trajectory is noticeably less predictable than the other 2 and the durability is what hurts me the most. We've broken so many of these balls just from hitting I'm looking forward to when all these balls break so I can just use the DHS and Gambler balls. These are the cheapest balls coming in at $0.45 per ball. In conclusion: Durability- Gambler >= DHS D40+ >> Huichuan Hardness- Gambler > DHS D40+ > Huichuan Pricing- Huichuan > DHS D40+ > Gambler P40+ Predictability/ QC- Gambler > DHS D40+ >> Huichuan There are some things holding DHS D40+ back, the rumor about ttnpp using factory seconds and the rough texture on the ball's ability to deteriorate rubbers faster. Our club has decided to use the Gambler P40+. Adhesive Protection Sheets: Donic Protection Foil, Nittaku Adhesive Rubber Protect, and Gambler Donic Protection Foil The best of the three. Strong adhesive and doesn't wear out quickly and most durable due to thick plastic Nittaku Adhesive Durable, adhesive is the weakest of the three, and is thin Gambler Not so durable, adhesive is very strong, and is thin. This would be a sure hit if the plastic used was thicker. It's easy to damage these when taking them off your rubber due to the strong adhesive vs the plastic thickness. Add $0.25/$0.50 to the cost and make them thicker, Zeropong. Otherwise I'll have to go with Donic's. Brand conclusion: Gambler has come a LONG way from the recreational racket scene they use to be in. These products are high quality, consistent, durable, and perform excellent. Gambler is currently my go to brand for affordable, yet high quality merchandise. I currently use the Fire Dragon Touch with Mech Tek predator rubbers and do not intend to change for a long time. The EJ in me has been satisfied. Edited by SpiritualEnigma - 08/23/2018 at 9:21pm |
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freakinjstu
Member Joined: 05/28/2017 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 32 |
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Do you have a feel for durability?
I tried Friendship/729 for the cheap price, and while it played fine at first it lost most of its grip in less than a month (I play most days for an hour or two). By contrast, I get ~3 months out of DHS, Xiom, and Yasaka (the one exception being the Xiom intro rubber Musaka which also died quickly). Have you used the Gambler for long?
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Sometimes I use big words I don't fully understand to make myself seem more photosynthesis
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koshkin
Silver Member Joined: 10/30/2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 522 |
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Thanks for the overview.
Having never seen you play, it is very difficult for me to comment of coarse, but the first thing that came to mind when reading this is that if you want to be a looper, your blade is too fast for your playing level and your rubbers are too thin for your playing style. I am sort of an extreme case of going the other way with my preferred racket: I am a two wing mid-distance power looper and I play with a slow and flexible blade paired with fast and spinny rubbers. I do not think I have ever seen anyone who is not a chopper play with a 1.7mm sponge. Then again, do whatever works for you. 1.7mm sponge is very helpful with pushing, blocking and general control over the table. I have heard good things about the MechTek rubber and will probably try it on the BH when the stuff I currently have wears out. I only tried it briefly on someone else's blade, and it seemed like a very well balanced option, but the blade was much faster than mine, so it was not the best test. I like Tom, but the claim that the topsheet has a lot more grip than Tenergy is sorta hilarious. It has been a little while since I tried any Gambler blades, since they used to be flared only which does not work for me. I should probably try one now that they have a straight handle option. I remember that everything they had with a composite in it was solid offensive or faster. I am not sure I buy any of the Zeropong "allround" classifications as far as composite blades go. ILya
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BTY Mazunov ST
Dignics 05 |
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koshkin
Silver Member Joined: 10/30/2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 522 |
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Forgot to add: I did try the new Gambler P40 ball and thought it was superb.
ILya
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BTY Mazunov ST
Dignics 05 |
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rocketman222
Gold Member Joined: 01/06/2007 Location: Walnut Creek,CA Status: Offline Points: 1152 |
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We(me and charlie) have tested the mek tech in 2.1/1.9/1.7, and 1.7 by far has the best feel and performance, the 2.1 has no feel at all, also in 1.7 its not that slow, its comparable to 2.0 vega pro tbh. So definitely get mek tech in 1.7 to get the best feel.
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koshkin
Silver Member Joined: 10/30/2003 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 522 |
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Not enough sponge for power looping. All I do is spin the ball. I have never seen a rubber that was even mildly acceptable for the way I play with a sponge that thin on an alround blade. ILya
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BTY Mazunov ST
Dignics 05 |
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rocketman222
Gold Member Joined: 01/06/2007 Location: Walnut Creek,CA Status: Offline Points: 1152 |
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I am talking about the feel of this very very specific rubber, Not any other rubber, but this one specially has bad feel on 2.1 and 1.9, almost to the point where you can't feel anything. You might be 2400, in which case you probably won't be needing this rubber.
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DLC1325
Silver Member Joined: 02/15/2016 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 716 |
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I'm using MechTek 2.1 Red on my BH right now on a Joola Greenline Extreme (Ebenholz VII sort of blade) with TG2 Neo on FH.
MechTek doesn't have the best feel in 2.1 for me either unless the sponge really gets compressed such as on higher impact blocks and BH loops/flicks. It feels kind of "wobbly", almost erratic, compared to the MX-S I was using previously which was pretty crisp and solid feeling (obviously). However, when proper contact is made the spin generated is massive, in my experience. MechTek is probably the stinkiest rubber I have ever used, and that is surpassing some of the DHS/729 fish monsters. I don't know if it is a tuner or what, but I could smell the MechTek in the middle of my matches last night. TG2 Neo smelled nice in comparison. Maybe Mercury II is the only stinkier one.
Either way, for the way I play I find MechTek to be a superb value for $14. |
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vanjr
Gold Member Joined: 08/19/2004 Location: Corpus Christi Status: Offline Points: 1364 |
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Gambler has some good stuff and of course, equipment is very, very personal.
I like the gambler vector hinoki blade. Good blade quality, speed and feel. Not super flexy. It is my favorite blade currently and I am not looking to EJ for a new one, so for those who know me-that tells you something. I have a couple of fire dragon fast blades and they are too fast for me with not enough feel. I may not have found the right rubber for them. They are also a little heavier than I like. My vector hinoki (2) are about 83 grams each, fire dragons are close to 90 g with a little bigger head. I am using a euro/jap in max sponge on my BH and currently between mech tek in 2.1 and air sirocco for my FH. Mech tek blocks nice and has decent power. It is not a fragile as outlaw was. I have not tried it in thinner sponge (per Ilya's reasoning). If you ever see me at a tournament you MAY think I am sponsored by Gambler. Well, at least until you actually see me warm up or play (that tends to remove all doubt). I am usually decked out in a gambler shirt-either the old USA/China/German ones or the new dragon ones. Their clothing for shirts were at fantastic prices (5 or maybe 10 dollars each). I like the gambler balls but my club mates prefer N40+ premiums.
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hookumsnivy
Gold Member Joined: 11/04/2010 Location: Syracuse, NY Status: Offline Points: 1599 |
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I haven't been a big fan of their stuff in the past, but every so often I give them another shot.
I'm using the Fire Dragon Touch cpen. It took a little getting used to, but now I really like it. I was previously using a xiom stradivarius and and the first day or 2 I felt like it was noticeably faster - just more bouncy. Either it was due to the rubber, or I've gotten used to it. I switched in hopes of it helping me be more consistent in the short game and it's fit the bill nicely
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cole_ely
Premier Member Joined: 03/16/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 6895 |
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I like the abs balls and I sell a lot to the same people... Go figure. They do feel different. Sold some to Alameda after sending samples. Maybe bad batch of got hot. Oraybe just different tastes.
I like the play of the rubbers. How are you guys feeling about the weights? The squares are pretty small so it's hard for me to compare. |
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Wavestone St with Illumina 1.9r, defender1.7b
Please let me know if I can be of assistance. |
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SpiritualEnigma
Member Joined: 12/20/2015 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 22 |
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I forgot to mention that all the gambler rubbers are linear, which is something I like as well. The heavy catapult effect in other rubbers i don't like. Yes Mech Tek directly says it has more topsheet grip than Tenergy. The question is which Tenergy? It reminds me most of Tenergy 80 which I don't mind at all, but I do not find it spinnier than Tenergy 05. I'm content with this rubbers control and spin insensitivity in relation to its spin generation. I've been using the Mech Teks for a month and a half now for about 10-15 hours of play per week. They still perform almost as close to new.
I really like the Fire Dragon Touch in addition to the woodiness feeling it has a high number of gears I don't find in many other blades. For $40 it out performs many other blades I have that are much more expensive. Only blade I like more is my old Taico 80 but that blade has been chipping and I will never get a replacement so I switched to Fire dragon and quickly ordered a backup blade in a similar weight range. My first dragon came in at 83.3 grams, which according to their website is outside of their guaranteed weight range so I would specify a weight within their weight range for your blade since when I ordered my second one they had to send me one barely over 85 grams instead, which is close enough. Yeah Cole, I'm not sure if I got a bad batch but for now I'll stick with the Gambler P40+ they are a solid ball and are our club's favorite ball at the moment. Tournaments here all use Nittaku so it might make more sense to just use J Top training balls, but we will stick with the Gamblers. All the rubbers I got were weighing in at high 50s and low 60s grams uncut. I purchased a 7s or aces I forget for a friend and it came in at high 40s. All 1.7mm. All in all most of the products are great especially their pricing point. This really hits home for players like me who are looking for great value equipment without the brand name appeal (like butterfly). Now their advertising should be more precise and less hyperbolic. I'm pleased with the equipment, but if money is not an option I could see why you'd opt for some of the top end equipment. I know that there is a USATT video of review for Gambler Zero + Wingwood IM8. He saaid that rubber was great for the pricing as well, but he was using the Zero rubber for looping with the wingwood blade. He's a significantly better player than I am and would be curious how much better he would rate the equipment if he was using a fire dragon with Mech Tek or X3 Diamond rubber. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PYWYRVkp4c
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DLC1325
Silver Member Joined: 02/15/2016 Location: USA Status: Offline Points: 716 |
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The two MechTeks I've had seem to be about the weight of DefenderS, but I didn't weigh either.
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doug4
Beginner Joined: 12/09/2013 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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Can anyone compare these Gambler rubbers to the Air Illumina, DefenderS, and Scirocco rubbers?
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Doug4
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SpiritualEnigma
Member Joined: 12/20/2015 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 22 |
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Doug that would be a good comparison to make since Gambler and Air are after the same high performance low cost market. It would be nice if someone could compare them directly. I have not played with those Air rubbers so I cannot say how they are
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vanjr
Gold Member Joined: 08/19/2004 Location: Corpus Christi Status: Offline Points: 1364 |
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I find mech tek to play similar to scirocco. Scirocco is a little more tacky. |
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doug4
Beginner Joined: 12/09/2013 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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Which Air Scirocco (Cole has two listed) red sponge, 42 degree, 2.1 mm or yellow sponge, 2.0 mm ?
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Doug4
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jpenmaster
Platinum Member Joined: 12/24/2008 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 2176 |
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I tried Mek Tek Predator today on a friends ZJK ALC. It is a linear rubber and isn't bad for the price but honestly it just doesn't generate the spin or speed of most modern rubbers. My friend is going to boost it and see if it can generate more spin/speed.
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OSP Expert II w DNA Dragon Grip
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cole_ely
Premier Member Joined: 03/16/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 6895 |
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I sound like a broken record on this sometimes but one advantage of name brands is they don't require as much break in. You can't judge Chinese by the first play, or even the third really.
No Chinese rubbers are the same as 50 dollar rubbers, but they're a lot closer after a couple months of use. If you keep using it you may never like it as well, but right now it's just tight I bet. |
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Wavestone St with Illumina 1.9r, defender1.7b
Please let me know if I can be of assistance. |
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vanjr
Gold Member Joined: 08/19/2004 Location: Corpus Christi Status: Offline Points: 1364 |
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I have mostly used the red sponge. I just got a yellow one to try out. I also should add I think sirocco has a lower throw angle than mech tek.
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jpenmaster
Platinum Member Joined: 12/24/2008 Location: Chicago Status: Offline Points: 2176 |
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Hopefully my friend has boosted his rubber by now and I can give it another try in a couple days. I did like the sponge and linear power delivery but that top sheet needs some help.
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OSP Expert II w DNA Dragon Grip
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ohwell
Super Member Joined: 08/04/2017 Location: NY Status: Offline Points: 232 |
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My nine ultra tack really came alive with a layer of booster. Still linear, but easier to put higher spin on the ball.
How’s the boosted mek tek? Edited by ohwell - 09/01/2018 at 9:55am |
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ohwell
Super Member Joined: 08/04/2017 Location: NY Status: Offline Points: 232 |
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@spiritual enigma: My nine ultra tacks will pick up a ball and hold it for a short bit, that’s tacky in my book. Is that not the case with yours and/or the mek tek?
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SpiritualEnigma
Member Joined: 12/20/2015 Location: Florida Status: Offline Points: 22 |
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Ohwell, my nine ultra tack didnt pick up the ball at all. I emailed zeropong some time ago and they said that it is supposed to be tacky. I dont know if I got a bad sheet but even if I did get a bad sheet I wouldnt bother buying it with the QC of receiving a totally non tacky version occasionally.
Update on the durability: the stuff is above average durability. Lasted me about 4 months of regular play with 10-15 hrs/week. Mech Tek is currently my go to rubber. Probably won't switch anytime soon. The EJ in me is tempted to try out the DJ Fly blade, but i have way too much stuff as is. Edited by SpiritualEnigma - 12/01/2018 at 5:34pm |
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1dennistt
Silver Member Joined: 03/03/2010 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 533 |
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This agrees with my experience with one sheet of black Nine Ultra Tack, it didn't pick up the ball at all. Completely non tacky, played very much like my black sheet of MechTeks, neither seemed to improve much with break-in time or boosting. Even tried them on different blades, from all wood 5 ply to ALC and carbon, I like them best on the all wood blade. Mine are currently mounted on opposite sides of an ALC blade for comparison purposes. I agree with jpenmaster about the level of spin and speed these can generate. Not bad rubber for the price, I'm waiting until I order another sheet of Nine UT to make any judgement on its abilities.
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Donic Waldner World Champion 1989 ZLC (Inner), Donic BlueStorm Pro (Red) Max, ????? (Black) 1.8 mm)
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