It's plenty fast, almost too fast, but not spinny enough for my liking. I really like it for drives, but I don't feel like it generates enough spin when opening against backspin with a slow loop.

Maybe I am spoiled by the H3 but you guys know of anything else that excels at slow loops? T05? EL-P? MX-S?

You may like the Xiom Omega series then, probably Tour.

I have two older-gen choices:

1. Baracuda: but you may find this lacking in catapault, or not. But if you do, then

2. Rakza 7: trust me - this is basically exactly or almost exactly the same topsheet as Baracuda but with catapault (slightly less than Tenergy 05). Overall hardness is a bit harder than Baracuda (but less than MX-P)

Both are excellent in opening loops as you use sponge to generate spin and it is easy to penetrate sponge to do so.

However, and beware: the first MX-P sheet I played with (from Dandoy), clearly contained more booster than subsequent sheets (from tabletennis-point), and was significantly faster and spinnier than the Powergrip. So depending on the batch, your results will vary.      

All in all, I think they are rather similar rubbers with Powergrip having a slightly lower throw but better durability. 

Also, I might have to try out Rakza 7 at some point....

Not to mention the shrinking that happens with evolution series in general. MX-S shrunk on me which is just stupid considering it's not a really porous sponge in the first place 

Hmm. I haven't had any issues with shrinking  

MXP beats RPG in all aspect except rubber hardness.

I agree with pretty much everything was told except one major thing, I actually have a really good time flat hitting with RPG, exactly where two other guys had MX-P >> RPG

Edited: with a medium coach of booster MX-P becomes as good as RPG flat hitting, but I still don't find it better.

I can play with either on my FH, I just find it easier to lift underspin with RPG because the top sheet grabs the ball really well while away from the table MX-P has more power, with RPG you need to put more effort.

On my backhand I like MX-P better, I prefer higher throw rubbers there.

meketrefe wrote: the best rubber for flat hitting is tenergy by a long shot. above all tensors. then all tensors are pretty much in the same level.

I don't know, I had the opportunity to try T64 and T80 before and I found T64 ok flat hitting on a flexible looping blade while T80 was a lot better looping than flat hitting on this blade.

Today there was a dude with the same blade I was using (Donic Person Power Carbon) and we exchanged it for about twenty minutes so I could try T05 on a blade I'm used and I didn't find it a good flat hitting rubber at all. It's a looping machine, better than any other fast rubber I've tried on slow loops and somewhat as spiny and a bit slower than MX-P and M1 away from the table, but flat hitting spiny balls I got some weird trajectories, something I just overcome with Powergrip or M1 (MX-P sometimes does the same).

gekogark1212 wrote: Ummm the Bryce series is the hitting series, Tenergy was always and always has been marketed as the spin series. Bryce is the best hitting rubber. It is a dead lump of rubber that you just whack with. Bryce speed also retains this property of dead feeling.

That is the way I felt it with Tenergies, even if they are fast rubbers.

My Donic PPC has a Rasant Powergrip and the other had T05. In about 20 min I got the follow conclusions:

Speed: RPG ~ T05

Spin: T05 > RPG (close call) *they are both very good grabbing the ball to lift underspin

Throw angle T05 >> RPG , I had to adjust my stroke a fair amount closing the angle

Flat Hitting RPG >> T05 , against a spiny ball I can just hit thru it with RPG and it goes in, with T05 it is better to counter loop

I'm also using MX-P, MX-S and M1. RPG touch is closer to T05 than any of those other rubbers. MX-P is harder, MX-S is really harder and M1 has a different feel, probably the top sheet.

SmackDAT wrote: How is the durability of Powergrip? Would it be comparable in overall performance to, say MXP?

It's too early to talk about durability, but MXP is faster, harder and has a higher throw.

RPG is somewhat better for slow opening loops loaded of spin and flat hitting, but on power loops MXP may have a tad more spin.

I like them both on my forehand. I prefer RPG looping close to the table and it's also good from mid distance while you have to be careful looping with MXP close to the table, but it's a monster away.

On my backhand I like MXP a lot better, his higher throw and a bit more bounciness helps me a lot when away from the table where I don't have enough technique to clear the net with RPG the way I do with MXP.

Both rubbers block well and are ok pushing. Actively blocking with MXP earns me some points, I just have to be careful or I'll send the ball long.

Nice to hear Nasche,

I was just wondering since I've only played with MX-P and Rakza X out of the newer tensors. I found MX-P on an ALC blade slightly too fast out of the package, and too hard after the booster effect wears out, and Rakza X was way too heavy and hard for my liking, although I could block like a machine. MX-P was a beast on my forehand, I agree, but on my backhand it felt a bit out of place...

Was just thinking if Powergrip would be a good rubber, as I do like low throw rubbers, but not if they're as hard as a brick or super heavy. 

RPG may be as heavy as MX-P and it's a bit softer for sure. I didn't have the chance to test it on my Viscaria yet, but it plays really well on the Donic blade where I have a Rakza 7 on my backhand and like it, really easy to play with this Rakza on BH (I find it lacks power on my FH), but I can't load it of spin on loops the way I do with MXP on my Viscaria.

Thanks for the info. My Rakza X with one medium-thin layer of Falco Long weighed 51g, so that's definitely an extreme; I'm sure I could handle Powergrip's weight. I've just seen on other forums where there are claims that Powergrip dies quickly and loses it's grip etc. Do tell me how Powergrip plays on Viscaria though, update me when you can :)

http://i.imgur.com/TGa1ADV.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8ad7R90.jpg

Andro Rasant Powergrip is a 50deg, big pore sponge with a nice soft grippy top sheet that feels a bit plasticy. It comes heavily boosted from the package and drops in performance in the next 2 weeks. Can be easily revived with boosters until the top sheet after months and months of playing loses the rubber feel and starts to feel more like plastic and dead. The soft top sheet allows for opening with banana flips surprisingly well, and chopping on or away off the table is far better achievement than I’ve ever done with Tenergies. It doesn’t bounce as much on low speed possibly due to being 50deg and unfortunately it requires heavy strokes to engage the hard sponge. Opposite what people have said so far I found this rubber better for flat hitting than for looping. It’s the rubber than fixed some issues I had on my backhand due to the low trajectory helping me to keep them on the table instead of arching them up until I fixed my technique. For forehand it requires a really upward motion compared to Tenergy 64. I sold a sheet to a guy who doesn’t play with spin but smashes and uses anti spin on his backhand (he twiddles). He absolutely adores it. While the loopers in our division did not like it as much, since it doesn’t bring nothing new to the table. Good for blocking, far more controllable as it doesn’t bounce on no pace balls, this helps with pushes and near the net play. It’s a bit too reactive to incoming spin unfortunately and requires active stroke and a lot of times very loose wrist depending on what blade you put it on. The top hidden gears are amazing though and you can make a Tenergy opponent tap out on counter loops one after another. That’s when the ball really starts to sink in.

 

I hope this information helps you. I don’t use this rubber anymore and I don’t plan on going back to it as I definitely prefer more looping instead of power loops and smashes. Saying that I am looking for Tenergy 64 alternative as I won’t be spending that much money for a new sheet. Unfortunately, I have not tried the MX-P yet and I have heard from local guys implying it’s also a better smashing / flat hitting rubber than a spinny looper like T05, which goes against what forums and internet says being T05 alternative.     

I'm going to be honest, when I did my testing I was not using the plastic ball which might be a complete game changer. Right now I struggle to spin these balls and I can see how the Rasant PG maybe more suitable, but anything I get for my new setup will be in 1.8mm and just roid it up a bit. So as you see I'm also very interested in this topic since MX-P has been on my list of try rubbers. That or EL-S when its finally available maybe the one. 

Makelele wrote: Which one would you guys prefer for "punch" blocking with the backhand? MX-P, Grip or PowerGrip?

MX-P and Powergrip are both good for punch blocking. Powergrip is supposed to have a harder sponge (50 vs 47.5), but PG touch feels actually a bit softer than MX-P.

I don't like Grip at all, but it has good control and grip.

Ordered a RPG to come a Donic Crest Off (which I find hardish and stiff) a few months ago as FH rubber, having read that it has a  hard sponge and a hard feel overall.  What I know is,  a hard(er) blade  surface is more suitable to engage a hard sponge and hence the combination.  Didn't like the combo, 40+ balls quite often slip.  Many will say it is the technique but I have not ever experience this on any other combo.  Didn't use it for a while then transfer it to Barwell Fleet (hardish and not stiff) - better grip but I still find it not easy to engage and a lot harder to engage than the Airoc M that is on the BH side.  I want to find a good place for the RPG as it is still very new and has good comments here.  Any suggestion for blade combination or views on where / why my previous setups  failed?   I don't want to keep trying without further insight.  Thanks.

Based on my experience using them :

Any suggestions?