Joola Phenix Rubber

Nothing special about the packaging and per instructions I let it air for 48 hours before gluing it to a Killerspin 7 ply (2 carbon-titanum) CQ blade. This blade is a big favorite in the club I play.

I used Tear Mender, a water based glue available at Ace Hardware in the U.S, for gluing and it worked very well. Tear Mender dries very quickly and it is easy to put a thin, smooth layer on both the blade and rubber. I used air conditioning sealant to apply the glue. (Tear mender easily comes off the blade and rubber if necessary and you can heat the glue on the rubber to make removal easier). 

While cutting the rubber with a blade, I noticed that the sponge was crumbly which is different from the Rakza rubber and Fortissimo that I am use to. I was a bit concerned because the rubber top sheet did not seem to be quite as good as Fortissimo which is manufactured in Germany (it is not ESN). 

Bouncing a ball on the rubber it felt very good. Very similar to Fortissimo with lots of control and feeling. It did not exhibit bounciness of Rakza 7. It was also lighter than Rakza 7, again similar to Fortissimo. So I was looking forward to taking it out for a spin.

Starting out with forehand and backhand blocking I right away felt in my element again. Nice click, nice speed, lots of control and feeling. I could start placing the  ball with good power on all angles with lots of assurance. Moving further back from the table I felt the same rubber assisted speed and spin that I get with Fortissimo. My guess is that it has a medium-soft top sheet and rubber as does Fortissimo as well as some tuning. It does not have the mid-court catapult of Razka 7 but it was more linear and predictable and I maintained full control of the ball while hitting, smashing and spinning. There is not getting use to this rubber. It was made to order. 

In general, I would recommend this rubber to anyone who is looking for more spin and propulsion than the classic rubbers but wants to retain the feeling and control of the classics. I am guessing there is some tuning to the rubber but the rubber laid flat and did not show any of the classic signs of a heavily tuned rubber. It is just very well made and while not a rubber that is often mentioned, I believe like Fortissimo it deserves a look by those who are seeking the kind of rubber that I have described.

Glad to hear there is another fan out there. Excellent rubbers should be rewarded!

I have a question. Are you able to comment on the fact that the sponge was crumbly when I cut it. Couldn't cut it with a blade so I used some scissors. Is this the nature of this rubber. The reason I ask is because the other rubbers I have used did not crumble as Phenix did. Thanks for any comments. 

P.S. Enjoyed your video. We have similar playing styles. 

Hi there,

First I would like to thank you for this excellent recommendation. It really fits my style perfectly and probably saved me many, many hours and lots of money. I understand that Fortissimo may be in stock again soon but this is a rubber that I will surely keep using as long as they are making it. 

Thanks for verifying that the sponge has this crumbly attribute. It is nothing that bothers me and doesn't affect play at all. It is something I was just curious about.

Thanks again for your help. I owe you one! :-)

Rich

Based upon a recommendation from a member of this forum, I purchased my sheet from timtts.bet. They seem to have the best prices and shipping was free. They are located in Belgium. 

I wrote to Joomla USA about the crumbly nature of the sponge and they confirmed that this is the nature of the sponge because of the way it is tuned. I do not know how durable it is but it seems to be fairly durable despite the crumbly nature. Here is the reply I received, just so you are fully aware of the nature of the sponge:

Hope this helps.

On the site there are two prices. One with VAT (value added tax) and one without. Since I live in the U.S. I am paying the price without VAT. I just mentioned that because in another post there was some confusion about prices and VAT.

Yes, a good way to put it. 

If you are looking for a U.S. company, Megaspin.net has it for the manufacturer's price of $59.95. Of course, you can get it for that price directly at joolausa.com.

I haven't tried Phenix 48 but I was told it doesn't have as much spin. 

Sorry, I didn't bother weighing it before I put it on my blade. It is definitely a lighter rubber (you can check out tabletennisdb.com). 

I just sent an inquiry to their customer service, since I am also interested in this information. If I get a reply, I will post. 

Thanks for the hint. Is there a video of this technique somewhere? I cannot quite visualize it.