TableTennisRatings.com

Review of Friendship/729 Faster

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 06:28:55 -0400

This Rubber is the best china-rubber ever Produkt
With esn Sponge.
This is change his face komplett with glue.
When this Rubber will come back in Produkt, i'm the first Player and take it ever!!!!

Review of Stiga Kevtech

Sat, 09 Dec 2017 00:43:30 -0500

Nice blade. Before could be too fast, and less control, not now is very good for the ABS materials new balls

Review of Nittaku Noveliar

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 05:30:44 -0400

The Noveliar is an awesome feeling blade very much like its 7-ply Hinoki wood cousin the Nittaku Septear. It's got that magic mojo secret sauce that all Kiso Hinoki blades are known the world over for. Both sides paired with the Nittaku Fastarc S-1 the Noveliar has a high pitched crisp sound when hit hard, and a sweet hollow wood sound when hit soft. Of course an all-wood feel is irreplaceable but more speed, accuracy and power is absolutely worth it! The placement & accuracy of this blade is just unbelievable. And I suspect that the Fastarc S-1 plays a huge role in this. Smashes and loops are more powerful & they also have that elusive "pop" that happens when balls leap off the table with heavy spin! Absolutely kick-ass blade this is! Smashes, loops, chops, pushes, blocks (tremendously well!) and flicks are all so much more easier with a lighter and naturally aspirated feeling blade. The only thing I'm still getting used to is getting the same power from a heavier blade with my serves. But that's not anything that can't be solved with practice. The only thing I would wish this blade had is an updated handle design. The woods look a bit dry (nothing that a little bit of linseed oil won't fix) and the plastic logo on the face of the handle seems just a tad bit dated - both of which nevertheless give it a certain charm and character. Gone is the circular badge at the butt of the handle (which some owners have complained could be off center) and it is now replaced by the newer diamond/hexagon shaped Nittaku Made in Japan badge. The flared handle is also very comfortable. Some players complain that Nittaku makes smaller flared handles but bigger handles just become obtrusive to your wrists when you flick and do pendulum serves. Leave it up to the excellent Japanese engineering and craftsmanship here. Oh and one last thing - the Kiso Hinoki (Cypress) smells absolutely fragrant! Overall a must-have in your arsenal! What are you waiting for? Go buy one NOW! ;)

Review of Tibhar Black Carbon

Mon, 15 Dec 2014 22:51:57 -0500

Very fast for blocking and flatdriving!

Review of Xiom Vega Europe by Japsican

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 12:38:58 -0400

Best rubber for the money. This rubber is a jack of all trades. Does a lot well. Blocking is amazing, chops are good. Touch shots are easy. The rubber is very well built and durable. Looping, which is always dependant on your technique, for me is a nice tight arc that dips just beyond the net (if I want it to). Lots of spin.

But, for me, as a windshield wiper grip (seemiller variant) type player, the blocking is perfection. I cannot ephasize the blocking enough...just great.

Not overy reactive to incoming spin, but able to empart a lot of it. Serves are not as spinny as the omega versions or Tenergy, but certainly good.

The control...oh the control. This is a great all around rubber with TONS of control, and plenty of offensive snap.

Review of Nittaku Premium 3-Star balls

Sun, 31 Aug 2014 10:02:41 -0400

Undoubtedly this brand is the best in making the cellulose balls. With them
the play is consistent because the spin is very uniform. I recently bough DHS three star
balls, and in one game 3 of them became very soft in one hemisphere, so the spin were very irregular. So considering
prices, is better to pay more first but play more time (and without angry).

Review of Tibhar Evolution FX-P

Sun, 15 Dec 2013 14:23:24 -0500

A good countertype to Tenergy 05FX. For an intermediate player, it may be even an improved version of T05FX. It is more controllable/forgiving, it is better in short game (this rubber is absolutely wonderful in short game, which is not what you may expect from a soft rubber with strong catapult) and it does not tend to generate too high arc as T05FX often does and opponents like so much.
The element I like most with this rubber is counterlooping: pinpoint precise - simply amazing. And (at least, for an intermediate player) you have enough power.
Blocking is surprisingly good, although it may take some time to get used to (switching from Tenergy / Acuda / Xiom Omega and other rubbers of this type). With serve I have some mixed feelings: spin is OK, but I do not have "enough feel" with serve.
In any case, at least, great value for money.

Review of Andro Temper Tech Off-

Fri, 01 Nov 2013 15:39:19 -0400

If anybody is playing with Butterfly Timo Boll Off-, and wants just a slightly faster and a little bit harder version, this is the solution. Performs great with soft rubbers.

Review of Xiom Omega IV Elite by fr552

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:44:04 -0400

My favorite BH rubber. Excellent control, good spin. You can do everything with this rubber. A feature I especially like is the ease of counterlooping a long downspin serve. A serious topspin-oriented player may feel too long trajectory, different e.g. from Tenergy/Acuda series - therefore I doubt it could suit for many people as a FH rubber.
But the most amazing feature of this rubber is its extreme durability: I had changed four FH rubbers already while my BH Omega IV Elite is still OK, without any visible deterioration in performance.
A thing one must be careful about is when you bring this from outside during cold winter you must wait until it completely recovers, and it may take considerable time: before that it has hard feeling and no control at all. I think most rubbers have this property, but with Omega IV Elite it is most pronounced.

Review of Nittaku Narucross EX Soft

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:49:53 -0400

Excellent rubber. I used it for FH and (earlier) for BH. Feeling is quite similar to Tenergy 05FX, although it is slower. But it has much more control, more forgiving and thus very suitable for a "not top-class" player as FH rubber. Especially I like amazing control in topspins from mid-long distance. Spin is excellent. Blocking is good. It is quite tricky to return serves as it is quite bouncy in short game / chop, but nothing too critical. Serving is good: I feel I could generate more spin than with Acuda S2 but slightly less than with T05FX.
Overall, an interesting solution for a spin/control oriented player.
I would never think of switching to any other rubber if it was more durable. Unfortunately, it is the least durable rubber I had ever played with. I feel that it would be a cheaper solution to use Tenergy taking into account the rubber change rate :-(

Review of Donic Waldner Black Devil CB

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 16:39:14 -0400

It's an awesome blade, build for speed attack! my setup for this blade follows:

FH: Yasaka Mark V (max)
BH: DHS Neo Hurricane 3 (2.15mm)

Review of Tibhar Dang

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:36:22 -0400

The Tibhar Dang is a very slow and hard rubber with poor contol and is very heavy. I can't see anyone benefiting from this rubber and overall its not a great rubber. The only positive thing about this rubber is that it is very tacky and is quite easy to chop with but other than that the rubber very disappointing.

Review of Nittaku Septear

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:16:25 -0400

Nice blade, light great control. Has speed, but can be bumped up with a quick rubber.
Blade gives you room to move with the type of rubber you choose.
Like it great around blade.

Review of Dawei Inspirit Quattro

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 02:40:00 -0400

a player at the club uses this. lost to him 3-2. it's not really a fast rubber compared the higher-priced ones. but my opponent could take the first attack as he could topspin ANY ball that went beyond the table's edge. his topspins were quite slow and high-arc so it was easy for me to counter-topspin if he put the ball to my forehand. in fact, if he gave it to my backhand side, it was slow enough for me to step around to my backhand side and then counter-loop - sometimes, but not all the time. on many occasions, he would make the first loop and i would be forced to block, and all he did was sustain the attack and then win the point. it was a war of attrition, rather than winning a point with just one blow. he was using a donic epox blade (color yellow). please note that i have never used this rubber myself. i just played against it and these are my observations. now, is dawei inspirit quattro a good rubber? i would say it is . . . for its price. and besides, i can't argue against the rubber because i lost!

Review of Andro Fibercomp DEF

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:52:00 -0400

I cannot rate this blade highly enough.I have used this blade for a full season now,and I am going from strength to strength.I find it extremely light to handle and my coleagues say the same.I currently play with Stiga Destroyer (Black ox) on my back hand and Tibhar Super 40 Defense on my forehand,I am a classical medium to long defender.The blade is ideal for long pimples and the control I get is unreal.You can feel the ball on the blade whatever the stroke which is a big help in determining the strength of shot I make.I like it so much I bought two just in case one gets damaged.Hope this helps you descide.

Review of Donic Wosik Senso Carbon by tropic1

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:05:16 -0400

Wosik Senso Carbon with Acuda S2 Max on both sides and I am very impressed with the speed, control and feel. I was looking for a replacement and 2nd paddle for my Butterfly Keyshot (original). Top-spin, push, block, counter-loop, loop fast or slow this paddle does it all. I don't chop much so I can't comment. If you like head-heavy paddle set-ups then this fits the bill. My racket weighed in at 94 grams. I've tried the Waldner Ultra Senso Carbon with similar set-ups one of them had S1 and the other S2. I felt the Wosik was a tad bit slower and more control, but some websites rated it much higher than the WUSC. The WUSC makes you close the blade more when generating more speed on your stroke and when blocking, the Wosik remains more open, which is more my style.

For the price of this blade I should've gotten 2. I am now a committed Donic diehard enthusiast for life. I love my BTY Keyshot, but its very picky with different rubbers and its time for it to retire.

Review of Stiga Magna

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:09:03 -0400

Allround rubber with lot of control and spin.
I had never a better rubber on forhånd and very precise.

Review of Donic Sonex JP Gold

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:20:18 -0500

Good spin. good spin. Good for players who swing hard when executing topspins because of the low arc.

Review of Table Tennis Pioneers TTP training balls

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:41:44 -0500

I have been using those balls for practice for a very long time; I switch to 3 stars (DHS or Yasaka) just for a games. They are excellent! I see so many that comes and goes and get destroyed actually!!! The shell crack, they are to lite and so on....... This ball is sturdy, hard and last indefinitely (or almost) just not good enough for a game ;-)

Review of Stiga HyperTech CR

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:07:10 -0500

i used this blade 2 weeks ago, i use dr neubauer superblock on my bh and xiom omega 4 on my fh, it's very easy to block near the table if the opponent loops to my bh, and most of my opponent even my personal trainer admitted that my percentage bh block increased dramatically

On my fh also i found almost the same thing, it;s easier to loops comparing my donic black devil, my blade before, it's a must buy blade especially if you use longpips for bh, g luck

Review of Donic Epox Offenisv

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:39:34 -0500

This is the blade I'm looking for! Some people may say this blade is rather stiff, but I can say it's really flexible! I like the sound and the feel when the blade hits the ball.

This blade goes really well with soft or soft-medium rubbers.

Review of Butterfly Sriver G3 FX

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:40:11 -0500

Nice do it all rubber. Great spinny serves , awsome controll, easy to loop and blockning

Review of Darker Legato Point Carbon by thuhungn

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:28:32 -0500

The Darker Legato Point Carbon is faster than Darker Legato. The Darker Legato helps you to play little further from the table. I tried XIOM Vega Asian on it. The combination has excellent speed. On the other side, I had TSP Curl P-H. I could see the speed contrast from this different rubbers on both sides. The backhand is very slower while the forehand is exceptionally faster. The other rubber I liked very much on Darker Legato Point Carbon is Butterfly Tenergy 25.

When it comes to suggesting blades for aspiring and developing players, I suggest few blades like TSP Balsa Plus 3.5. I can count on the Darker Legato and Darker Legao Point Carbon blades as the best blades for such players.

Review of butterfly Chinese AL

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 04:29:52 -0500

Been using Chinese AL penhold blade for five months. Still using Xiom Vega Pro with it and I am a very satisfied user. Compared to the previous blade i had - which was rated OFF++ with the same rubber - this blade which is just rated OFF, is more reliable and allows me to initiate attack. it may be a little slower but now i can attack more often because i can hit harder with the ball still finding its target. The problem with super fast blades is that they're only good for hitting and blocking, but your serves, loops, and pushes suffer terribly. with super fast blades, you have less spin because the balls bounces off immediately. but with Chinese AL which is rated "medium fast", my balls have actually become faster and my attacks have more venom. like many members in my club who are rubber fanatics, i find myself a convert to butterfly. like two club members, fellow penholders, once said: "i will buy the very same butterfly blade i have been using if this one gets stolen or broken." they use primorac carbon and taksim (both penhold). it's expensive but well worth it. i will try butterfly rubbers soon - as they say, butterfly rubbers are best for butterfly blades.

Review of Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 02:08:38 -0500

Balance carbon with medium speed.

Review of Dawei WaveStone

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:33:10 -0400

I very happy with it..I own three of them.

Review of Tibhar Volcano

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 09:28:42 -0400

In 2.0mm you have the feeling that you could do ANYTHING to the ball therefore enchance your control over the game. LITERALLY.
However it is recommended to use medium feel blade for looping and smashing optimally, hence you could easily set how spinny or speedy your loop will be. For hitting and quick stroke with topsheet spin, you could use rigid blade such as Schlager Carbon. With softer blade, this rubber will turn your weapon into a super spinny loop machine.
As a defender, I would say that this rubber gives epic backspin in expense of a bit more sensitivity to spin (medium hardness with a tad soft feel sponge and topsheet), worth a try :D
Smashes are easy since this rubber could bottom out easily with power. Blocking is a joy.
Serves are good if you know how to use it.

Tried on blade LKT Instinct+

Review of Joola Energy Green Power

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:31:20 -0400

I have been using this for around 1 month. Using for forehand. Since I don't chop with forehand so i don't know about chop.

Review of Stiga Carbo 7.6 WRB

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 07:12:52 -0400

The pblade is good. Use it with Donic Coppa Gold-FH and Tibhar Genius+ BH..ULTIMATE experience.

Review of Butterfly Chinese Real

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 03:53:05 -0400

A VERY SATISFIED BUTTERFLY CUSTOMER
been using chinese AL for four weeks using the very same rubber so this comparison is fairly reliable. I am coming from an OFF++ carbon-balsa blade. I would rate Chinese AL "OFF", so Butterfly's speed rating of 9 is accurate. But it definitely is not medium feel. I find it medium-hard for blocks and hits, but when you loop, it feels more forgiving and - as Butterfly correctly claims -- allows the ball to stay longer on the rubber. It's slower than my previous OFF++ blade but i can play faster with it. How did this happen? With an OFF++ blade, you have to control or weaken your offense because if you attack all out, the ball will fly or hit the net. Chinese AL is slightly slower, so if you attack with all your might, the ball still stays on the table. I may have given up a little speed on my blocks and hits, but i gained a LOT of control. Craftsmanship is also typically Butterfly, excellent! The cons are that it is head-heavy and expensive at $140. But if you will use it for say 5 years, that's only $28 per year so it's not so bad. I'd probably be using this blade longer. The result is you can loop balls that are already below table level.
BUTTERFLY's description that Chinese AL is for "modern heavy topspin style of play" is accurate.

Review of Butterfly Matshuita by mark_sy111

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 07:24:30 -0400

Very good for defense and attack type of defender

Review of Butterfly Mazunov

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:02:03 -0400

More controlled,

than one would think, but shouldn`t be used before having a stable technical basis. Wonderful for blocking. Generating a lot of spin, to be so fast (with Tenergy 25). Very good handle for twiddling (straight) and also very good for playing long pips ox. The heavy weight is something I welcome (mine weighs a 100g) since i play pimples ox and found out that more weight stabilizes my chop-blocking as well as my top-spin movement and adds some extra power. So using the mazunov makes my racket weigh as much as a mid-weight blade with two inverted rubbers, but I got used to the weight so quicklx, that I can imagine it`s also great with two inverted rubbers, if you get used to it.

Review of Andro Temper Tech OFF

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:47:08 -0400

The best Blade.Speed and Control - The Ideal Looping.Perfect With Btf - Tenergy 05 fx FH and Btf Tenergy 64.

Review of Butterfly Bryce by dadsky

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 21:33:39 -0400

I have never owned/used bryce, but from a receiver's perspective it is the fastest rubber i have played against when my opponent loops from mid-distance or when he blocks from close to table

Review of Friendship/729 RITC 837 Tack Speed by dadsky

Tue, 17 May 2011 03:35:12 -0400

You can attack with this long-pip rubber especially if you hit the ball at its peak and if it is slow. passive blocking close-to-table is quite difficult but stil possible. chopping from about two to four meters away from the table is accurate in terms of directional control, but chops are not as spinny so you can't expect your opponent's shot to go straight to the net. spin-reversal is not as much as other long-pip rubbers. therefore, the spinny serves of your opponent tend to be killed and not reversed. occasionally, i use this to smash the ball when an opponent returns three or four of my smashes -- this usually confuses opponents and the ball ends up in the net or even under the table.

Review of Joola Blade Varnish by dadsky

Tue, 17 May 2011 03:23:49 -0400

this varnish really protects my blade against splintering. My joola Kool blade is almost six years old and not splintering at all when i used voc glues and speed glues. Now that i have used voc-free, water-based glue, i don't see any problems either. at first, i found the varnish quite expensive because i had to buy an entire bottle, which was more than i needed for my blade. but six years later, the bottle is still in my garage and i know i can still use it. the manufacturer claims that if the varnish dries up, i can just add water and it will be ready for use.
it's really hard for me to think of anything to say against the varnish. if i have any complaints, its the application which takes hours. I had to wait for a weekday when i wouldn't play for me to apply the varnish. but otherwise, it's ok.
would advise buyers to share the expense with other players when buying this varnish. the 100 ml bottle is definitely good for 20 blades -- more than most players would own in a lifetime!

Review of Stiga Clippa by dadsky

Tue, 17 May 2011 01:32:42 -0400

great hitting rubber close-to-table. also for returning serves. I just wonder how Liu Guoliang managed to play away from the table using this rubber -- but he did!

Review of Butterfly Tackiness Chop 2 by ziggy defender

Tue, 03 May 2011 01:08:04 -0400

Maybe the best overall inverted for choppers, that want to attack over the table. Fantastic blocking ability and very consistent chopping even when the defender's position is not the best possible. It is medium tacky but can produce incredible amount of back spin when chopping or pushing hard.

Review of Galaxy Neptune by ziggy defender

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:57:57 -0400

One of the best value for money long pips for choppers with good spin reversal and great spin variation.

Review of Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive by abyse97

Sun, 01 May 2011 04:51:51 -0400

It's a very fast blade with a lot of control

Review of Stiga Carbo Sound by dadsky

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:56:23 -0400

Quite similar to MENDO MP with a little more spin. carbo sound is supposed to be the softer version but i found it medium-hard, so the carbo must really be hard. the throw angle is low so it is difficult to topspin chops and pushes from your opponent. But flat-hitting when the ball is on the rise is very effective.

Review of Yasaka Ma Lin Carbon by AllezCho

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 01:11:12 -0400

The MLC is one of my favorite blades because it has an excellent mix of speed, control, and feeling. It is very affordable for a carbon blade, and has that old-fashioned, traditional Yasaka aesthetic style to it. Construction: Limba-Soft Wood-Carbon-Ayous-Carbon-Soft Wood-Limba. The inner layer of carbon provides the blade with backbone, that is, enough stiffness and power to satisfy an offensive-minded player's needs. However, the carbon layer is not overpowering, and the blade also retains good control, flexibility, and feeling. In this way, the MLC has some of the pros of carbon, without the cons. This blade is extremely versatile, and works well with most new generation rubbers, including Tenergy 05 (harder spring-sponge), Genius (medium-hard spring-sponge), and Boost TX (harder normal sponge). I would highly recommend this blade for offensive styles because it has an excellent blend of power and feeling. I also recommend it to intermediate-level players, since it will not hinder your game: it is not a blazingly fast blade, nor an extremely slow one. It allows you to take control of the ball and use your own skill to win the point. Overall, this is a great blade for a decent price; reviewer's choice!

Review of Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive by AllezCho

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:39:05 -0400

The YEO is a very unique, and often overlooked blade. Construction: Walnut-Spruce-Ayous-Spruce-Walnut. The outer layer is a hard wood, which gives the blade its hard feeling and trademark metal "boing" sound when a ball is bounced on the bare blade. Although the blade feels hard and is quite fast, it is also flexible and excellent for looping and drives. The blade is controllable, despite having a lot of power. Recommended rubbers: Chinese-style (like Hurricane Neo 3) and soft Tensors. Recommended to ALL offensive players looking to try a unique blade that can pack a punch; it is worth a try since it is very inexpensive. Well-crafted; reviewer's "Best Value" blade.

Review of Gambler Bullet Gold by AllezCho

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:33:11 -0400

Gambler Bullet Gold balls are a notch down from their highest quality ball, but they are still great for multi-ball and robot training. I highly recommend these if you are on a budget but require a bulk of balls for training. For about $30, you can get a gross (144) of balls. That's extremely cheap! These balls are pretty durable, and very consistent. Once in a while, you may get a bad ball (soft spots, not perfectly round, etc.). But for the low price, these occasional irregularities are expected and tolerable. Of course, they are not comparable to well-known balls like Nittaku 3-Star Premiums, but they are affordable and get the job done. When I am in need for more training balls, Gambler will be my top choice!

Review of Joola Court Red by AllezCho

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:24:21 -0400

Pros:
The specialty of this shoe is foot and ankle support. Most other TT shoes are lightweight but have weak support. I have plantar fasciitis in my right foot, and I have not felt any pain while playing with these shoes. That is really great news to me! This shoe also has a very high amount of grip, and high durability.

Cons:
The weight might be a turn-off to some, since it is on the heavier side compared to other shoe models. It is pretty comfortable, but my only issue that these shoes only go up to a max size US 12 (Euro 46), and my feet are a little too big.

Joola Court shoes are one of the best shoes designed specifically for Table Tennis that I have ever used. It was to my dismay that they were recently discontinued by Joola and replaced with a new model. When my current shoes are worn, I will definitely search for these if any are still left out there. *Warning* The diabolically high price that Joola sets for retail might be a huge turn-off. But if you find a source that sells it for a lot cheaper, don't hesitate to BUY THIS QUALITY SHOE!

Review of Stiga Boost TX by AllezCho

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:08:46 -0400

The TX is the medium-hard variant of the Stiga Boost series, rubbers designed to imitate the speed-glue effect with their tensioned sponge. The structure of this rubber is not the same formula as Tenergy and its clones. So if you are looking for an alternative to Tenergy but with the spring sponge feel, I recommend looking elsewhere. Personally, this is my favorite rubber to use on the backhand for its stability and power, but also the good mix of hardness and feel. It also has a surprisingly long life and is very durable.

Pros:
- Medium-hard sponge allows for greater versatility; lots of potential for power but lots of control for touch shots
- Very good pop/click and overall speed-glue effect
- Topsheet grip allows for effortless production of spin, but also easy reception of opponent's spin
- Medium-low throw angle, but its mechanical spin potential makes high arc looping effortless
- One of the lightest new generation rubbers

Cons:
- The topsheet begins to look dirty very quickly; the good news is that it only "looks" dirty and it plays the same as a brand new sheet. In fact, it is even more durable than most other speed-glue effect rubbers.

I don't have many negatives about this rubber. Currently, it is my top choice for my backhand. I recommend it to everyone looking for an amazing rubber that has a perfect mix of power, spin, and hardness. It's not too expensive, and it's very durable. Try it, and you won't regret it.

Review of Nittaku Hammond by AllezCho

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:47:37 -0400

The Nittaku Hammond is an older generation rubber, however, I find it a really good rubber for those who want a speed-glue feel rubber with a good amount of pop, but without too much bounciness or speed. If I would cite a good comparison, I would choose the Killerspin Fortissimo. I was quite surprised at the similarities in both the physical characteristics and the playability of both. Hammond is basically an older version of Fortissimo, but with less speed. Both have that "sheeny-glossy" topsheet and a low throw angle. Both have that nice "pop" and enough power to play away from the table and enough control to play close-to-the-table. If you ever want to upgrade from Hammond but want something similar, I would recommend the Fortissimo. I personally used Hammond on my backhand, and I think its characteristics are more suited for backhand play (i.e. blocking, punching, and looping).

Pros:
- Nice "pop" and bounce for power shots
- Retains a fair amount of control; good for blocking
- Affordable, decent price (one place that sells this rubber is Paddle Palace)
- Nice backhand rubber

Cons:
- Slick "glossy" topsheet; possibly some slight durability issues?
- Low throw

I would describe Hammond as a "stepping stone" for intermediate players moving away from control rubbers to speed-glue feel rubbers. Overall, an excellent, affordable rubber that I would recommend to intermediate players of all styles!

Review of RITC 755 by dadsky

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:25:44 -0400

chops are not spinny. a long-pips rubber suitable for attack. in fact, it is best when taking the ball at the highest point and attacking. if the ball is already below the table, you might as well chop -- result is good control but backspin isn't much.

Review of Xiom Vega Pro by dadsky

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:21:29 -0400

medium-hard sponge. medium-arc. one of the best rubbers for over the table hitting and counter-topspin. quite heavy - your blade must be light. somehow, the ball slips when you try to topsin far or medium-distance from the table. but from 1 meter away, it's very very good.

Review of Stiga Radical by dadsky

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:28:23 -0400

the product label is correct -- you have to practice much to place this rubber under your command