Four recently introduced hard-sponged European rubbers.

     Just 2-3 years ago, it was rare to find European/Japanese-style rubbers with a sponge hardness greater than 47-48 degrees on the ESN scale, rendering rubbers like Tibhar Evolution MX-S or Xiom Omega V Asia as some of the hardest-sponged rubbers on the market. However, the introduction of the slower and heavier 40+ ball prompted the development of rubbers with increasingly harder sponges that allow players to impart more spin on the ball by using invoking greater physical effort, mimicking the Chinese playing style. Nowadays, many top-end rubbers have sponges that are 50-degrees or harder. In this test, I was given the opportunity to evaluate four of these recent hard-sponged rubbers, i.e., Yasaka Rakza Z Extra Hard (sponge between 52-57 degrees), Donic BlueGrip C1 and Donic BlueGrip C2 (60- and 55-degree sponges respectively), and Andro Rasanter R48 (48-degree sponge). The testing protocol is listed at the end of the article. 

Yasaka Rakza Z Extra Hard 

     Yasaka describes the Rakza Z Extra Hard as having a sticky topsheet with an exceptional grip that is combined with an extra hard power sponge, which supposedly allows players to generate high arc shots with phenomenal spin. Yasaka promises that serves and short returns are both precise and sharp and recommends this rubber for attacking players, who operate both close to the table and from half-distance.  

     The German-made Yasaka Rakza Z Extra Hard comes in a visually appealing white-and-plum-on-purple-colored cardboard wrapper, which lists information about Rakza Z rubbers on its back. The Rakza Z EH is protected by a medium-thick non-adhesive film. The topsheet is very shiny, mildly tacky, and very grippy. The pimples are faintly visible below the surface. The orange sponge is softer to the touch than I anticipated but still quite hard, with a high density of small pores. The sheet feels rather wobbly, curls quite extensively, and has a sweet rubbery smell, which are all hallmarks of factory boosting. The Rakza Z Extra Hard weighs 77 g uncut (height x width, 169 x 170 mm) and 56 g when cut to the 158 x 151 mm Tibhar Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition test blade, which places it among heavyweights like Nittaku Hurricane 3 Pro Turbo Orange (55 g), DHS Hurricane 8 (56-57 g) and Nittaku Hurricane 3 Pro Turbo Blue (59-62 g). 

 

Playing Impressions

Driving

     The Yasaka Rakza Z Extra Hard (Rakza Z EH) offers a medium-crisp feeling on FH drives, i.e., crisper than with standard Chinese rubbers like Hurricane 3, but more subdued than a rubber like Andro Hexer Powergrip that which has outright speed-glue-like feeling. The Rakza Z EH is a relatively fast rubber (mid OFF) with a moderate catapult on medium-impact shots such as FH drives. All-in-all, the rubber feels very solid on FH drives and I enjoyed excellent consistency.      

Looping

     Although the topsheet of the Rakza Z EH is grippy, I was not able to produce more than average levels of spin on FH loops against blocks. My high-level practice partner had no problems blocking my loops. The throw angle is high but the shot trajectory is considerably shorter than with a Hurricane 3 (and other Euro-style rubbers). Irrespective of the looping style employed (i.e., brushing, engaging sponge, upward pulling, wristy loops), I could not “out-topspin” my practice partner, suggesting that it is challenging to overpower opponents with this rubber through spin. However, I did enjoy excellent consistency and control of ball placement. In my hands, the Rakza Z EH worked better on FH loops against backspin. I still was not able to generate more than average spin levels, but because the rubber is relatively fast, I was able to play well-placed FH loops out of reach for my practice partner. Alternatively, I was able to effectively follow up a fast FH loop with a fast 5th ball power drive to win the point, which perhaps is the shot category that the rubber performs the best in. The relatively fast nature and high throw angle of the Rakza Z EH allows for excellent stability in FH-to-FH loop rallies from afar. 

Blocking

     The Rakza Z EH is faster and has a stronger catapult than the rubbers that I normally play with (e.g., Hurricane 3). Accordingly, I initially had some difficulty keeping passive FH blocks on the table. Perhaps somewhat counterintuitively, I found it to be more useful to counter-drive any loops, using a short sharp stroke, which produced blistering fast shots.  

Smashing

   As mentioned, the Rakza Z EH is a relatively fast rubber with strengths in the open game. Unsurprisingly, it works well on smashes to finish off points.   

Flicking

     The Rakza Z EH’s lack of tackiness means that FH flicks must be well-timed to bring the shot over the net. When timed correctly, the flicks are quite fast and will put your opponent under considerable pressure. If mistimed, the FH flicks went into the net.  

Pushing

     When brushing the ball well, I was able to produce a respectable – but not outstanding – amount of backspin on my long pushes, which gave my practice partner opportunities for attack. The relatively hard sponge, combined with the topsheet’s lack of tack, however, means that the margin for the correct execution of the pushes is narrow. As a result, I found myself often overshooting the table on long FH pushes. The Rakza Z EH works reasonably well in the short game, although my short pushes did sit up a little more than I would have liked, which is something that I attribute to the lack of tack.       

Serving

     I was able to serve short and low backspin serves with the Rakza Z EH, but spin levels were clearly lower than with prototypical tacky Chinese rubbers. Topspin/sidespin serves, while not highly spinny, are fast. The lack of a strong catapult gave me the confidence to seek out the end-lines, which in turn, rendered the serves more dangerous.  

Conclusion

     Of the four rubbers evaluated in this test, the Rakza Z EH offers the most balanced set of playing properties, as it works well close to the table (sufficient sponge compressibility for aggressive blocking, good serving characteristics) and from mid-distance (sufficiently fast to facilitate FH-loop and power loop rallies). It offers excellent grip and generates respectable, but not outstanding, amounts of spin. As such, I consider the Rakza Z EH as the safest entry for anyone wanting to make the switch from a softer-sponged to a harder-sponged European rubber.      

 

Donic BlueGrip C1 and Donic BlueGrip C2 

     Donic describes the BlueGrip C1 and BlueGrip C2 rubbers as Chinese-like rubbers with exceptionally hard, fine-pored tension sponges with enormous catapult (60-degrees and 55-degrees on the ESN scale for C1 and C2, respectively). The topsheets are described as being sticky and highly tensioned, allowing for maximal grip and rotation. Donic recommends the C1 as a “FH rubber for uncompromising topspin players looking to gain an advantage when serving and returning serves”, while C2 is recommended for “uncompromising offensive players relying on speed and spin”. Donic lists speed/spin/control ratings of 11/11++/5 and 10+/11++/6- for the C1 and C2, respectively. As a reference point, Donic rates the BlueGrip R1, BlueGrip V1, and Bluefire M1 Turbo rubbers that I previously evaluated as 10+/11/6, 10/11+/6, and 10++/10+++/6, respectively, suggesting that the C1 and C2 rubbers are both faster and spinnier.

     The Donic BlueGrip C1 and Donic BlueGrip C2 rubbers are packaged in slightly different blue-and-gold-and-red-on-black cardboard wrappers, which list rubber-specific information on their back. The inside cover lists a description of the Lifetime PLUS, Catapult PLUS, and Tension PLUS technologies that have been used in the fabrication of the C-rubbers, and which promise: i) an increase of 50% in possible playing hours, ii) a catapult effect that allows for more precision when returning balls, even from difficult positions, and iii) improved inner tension, resulting in a more pronounced speed glue feeling.  

     Both rubbers are protected by an opaque non-adhesive film and both have a prominent, sweet rubbery odor, indicative of heavy factory boosting, although neither rubber is doming. The topsheets are non-tacky and feel slightly less grippy than the Rakza Z EH. The underlying pimples are not visible underneath the matte topsheet. The blue sponge has a high density of tiny pores, which seem particularly tiny in the C1. The sponges of both rubbers are listed as being 60- and 55-degrees, respectively.  

     The uncut sheets weigh 86 g (170 mm x 170 mm) and 73 g (170 mm x 169 mm) for C1 and C2, respectively. When cut to the test blade (158x151 mm), the C1 and C2 weigh 61 g and 53 g, respectively. The C1 is, accordingly, one of the heaviest rubbers that I have tested, with only the Nittaku Hurricane 3 Pro Turbo Blue (59-62 g) being in a similar range. The C2 is surprisingly light being in a similar range as the Donic BlueGrip V1 (53 g), Donic Bluefire M1 Turbo (53 g), Tibhar Evolution MX-S (52 g), and Tibhar Evolution MX-P 50-degree (52 g). 

Playing Impressions C1

Driving

     The Donic Bluegrip C1 produces a somewhat puzzling feeling upon striking the ball. Obviously, the sponge is incredibly firm, yet at the same time the rubber is heavily boosted, producing a crisp, almost metallic feeling, that gave me flashbacks to Friendship 729 rubbers from the 1980s. FH drives are very enjoyable, offering very high stability and OFF level speed close to the table.    

Looping

     C1’s slightly peculiar feeling also manifested itself in FH loops against blocks. When using a Chinese-type brushing stroke, FH loops are fast and long but spin levels are below average, rendering it easy for my high-level practice partner to block the shots and putting me under immediate pressure. However, when using a more European-type looping stroke in which the ball is pulled more upwards and allowed to penetrate the sponge more fully, I was – occasionally - able to generate more spin, so much more, in fact, that it gave my practice partner problems with his blocks. I observed the same pattern when FH looping against backspin. Brushing strokes produced stable and fast FH loops but lacked spin. If my practice partner anticipated the placement of the loop, it became easy for him to put me under pressure on the follow-up. Conversely, softer “pulled” FH loops, were harder to control for him and gave me excellent opportunities for 5th ball loop drive or flat hit kill shots. Irrespective of the style used, it goes without saying, that proper timing is quite important given the hard sponge. If the shot is mistimed (e.g., the ball hit too thick), it careens off the table end with minimal spin. I enjoyed the C1 for FH looping since I have a fast arm pull and tend to accelerate the stroke through the ball. The trajectory is medium to medium-low but enough to clear the net with sufficient clearance. Further away from the table - in FH-to-FH loop rallies - the C1 felt surprisingly slow (mid OFF- at best) and required greater physical effort than the Yasaka Rakza Z EH or the BlueGrip C2. However, being used to playing with tacky Chinese like Hurricane 3, I did not mind this and did not feel it compromised my shot effectiveness or reliability. 

Blocking

     Unsurprisingly, considering the extreme sponge hardness and lack of topsheet spin sensitivity, passive FH blocking with the C1 is rock-solid. The C1 proved particularly effective on aggressive blocks and counter drives as it is capable of absorbing and diverting massive amounts of incoming energy into stable and deadly returns. I won many spectacular points simply by making an ultra-short snapping motion with my wrist against FH loops. This aspect is the C1’s strongest characteristic in my opinion.        

Smashing

     The C1 works well on 5th ball kill shots, smashes, and flat shots in general. It is a fast rubber – at least close to the table – resulting in unreachable shots.     

Flicking

     While the C1 worked reasonably well for me on diagonal FH flicks, producing fast and deep shots, the hard sponge and non-tacky topsheet rendered down-the-line FH flicks a little more challenging, as they require a little bit more finesse and lift over the net. Accordingly, I made more errors on the latter type of shots than, e.g., with the Rakza Z EH.     

Pushing

     I struggled to produce uniform long FH pushes against backspin serves as part of drills, due to minor timing inconsistencies. Sometimes, my pushes were unbelievably fast, low, and deep, while at other times they popped up a little bit with relatively low levels of spin. Yet, in other instances, I was able to slice the ball effectively, generating high levels of spin, rendering it difficult for my practice partner to loop against them. What this indicates to me is that only players with outstanding technique and perfect timing will be able to fully wield the C1. Consistent with its hard sponge, the C1 offers a dead feeling on short pushes, rendering it relatively easy to keep these shots low and tight. However, spin levels are nowhere near as high as with prototypical tacky Chinese rubbers like Hurricane 3. Consequently, whenever a push popped up ever so slightly due to imperfect timing, my opponent had an easy time mounting a punishing attack. 

Serving

     The C1 feels quite dead on short backspin FH pendulum serves, so much, in fact, that many of my serves were too short. Judging by my practice partner’s returns, the amount of spin on my serves was particularly high but at least it was easy to keep them short and low. I was able to execute fast and long topspin/sidespin serves with good consistency and confidence, albeit, again, the serves seemed to lack a little bit of spin. 

Conclusion

      In my opinion, the Donic BlueGrip C1 is best suited for highly skilled players who operate close to the table with a direct, less spin-oriented game style that is peppered with a strong blocking and counter-drive game. Vladimir Samsonov comes to mind as the type who would be able to extract the maximum from the C1. I quite enjoyed the C1 and would especially recommend it to anyone who wants to move from Chinese-style FH rubbers to something that is a little less physically demanding. As a final note: I was disappointed to note topsheet wear where I contact the ball when FH looping after only ~6 hours of practice; this doesn’t bode well for the C1’s longevity.

 

Playing Impressions C2

Driving

     Unsurprisingly, the Donic BlueGrip C2 shares similarities with the Donic BlueGrip C1, although the C2 is distinctly softer, and has a less metallic and boosted feeling. Thus, FH drives are slightly faster and more dynamic than with the C1, but almost as stable.    

Looping

    FH loops against blocks with the C2 are slightly spinnier than with the C1 and considerably spinnier than with the Rasanter 48. Still, my high-level practice partner had no problems controlling my FH loops, unless I used bigger, more upward and slightly curved looping strokes, which allowed the ball to contact the rubber for a longer period and produce more spin. A more useful approach, especially when FH looping against backspin, was to use shorter brushing strokes which resulted in faster, longer, and less spinny loops, that had a higher arc than with the C1. However, strategic ball placement is key to winning the point as my opponent otherwise was able to put me under pressure on the fifth ball. The C2 is noticeably faster and easier to use than the C1 in FH-to-FH loop rallies from afar, due to its softer and bouncier nature, which combined with its greater throw angle, resulted in higher consistency and required less effort than the C1. 

Blocking

     While softer and more dynamic than the C1, FH blocking with the C2 is still a lot of fun. Just like the C1, the C2 excels on aggressive blocks and counter drives when an ultra-short wristy stroke is used (think Fan Zhendong).  The ensuing shots are extraordinarily fast, resulting in spectacular direct winners. The softer nature of the sponge, as compared to C1, renders both passive and aggressive blocking a little less consistent, and necessitates a more closed bat angle.        

Smashing

     The C2 is fast enough to ensure that flat hits and smashes are converted into outright winners. Flat hits are also facilitated by the rubber’s low spin sensitivity.     

Flicking

     Similar to my observations with the C1, I struggled a little bit on FH flicks with the C2. Diagonal FH flicks were moderately fast, reasonably stable, and enabled by the slightly softer C2 sponge. However, I never managed to develop a good feel for down-the-line flicks, as the relatively hard sponge and the non-tacky topsheet compromised my confidence on these shots.     

Pushing

     The consistency of my FH pushes against backspin serves was a little better with the C2 than with the C1, which in large part was driven by a better brushing contact between the ball and topsheet. However, I still occasionally hit the ball too thick at times, and the rubber’s catapult effect on some occasions prompted the pushes to go too long. The spin levels on the pushes were only moderate, allowing my practice partner to attack them forcefully unless I played the shots very fast and deep. The C2 offers a livelier feeling on short pushes than the C1, but also led to the ball popping up a little too high unless I used a flatter stroke. 

Serving

     The C2 feels more lively than the C1 on short backspin FH serves and also imparts more spin on the ball, without never getting close to tacky rubbers like Hurricane 3. Thus, it was relatively easy for my opponents to return these serves. Topspin/sidespin serves were unremarkable: average pace and spin. 

Conclusion

     In my opinion, the Donic BlueGrip C2 will cater to a broader group of players than the C1 as it is more forgiving that offers more flexibility for its use. Thus, the C2 is suitable for playing strategies both close to the table and mid-distance. As with the C1, I noted topsheet wear after only ~5 hours of practice, which is likely to compromise long-term performance.

 

Andro Rasanter R48 

     Just like the Andro Rasanter R53 which I reviewed earlier in 2020, the Andro Rasanter R48 is constructed using a highly elastic Energy Cell sponge that promises to deliver an extremely dynamic energy transfer for more power on hard topspins and longer ball contact. Andro recommends the R48 for high to professional-level players. 

     The Andro Rasanter R48 comes in bluish-green/vibrant green cardboard wrapper with red and green text. Tech specs and information about the Energy Cell Sponge are provided on the back of the packaging. The inside of the packaging sports an attractive white-on-green design. The thin topsheet is shiny, grippy, and completely non-tacky. The pips are only very faintly visible below the surface. The signature green-colored 48-degree sponge has a high density of medium-sized pores. The rubber has a strong, sweet booster smell, but does not dome. The uncut sheet (169 mm x 169 mm) weighs 69 g. When cut to the test blade (158x151 mm), the R48 weighs 50 g, which puts in a similar range as the Andro Hexer Powergrip (51 g) and Donic BlueGrip R1 (51 g). 

Playing Impressions

Driving

     The Rasanter R48 generates the crispest feeling on FH drives of the evaluated rubbers, presumably due to the thinner topsheet and softer sponge, which allow for the underlying blade’s characteristics to shine through more clearly. The rubber feels quite responsive and fast on FH drives (low OFF level).   

Looping

     The R48 produces a prominent “click” on FH loops reminiscent of speed-glued rubbers, thus providing useful auditory feedback. The topsheet grips the ball well and helps it to be carried over the net but judging by the ease with which my practice partner was able to block my loops during warm-up, the spin levels are moderate at best. Also, I needed to use greater physical effort than normal to generate any semblance of power on my loops, which, in turn, fatigued me in the long run. Rather than trying to generate high spin levels – and just like with the other rubbers in this test - I found it more useful to play direct power drives with a reduced emphasis on spin. These shots are facilitated by the rubber’s considerable catapult effect. Along these lines, it was quite fun to play FH loop-to-loop rallies with the R48, though these shots were most effective when I used more wrist to make the ball bounce high on my opponent’s side. FH loops against backspin have a surprisingly flat trajectory. The moderate levels of spin and speed mean that ball placement is important to directly win points on third-ball attacks. The comparatively soft nature of the sponge and spin-insensitive nature of the topsheet renders it relatively easy to execute FH loops with medium-fast arm swing speeds. However, when using very fast arm swing speeds, the rubber bottoms out, leading to an incomplete transfer of power from the blade and rubber onto the ball, and an upper level of how powerful these shots can get.    

Blocking

      The R48 is a fun, albeit at times tricky rubber to block with. If you get the timing and bat angle right, the blocks are blisteringly fast and unreturnable, in part due to the sponge’s relative softness and a considerable catapult effect, In fact, aggressive blocks almost result in a bottoming out of the sponge. For the same reason, however, some blocks can go uncontrollably long, especially on passive blocks. There is no doubt in my mind that one needs to use an aggressive blocking style with this rubber.

Smashing

    Considering the rubber’s catapult effect, smashes and flat hits are not that fast. It is as if the power from the arm, hand, and blade isn’t efficiently channeled out into the ball, which again is something that I attribute to the relatively soft sponge. 

Flicking

     The R48 works reasonably well on FH flicks. The topsheet is completely without tack and doesn’t help guide the ball over the net. Proper timing is therefore important. FH flicks are facilitated by the spin-insensitive nature and moderate pace of the rubber at these swing speeds, resulting in controlled but not very dangerous shots, unless they are placed well.

Pushing

      FH pushing with the R48 is somewhat challenging. If the catapult isn’t activated (which requires soft relaxed hands), the rubber’s pace on these shots is moderate. However, if a firmer grip is used, this can lead to activation of the catapult, leading to the ball careening off the end of the table. Spin levels of long pushes are only moderate judging by my practice partner’s 3rd ball attacks, which either were successful or too long, but rarely going into the net. The R48 feels surprisingly dead and slow on short pushes and requires a more active stroke, which in turn led to the pushes to sit up, rendering it relatively easy for my practice partner to attack them. 

Serving

      The R48 feels slow on short backspin pendulum serves, with the result that an above-average number of my serves actually were too short. My practice partner did not seem to have any difficulties with my normally spinny backspin serves, once again suggesting that the spin levels with the R48 only are moderate. This impression was verified on long sidespin/topspin serves, which neither seemed very long, fast, or spinny.   

Conclusion

     I would recommend the R48 to intermediate level players who have a moderately fast arm pull, and who operate from mid-distance with an open game style without too much emphasis on spin. The crisp, almost speed-glue-like feeling of the R48 on topspins renders it a fun rubber to play with. However, players like myself who rely on high spin levels in their game will find the R48 to be underwhelming. Its softer nature may render it more useful as a BH rubber since its inherent catapult may compensate for slower swing speeds. In my opinion, the Andro Hexer Powergrip will be a better choice for the type of players that the R48 is catering to. 

 

Final Thoughts

     The four rubbers in this test shared a surprising number of fundamental characteristics: all of them are best suited for a fast and direct game style that emphasizes speed over spin. All of them are well-suited for aggressive blocking and counter-looping. None of them match the spin levels and control of tacky Chinese rubbers on loops, serves, and in the short game. There are distinct differences between the four test rubbers though. The Donic BlueGrip C1 - by far the heaviest of the bunch - offers outstanding control and capabilities in passive and aggressive blocking and the short game. The Yasaka Rakza Z Extra Hard and the Donic BlueGrip C2 are best-suited for a looping game from mid-distance and generate the most spin. The Andro Rasanter R48 is probably the easiest and most fun rubber to play with, although it is not as powerful as the others. All in all, there is something for everyone in here.  

Touch blind-test (softest to hardest): R48 < Rakza Z EH < C2 < C1

Weight (lightest to heaviest): R48 < C2 < Rakza Z EH < C1 

Speed on slow impact strokes like serves or pushes (slowest to fastest): C1 < R48 ~ C2 ~ Rakza Z EH

Speed on fast impact strokes like power-loops, active blocks, or smashes (slowest to fastest): R48 < C2 ≤ Rakza Z EH < C1 

Passive blocking (least to most compressibility): R48 < Rakza Z EH < C2 < C1

Active blocking (lowest to highest control): R48 < Rakza Z EH ~ C2 < C1 

Spin when looping with slow/medium swing speed (slowest to fastest): C1 < R48 < C2 ≤ Rakza Z EH  

Spin when looping with fast swing speed (slowest to fastest): R48 ≤ C2 ≤ Rakza EH ≤ C1 

Short game control (lowest to highest): R48 < Rakza Z EH ~ C2 < C1

Spin on serves: R48 < C2 ~ Rakza Z EH ~ C1 

 

Testing Procedure

      I tested the four rubbers as-is (i.e., no additional boosting) on a Tibhar Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition blade using Spinlord Waran 2 short pips in my BH. As always, I attached the rubbers to the blade using three layers of Revolution 3 medium viscosity glue. The set-ups weighed 175 g (R48), 182 g (Rakza Z EH), 186 g (C1), and 177 g (C2). I compared the test set-ups relative to each other and the equivalent set-up with a DHS Hurricane 3 40-degree provincial orange sponge rubber in my FH. I evaluated each of these set-ups over 3-5 sessions, playing a series of regular and match-focused drills against a high-level practice partner. Nittaku J-Top training balls were used throughout the test.

 

 

About the Reviewer

     Patrick 'Pong Professor' Hrdlicka is a table tennis enthusiast with a Ph.D. in chemistry who combines his analytical and experimental skills with his love of table tennis in order to test and review a wide range of table tennis equipment.