Nittaku doesnâ€t roll out flagships often. Genextion is their boldest since Fastarc, designed to feel calm on light touch and explosive when you accelerate.
I put 20+ hours into drills and match play with Genextion on a Nittaku Violin and a Butterfly Viscaria. The big question: does it really bridge Chinese‑style safety with European pop, or is it just a heavier G‑1 in new clothes?
This review shows exactly how Genextion behaves, where it shines, where it bites back, and which blades unlock it best.
Youâ€ll get clear takeaways on opening vs backspin, counterlooping, serve/receive, blocking, short game and durability. Plus, whether its premium price makes sense.
Nittaku Genextion Review Summary
The Nittaku Genextion is a very hard, fast, high‑arc offensive rubber built around a dual‑density sponge that feels calm on light contact and explosive when you accelerate.
Itâ€s essentially a step‑up from Fastarc G‑1 with more speed and spin, the same predictable arc, and better safety on tough balls. In play, it rewards forward acceleration and a closed angle, though if you open the face or swing upward, shots can balloon long.
Genextion excels at opening against backspin and counterlooping. Open‑ups are reliably deep and spinny thanks to the grippy topsheet and safe arc. The short game is precise despite zero tack with serves easy to load and keep short, and touch receives stay low if you close the angle.
The price sits in the premium tier, but durability and consistency help justify it.
Perfect for: Upper‑intermediate to advanced attackers who play actively, favor forward acceleration and a high arc, and want a non‑tacky rubber that still delivers to-level spin.
Benefits
Exceptionally safe, heavy open‑ups vs backspin.
Outstanding counterlooping close to and from mid‑distance.
Fantastic linear, multi‑gear response.
Easy to keep serves short and loaded.
Strong durability for a premium rubber.
Drawbacks
Demands forward acceleration and a closed angle.
Can balloon long with upward swings.
Heavy (~50g cut)
Peak speed is massively reduced on slower all‑wood blades.
About the Reviewer
David brings 20 years experience as a player, with 10 of those coaching players of all ages and standards. His style is The All-Rounder
About the Review
Blades used:Nittaku Violin (OFF wood), Butterfly Viscaria (ALC)
Rubber thickness: 2.0mm (max)
Hours tested: 20+
Test levels: Practice and match play vs. intermediate to advanced players
Page Contents (Quick Links)
Recommended Playstyles
Upper‑intermediate to advanced, active attackers who favor a high‑arc, forward‑accelerating topspin game and want a non‑tacky sheet that excels at open‑ups and counterlooping.
History & Background
Released in 2024, the Nittaku Genextion represents the company’s entry into the ultra-premium rubber market, positioned as a flagship above their established Fastarc series. It serves as a direct successor to the wildly popular Fastarc G-1, which dominated sales charts from 2019-2021.
Genextion aims to bridge the gap between Chinese tacky rubbers (high spin but demanding) and European tensors (fast but sometimes uncontrollable), offering accessible speed with controlled high-arc loops and exceptional counter-attacking.
Design of the Nittaku Genextion
Genextion’s most distinctive feature is its crimson dual-layer sponge with visible pore gradation. The topsheet is thick and non-tacky but exceptionally grippy. It won’t pick up a ball, but grabs fiercely on contact.
Cut weight is ~50g (heavy, like Dignics 05), available in 2.0mm and 1.8mm.
The topsheet thickness is notably greater than competitors like MX-P or Tenergy, contributing to the rubber’s overall weight and providing more material for the ball to sink into during contact.
V2C Dual Sponge Technology
The defining innovation is the V2C (Version 2 Carbon) dual-density sponge, immediately identifiable by its intense crimson color and visible pore gradation.
The architecture consists of two distinct layers:
- Upper layer: Softer, more porous structure with larger cell size. This layer compresses easily on light contact, providing the initial cushioning effect and longer dwell time.
- Lower layer: Denser, harder material with smaller pore structure. This base layer has high elastic potential and stores energy when compressed, releasing it explosively during acceleration.
- Transition zone: The gradation between layers isn’t abrupt but graduated, allowing progressive engagement as you increase impact force.
Nittaku claims this construction is 11% more energy-efficient than conventional single-density sponges, meaning less energy is lost to permanent deformation and more is returned to the ball.
The dual-layer approach should allow the rubber to behave differently depending on impact force – passive at low speeds, explosive at high speeds.
The sponge is factory-tensioned but doesn’t need to use traditional speed glue compounds or boosting treatments. The hardness rating of 52.5° ESN (42.5° JIS) technically places it among the hardest rubbers available, yet the dual construction makes it play softer than this number suggests.
Specifications
- Weight (Cut): ~50g
- Speed:Very High (OFF)
- Spin:Very High
- Control:High
- Tackiness:None (grippy topsheet)
- Hardness: Very Hard (52.5° ESN / 42.5° JIS)
- ITTF Approved:Yes
- Sponge Thickness:1.8mm, 2.0mm (Max)
Summary:Dual‑density, high‑arc offensive rubber that stays calm on light touch and explodes when you accelerate. A faster, spinnier step up from Fastarc G‑1.
Initial Impressions
Opening the package, the Genextion looks just like your standard European rubber, with a cream-coloured sponge.
Running fingers across the topsheet reveals zero tackiness but a noticeably grippy, slightly rough texture. Pressing the sponge feels surprisingly soft initially before meeting firm resistance.
Cut and mounted on my Nittaku Violin, the 50-gram weight is immediately noticeable. This is a heavy rubber, and the factory tension causes pronounced edge curl before glueing.
Bounce tests reveal surprisingly high reactivity. Dropping a ball from waist height produces a higher, more energetic bounce than the 52.5° hardness rating suggests.
Playtesting the Nittaku Genextion
I tested the Genextion on my Nittaku Violin (OFF wood blade) for the majority of testing, with a few additional sessions on a Viscaria to assess its performance on a faster composite setup.
The Genextion plays as a fast, high-throwing offensive rubber that demands active, aggressive play. It rewards forward acceleration and closed racket angles but can easily balloon over the table if you’re passive or stroke upward.
What sets it apart from similar hard rubbers like Dignics 05 or Rasanter R47 is its dual personality: surprisingly forgiving and controlled on touch shots, yet explosively fast when you engage it fully.
Blade Pairing Recommendations
Genextion is optimized for OFF to OFF+ composite blades (ALC, ZLC) that can help activate its hard sponge – think Viscaria, Timo Boll ALC, Hurricane Long 5, or Fan Zhendong ALC.
The rubber benefits from a blade with enough snap to fully engage the dual sponge. I found it playable on my OFF wood Violin, though the setup felt more controlled and lacked some of the pop and directness it showed on faster composites.
Nittaku themselves recommend pairing with outer-ply carbon blades for optimal performance. On slower OFF- or all-wood blades, you may find the rubber plays more conservatively with reduced peak speed, though control will be excellent. Very stiff blades should work fine, as the rubber’s dual-sponge cushioning helps moderate harshness.
Driving and Looping
Drives feel hard and clicky with a very high arc (higher than Fastarc G-1) and thereâ€s easy, built‑in pace from the catapult even when Iâ€m not swinging that hard.
Opening against backspin is straightforward because the topsheet bites and the arc gives lots of net clearance, so open‑ups dip deep reliably with spin on par with Dignics 09c or Rakza Z but a touch more forgiving.
On brush contacts, it pays you back with heavy rotation despite zero tack; on power loops, you need forward acceleration and a closed angle to really wake the sponge up. If my shot angle is too vertical or I try to crush it like I would with a Chinese tacky rubber, the arc flattens and the shot loses quality. This rubber wants you to swing through the ball.
Counterlooping is a sweet spot. Close to the table, the grip and throw make counters consistent; from mid‑distance, the trajectory stays predictable and I can land deep without forcing it. The speed‑spin‑control curve feels linear: dead and tidy at low effort, lively at medium, then very fast when you engage it.
Practically, it helps me pick up low balls and hit awkward angles, and itâ€s excellent for turning defense into offense on the counter. The main limitations are that it can balloon long if you open the angle or swing upward, and it demands active strokes. Passive looping wonâ€t unlock its top end.
Serve and Receive
Serving with Genextion feels easy to load. Despite having zero tack, the topsheetâ€s grip lets me brush hard and keep serves short. Placement is precise and spin is right up there with the best tensors.
I found depth control simple because the rubber isnâ€t overly bouncy at low impact.
On receive, touch shots are predictable. Short touches stay low, and pushing long is consistent as long as I close the angle against heavy spin. The high arc can make passive bumps pop up if I get lazy, so a firmer, slightly closed contact works best.
Flicks come off well. Backhand bananas bite reliably on thin contact whilst forehand flicks get a helpful kick from the sponge without flying long, provided I was hitting forward. Against heavy underspin, a confident brush lifts the ball cleanly.
Overall, the short game is controlled and forgiving. You donâ€t rely on stickiness and the rubber rewards active, tidy receives while punishing open angles and passive pokes.
Blocking and Chopping
Blocking feels solid and confidence‑inspiring. The hard sponge takes pace well and the topsheetâ€s grip keeps the ball on the rubber a fraction longer, so I could set the angle and place deep to the corners.
Passive blocks are fine against regular loops, but against heavy, fast topspin I got better results closing the angle and adding a short, forward punch. Active blocks are fantastic because they come off fast and stay low.
Trajectory is a touch higher than classic tensors, so when I was lazy the ball would pop up very easily. A slightly more closed face keeps blocks skidding and deep. Placement is easy without unwanted kicks off the topsheet.
Counter‑blocking/counter‑spinning is a strength. The grip lets me take the ball early and roll over the incoming spin. Short counters from the table feel very secure and produce a heavy, penetrating ball.
Chopping is serviceable in a pinch. Thereâ€s enough grip to load backspin and keep the ball low, but against big topspin I needed to chop more forward to control height. Itâ€s not a defensive sheet, yet it will bail you out when youâ€re forced back.
Alternatives to the Nittaku Genextion
Butterfly Dignics 09C
Tacky, harder-feeling hybrid with a higher spin ceiling and safer short game,
but demands more swing speed and
costs more.
Read our Dignics 09C review.
Andro Rasanter C53
Similar hard hybrid character with outstanding counterlooping close to the table, slightly flatter on soft touch and a bit less forgiving in the short game.
Read our Andro Rasanter C53 review.
Nittaku Fastarc G-1
Lower speed and a touch less spin but easier to use with a comparable arc and top-tier durability/value. Ideal if you want Genextionâ€s feel with more control.
Read our Nittaku Fastarc G-1 review.
Overall Impressions
Genextion is a hard, fast, high‑arc offensive rubber with a genuine dual personality. Itâ€s calm and controlled on light contact, then explosive when you accelerate. It feels like a next‑step Fastarc G‑1 with more speed and spin, but without losing that predictable arc and confidence on tough balls.
Its standout strengths in play were opening against backspin and counterlooping. Open‑ups are safe and heavy, and counters (especially close to the table) come off deep and penetrating thanks to the grip, throw and stable sponge. I also appreciated how reliably it let me pick up low balls and hit extreme angles without forcing the stroke.
The trade‑offs are clear though. It punishes open racket angles and upward swings by ballooning long, and if you try to crush the ball like a tacky Chinese setup the arc can flatten and the shot loses bite. It rewards forward acceleration and a closed angle.
Value‑wise, the price sits below Dignics/Tenergy, but performance is comparable. If you donâ€t need the absolute spin ceiling or tacky short‑game of Dignics 09c, Genextion gives you comparable shot quality with easier day‑to‑day handling. Itâ€s a meaningful step up over G‑1 for players ready for more speed.
Iâ€d recommend Genextion to upper‑intermediate and advanced attackers who play an active game and like a high arc, particularly if you win points with open‑ups and counters.
Pair it with an OFF composite blade to get the most from the dual sponge. If you prefer slower, passive strokes or soft all‑wood setups, youâ€ll likely be happier with Fastarc G‑1.
Check Latest Price at a Local Seller
Find out how much the Nittaku Genextion costs on a localised Table Tennis store.
David’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 12, earning his first coaching license in 2012. He’s played in national team & individual competitions, although he prefers the more relaxed nature of a local league match! After earning his umpiring qualification in England, David moved to Australia and started Racket Insight to share information about the sport he loves.
Blade: Stiga WRB Offensive Classic | Forehand: Calibra LT | Backhand: Xiom Musa
Playstyle: The All-Rounder
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