Browsing: Playtesting

AirBlades produce genuinely unique table tennis rackets. Gone are your traditional red and black rubbers, replaced by a dazzling white background with the AirBlades logo stamped on top.

Itâ€s a design thatâ€s bound to be polarizing.

Youâ€re probably here because you lean towards loving the design, but want to know if the racketâ€s performance matches its looks.

We bought the AirBlades 3.0 racket to review, testing it thoroughly for hours of both training and matchplay.

AIRBLADES 3.0 REVIEW SUMMARY

The Airblades 3.0 is a racket designed for social / casual players. The brash white design is an acquired taste, whilst the racketâ€s slopehandle shape is a unique gimmick that restricts players to using a shakehand grip.

With moderate spin and speed capabilities, this racket does provide plenty of control to help people enjoy longer rallies.

Thereâ€s no doubt the Airblades 3.0 is a good upgrade from the cheap bats that pervade garages / homes worldwide, however it would prove limited for anyone looking to take their table tennis game to the next level at tournaments.

Perfect for: Social players looking to upgrade from their cheap rackets, looking for something unique and fun.

Benefits

Great control when returning shots.

Unique design will grab attention from any opponent.

Reasonable ability to generate spin.

Slopehandle is great for anyone who struggle when playing for extended periods.

Comes with a hard racket case.

Drawbacks

Lack of top-end speed when playing aggressive shots.

Unable to generate large amounts of spin.

Ineligible for use in tournaments due to lack of ITTF Approval.

Page Contents (Quick Links)

Toggle

Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Airblades 3.0 to casual players without a clearly defined playing style:

Design of the Airblades 3

The AirBlades racket stands out amongst a sea of rackets that all look exactly the same. The rubberâ€s bright white coloring is a jarring differentiator that some people will love, whilst others will hate.

One of the laws of table tennis is that players arenâ€t allowed to wear white (or majority-white) colored clothing. The theory being that itâ€s hard to differentiate a white ball on a white background.

Thatâ€s why itâ€s odd to see a racket designed with white rubbers. Later in this article, Iâ€ll talk about whether the color impacts your opponent, but itâ€s important to know upfront that this racket isnâ€t ITTF certified.

That means you would be unable to play with the racket in any official tournaments / competitions.

Front image of the AirBlades 3.0 Racket

The blade is made of a simple 5-ply Ayous wood structure. This is a good structure for an all-round blade, with Ayous being one of the most common types found in table tennis rackets.

However, the blade is notable because it provides the Airbladeâ€s other main point of differentiation – the handle. Itâ€s shaped in a curved ‘ergonomic†design that is intended to fit your hand better. Theyâ€ve even patented it as the ‘slopehandle†design.

As a player who has grown up playing with flared handles, this is a hugely different feel. In the hand, it feels comfortable and rests nicely in your fingers.

View of the AirBlades ‘Slopehandle’

Whilst not a problem for me, some people have reported this handle isnâ€t suitable if you have larger hands. I can definitely see this being true, although I havenâ€t been able to find a large-handed person to test it out for me!

At just 172g, this is a lightweight racket. Just like the grip, this is great for any player who struggle with their hands getting tired during long playing sessions.s

The racket is delivered in a smartly designed, protective, hard case. Itâ€s easy to zip and unzip, with the racket fitting snugly inside. Thereâ€s no doubt it provides good protective cover when storing or transporting your racket.

Packaging that comes with the AirBlades racket

Storage case that comes with the AirBlades racket

However, I normally prefer racket cases that have space for multiple rackets, or balls, scorecards etc. Thatâ€s personal preference though, and you can check out our favorite table tennis racket cases for more options.

Specifications

• Weight:172g
• Speed: Not Provided
• Spin: Not Provided
• Control: Not Provided
• Handle:Slope
• Blade: 5-ply ayous wood
• ITTF Approved:No
• Sponge Thickness:2.1mm

Summary:A great improvement on your cheap basement rackets, with a unique design that stands out from the crowd.

Playtesting the Airblades 3.0

I must admit that my expectations were quite low at the start of our testing. The fact the Airblades 3.0 isnâ€t designed like a traditional racket made me skeptical of its performance.

I wanted to be proved wrong, but the Airblades 3.0 didnâ€t quite do enough to impress me.

The ‘Slopehandleâ€

Firstly, I want to talk about the handle. I believe itâ€s trying to solve a problem that doesnâ€t exist for a vast majority of players. Itâ€s meant to make holding the racket for long periods more comfortable, but discomfort isnâ€t a common problem to solve.

During our testing, I found the handle comfortable but I didnâ€t notice any significant differences to a normal flared or anatomic handle. Unless you suffer with grip difficulties, the handle wonâ€t provide you any noticeable benefits.

The handle also limits you to playing with a shakehand grip due to the shape, so this racket isnâ€t suitable for anyone using a penhold grip variation.

White Rubbers

I already spoke about the fact these rubbers mean the Airblades 3.0 is ineligible for ITTF events. If youâ€re hoping to compete in more serious competitions with the racket, youâ€ll find plenty of tournaments wonâ€t allow it.

Practically, the bright white rubber design has very little impact on the playing experience though. I didnâ€t have any issues tracking the ball playing against the Airblades racket.

The only design advantage is that you have the words ‘deadly accurate†printed in a place your opponent will see it mid-rally. Maybe that will give you a psychological advantage. Maybe not.

Now, letâ€s get into the playing experience.

Serving & Returning

I was able to generate a moderate amount of spin when serving, giving my opponent some trouble getting their returns on the table. Itâ€s definitely not a super tacky or grippy rubber, but you can definitely produce some good serves.

Returning serves felt easy with the Airblades 3.0 as the rubber reduced the impact of my opponentâ€s spin. I was able to comfortably push serves back consistently, although I struggled more when trying to play attacking returns.

This rubber is definitely an upgrade from traditional ‘basement†rackets without being too fast or spinny for a beginner to handle. This allows beginners to develop the right technique and feeling for high-spin serves.

Driving and Looping

I felt that looping was the area where the Airblades 3.0 performed weakest. Thereâ€s a lack of speed and feeling in the racket when playing more aggressive shots, which results in quite weak loops if youâ€re playing a few steps back from the table.

For more advanced players, this is normally described as a racket not having a lot of ‘gearsâ€. That means the power you generate is directly correlated with how much power is on your shot. So, to hit a winner you need to put a lot of power into your shot.

When playing a driving shot, the Airblades still feels slow but controlled. For a beginner, this can be useful as itâ€s hard to hit over the table. Similar to playing a loop, the racket demands that you help it out and put in more power than you might expect to get the ball over the net.

Blocking & Chopping

Probably my favorite part about this racket was how it behaves on more defensive shots where speed and spin are less important.

I found it easy to block attacking shots, with many of my returns dropping short on the table and forcing my opponent into playing a push/flick instead of another loop. Without an elastic effect to handle, I was able to comfortably position blocks anywhere on the table.

Whilst this isnâ€t a ‘defensive†racket (I would suggest long pips for anyone playing The Defender style), itâ€s very comfortable to play with when chopping. I wasnâ€t able to get a huge amount of spin on my chops, but they were travelling low over the net and proving difficult for my opponent to win points against.

Overall impressions of the Airblades 3.0

My personal opinion of the Airblades 3.0 was that the racket is more style over substance.

For anyone looking to buy the Airblades racket, there are two things you should be thinking about:

1. This racket is mainly suitable for beginners / garage players who want to level up from the terrible rackets you can buy at most general sports shops.

2. You will stand out playing with this racket, with a design that is bound to attract attention whenever you get it out of the case.

I was surprised by the amount of spin, and quality, that I was able to generate with this racket. Itâ€s certainly not a bad racket.

However, I do think there are better choices on the market for anyone whoâ€s looking to take table tennis more seriously and play competitive matches.

Check Latest Price on Amazon

Find out how much the AirBlades 3.0 costs on Amazon

Alternatives to buying an Airblades 3.0

Killerspin JET400

Our favorite beginners racket, with a great balance between control, spin, and power. Even intermediate players enjoys it.

Stiga Evolution

If youâ€re still learning to master basic techniques and want a racket with incredible control, consider the Stiga Evolution.

Palio Expert 3.0

A great racket for players who already know they want to play with an aggressive, attacking style.

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

Source link

The Xiom Vega Intro is an offering specially tailored for beginning players, putting emphasis on control above everything else.

The Vega Intro aims to be the perfect rubber for players transitioning from premade to custom rackets.

We playtested the Xiom Vega Intro extensively to find out exactly how it plays.

XIOM VEGA INTRO REVIEW SUMMARY

The Xiom Vega Intro is an ESN rubber thatâ€s designed with beginners in mind. Itâ€s a grippy rubber, but not overly so. Hence, its spin levels are adequate but they donâ€t reach the standards of offensive rubbers. The upside is that the Xiom Vega Intro is more spin insensitive, which gives it lots of control when dealing with incoming spins. Speaking of control, the Xiom Vega Intro is one of the easiest rubbers to use. Its sponge is of medium hardness and itâ€s not overly bouncy. Both the speed and spin levels of the Xiom Vega Intro are medium, and thus, the Vega Intro is an extremely versatile rubber. The Vega Intro has a medium-high arc with plenty of clearance over the net. In addition to this, the moderate speed levels of the Vega Intro make it easy to clear the net but also hard to overshoot the table. The best part about this rubber is without a doubt its control, which in turn, makes it an excellent choice for a wide variety of levels and playing styles.Â

Perfect for:Beginner offensive players, all-round players, blockers, and defenders. 0-10 years of playing.

Benefits

Versatility and control.

Linearity.

Ease of use.

Stability, firmness, and consistency.

Spin insensitivity.

Superb at playing out the short game.

Great for learning techniques.

Affordable.ity, firmness, and consistency.

Drawbacks

Not as much speed or spin as ESN tensors.

Canâ€t get much quality in your shots if you donâ€t play actively.

About the Reviewer

Alvaro brings 7+ years of playing experience. He’s tested 20+ rubbers for Racket Insight and his style is The Controller.

About the Review

Blade Used: Stratus Power Wood
Rubber Thickness: MAX
Hours Tested: 10+

Page Contents (Quick Links)

Toggle

Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Xiom Vega Intro to players who want to take their table tennis skills a step further by utilizing a controllable, high-quality table tennis rubber.

Design of the Xiom Vega Intro

The Xiom Vega Intro comes in a high-quality sealed package.

Inside, we can find the rubber, covered by a protective film.

When I grabbed the rubber, I noticed that it had quite a bit of inbuilt tension, which I wasnâ€t expecting. This was an early hint of how the rubber would play.

After pressing on the rubber, I found the Xiom Vega Introâ€s hardness to be about medium. Iâ€d say its hardness is around 42.5-45 degrees ESN.

In my view, this is the optimal hardness for a rubber designed for beginners.

Some slower, control-oriented rubbers are too soft, to the point where the rubber loses stability and all the top gears. The Vega Intro is not too soft but itâ€s also not hard, making it easy to get power out of it.

The Xiom Vega Intro is slightly tacky and it has a good amount of grip.

The Vega Intro weighs in at 49 grams, which I quite like.

Iâ€d very much prefer a rubber thatâ€s designed for beginners to be on the heavy side than to be light and flimsy.

The problem with controllable rubbers is that theyâ€re often too light and soft, and thus, they have good control but itâ€s hard to generate power with them.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that the Vega Intro had:

1. Inbuilt tension.
2. The same weight as high-end rubbers such as the Tenergy 05.

The Vega Intro is about as heavy as most European rubbers like the Yasaka Rakza 7 (50 grams), the Donic Baracuda (50 grams), all of the Tenergies (49 grams), the Andro Rasanter R47 (49 grams), and the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 (49 grams).

In comparison to its siblings, the Vega Intro has the same weight as the Vega Pro (49 grams), itâ€s 1 gram heavier than the Vega X (48 grams) and itâ€s 3 grams heavier than the Vega Europe (46 grams).

Specifications

• Weight (Cut): 49g
• Speed:Medium-High
• Spin:Medium-Low
• Control: Very High
• Tackiness:Slightly Tacky
• Hardness:Medium
• ITTF Approved:Yes
• Sponge Thickness:1.8mm, 2.0mm, or MAX

Summary:Master your techniques and outwit your opponents by making use of this rubber’s superb touch and control.

Playtesting the Xiom Vega Intro

The Xiom Vega Intro, as you could tell from my 4.2 rating, was a positive surprise for me, as it ended up being exactly what Iâ€d been looking for for quite some time.

Some people recommend that beginners start with regular offensive rubbers, but offensive rubbers are too fast for beginners coming straight from premade rackets.

What they recommend to offensive beginners is to get relatively fast rubbers with ALL or ALL+ blades.

However, Iâ€m not convinced by this approach, as this would mean that beginners would have to change their blades to faster ones down the road.

Changing blades is something we donâ€t recommend, as the blade is the most important element of the racket in terms of hand feeling and consistency.

Itâ€s very important to keep your blade for years and get to know it very well, so getting offensive rubbers with blades that will need changing doesnâ€t make much sense in my opinion.

The opposite approach is to recommend “classic†rubbers, such as the Yasaka Mark V or the Butterfly Sriver with offensive blades that wonâ€t need to be changed.

The problem with this is that these rubbers are more than 50 years old, and they donâ€t work as well with the plastic ball.

The Mark V and the Butterfly Sriver simply donâ€t have that much speed, but whatâ€s problematic about these rubbers is that they donâ€t have much spin as well, which makes it hard to land topspin shots on the table or to trouble opponents with spinny attacks.

Spin is key in table tennis, and to have offensive beginners attacking with topspin from the get-go is something very important.

What I had been looking for, up until this moment, was a rubber that bridged the gap between classic rubbers that have lots of control but very little speed and spin and offensive rubbers, which have enough speed and spin but not enough control for beginners.

Iâ€m confident that the Xiom Vega Intro is the perfect option for beginners.

The Vega Intro has all the qualities a beginner could want, and they could also pair the Vega Intro with an OFF- blade, which wonâ€t need changing anytime soon.

In terms of spin, the Vega Intro has more than enough quality to trouble opponents with offensive shots such as loops, or defensive shots such as pushes or chops.

However, it doesnâ€t have as much spin as most offensive rubbers, so it also wonâ€t absorb as much incoming spin. This comes in handy when trying to receive spinny serves or blocking spinny shots, which beginners understandably have trouble with.

The speed levels of the Xiom Vega Intro are also not as high as those in offensive rubbers, but theyâ€re more than adequate for offensive play.

The Xiom Vega Intro is a whole lot faster than the Yasaka Mark V, and itâ€s around the same speed level as the Xiom Vega Europe. Itâ€s also easier to get power out of the Vega Intro than with really hard rubbers such as the Hurricane 3 NEO.

Another thing I really liked about the Vega Intro is that itâ€s not too soft.

Very soft rubbers are often relatively bouncy but have few gears. This means that they play at roughly the same speed all the time.

This makes players acquire the bad habit of not hitting the ball with acceleration. It doesnâ€t really matter whether they hit hard or not, as the rubber doesnâ€t have the “top gearsâ€.

The Xiom Vega Intro has a medium hardness, so itâ€s not bouncy and hard to control in the short game, and it also rewards hard-hit shots.

For all these reasons, the Xiom Vega Intro is the perfect stepping stone between premade rackets and offensive custom setups.

We tested the Xiom Vega Intro on both the forehand and the backhand, and it fits both sides perfectly.

Driving and looping

Driving and looping is an area of strength of the Xiom Vega Intro.

Drives are very safe and the Vega Intro has a neutral feel to it. As we mentioned before, the Vega Intro does have some inbuilt tension, but itâ€s nothing too drastic. Drives are safe and controllable, but if you start hitting the ball hard, you get more and more speed.

In terms of looping, the Vega Intro is very good. It doesnâ€t have the pace nor the spin that offensive rubbers have, but it has a lot of control while retaining adequate offensive capabilities.

Something I found with the Vega Intro is that the rubber behaves very well when you start hitting hard.

The Vega Intro doesnâ€t bottom out and itâ€s very stable, and it even produces a loud cracking sound when hitting the ball with power.

When you hit the ball slowly or with average acceleration, you get controlled attacks with medium speed, but if you hit the ball harder, you can actually get very fast and spinny shots. See for yourselves:

As you can see, the Vega Intro can pack a punch when power looping and it doesnâ€t bottom out easily because of its hardness range.

If you hit hard, you get tons of quality. If you donâ€t, then you wonâ€t get much speed or spin on the ball.

The Xiom Vega Intro is also a good looping rubber on the backhand side.

I really liked it on the backhand side because it just has so much control. The backhand wing is a lot more versatile than the forehand wing, the spectrum of shots you can play is a lot greater.

The Vega Intro is a great driving, punching, and looping rubber, among many other things. It doesnâ€t have as much speed or spin but itâ€s quite hard to miss the table with this rubber.

Hereâ€s a clip of the Vega Intro when performing backhand loops:

Backhand loops land on the table 9 times out of 10 and thatâ€s exactly what you want as a beginner, especially if you want to compete in tournaments.

Another thing I really liked about the Vega Intro is that it gives a lot of safety when opening up against backspin, and added to that, I could get lots of spin on the ball.

This is due to the sponge of the rubber. The sponge on the Vega Intro isnâ€t too bouncy and itâ€s medium/medium-soft.

Even if the topsheet doesnâ€t have as much spin, you can really feel the ball sinking into the sponge.

The Vega Intro isnâ€t bouncy at all so you get a very long dwell time with the ball. You can accelerate into the ball with confidence because you know the ball wonâ€t shoot out violently out of your racket.

The Xiom Vega Intro is a great rubber for training and for tournament play because it has tons of control.

When training, you need control to perform many rounds of each exercise, and when playing tournaments, you need a rubber that gets the ball on the table even when youâ€re nervous or you donâ€t know the venue.

As you progress in your career as a player, you will need something faster than the Vega Intro, especially if youâ€re an offensive player, but itâ€s a great rubber to get your feet wet in competitive table tennis.

Another aspect that positively surprised me about the Vega Intro was counterloops, both close and far from the table.

Counterlooping far from the table requires more effort than with a regular ESN offensive rubber, but the Vega Intro feels very controllable and stable.

I can pressure my opponent if I hit with 100% of my power, or I can hit a bit slowlier and land as many balls on the table as I want. The Vega Introâ€s dwell time really helps in this regard.

When countering close to the table, itâ€s the same story. The Vega Intro is very controllable, and if you go for it, you can hit winners off forehand counterloops.

You can either counter with a lot of acceleration to pass the opponent, or counter with medium acceleration to regain the initiative in the point and begin your own attack.

Counterloops with medium acceleration are very safe, and itâ€s a very important quality to have in a rubber for offensive beginners.

The Vega Intro is great for learning how to counterloop because of its dwell time and its control.

The counterloop is one of the hardest shots to pull off, so having a rubber that simplifies the shot is a very strong quality of the Vega Intro.

In short, the Vega Intro is a very controllable rubber. It is a great rubber for performing safe drives, loops, flat hits, open-ups, and counterloops.

Serve and receive

Serving and receiving are very good with the Xiom Vega Intro. The passive serve receive in particular is one of the greatest strengths of this rubber.

Due to the Vega Introâ€s speed levels, itâ€s very easy to keep serves short and low to the net. Itâ€s one of the best rubbers Iâ€ve ever tried in terms of control of the serve.

However, the Vega Intro gets a 3/5 on serves because you canâ€t really put that much spin on the ball.

The spin of a serve is one of the most important qualities, so even if you can control the ball well and place it where you want, you wonâ€t hurt your opponent if your serves arenâ€t as spinny.

This isnâ€t to say that the Vega Intro has little spin, but thereâ€s a noticeable difference between the Vega Intro and regular ESN rubbers, and thereâ€s also a noticeable difference between ESN rubbers and the Tenergy 05 or the Yinhe Big Dipper, for example.

Hence, the Vega Intro is below average in terms of the spin you can generate when serving.

Receiving with the Vega Intro is a dream come true. You can basically do whatever you want.

Flicking isnâ€t hard because the Vega Intro is not bouncy and it isnâ€t a hard rubber.

Touching short is effortless. Short pushes stay very short and low to the net because of the Vega Introâ€s speed levels.

Pushing long is also very good, and you can control the depth of your pushes with ease.

In addition to all this, the Vega Intro doesnâ€t absorb as much spin, so you donâ€t get as penalized if you misread the spin of a serve.

With the Tenergy 05, for example, if you read heavy backspin and the serve is only light backspin, youâ€ll probably pop the ball up quite a bit.

The Vega Intro isnâ€t nearly as reactive in terms of speed and spin, so the passive serve receive is excellent.

This quality is also very important for beginners, since most will understandably struggle when trying to receive tricky serves.

Blocking and chopping

Blocking with the Vega Intro was great.

The Vega Intro has lots of control and a good feel for blocking. I felt like I could block hard-hit loops a lot more easily than with bouncy ESN rubbers.

The downside to this is that itâ€s hard to compromise opponents with your blocks. Itâ€s quite easy to block but my blocks werenâ€t that dangerous.

However, if youâ€re a beginner, what matters most is getting your blocks on the table, and the Vega Intro works perfectly to that end.

Chopping is another strength of the Xiom Vega Intro. The Vega Introâ€s speed, control, and spin insensitivity make it a very consistent chopping rubber.

Alternatives to the Xiom Vega Intro

Overall reflections on the Xiom Vega Intro

As you can tell, I quite liked the Xiom Vega Intro.

The Xiom Vega Intro is a great option for beginners, all-rounders, and defenders because of its control. Itâ€s the ideal choice if you want to get the ball on the table consistently, be it while attacking or defending.

In addition to this, the Vega Intro is more affordable than all of the ESN rubbers, so thatâ€s another plus.

I had lots of fun in my testing of the Xiom Vega Intro and Iâ€ll start recommending it from now on to:

A)Players who are starting out, and

B) Players who value control above everything else but want to retain good offensive potential and adequate spin capabilities.

Check Latest Price at a Local Seller

Find out how much the Xiom Vega Intro costs on a localised Table Tennis store.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

Source link

The Xiom Vega Pro, released in 2009, is one of the most popular offensive rubbers available. Ever since its release, It has garnered a reputation as an excellent forehand rubber.

We bought and thoroughly playtested one sheet of this legendary rubber to find out its strengths and weaknesses more than ten years after its initial release.

Xiom have since released an updated version of the Vega Pro called the Vega X. You can also check out our Xiom Vega X review.

XIOM VEGA PRO REVIEW SUMMARY

The Xiom Vega Pro is a fast rubber, designed for offensive play. The Xiom Vega Pro has a direct, medium throw. In play, the rubber feels quite hard, and attacking shots have a very long trajectory. The Vega Pro is a linear rubber but it has quite high speed levels. The Vega Pro has all the gears, including the very top ones. The Vega Pro has nearly limitless power reserves and it doesnâ€t bottom out easily. The Xiom Vega Pro is a rubber thatâ€s best known for its speed rather than its spin. I would recommend it for intermediate and advanced offensive players on their forehand side, or advanced players who power loop on their backhand side.

Perfect for:Intermediate and advanced offensive players on the forehand side, and advanced offensive players on their backhand side. 1-15+ years of playing.

Benefits

High speed levels.

Linearity.

Superb for loop kill shots.

Good rubber for looping.

Great flat hitting, driving, and blocking rubber.

Stability, firmness, and consistency.

Price.

Good for touch play.

Drawbacks

Not as much spin as ultra-offensive rubbers.

Its long, direct throw can be unforgiving.

About the Reviewer

Alvaro brings 7+ years of playing experience. He’s tested 20+ rubbers for Racket Insight and his style is The Controller.

About the Review

Blade Used: Stratus Power Wood
Rubber Thickness: MAX
Hours Tested: 10+

Page Contents (Quick Links)

Toggle

Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Xiom Vega Pro to players who want to attack their opponents with fast, direct shots.

Design of the Xiom Vega Pro

The Xiom Vega Pro comes in a high-quality sealed package.

Inside, we can find the rubber. We bought the rubber in black to use as a forehand rubber.

If we rub our fingers across the rubber, we find that itâ€s slightly tacky and quite grippy.

One attribute I love about the Xiom Vegas is their black sponge.

This is down to personal preference, but in my opinion, they have the coolest sponge color in all of table tennis.

Speaking of the sponge, upon pressing on the rubber, we find that it offers quite a bit of resistance.

Xiom states that the sponge of the Vega Pro is 47.5 degrees, which would make it a medium-hard rubber.

In play, the Xiom Vega Pro does feel quite hard. It feels harder than other rubbers in the same hardness range such as the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 or the Yasaka Rakza Z.

The Xiom Vega Pro weighs in at 49 grams, which I think is very reasonable for a high-end, medium-hard rubber.

Other mid-hard / hard rubbers such as the Hurricane 3 NEO (53 grams), the Yasaka Rakza Z (53 grams), the Tibhar Evolution MX-P (51 grams), and even the Yasaka Rakza 7 (50 grams), all weigh more than the Xiom Vega Pro.

Specifications

• Weight (Cut): 49g
• Speed:High
• Spin:Medium-high
• Control: Medium
• Tackiness:Slightly Tacky
• Hardness: Medium-Hard
• ITTF Approved:Yes
• Sponge Thickness:1.8mm, 2.0mm, or MAX

Summary:Overwhelm your opponent with fast, direct shots using this medium-hard European rubber.

Playtesting the Xiom Vega Pro

I tried the Xiom Vega Pro mostly on my forehand side.

It plays like a quite hard, fast, direct, medium throwing rubber.

It reminds me of the Tenergy 64 without some of the more extreme characteristics of that rubber. The Vega Pro is like a slightly harder version of the Tenergy 64 with 10-20% less spin.

Driving and looping

The Xiom Vega Pro was designed to excel on these two shots: drives and loops.

Drives with this rubber are excellent because it is a fast, direct, medium-hard rubber. The rubber has great stability.

Driving with this rubber instills confidence and itâ€s a superb rubber for flat hits as well.

Loops with the Xiom Vega Pro travel with a very long arc and have more speed than spin.

In fact, when I began my testing I had to make several adjustments as I kept overshooting the table over and over.

When testing the Vega Pro, I was using the Butterfly Tenergy 05 on the forehand side of my main racket, and I can safely say that the Xiom Vega Pro has a much longer arc.

Loops travel with a lot of power, but theyâ€re also slightly unforgiving. The rubber is spinny, yes, but its speed levels are greater than its spin levels.

This effect makes it easy to overshoot the table if you donâ€t hit the ball quite right.

However, itâ€s not nearly as unforgiving as rubbers such as the Hurricane 3 NEO. Itâ€s just that itâ€s a bit more unforgiving than a regular ESN rubber like the Fastarc G-1 or the Donic Baracuda, for example.

Hereâ€s a clip demonstrating the sheer power of the Xiom Vega Pro.

The Xiom Vega Pro is also a great rubber for countering, both close to the table and away from it.

Itâ€s easy to pass opponents with counterloops because of the Vega Proâ€s speed.

Itâ€s also quite a controllable rubber when it comes to counterlooping because of its hardness level. The Vega Pro feels nice and stable.

It is medium-hard, linear, and fast. All of these characteristics make the Vega Pro ideal for counterlooping, given that it has good speed but the rubber feels perfectly safe and predictable.

In addition to all this, the Vega Pro isnâ€t as reactive to incoming spins as other spinnier rubbers.

As for counterloops away from the table, the Vega Pro has more than sufficient speed to play comfortably from longer distances.

Itâ€s a good rubber for counterlooping in general, although you have to get your racket angle right so that you donâ€t overshoot the table.

Open-ups were good. If you brush upwards on the ball, you can get spinny loops with good control. Iâ€d say the spin generated on open-ups is about average for an offensive rubber.

As you can see in the clips, the Vega Pro is much better at follow-ups than it is at open-ups.

The Vega Pro is a formidable 5th ball attack rubber. If you open up with spin and get a block back, chances are that youâ€ll finish the point on the follow-up attack.

The Vega Pro is made for direct, fast loops, so if you catch any ball higher than net height and hit forwards, youâ€re going to cause lots of trouble for your opponents.

Serve and receive

In terms of serve and receive, the Xiom Vega Pro worked as expected.

The spin generated on serves was average. I feel that with an offensive rubber such as the Vega Pro, serves need to carry heavy spin in order to set up opportunities to attack.

The Vega Pro isnâ€t a particularly good serving rubber. Itâ€s not bad, but I wish it was better. Other rubbers such as the Fastarc G-1 work a lot better in this regard.

In terms of receiving, touching short was relatively easy. Forehand flicks felt safe, stable, and powerful.

I think that the Vega Pro is one of the best rubbers for the forehand flick Iâ€ve tried. It has the perfect hardness, sufficient control, lots of speed and itâ€s not overly reactive to incoming spins.Â

Blocking and chopping

In these areas, the Xiom Vega Pro surprised me for the better, especially when it comes to blocking.

The Xiom Vega Pro is an excellent rubber for blocking because of its speed and its throw angle.

You can go for active blocks with confidence because of the Vega Proâ€s hardness range, and its speed levels and throw angle make it a very dangerous rubber to actively block and punch with.

In terms of chops, the Vega Pro performed relatively well. It is an ok rubber to chop with. You canâ€t generate that much spin but itâ€s relatively controllable and you can pull off the occasional chop with it.

If youâ€re someone who chops often, Iâ€d recommend a more controllable rubber, such as the Yinhe Mercury 2.or a spinnier rubber, such as the Butterfly Tenergy 05.

Alternatives to the Xiom Vega Pro

Overall reflections on the Xiom Vega Pro

The Xiom Vega Pro is a good offensive rubber.

It is a fast rubber with good control and enough spin for its speed levels. Its main quality is direct shots. Flat hits, hit loops, and follow-up attacks are great with the Xiom Vega Pro.

Another advantage of this rubber is its price. The Xiom Vega Pro can produce high-quality shots, and, at the moment of writing this article, itâ€s the cheapest “high-performance†ESN rubber.

The Vega Pro is a standard offensive rubber thatâ€s characterized by its high speeds and its direct throw.

Because of all this, the Vega Pro is an excellent choice for attackers who value speed over spin and donâ€t want to spend too much.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

Source link

Released in 2021, the Butterfly Tenergy 19 is the most recent addition to the Tenergy line.

Soon after its initial release, hundreds of world-class professional players, including Kanak Jha, Kirill Gerassimenko, Marcelo Aguirre, and Gustavo Tsuboi started utilizing it on either the forehand or the backhand side of their rackets.

It is advertised as the spinniest rubber in the whole Tenergy line and Butterfly states that the Tenergy 19 is faster than the Tenergy 05.

However, most reviewers agree that the Tenergy 19 is slower and more controllable than the Tenergy 05.

To clear all doubts we had about the Tenergy 19, we bought a sheet specifically for this review, testing it for 10+ hours to discover exactly how it behaves.

BUTTERFLY TENERGY 19 REVIEW SUMMARY

Launched 2 years after the introduction of the Dignics line, the Butterfly Tenergy 19 is the latest and presumably final addition to the Tenergy line. Its sponge is medium-hard and it has lots of inbuilt tension. It is a fast and spinny rubber, which combines a medium-high arc with a pronounced parabola. The strongest attributes of this rubber are its spin, its safety when looping, and its power. It excels at all kinds of loops, be it open-ups, counters close and away from the table, brushed loops, and power loops. The Tenergy 19 is known as the controllable Tenergy, and for good reason. It has a longer dwell time than all of the other Tenergies. This means that it is more controllable in shots such as open-ups, counter topspin shots, the short game, and blocking. In addition, it has a lower throw than the Tenergy 05, which makes it a more direct rubber. All of these attributes make it a superb rubber not only for rally play but also for 3rd ball attacks. The only cons of the Tenergy 19 are its steep price and its sensitivity to incoming spin.

Perfect for:Intermediate and advanced attackers on the forehand side, intermediate and advanced offensive players on the backhand side, intermediate and advanced defenders on the forehand side. 4-10+ years of playing.

Benefits

Very high speed and spin levels.

Superb for backhand exchanges.

More dwell time than the other Tenergy rubbers.

Great control and safety when looping..

Very confidence-inducing.

Great for chopping.

Excels at all kinds of loops.

Serves carry tons of spin.

Ball slippage is non-existent.

Durability.

Drawbacks

Price.

Spin sensitivity.

Unforgiving for players with timing issues or improper technique.

About the Reviewer

Alvaro brings 7+ years of playing experience. He’s tested 20+ rubbers for Racket Insight and his style is The Controller.

About the Review

Blade Used: Stratus Power Wood
Rubber Thickness: 2.1mm
Hours Tested: 10+

Page Contents (Quick Links)

Toggle

Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Tenergy 19 to players who want to attack their opponents with great speed and spin on their loops and counterloops while retaining good touch and control.

Design of the Butterfly Tenergy 19

The Butterfly Tenergy 19 comes in a high-quality sealed package.

Upon opening the package, we find the rubber. The version we ordered is a shiny black 2.1mm sheet of Tenergy 19.

The topsheet of the Tenergy 19 is extremely grippy and slightly tacky, and its sponge is an intense orange color. Its hardness is medium-hard, around 48 degrees ESN.

The Tenergy 19 incorporates two of Butterflyâ€s groundbreaking innovations: the High Tension technology and the Spring Sponge. These technologies allow for powerful, versatile offensive play.

The Tenergy 05 was first released with these two technologies in 2008. To this day, most manufacturers are still trying to recreate its playing characteristics, and they still havenâ€t been able to achieve them.

This explains the steep price of the Tenergy line. Itâ€s simply that thereâ€s nothing out there quite like these rubbers.

The difference between the 5 models of Tenergy rubbers (05, 19, 25, 64, and 80) lies in their pimple structure.

The distance between the pimples makes a huge difference. The closer the pimples are, the more contact they will have with the ball, producing a harder feel and more rotation.

The more spread apart the pimples are, the more spin insensitivity, speed, and softer feel the rubber will have.

The pimple structure of the Tenergy 19 is unlike any of the other Tenergies.

The Tenergy 19 features thinner pimples in comparison to the rest of the Tenergies, and they are allocated as densely as the ITTF equipment rules allow.

Source: Butterfly

These thinner pimples are easier to bend and depress. When the ball contacts the rubber, the pimples bend back, so the ball stays on the rubber for a fraction longer, which gives the rubber a noticeably longer dwell time.

Source: Butterfly

The Butterfly Tenergy 19 weighs in at 49 grams, a good weight for a rubber with these playing characteristics.

Similar medium-hard high-end rubbers such as the Tibhar Evolution MX-P (51 grams) and the Andro Rasanter R47 (49 grams) weigh the same or more than the Tenergy 05.

The Tenergy line is often compared with the Hurricane 3 given that professional players in Europe use Tenergy rubbers and professional players in China use Hurricane rubbers.

There is a substantial weight difference between the Tenergy 19 and the Hurricane 3 NEO (53 grams). This is one of the advantages European rubbers have over Chinese rubbers: their lower weight.

Specifications

• Weight (Cut): 49g
• Speed:High
• Spin:High
• Control: Medium
• Tackiness:Slightly Tacky
• Hardness: Medium-Hard
• ITTF Approved:Yes
• Sponge Thickness:1.7mm, 1.9mm, or 2.1mm

Summary:Best your opponents by attacking powerfully and consistently with this excellent medium-hard offensive rubber.

Playtesting the Butterfly Tenergy 19

Before analyzing the rubber, I must mention that we tested the Tenergy 19 on a Tibhar Stratus Power Wood, a balanced, all-wood OFF- blade.

The Tenergy 19 can be paired with ALC blades for extreme power and spin (most professional players favor this combination), or it can be paired with defensive blades to perform vicious chops.

Itâ€s a medium-hard, fast rubber thatâ€s known for its control relative to its speed levels. Its throw lies between that of the Tenergy 05 and the Tenergy 64.

As we previously mentioned, the Tenergy 19 has a longer dwell time than all the other Tenergies.

Because of this, it is more controllable but not as explosive as all the other offerings in the Tenergy line.

Some people say that the Tenergy 19 is a tamer version of the other Tenergies, and I can see why.

Even if itâ€s a very fast and spinny rubber, it doesnâ€t have as much of that bounce and “pop†that other Tenergies have.

As a result, playing with the Tenergy 19 feels a lot safer and more predictable, but it doesnâ€t feel as dangerous as all the other Tenergies.

The Tenergy 05 has tons of spin and explosive power. The Tenergy 64 has very high speeds.

The Tenergy 19 doesnâ€t feel like it has an “extreme†quality to it, as the other Tenergies do.

It is, in my opinion, like a hybrid between an ESN rubber like the Fastarc G-1 or the Rasanter R47 and a Tenergy 05. It feels like it sits exactly in the middle of both worlds.

It clearly has more speed and spin than most ESN rubbers but not as much as the Tenergies. The upside to this is that it has more control than the other Tenergies.

Driving and looping

The Tenergy line is made for aggressive looping. Driving with the Tenergy 19 is great and so is looping.

It delivers a lively feel in the hand, but it isnâ€t that bouncy. The rubber feels stable and firm, and not as reactive as the other Tenergies. Drives travel with a nice arc and have good speed.

The Tenergy 19 is made for looping. Loops travel with good clearance over the net and instill confidence in the player from the word go.

It doesnâ€t offer as much clearance over the net as the Tenergy 05, but its throw is still medium-high, allowing for plenty of safety in your shots.

The arc on the Tenergy 19 is longer and flatter than that of the Tenergy 05, so youâ€re a bit more likely to overshoot the table or dump the ball into the net.

However, you do have more control over your shots due to the longer dwell time it offers.

Forehand loops with the Tenergy 19 carry great speed and spin, noticeably more than conventional ESN rubbers. Loops had noticeably more speed and spin than those played with the Rasanter R47 or the Fastarc G-1.

In addition, forehand loops felt safe and stable. It doesnâ€t have as much bounce and explosive power as the other Tenergies, but the difference between them is not too drastic.

However, I donâ€t feel that the Tenergy 19 is a rubber Iâ€d choose for the forehand side of my racket.

I think that the Tenergy 05 is very controllable already when playing topspin shots. The Tenergy 05 has a higher arc and the ball doesnâ€t bounce as deep on the table.

In practice, I feel like the Tenergy 05 is at least as safe as the Tenergy 19, probably even more. It doesnâ€t have as much dwell time, but the arc is a lot better in my opinion.

When forehand looping, the Tenergy 05 produces more speed, more spin, and it is as safe as the Tenergy 19. Thatâ€s why weâ€ve given the latter 4/5 for looping.

Playing away from the table doesnâ€t require much effort and the rubber feels perfectly safe and stable. The Tenergy 19 is very consistent and reliable when hitting the ball from longer distances.

Its arc is also really good for playing from a distance. Itâ€s not too high nor too low. I find that rubbers with a medium-high arc are very good for playing away from the table and the Tenergy 19 is no exception.

Another attribute thatâ€s very satisfying about it is its “cracking†sound.

Counterlooping close to the table is one of the main strengths of the Tenergy 19 rubber. Iâ€d say that it has the upper hand when countering compared to the Tenergy 05, due to its higher control.

Open-ups were also an area of strength for the Tenergy 19.

Open-ups carried great spin and felt overall more stable than with all the other Tenergies. The Tenergy 19 doesnâ€t produce as much power, however. If you want to score a power loop against backspin, youâ€d be better off choosing the Tenergy 05.

The star of the show, however, were backhand exchanges, without a doubt.

Playing backhand exchanges with the Tenergy 19 feels amazing. It has the perfect arc. It doesnâ€t have an arc thatâ€s too high, like the Tenergy 05, nor too flat, like the Tenergy 64.

The arc on the Tenergy 64 is arguably the best in the right hands since it is the most direct.

Even though the Tenergy 19 is not as fast, itâ€s a lot more forgiving and it has much more dwell time than the Tenergy 64.

In addition, it is ideal for punch-type shots, active blocks, loops, and counterloops. It just suits the backhand wing marvelously, and thatâ€s why lots of professional players are using it on that wing.

Serve and receive

Serving and receiving are very good with the Tenergy 19.

In terms of serving, it is excellent. Serves carry noticeably more spin than your average rubber.

Iâ€d say that the Tenergy 19 is probably the best Tenergy rubber for serving. It produces as much spin as the Tenergy 05 while being less bouncy.

This makes it easy to load serves with spin while making it easier to keep them short.

Active serve receives are great with the Tenergy 19. Passive receives are just OK. Even if it isnâ€t as bouncy, itâ€s still a Tenergy, and you have to know what youâ€re doing to receive serves properly.

The Tenergy 19 is a great flicking rubber on either wing. Itâ€s a good rubber for both the backhand and the forehand flick.

It has the stability needed to perform forehand flicks confidently while it also has the spin generation and the arc needed to perform banana flicks against backspin serves. Its grip levels make it really easy to turn backspin into topspin when flicking.

Passive serve receive with the Tenergy 19 is better than with all the other Tenergies but you still have to pay close attention to what youâ€re doing, as it is a very spin-sensitive rubber.

If you slightly misjudge the spin on the ball, youâ€re going to give your opponent an easy chance to win the point.

It did help, however, that it isnâ€t as bouncy as the other Tenergies or the Tibhar Evolution MX-P, for example. It is bouncier than average, but the effect is not as extreme.

Blocking and chopping

I really liked blocking with the Tenergy 19.

It has great stability due to its hardness, and its throw is long and relatively direct. It feels stable and it has the right dwell time for blocking.

Active blocks also work very well with the Tenergy 19. You can easily add power to incoming attacks with a short motion of the wrist.

The only time when the Tenergy 19 was hard to control is when trying to block very spinny shots.

However, it is a lot easier to block with the Tenergy 19 than with all the other Tenergies.

This rubber is clearly the most controllable rubber in the series when it comes to blocking.

You might argue that the Tenergy 64 is a better blocking rubber because it is more insensitive to incoming spin, but the Tenergy 19 is a lot more controllable.

Chopping is great with the Tenergy 19.

This rubber is, again, one of the best rubbers to chop with in the Tenergy line, especially because of its control.

You get quite a bit of sink on the rubber and it also feels firm and stable enough.

It must be noted that we reviewed a 2.1mm sheet of Tenergy. Thinner variants of the Tenergy 19 would be a lot better for chopping, especially when paired with a defensive blade.

Alternatives to the Butterfly Tenergy 19

Overall reflections on the Butterfly Tenergy 19

The Tenergy 19 is a superb rubber, especially for players who are looking for top-tier performance while sacrificing as little control as possible.

This rubber has all the trademark characteristics of the Tenergy line, but itâ€s slightly toned down, allowing for greater touch and control.

I especially liked it on my backhand side. I felt that its arc, its added dwell time, and its spin made it a superb rubber for backhand exchanges, open-ups, and blocks on the backhand side.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

Source link

The Vega X is one of the newest offerings by Xiom, advertised as the “best rubber in the Vega lineâ€. According to Xiom, it is an improved redesign of the Vega Pro, which we’ve also tested.Â

We tested the Xiom Vega X for more than 20 hours to understand exactly how it plays, and therefore which players it will suit.

XIOM VEGA X REVIEW SUMMARY

The Xiom Vega X is a medium-hard, balanced, offensive table tennis rubber. The main characteristics of this rubber are its consistency and its grip levels. Its greatest strength is how confidence-inducing it is to use. In my opinion, it has the perfect arc, not too high, and not too low. Throughout my testing, I missed very few loops with it, and I could easily understand why I missed every time I did. Added to its control, the Vega X has good speed and spin levels. Itâ€s not the fastest nor the spinniest rubber out there but it has more than enough power to finish points by attacking. Added to its great playing characteristics, the Xiom Vega X has a very enticing price. I am yet to find any cons to the Vega X, which speaks for its great design.Â

Perfect for:Offensive players of all levels on either side. 1-15+ years of playing.

Benefits

Perfect balance of speed, spin, and control.

Very confidence-inducing.

Great for looping.

Very good value.

Superb at lifting underspin and countertopspins.

Easy to use, has lots of control.

Good for blocking.

Hard to bottom out.

Linear power delivery.

Ideal arc for looping and counterlooping.

Not too spin-sensitive.

Ball slippage is non-existent.

Great rubber for 3rd and 5th ball attacks.

Drawbacks

Not as fast or spinny as top-of-the-line tensor rubbers.Â

About the Reviewer

Alvaro brings 7+ years of playing experience. He’s tested 20+ rubbers for Racket Insight and his style is The Controller.

About the Review

Blade Used: Stratus Power Wood
Rubber Thickness: MAX
Hours Tested: 10+

Page Contents (Quick Links)

Toggle

Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Xiom Vega X to players who want to bring controlled speed to their game, aiming to return the ball back to their opponent in awkward and precise places.

Design of the Xiom Vega X

The Xiom Vega X comes in a high-quality, colorful sealed páckage:

Inside, we can find the rubber, covered by a protective film.

The rubber we ordered is a shiny black, MAX thickness Vega X.

If we rub our fingers across the rubber, we find that itâ€s slightly tacky and very grippy.

As common in most offensive ESN rubbers, the Vega X also has a good deal of inbuilt tension.

The Xiom Vega X weighs in at 48 grams, which is similar or lighter than other rubbers in this hardness range, such as the Rasanter R47 (49 grams), the Yasaka Rakza 7 (50 grams), the Tibhar Evolution MX-P (51 grams) and the Yasaka Rakza Z (53 grams).

Upon pressing on the topsheet, we find that the Xiom Vega X is a medium-hard rubber. It feels as hard as the Nittaku Fastarc G-1, for example.

Specifications

• Weight (Cut): 48g
• Speed:Medium
• Spin:High
• Control: High
• Tackiness:Slightly Tacky
• Hardness: Medium-Hard
• ITTF Approved:Yes
• Sponge Thickness:1.8mm, 2.0mm or MAX

Summary: Create incredible levels of confidence with this European rubber perfect for offensive players at any standard of play.

Playtesting the Xiom Vega X

We playtested the Xiom Vega X mostly on the forehand side, but judging from our tests on the backhand wing, itâ€s also an excellent choice for the backhand side.

The Xiom Vega X is very controllable for an offensive rubber. Its arc is medium to medium-high and it isnâ€t too fast.

The Vega X has all the gears. It isnâ€t too bouncy in the short game, but when you start hitting hard, you get more and more acceleration.

Itâ€s a dream to use when looping. You can really feel the ball sinking into the rubber and it has more than adequate dwell time.

You never feel that the ball shoots off the rubber violently. It is very stable and controllable, and this shows especially when counterlooping.

Something I liked about the Vega X is that it isnâ€t prone to overshooting.

With certain rubbers, especially very fast rubbers (e.g. the Tibhar MX-P), high-throwing rubbers (e.g. the Fastarc G-1), or long-throwing rubbers (e.g. the Tenergy 64), you will overshoot the table if you contact the ball slightly too thickly or slightly misread the spin on the ball.

The Xiom Vega X doesnâ€t have a particularly high or long throw and itâ€s also not too fast, giving the player a lot of confidence when looping.

I found it similar to the Rakza Z in this regard. Both rubbers have plenty of grip, lots of clearance over the net and they arenâ€t too fast, so landing loops on the table feels effortless with them.

Another thing I really liked about the Vega X was its feeling. I felt like it was stable, spinny, and controllable. It delivers a lively feeling on the hand and it produces a loud cracking sound when hitting hard.

As for speed and spin, this rubber behaves like an average European tensor rubber. It has enough speed and spin for every level of play, including advanced levels.

The Xiom Vega X is a bit more about spin than speed, in my opinion. My forehand open-ups in particular carried above-average spin.

It has around 20% less speed and spin than a Tenergy rubber but this isnâ€t necessarily a bad thing. You get more control with the Vega X and itâ€s also more spin insensitive while retaining more than adequate offensive capabilities.

Driving and looping

The Xiom Vega X is an excellent rubber for driving, looping, and flat hitting.

Drives clear the net easily and the lively feel makes it very tempting to hit harder and harder. The rubber will react to the amount of power you put in and keep adding speed to the ball.

Flat hits also work very well with the Vega X as its throw is not overly high and it has the right hardness.

The Xiom Vega X is an excellent looping rubber.

Loops travel with good power and are very consistent. I sometimes feel like I canâ€t miss the table if Iâ€m hitting at 70% speed, and the rubber puts lots of spin on the ball.

Speaking of spin, one aspect I really liked was the spin it could generate on open-ups. The Vega X is not very fast but it has tons of grip, making it an ideal rubber for opening up against backspin.

You can graze the ball upwards and get as much spin as you want out of it.

Another highlight of the Vega X was its counterlooping capabilities. Countering close to the table is just perfect.

It has the ideal throw for countering. Itâ€s not too high that you are likely to overshoot nor too low that youâ€re likely to clip the net.

In addition, it is not too spin-sensitive. However, at the same time it has more than enough grip and a long dwell time, so you can counter with lots of confidence.

When playing with the Vega X, I felt like I could play any shot I wanted and that the rubber would do the rest of the work.

The Vega X is also good when countering away from the table.

Countering away from the table requires more effort but it is a very consistent rubber, and it puts a lot of spin on the ball.

It doesnâ€t generate as much pace as the MX-P or the Tenergy 05, for example, but you can land as many balls on the table as you want.

Serve and receive

The Xiom Vega X is a great rubber for serving and receiving.

Starting with the serves, it has tons of grip and you can load serves with spin. Itâ€s also easier to keep serves short than with other faster offensive rubbers.

However, it wasnâ€t able to generate as much spin as the Tenergy 05 or the Yinhe Big Dipper, for example, and thatâ€s why it didnâ€t get 5/5 for serving. Regardless, youâ€re still able to generate enough spin to cause your opponents problems.

In terms of receiving serves, the Vega X is also a very good rubber.

Itâ€s quite easy to play out the short game and itâ€s also easy to flick the ball. Itâ€s not hard to touch short with the Vega X, in fact, itâ€s easier to play out the short game with it than with most other offensive rubbers.

Itâ€s also not as reactive to incoming spin as top-of-the-line rubbers such as the Tenergy range.

Blocking and chopping

Blocking with the Xiom Vega X is very good.

The rubber feels firm, stable and it has the perfect speed for blocking. Again, itâ€s not fast to the point you lose control but not slow to the point that your blocks arenâ€t dangerous.

In addition, it doesnâ€t have a very high throw, so blocks stay lower to the net than with other rubbers such as the Tenergy 05 or the Fastarc G-1.

Chopping with this rubber was enjoyable, if unspectacular.

The Xiom Vega X has more than enough control when chopping, even on an OFF- blade and in maximum thickness.

I think the Vega X is a good alternative for modern defenders on the forehand side.

On a slower blade, it would chop a lot better while retaining offensive potential.

Matchplay

When playing matches, the Xiom Vega X worked wonderfully.

Lots of rubbers are really good when performing practice drills. You know where the ball is going, so you can play confidently and get good-quality shots in.

However, some of these rubbers donâ€t work as well when playing matches, given that theyâ€re too slow, fast, or unforgiving.

I found that, when playing matches, I could hit the ball with a lot of quality while also having the possibility of landing several loops on the table in a row.

I really liked that I could perform brush loops and go for spin, or hit-loops and go for speed.

The Vega X is an excellent rubber for opening up, for follow-up attacks, for counter topspins, you name it. All of this is because of its high control.

Alternatives to the Xiom Vega X

Overall reflections on the Xiom Vega X

The Xiom Vega X is an excellent rubber that can be used on either side.

Itâ€s the perfect rubber for intermediate offensive players, in my opinion. Open-ups are controllable and have good spin, while loops and counterloops are very consistent.

However, beginners can also make use of the Vega X in its 2.0mm variant, and so can advanced players if they put it on a fast offensive blade.

As of writing this review, I couldnâ€t bring myself to take it off the forehand side of my main racket. I really like playing with it!

In addition, its low price makes it an even more appealing rubber for players all around the world. The playing characteristics are superb and itâ€s one of the cheapest ESN offerings in the market.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

Source link