Hallmark Mirage

Bought a Mirage with 1.0mm sponge, the sponge is white coloured and is dead hard which does not bounce at all. Top sheet is hard and not flexible with some grip. Then I removed the top sheet from the sponge (which is easy to do so without leaving residuals on the top sheet), put it under UV light for a week, the grip has gone completely and the top sheet is as slick as the plastic lid of a microwave-able plastic box. Glued the sheet on a 0.5mm no-bounce sponge and attached the rubber to the FH of a Juic Exacta blade (speed=ALL), hitting and driving is excellent, ball sinks into the opponent's side quickly with almost flat throw angle, completely spin insensitive, good spin reversal against top spin, roll-lift/loop back spin ball with ease. Haven't tested blocking, but chopping is good with excellent control (depends on the blade since the sponge is thin) ps. sweet wood-hitting sound to hit with this rubber with thin sponge Overall I rate: Speed: 7/10 (depends on the sponge/blade) Control: 9/10 (depends on the sponge/blade) Spin: 0/10 (depends on the incoming spin) Spin reversal 9/10 (depends on the sponge/blade) (I have not tested the rubber with its original sponge and grip but I guess the manufacturer's setting aims at producing no spin dead ball when blocking/hitting with no/not much spin reversal) Update: Tried the Mirage (fully oxidized and very slick surface) with its factory 1.0mm sponge (indeed, it is made of EVA, the material for some shoe insole or energy absorbing floor mattress) on the forehand of a Donier defensive blade (speed is about Def+), the ball wobbled a bit and sank crazily into the opponent's side of the table when driving at close game, felt like around 80% similar to the effect of long pimp. Blocking was excellent in terms of control and disturbing effect, the EVA absorbed the power of incoming ball well, did not feel spin reversal and control was retarded by the existence of the sponge.