Palio Hidden Dragon 40+

Tested Red and Black 2.1mm 33-35 hardness Rubber is completely non-tacky. Spin is good for a non-tacky rubber, but of course less than tacky rubbers. Sponge is softer than nearly all Asian ones, and I found it to be medium-soft. Rubber top-sheet is quite soft too. Control was OK with good dwell time given by the softer sponge, which somewhat makes up for the lack of tackiness. Due to the softer sponge (I think), I found more variation in the speed and therefore control of the shots. A bit less than harder sponge rubbers (more consistent bounce), so takes a bit of getting used to. Throw angle I found to be medium-low. A bit lower than average. Blocking was good with the springy soft sponge with plenty of bounce. Pushing and chop serves were OK for control but spin was not too heavy due to lack of tacky surface. Still quite good though. Good for attacking mid-distance fairly close (but not too close) to the cable. Lacks an extra gear to attack at pace further back from the table. Pair it with a slightly faster blade to compensate if you play mainly from that distance. Overall, it is a very good all-round attacking rubber with good speed and spin for a non-tacky rubber. Further back, it lacks little pace, but good close to the table as long as you control the bounce. Overall very good and a very good medium-soft sponge. Also very good value for money. My ratings: Speed: 8.4; Spin: 8.0; Control: 8.5 Tackiness: Completely non-tacky; Throw Angle: Medium-low Weight: Average; Sponge Hardness: Medium-soft; Gear: Few gears Durability: Average; Consistency: Occasional variations Overall: 8.3

Play nice in fast game,it can block ball easily,and make powerful strike.But doesn't work well on chopping and topspin.

out of the package it looks outstanding! the grippy topsheet with matt finish resembles esn products. the rubber is linear, spinny and consistent suitabale for advanced amateurs on budgete. control is exellent on EVERY shot. the new orange GL sponge is quite lively for chinese rubber but it is still not as bouncy as tenergy/esn sponges are. for my allround game it is clear advantage