CJB's Rubber Ratings
Back to cjb's ProfileHere are CJB's ratings and reviews. These ratings are useful because CJB has his/her own standard and will rate and review the ping pong equipment accordingly, giving you accurate and useful ratings and reviews to aid you in your next online purchase.
Butterfly (2) 
 |
Butterfly Tenergy 05 FX
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Review of Butterfly Tenergy 05 FXAn excellent rubber for advanced players, but beginners and intermediates should choose something more forgiving if they want to play with a soft tensor (Rakza 07 Soft is a good alternative). Tenergy 05FX has monster spin, kicks like a mule, great for serving, blocks well (at least for me, though others complain), and the softness gives extra dwell and confidence compared to other Tenergies, though it still requires some time to master the soft touches. It also chops well on the right blade, especially in thinner sponges. Loops, predictably, are of the can't miss variety, and it has great gears as well. Too fast and bouncy for me personally, and the price is way too high, too, but worth the money for serious league players with good technique who get regular table time and want a (slightly!) tamer Tenergy.Jul 30, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Butterfly Tackiness Chop 2
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Review of Butterfly Tackiness Chop 2A moderately tacky rubber with a hard sponge (still the second hardest in Butterfly's catalogue), but the squashy topsheet makes it seem much softer, and it's very playable from the get-go. It doesn't generate masses of spin by itself, but it grabs the opponent's spin, especially on chops, and it's not too reactive to spin, so you can violently cut topspins without an issue. It's main purpose is obviously chopping, which is does brilliantly, and it allows heavy and short pushes as well as the ability to chop when you are close to the table (which is all but impossible to do consistently with most inverted rubbers). For the first time, too, I can now twiddle to my non-pip side and consistently butcher an inverted chop. This is not to say that the rubber has to be slow, either. If you step in and cream the ball, you will get some decent speed, at least with the 1.7mm and 1.9mm sponges. Okay, it isn't the best for loops, and the angle of the pips obviously makes it more suited to backspin, back-and-side, or side, but you do get great control on your open ups. If you want to unleash this rubber, you have to (a la Chinese sheets) activate the hard sponge with an all-out, hip-turning, wrist-snapping, airborne crunch of the ball, and the relative low speed of the rubber gives you great security when doing this. The result in the long run is still a lot of spin, because you can really let your body go. I think the people who complained about the velocity of Tackiness Chop II are used to brush looping with Tensors. There is zero catapult with this thing, and you will look foolish with anything except a complete Chinese-style stroke (i.e., weight transfer). Opening your shoulder and forward motion are the keys to unlocking the attacking potential of Tackiness Chop II, and this will enable you to enjoy its unrivalled chopping ability whilst not overly compromising your ability to play modern defence.Nov 24, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
DHS (1)
NO IMAGEUpload an Image
|
DHS Skyline 2
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Review of DHS Skyline 2I notice there's no reviews of the non-Neo version of Skyline II, so here's one for anyone interested. This rubber is a dangerous tool for the initiated, and great for the polyball era - excellent tack (which lasts longer during the game than other sticky rubbers), fantastic grip, and, thus, tremendous spin. I've held the ball upside down for more than 2 minutes with the black one, and the grip is so extreme that it stops your hand from running across it when it's clean. The rubber is linear, so it goes pretty fast or slow depending on the speed of the arm, wrist, and body. However, you need a ballistic, full-body, wrist-snapping motion to find its top gears, which many players will not have the technique, power, and/or stamina to consistently achieve. The lack of responsiveness in terms of speed at low impact gives you good short game control (though, unlike pure inverted chopping rubbers, you still need soft hands). Blocking in gameplay is not so easy, possibly due to the extreme tack and grip, but possibly also because I come from thin sponges and have to use Skyline II in 2.1mm. The same applies to flat hitting, which is very inconsistent and seems to fly all over the room. Overall, though, it's great fun - there's a break-out feeling at the contact point of high-impact shots, the sound (once broken in, which takes 6-10 hours for the non-Neo one if you don't boost) is uniquely crisp, and the crazy spin allies with the moderate speed to give you great security and really let your body go. It chops brilliantly for a 2.1mm rubber, too, and if I could get hold of a 1.8mm or 1.5mm sponge, I probably wouldn't use another rubber. Alas, the 2.1mm is too bouncy/responsive for a consistent chopping game and the throw is too high, and it's also not controllable enough for pushes compared to traditional chopping rubbers. Weight is 48g cut on a 149 × 157 blade. Quality is superb. (Incidentally, I didn't boost, but I guess it would become an absolute monster if you did.)Jun 14, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Dr. Neubauer (2)
 |
Dr. Neubauer Domination
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Review of Dr. Neubauer DominationAmazing rubber for defence and all-round game, though it is really 2 different rubbers - the 1.2mm and 1.5mm sponges are 38° hardness, and the 1.8mm and 2.1mm are 42°. I prefer the harder ones for an all-round game, though attacking is possible with the 1.5mm. Spin is wicked, especially back spin and side spin. Pushes are heavy, the control is beautiful, blocks are a dream, and personally I find attacking no problem as the 1.8mm has plenty of gears and the 1.5mm has good catapult from the softer sponge. It's durable, reliable, consistent. Get the black one if you want a tackier and slightly spinnier and slower rubber, and red if you want more pace. Highly recommended for choppers and all-round players who do not enjoy Tensors. I've even let loopers at my club use it and they enjoy the control and the spin, so don't think that if won't powerloop, though of course there are better rubbers for this style. This rubber also helped my short game considerably. It's not as heavy as suggested here, either - my 1.5mm sponge weighed 35g cut and the 1.8mm weighed (from memory) 39g. Impressive work from the Doc and his team!Dec 14, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Dr. Neubauer Dominance Spin
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Review of Dr. Neubauer Dominance SpinA very spinny rubber that is pacey but has excellent control. It's strange to see Dr Neubauer making fast tensor-like inverted rubbers, but this is a high quality and consistent sheet. It does everything well, and surprisingly (given the speed and gears) chops extremely well. Sponge hardness is 38°, uncut weight of the black one in 2.1mm is 60g, and black rubber has more than a bit of tack. I don't know what they do to it in the factory, but mine curled like a Hurricane 3 boosted with 5 layers of Falco! The rubber comes with a layer of glue already applied, too, but that peels off if you take off the rubber, and my sheet became more controllable after that, although the curvature increased to the point where it was a bit of an effort to get it stuck neatly. I can't work out whether it is a Tensor or not, but at any rate it is a rare breed of excellent control allied with high speed and insane spin. I should also note that it worked better on a flexy all-round wood blade than a stiffer one. Definitely worth a try for modern defenders and loopers, then, and, like all inverted rubbers from the good Doc, durability I'm sure will be excellent.Dec 17, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
SpinLord (2)
 |
SpinLord Marder
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Review of SpinLord MarderAn excellent inverted chopping rubber. At times, almost feels like anti-spin in its ability to absorb heavy spin, but it does make pretty decent spin on its own. However, it is significantly better at underspin than sidespin or topspin, though, surprisingly (given the soft sponge and obvious design for chopping), it does have a few gears when attacking. You can paint the corners with this thing on an all-round blade, and chop like a demon if you glue it to a defensive one. It works better in 1.0mm, 1.2mm, and 1.5mm, and please note that there are better rubbers for an all-round game in 1.8mm and 2.0mm varieties. Clearly meant for choppers and beginners, then, and remember that you need to make continual effort with this thing and put your shoulder into it on all shots, especially as it's almost totally dead whenever you try a soft touch on a slow ball. If you want more of an all-round rubber that still chops well, try Spinlord Marder II, which has a slightly harder sponge (38° instead of 35°) and plays better with 1.8mm and 2.0mm sponges.Jul 29, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 |
SpinLord Marder II
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Review of SpinLord Marder IISignificantly more lively than the original Marder, with extra gears. The topsheet is the same, I believe, but the sponge is harder (38° compared to 35°). It's a really decent and affordable all-round rubber that chops well away from the table and attacks surprisingly well. I had a 1.8mm sponge glued on my spare bat, and durability, contrary to what some other reviews said online, was actually pretty good - still had plenty of spin after a few months.Dec 13, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
TSP (1)
 |
TSP Ventus Soft
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Review of TSP Ventus SoftThis is like an Xiom Vega Euro DF - on steroids! The sponge is equally soft (not sure what it is quoted as but is as mushy as any I have felt) but it has much better gears, spin, and pace than the Vega Euro DF. It is quite a light rubber, and I've seen a few people call it (and its brothers, the Ventus Spin and Ventus Speed) as affordable Tenergy 05FXs. I wouldn't go that far, but it does have many of the same characteristics, minus the weight and durability. On the latter note, mine frayed and split at the edges very quickly and easily, and the black one had shrunk alarmingly when I peeled it off after minimal use, though that was in extreme heat of the Arab Gulf. Overall, then, this may be worth considering if you can find a sheet and want something between the Xiom Tensors and the Tenergy 05 line. It does everything well, including chops in thinner sponges, and spin as with the other TSP Ventus series is very high.Dec 15, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Xiom (2)
 |
Xiom Vega Euro DF
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Review of Xiom Vega Euro DFMy backhand rubber for 2 years (backhand dominant player), and one that I still periodically revisit. It's an odd rubber, really - in some ways forgiving, but the extreme softness makes it bouncy even with light touches so it requires some time/effort to tame. The softness also makes it liable to bottom-out on harder shots. Xiom quote it as 37.5 degrees, but to me it is noticeably softer than Tenergy 05FX (36°) and Spinlord Marder (35°) and on a par with TSP Ventus Soft (one of the softest rubbers around). The softness means it has few gears, and although the spin is pretty good, it's by no means comparable to other softish tensors. In short, then, it's a good backhand rubber for loopers and blockers, and it chops quite well once tamed, especially with the 1.8mm sponge. Also, a final point worth considering is that it plays poorly in hot/humid conditions, as another reviewed noted. I would recommend it for beginners and people who want a controlled backhand rubber as well as inverted choppers using all-round or defensive blades who occasionally want a more dynamic backhand as well as the heavy cuts.Jul 29, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 |
Xiom Musa
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Review of Xiom MusaOnly for beginners to learn the proper strokes as it is not that fast and not that spinny. Forgiveness and ease-of-use aside, it does nothing well. I'd heard it was good for chopping, but it wasn't because the spin was so low compared to other slower/deader rubbers (Marder, Tackiness Chop, etc.). A cadet at my club uses it and plays well, but I'd go as far to suggest that that is now in spite of the rubber as because of it. Spend money elsewhere. (Just to note that I love Xiom products in general, but I just can't see the point of this other than as a cheapish introductory rubber, and even then there would be better ones.)Dec 14, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
About
Founder StoryBlog
Shop
Retailers
Dictionary
Contact
© 2026 Flipspun Inc.
Formerly the Table Tennis Database
