Xiom Jekyll & Hyde C55.0

I have done three training sessions with this rubber, this rubber is impressive. Suitable for my level of play, enough speed, great control! It is good to pull topspin, it is good to play counter-balls and blocking is also great with this rubber! One of the best rubbers. Before that I played Nittaku Fastarc G1. My personal opinion is that Xiom Jekyll & Hyde C55.0 is even higher than Fastarc G1. The artificial intelligence AI has done a pretty decent job.

Good hybrid rubber that requires good technique. When you do the right thing, the ball quality is insane, but if you play lazy the ball just dies on the bat because of the tacky topsheet + hard rubber. It is also very spin-reactive, especially on incoming topspins you have to close your bat more or go more towards the net when hitting. It has very good control in active blocks, it's very direct and has very low throw (which sometimes makes it a bit harder to lift backspin). It feels like a hurricane 3 sometimes, but a lot faster when you go into the sponge. Because of the hardness and spin sensitivty, this rubber should be used by advanced players.

REVISED ( ... finally!) Minimally tacky rubber with a sponge hardness of 55 degrees, available exclusively in a 2.1 mm thickness. My black sheet weighs 106 g in its original packaging and 72 g uncut. ... cut to 157 x 150 mm, it subsequently weighed 48 g. (... a second black sheet weighed 47 g at 155 x 147 mm). — First tested on an XVT ZL Koto blade. (... a very fast outer ply blade; the rubber was attached using solvent-based glue!) FIRST IMPRESSION: This rubber actually plays with a great deal of control and isn't nearly as hard as one might expect given its hardness rating!!! What struck me most was that my initial topspins flew extremely deep—something that required a bit of getting used to at first. The trajectory was high, and the spin was absolutely outstanding. — I believe we have found *the* new spin monster here. ... Incredible!!! Unfortunately, returning incoming spin isn't quite as simple. It really demands excellent technique and a high level of play!!! However, the short game at the table was easier than expected! Serves and counter-spins feel fantastic with this rubber! — After all, that constitutes *active* play. ... but never play passively, and never misjudge your stroke angle—otherwise: :-((( Update: After discovering on various blades that this rubber absorbs too much of the opponent's spin, I have decided I would rather *not* play with it anymore!!!! :-/

Look, this is the most professional rubber for amateurs, it's super easy to play. You can hit flat, you can loop, you spin the ball with a flick of your wrist, you can serve whatever safely without even thinking about it, not trying hard. My knock on this rubber would be the tackiness that wears off relatively speaking quickly, but it's expected. It's also heavy, and it's going to mess the balance of your setup a lot, especially if you are going to have it for forehand and backhand because it can work for both, but trickier for backhand considering the hardness and the throw angle. Summing up I can say that this is the rubber I would recommend for all carbon blades owners who want some control, spin and variation in their game.

I've been using it on my fh for about 2 months. At the beginning, the rubber was medium tacky and very grippy. It could barely lift the ball. The sponge is very hard and dense, but the topsheet feels soft. It felt softer than the J&H Z52.5 when pressing with my fingers. This combination has a lot of advantages in my opinion. It offers great feeling and you can do slow loops without needing to engage the sponge every time, making it more forgiving compared to other very hard chinese or hybrid rubbers. Drives have medium trajectory, with a very loud clicking sound, which means it come heavily boosted. Topspins have a medium-low arc with a lot of spin and a strong kick once the ball lands on the table. It behaves very similar to H3, but much faster and longer trajectory. You need to perform full strokes and use your legs. Serves feel amazing and are loaded with spin. I can place my serves wherever I want on the table easily. Receive is also great, as you can keep the ball short, however you need to be a little aware about your angle when you push backspin serves as they can go into the net. I assume it is because of the medium-low arc, but overall, the control is amazing. FH flicks clear the net quite easily and feel really good, even without proper technique(I suck at this) or engaging the sponge. Blocks are easy to perform and have ok speed. I recommend active blocking because it absorbs a lot of energy. Durability wise, I am a bit disappointed, as the topsheet seems to be worn out already because it has huge white spots and I can see the pimples through it after only 2 months. I clean my racket after I play and I use protective films. Overall, this is a great and intuitive fh rubber for fairly advanced and fit players(you can't be lazy), with similar characteristics as Chinese rubbers, only much faster.I will give it another try because I really enjoy it. It feels very natural to play with it. The blade I am using is a Nittaku Septear Feel Inner.