Andro Hexer

I got this rubber in Red 1.9 mm for my forehand. It took me 2 weeks to adjust and for the rubber to break in, but it offered easier control than Tenergy 05.

Looping was very effective. Loops don’t have the catapult effect, but you gain in control like no other rubber without losing on speed.

Serves have just gone to another level with loads of spin.

My backhand has 2.1 black Tenergy 64. The difference I find is that Tenergy 64 is a bit softer.

Overall, it’s a very decent rubber to have. It has improved my game a lot.

I used this rubber for about 3 years and I love it.

I can produce very spiny serves and top spins (not as spiny as Hurricane 3 neo). It has good control and a nice speed.

I’m not a professional player, but I recommend this rubber.

I’ve been playing with this rubber for around 3 months on my forehand. It’s okay.

First of all, the edges broke almost straight away. I have difficulty generating good spin on serves. However, my topspins are very spiny and powerful. When looping away from the table, it performs very well. But sometimes, it just bounces the complete wrong way. This also happens when flat hitting or spinning up backspin.

I think you should give this rubber a chance because it’s pretty good. But I doubt it will be sufficient for any serious, top-level player.

The first thing that I noticed about this rubber is how soft the sponge is. The dwell time and control are excellent. It’s very fast when you go for the topspin kill, but regular warm-up shots are pretty slow (unlike fast rubbers where you have to hold back some power). I love blocking with this rubber. It doesn’t react much to oncoming spin and has a very low throw.

This is definitely not a beginner’s rubber. It’s hard to control with its high speed and spin ratio.

When compared to other tensors, such as Tenergy 05, the spin is just as good. The speed may be slightly slower, but the control factor is much higher with the softer sponge.

The durability and consistency make it a very desirable rubber.

I’m using the Hexer rubber and found it a very good replacement for my Butterfly G2 and G3. However, I’m stuck in my performance at the moment. It could be my frame (Tibhar Samsonov Alpha SGS) or my skill.

This rubber is king for aggressive blocks and flips above the table. It’s really fast there. I haven’t found any better. Players with short pips get utterly destroyed with this rubber. But the further I get away from the table, the harder I need to work to bring any spin in the ball. The speed is reduced as well.

I like to mix up my play, and this rubber is good to start with for an all-round attacking player. I found the durability of this rubber is not as good as the Butterfly rubbers I played with, but the price is very reasonable.

I recommend this rubber for every player with an all-round attacking playstyle. However, there comes a time when you want to try something new and improve your skill even further.

The rubber offers good spin and control. However, it is not particularly speedy.

This rubber is good for forehand (FH) and backhand (BH) strokes and is suitable for all players.

Some people say that Hurricane rubbers are more spinny than others, but the “truth” is that slow rubbers are generally more spinny than fast rubbers. However, it is difficult to find a rubber that is both speedy and spinny. Hexer is one such rubber, and it offers more spin than Tenergy while still maintaining a good level of speed.

The spin is good. However, the rubber needs a powerful blade to perform optimally. Otherwise, the speed will not be fast enough.

Hexer is very good for brush loops and blocking. I have it on TB ALC on both the forehand (FH) and backhand (BH). I changed the BH rubber from T 05FX. Overall, it is a very well-balanced rubber.

Review

Blade Used: TSP Versal Blade (Balsa with Hinoki - Hard feeling)

TSP Hexer

The Hexer provides good catapult effect and generates excellent spin. Although the Hexer’s sponge feels softer than the Tenergy 05 when pressed with fingers, it feels harder upon contact with the ball.

Control and blocking abilities are good, surpassing that of the Tenergy 05.

Looping proved challenging due to the hard feel in middle-distance play. The reviewer found themselves forced to stay close to the table and drive in the pre-peak timing.

Similar results were observed when testing the Hexer on softer blades.

For the reviewer’s playing style, the Hexer Duro may be a more suitable option.

Hexer Table Tennis Rubber Review

The Hexer rubber excels in all-around gameplay. While it offers good spin on slow strokes, its true strength lies in its exceptional spin generation on faster shots, making it ideal for aggressive play.

In addition to its offensive capabilities, the Hexer also shines in defensive situations. Its 2.1 sponge allows for effortless chopping, and its spinny loops from the distance provide an effective defense against attacking players.

Overall, I highly recommend the Hexer rubber for its versatility, durability, and outstanding control, making it a great choice for a wide range of players. While the price tag may seem substantial, the rubber’s longevity (lasting approximately 3 months with regular use) makes it a worthwhile investment.

I saw on YouTube that the sponge is the same as Donics Barracuda.

I switched from Palio Macro ERA to Hexer and initially found it disappointing. Brush loops seemed to generate less spin, and I lost some speed. However, lifting underspin balls over the net became easier, and my serves were spinnier.

Blocking was better with Hexer, but forehand (FH) pushes often landed in the net when receiving underspin serves. Loop drives were comparable, but with a lower curve for Hexer. Surprisingly, more of my loops were returned, whereas with Palio Macro ERA (PME), they often sailed long due to the heavy spin. Overall, I didn’t need to make significant adjustments to my game.

After more practice and matches, it became evident that Hexer had less spin than PME. Generating spinny loops required significantly more effort. Consequently, I downgraded my spin rating. I’ll use Hexer in the next tournament but likely revert to PME for FH.

I recently returned to PME and immediately noticed a significant improvement in spin generation for my loops. I’m now ordering a sheet of soft PME, as I preferred the softer feel of Hexer. However, the lack of spin with Hexer is a dealbreaker for me. PME seems to be a better fit for my game.

If anyone is interested, I have a cut sheet of Hexer available for purchase.

Physical Properties:

I have a 2.1mm red sheet. The sponge is medium soft, and I would estimate it to be around 42.5 on the tensor scale. It has the typical scent of Donic/Andro tensor products. The grippiness of the topsheet is impressive, exceeding even Japanese topsheets like Donic Coppa Speed. The sponge feels similar to Tenergy. The red color has a more natural appearance than Vega. I am impressed with the quality of this German rubber.

Speed:

Hexer offers decent speed for slow strokes and a superb short game. It excels in services, excels in pushes, and performs well in flicks.

However, its speed for power loops is mediocre. I had high expectations for exceptional speed, but it ultimately fell short. Compared to other rubbers like Tenergy 05, JO Gold, Donic Coppa Speed, Plasma 470, and Roxon 450, Hexer is faster only for full-body, extreme power loop kills. In my opinion, this level of play is unrealistic for basing evaluations.

Smashing with Hexer is satisfactory. It lacks the satisfying feeling of Tenergy 05 but punishes half-hearted efforts.

Spin:

For slow loops, Hexer produces good spin, approaching Tenergy 05 but not quite matching it. As Rob predicted, it slightly outperforms Roxon 450 in this aspect.

For faster loops, Hexer generates very high spin. My loops landed significantly shorter than with Donic Coppa Speed, some even landing in the net. This may be due to its slower speed.

Hexer’s spin on serves is decent but not exceptional. It offers good control, allowing for short, controlled serves that appear more spinny than they actually are.

Control:

As advertised, Hexer provides exceptional blocking ability. It is stable and less sensitive to spin than its appearance suggests.

Pushing and looping are precise, especially when aiming for the corners closest to the net.

Other Playing Properties:

Hexer has a noticeably high throw, which can be inconvenient when trying to loop consistently while keeping the ball low.

The glue feel is present and pleasant, producing a “tock” sound upon impact. However, it becomes a “pak” sound when struck softly.

Reference:

I would describe Hexer as a prepubescent Donic Coppa Speed. It has the potential but lacks the strength to compete with the top rubbers. It boasts about its spin but only marginally surpasses Roxon 450 and a new sheet of Donic Coppa Speed.

Other Comments:

Despite its different sponge appearance and “4G” labeling, Hexer is still part of Andro’s ongoing search for a suitable post-glue solution. Like the Roxon series, it excels in close-to-the-table play but lacks the explosiveness and dynamic properties of the Plasma series. In terms of control and spin, it has yet to reach its pre-glue level.

Was playing with Tenergy 05 on forehand, Tenergy 64 on backhand. This is much better rubber for FH, many better control, better away from the table, better spin. Better on BH, more control, all better game. Lasts more than Tenergy.

I switch to Hexer to have better game. I don’t use Tenergy because Hexer now best rubber for me.

I play Tenergy 25 on my backhand, so most of these comparisons are biased against Tenergy. Hexer is better than Tenergy in some areas and worse in others, but overall I believe it is superior to Tenergy due to being lighter, less expensive, and performing at a supreme level, albeit in a different style (very linear). I’m eager to try Revo-Fire.

Wow, I highly recommend this to any inverted topspin player. For months, I trained with someone double my age. After a few sessions using the Hexer in Adelaide, I started to defeat him consistently. It provides a nice low throw angle, which helps keep the opponent under constant pressure.

Best rubber I have used. The throw angle is amazingly short, and the spin it produces from nearly no effort at all is absolutely amazing. It really puts the enemy under pressure from close-to-the-net topspins.

First of all, I am Asian and was looking for a rubber that can perform the Chinese style loop instead of the European. I was told that DHS Huricane 3 was my only option, but personally, I don’t like Chinese tacky rubber. Andro Hexer is exactly the rubber that can do the job pretty well.

I gave my ratings according to the comparison with Donic F1 and JO Platin that I still have. The sponge of Andro Hexer is hard with no doubt, BUT the feeling when playing with it is soft!! The grip (on the ball) that it has is in many ways comparable to Huricane 3 and it is non-tacky (at least when compared to Copa and F1).

The only weakness it has is a slight lack of speed, but it does not matter much because it gives you a powerful topspin with a suitable throw angle required for a Chinese-style loop. Yes, it is more spinny than F1 and Copa Platin (hard). I bought this rubber in Hong Kong, and it is worth the price (about USD $35).

Looking at the sponge construction, this is Andro’s answer to Tenergy. The sponge looks very porous and is quite heavy. However, there are differences, making Hexer a good alternative for players looking for something a little less extreme.

First off, I found it to be slightly less grippy than Tenergy. Thus, less easy spin is available, but it reacts less to incoming spin as well. This makes it much easier for service returns and the short game in general, great for flips. It also has a much lower throw, so it performs in a more “traditional” way. And it feels nice and controlled at low-medium pace.

However, it really wakes up on hard hits, giving some serious pace. I suppose this makes it a little non-linear, but with a bit of adjustment, it becomes a real advantage. I found it a little tough at first to lift backspin from over the table, but that was just a case of getting used to the low throw (I was coming from Tenergy 05).

So, all-in-all, a real alternative to T05 for players who find it a bit over the top at times. I don’t know how durable the rubber is yet, though - hopefully better than tensors…