Butterfly Tenergy 05 Hard

Review:

At the moment, I’m using Tenergy 2.1 red on my backhand. I started on the forehand side, but I had to switch to Rakza 7 due to unsuitability for my backhand.

This particular rubber excels in mid-table or far-from-the-table plays on the forehand. It offers a noticeable grip on the ball, allowing you to leverage your power into the shots. With its medium-high throw angle, placing shots is relatively effortless. On my backhand, I can drive and flick with ease.

However, at close range, this rubber becomes more challenging to use. Chops tend to bounce off easily, and with a less aggressive touch, you may not feel the ball, leading to dead drops. This demands a high level of adjustment, which I wouldn’t advise for beginner or intermediate players.

If you’re an aggressive player who favors speedy attacks, this rubber will fulfill your dream. My playstyle leans more towards all-rounder/counterattack/off, where I appreciate control in close-range gameplay but crave speed for powerful shots in the mid to long-range.

Used this with 2 layers of booster. The arc is low, much nicer than the regular T05. However, it’s not forgiving at all. Far more loops go into the net. You have to be skilled to use this rubber. It does everything the T05 does well, but with more mistakes. I will go back to the regular T05 to get more consistency.

I’m impressed at how I adjusted to this fantastic rubber on my forehand, which has a 2.1mm sponge thickness. I must make it clear that T05H is definitely an attacking rubber and not suitable for beginners or low intermediates.

T05H has a medium throw line with great speed, so it makes it harder for the opponent to reach the ball and counter your shot. I use it on my forehand with D09c on backhand on a Harimoto Innerforce ZLC. It’s great on my short game and really forgiving on loops, topspin, and backspin alike. I highly recommend it and for first-time readers, I advise you to ignore all the hate and disapproval comments—this rubber is overpowered.

Update: My spare racket: I’m using it on the backhand on Donic Ovtcharov Senso (7-ply all wood). It’s very slow but provides a great feel on drives and loops.

Wow, what an improvement to my forehand! This rubber is easy to spin with and create counter-spin with, all while being very effortless to use. It is quite expensive, but its durability seems to be good, so it may be worth the money. This has become my favorite rubber for forehand.

Fast & Hard Rubber,

Simply Spin, a little above T5, this rubber is not for the beginner level.

Hey guys,
Usually, I don’t review any materials I’ve been trying, but Tenergy Hard changed my mind (playing it on FH). After being unsure if it suited my play, I didn’t hesitate to give it a go, and I’m not disappointed. I guess it’s very important that if you play with this rubber, you need a proper FH stroke and good legs. If you don’t have this, don’t try it; you will be making many unforced mistakes. Also, I think it’s very important for reviews that people know which level you are playing. I stopped table tennis for 12 years before I was playing in the Bavarian national squad, and in my youth, I played German championships. So I would say that I have a good technique and good legs.

As I said, I hadn’t played for 12 years, so I’m coming from the speed glue area. In the beginning, it was very difficult to find the right setup. I always had the memory that I usually kill more points with my forehand, and now, thanks to Tenergy Hard, it is happening again. My opponents make much more mistakes when I am playing with Tenergy Hard. The low throw angle makes it very difficult for your opponents. Countertopspin is so “easy” with this rubber because of its hardness. Returning serves short is a pleasure. The rubber isn’t affected by spin as much as Tenergy 05, for example. Blocking requires you to be more active, but you will get used to it.

Conclusion:
The best rubber I’ve tried so far. The rubber tells you immediately if you are out of position or if your stroke was too weak. I personally think it helps you to develop a proper technique. In China, for example, even kids start with super hard rubbers on forehand. I think we do this wrong in Europe. A soft rubber is very forgiving but will not show you the consequences of wrong standing or technique. If you want to get better and have enough time for training, you should try this rubber.

Very good forehand rubber (my style: attack close to table). My top spins are loaded with many gears. My opponent has problems to return it. It is easier to handle than Tenergy 05 but needs more physical effort. It’s one of my top five rubbers. It’s expensive, but it’s worth it!

The table tennis rubber is pretty good. The performance is impressive. The grip is amazing and the spin is great. It is also durable. Overall, it is a good choice for players of all levels.

Right now I am using Tenergy 05 Hard black 2.1mm on my forehand. I cannot agree that it has low control. It is definitely an attacking rubber, and choppers nor all-round players will use it. So, I will comment about its control when attacking with loops.

Coming from regular Tenergy 05 (on forehand), 05 Hard is an improvement in almost all aspects. Looping is more controlled but there is a difference, regular 05 produces a high arc while 05 Hard a much lower arc, making the ball travel faster and near the net, which gives less time to your opponent to react. That said, looping with it is like magic, the ball goes exactly where you aimed at and it is also easier to control the depth. Every ball seems to land in the table, mistakes at the end line are reduced.

That famous slogan “power without control is nothing” is very true, but control without power is useless in modern table tennis. A lot of rubbers, specially ESN ones, allow me to control the game with loops but if there is not enough power I will not win against more experienced players. And with most of those rubbers, trying that extra effort to kill the point lead to an increase of errors. This is where T05 hard has an edge, you can kill the points with less effort and reduced margin of errors, due to its natural higher kick and great control while looping.

Any cons? Very few. It is not easy to produce slow (and short) loops because its nature is being faster than most rubbers. Despite that I can say T05 Hard has already become the best forehand rubber I have ever tried since I always struggled to kill the points with forehand. Like a soccer team making good plays but failing to convert the goal because the forward is not so good. T05 Hard came to be the Messi in the play, giving quality to the final shot. This is how I see this rubber.

Used on Viscaria, 2.1mm: This rubber surprised me greatly. It is extremely fast and powerful for counter-hitting, making it ideal for forehand play. Despite its speed, it still generates significant spin. However, it can be unforgiving for incorrect shots. In the hands of a skilled player, it becomes a formidable weapon.

Good spin only, not good for smashing and close to the table drives. Very hard to tame.

Less dwell time. A bit more spin than the earlier 05. However, it is hard to control.

Impressions after the first workout:

• Transition from 05 to 05hard was seamless, with all shots staying on the table.
• Increased rotation compared to 05.
• Reduced catapult effect.
• Shorter trajectory on short plays, but longer trajectory when investing more energy.
• Reduced sensitivity to incoming rotation compared to 05, making it easier to block on the left and loop back.
• More control than 05, with longer rotation time.
• Easier to execute first moves.
• Improved topspins from the table.

Overall assessment:

Based on the initial workout, the reviewer believes that the 05hard provides better performance than the 05. They experienced better control, rotation, and overall handling with the 05hard.

Additional observations:

The reviewer noted increased rotation on serves and hanging topspins, highlighting the rubber’s ability to generate dangerous spin.

I am using an OFF- blade, Limba-Ayous custom similar to the OSP Virtuoso -, close to the table play. I changed from T05 to T05H on the forehand Max.

The overall impression is positive. I have better control, blocking, and smashing. I can also loop with no loss of spin on serves. The rubber is great for pushes long or short, as you can activate the sponge with short hard chop for a deadly low spin push.

The rubber is very linear. The ball goes where you want and leaves the rubber quicker than T05, putting greater pressure on the opponent. Again, I am a close to the table player using an OFF-blade.

Compared to 05, the rubber is harder, more direct, and generates more power away from the table. Its looping angle is slightly more open, but it is less sensitive to spin. On more passive strokes like blocking, it has a similar or slower speed, offering more control.

On the forehand, the rubber provides more control when looping close to the table with fine contact, resulting in deep shots. This rubber is also effective on the backhand, especially for counter hitting.

If you prefer a more direct feeling and a quick bounce, you may appreciate this rubber. However, if you are considering switching from 05, it may not be a significant upgrade unless you play at a high level and require minor enhancements.

I play exclusively with hard, Chinese, tacky rubbers. I find tensor rubbers to be too bouncy for short game play and unpredictable when I need to vary the speed of my shots.

T05H is very predictable and linear. Some adjustment is needed for the short game, but it plays much better than any other tensor rubber I have tried. It is fast when you hit hard.

It ranks somewhere between T05 and Hurricane 3 Neo in terms of control, speed, forgiveness, technique, and physical condition required. It suits soft or flexible blades. I tried it on a Viscaria and it felt nice.

Its grip is superb when brand new. There is a demand for hybrid rubbers, and T05H performs very well in that respect.

Very hard. It requires good fundamentals to use effectively.

I really enjoy it on a lighter ALC blade. It provides nice looping capabilities and good return of service.

2.1 on the forehand of 90 gram Viscaria:

Works best when used close to the table. No need to boost. Very nice short game. It creates very heavy spin short serves. It can flat hit easily and blocks topspin quite well. I like it best for fast looping against light topspins and topspin blocks: just close your paddle angle and go through the ball at the top of the bounce.