DHS Gold Arc 5

My backhand rubber is DHS Gold Arc 5 47.5 degrees. I love the control it brings to my game. It has superb spin with above-average speed. It’s a linear rubber with tensor-like characteristics.

This is a good backhand (bh) rubber that can also be used for forehand (fh) strokes. It is very easy to control and durable, but it takes a bit of breaking in before it plays really well.

GoldARC 5 (47.5)

Uncut weight: 71g. The GoldARC 5 (47.5) is the same speed and weight as the GoldARC 8 (50), but with slightly higher spin and more spin sensitivity. However, the top sheet is much harder, and as a result, contact and spin are not as well controlled. The top sheet of the Yasaka Rakza 7 is soft, but the GoldARC 5’s is hard with very poor feedback. With the GA8 or R7, the speed or spin can be dosed much more precisely. The GoldARC 5 likely needs oil to work properly, especially with the softer sponge (42.5).

Palio HK1997 Gold

The Palio HK1997 Gold has a similar spin and linearity to the GoldARC 5, but is much more forgiving. The extra soft top sheet provides a lot of feedback.

Ah Gold Arc 5… one of the first rubbers I ever used. I came back to it after several years of chasing butterflies…

I play with the medium hard version on backhand, on an XVT balsa carbon blade. The rubber is linear, non-tacky, medium hard, non-tensor, and relatively controlled rubber. It has a medium-high throw, a significant amount of speed, and a moderate amount of spin with some susceptibility to spin as the speed of the ball increases.

The rubber plays everything pretty well from blocks, flicks, and smashes, but it doesn’t chop well. It has enough speed to put away the point. The rubber is best for attacking players close to mid-distance from the table. It turns backspin well enough to loop, and the porous sponge has a decent springiness in it to keep up with the high-end rubbers.

The rubber is grippy, maybe less grippy than Gold Arc 8, but enough to brush the ball with speed without slip. The only weakness I noticed is as the 4th to 5th ball come back, and spin increases through the returns, the angle of the racket has to compensate more and more compared to tenergies to the increasing spin and is vulnerable to a spinny 5th ball.

I really like this rubber. It’s not officially a tensor rubber, but it plays very similarly to a tensor. It’s half a gear lower-pace than tensors, but quite close to common tensor rubbers such as Rakza 7 or G1. I agree with the average speed rating. The rubber was faster than I thought it would be, and it has a very nice catapult effect. Overall great feeling, great control, and it feels like your loops cannot miss.

I am using the DHS Gold Arc 5 Max Red with 42.5 sponge hardness. This rubber is not designed primarily for spinning but rather for flat hitting. Due to its characteristics, it is challenging to generate spin on the polyball using this rubber.

As there are two rubbers with different hardness levels (42.5 and 47.5), it might be necessary to separate them in the rubbers list. I have tried both of them, and in my opinion, the Rakza 7 soft (42.5) and Rakza 7 (47.5) are the ones that I have been playing with for many years. Thanks to DHS and ESN, I can now play with my favorite rubbers for half the price.

I use this rubber on the forehand and it is fantastic when playing a very spinny “open” forehand on the third or the fifth ball. Its control is great, but pay attention when playing to the distance; this rubber is not made for playing like that. This is a hybrid rubber, not a complete European rubber; remember it. It is more difficult shooting hard and powerful.

I use the MAX 42.5 hardness version on my BH, and I love it. It is quite linear, without much catapult effect. You can block consistently, topspin, and hit with it. It is now as soft as Vega Europe, for example. It has a good grip for picking up low underpin balls.

The only downside is that it’s difficult to counter from the second and third zones. You need to put in a lot of effort.

It works well on fast blades, giving you a good feeling and a nice sound.

Very good for pushes, blocks, but lacks grip for looping.

Set red max on Andro Novacell OFF.

After a few months of use, I can confidently say that this rubber is exceptional. It offers a more European style with reduced tackiness compared to typical DHS rubbers. However, it still excels in spin and gear generation. Its exceptional control and dynamic speed make it a joy to play with. Initially, it felt a bit too fast for me, but as I improved my technique, I found it easier to keep the ball on the table consistently. The sponge is porous and feels of very high quality. Overall, this rubber is one of the best pro-level rubbers available at a very reasonable price!

Review text:

The DHS Gold Arc 5 is one of the first German based rubbers by DHS. Therefore, it is NOT tacky like most DHS rubbers. I put a sheet (black, max, 42.5 degrees) on the BH of the Tibhar Drinkhall All-round Classic, an all-round blade.

This rubber is NOT a speed monster like Bluefire M1 or a spin monster like Rakza 7. It is a superb, control, do it all rubber which can execute all types of shots with relative ease. The spin is slightly less than Rakza 7, less spin sensitive. You can generate a good amount of spin on serves. It has a medium hardness, but is also available in 47.5 degrees (medium-hard).

My ratings are:

• Speed = 7.5
• Spin = 9
• Control = 10

The main attribute to this rubber is control, closely followed by spin. That’s why I’d recommend this rubber to anyone looking for an excellent beginner’s rubber or to players whose play style has an emphasis on control, placement, and variation of spin.

My experience thus far has been that this is a very good rubber for backhand, albeit it doesn’t excel at anything special. However, it has great control and is good for pushing and chopping. It requires good technique to lift backspin with a topspin open up, but is consistent in most aspects of the game.

I am using the 2mm 42.5 degrees version, which is of very good quality. It is also a good value and cheaper than a lot of high end rubbers from TT11. I would recommend this rubber.

Great rubber for backhand. It does not excel in anything, but is good at everything (except chopping). It can be hard to lift backspin with a topspin sometimes if out of position, and needs good timing.

To me, this rubber (47.5 degrees) is far too hard for my backhand.

I tried it forehand as well, but even then it felt a little bit “dead”. For me, this rubber is a disappointment.

Wow! I bought this rubber on a whim for my forehand. (I’m weird and have H3 Neo on my backhand.) This rubber, for me, had the same sort of feel as H3 Neo, just not as tacky. The rubber feels very fast but allows a high amount of control. (One of my new favorite rubbers.)

42.5 degrees, this is not Chinese rubber, high quality, non-sticky, excellent for backhand, high spin, control, very similar to Thibar Evo ELS, medium-fast, good feeling more firm than 42 degrees, this is not tensor rubber but very similar, good consistency, cheap, easy topspin, recommended, consistency.

DHS Gold Arc 8

The DHS Gold Arc 8 table tennis rubber provides a more consistent playing experience, making you feel more confident and comfortable during gameplay.

As a backhand dominant player who emphasizes drives and medium loops, I appreciate the non-tensored nature of this rubber. Its linear speed and power allow for harder hits, and it excels in both blocks and flips. Its firmness aligns well with the new ball and my backhand drive style.

Having experimented with numerous rubbers, including Tenergy, Mx-P, Gold Arc 8, Donic Blue Fire, and boosted Hurricane and Skyline, I confidently assert that this rubber surpasses them all. Before investing in Gold Arc 8 or Tenergy, I urge you to consider giving this a try. I sincerely hope the manufacturer does not discontinue this exceptional product in favor of the more costly Gold Arc 8.

I have this rubber on both sides of a Palio King Yue blade, medium thickness 42.5 degree sponge. I was keen to try this rubber after having tested Gold Arc 8( med 47.5), which I thought was excellent. I considered getting the GA5 47.5 but decided on the softer version as I thought they might be too similar and that it may well suit harder or less controllable blades.

Although not a tensor, this rubber has superb spin and control with above average speed. The topsheet is just as grippy as GA8, the sponge firm enough to transmit some vibration to the blade, so the combination feels good and performs very well. Of course it doesn’t have the speed, kick/catapult of a harder tensor, but that is not it’s function; it’s more of a spin elastic control rubber.

So if you want a softer, non tensor rubber with high performance, then this is a very good choice.

Cheap, High-Quality Rubber

This rubber offers a great value for its price point. While it may not have the same catapult effect as other tensor rubbers, it compensates with excellent spin and control. It grips the ball well and produces a medium-high arc. Blocking shots are accurate, and the touch is exceptional, providing a consistent and reliable performance. Punching is also a strong suit of this rubber, making it a great option for backhand play. Despite its slower speed, it makes up for it with durability.

Firm Top Sheet

The rubber features a firm top sheet that generates a significant amount of spin. When pressed, it feels like a slightly harder rubber, but it still maintains a comfortable and responsive touch.

I found this similar in play to Tin Arc 3 on a walnut surface ply. I purchased 42.5* for the backhand believing that I was going to be somewhat dissatisfied. Quite the opposite.

This is a control rubber. In comparison to Rakza 7 soft there is definitely less dwell by quite a significant margin for a rubber that is supposed to be the softer version. Speed and spin are dependent on technique.

I am yet to have an experience where I feel I need more speed/spin/control as I am yet to bottom out (all considerations as a CPEN player RPB.

If you play H3 or Battle 3 prov on BH I believe you may adjust quite well to this. I believe you’ll find that there is less physical effort required with somewhat similar benefits except for short game experience as the rubber possesses little more bounce.

Very happy with purchase. I encourage all to try. My experiences are for players that are physically able to adapt and produce power/ technique and non-reliant on tensor type equipment. Stay happy fellow TT players!!

I found this rubber for only 20 dollars, so it was really worth it. It is a good rubber, mainly focused on control.

I heard many people say that it is slow. I didn’t think it was. Perhaps because I was using a very fast blade - Fang Bo B2x.

Its spin capability is very satisfying, but this rubber is very susceptible to moisture. Where my table is placed is very humid, so when the ball bounces on the floor and I use it without cleaning again, the rubber loses totally its spin capability. But this is simple to solve: Just clean the ball and the topsheet well and its spin is very good.

Its best point is the control which would be perfect if it weren’t for the hard topsheet. For me, this is the only problem of this rubber. It feels way harder than it is, which, in my opinion, makes blocks more difficult and makes it a little bit more spin sensitive.

Good points:

• Driving feels crisp and controlled
• Spin is very good
• Serves are very spinny
• Speed is decent
• Short game is very controlled and spinny
• Loops against backspin are simply amazing

Bad points:

• Speed could be a bit higher, though it is not bad
• Blocking is not bad too, but the hard feeling of the topsheet sometimes makes it harder
• Very sensitive to moisture

I believe rating this rubber 7/10 is fair. Our club received a few of these to try out, so I can give an informed review.

I have max 42-degree rubber on my backhand. This rubber is not spin-sensitive like many soft rubbers, but it does not provide enough spin for most competitive players. I enjoyed blocking and punching close to the table, but that is about it. My training partners could counter much easier, as the ball was “very easy and predictable.”

It does not have many gears, but that may make it good for building technical skill and accuracy. The durability is average, and the quality control is very good.

A few days ago, I happened to play this rubber again. It’s really not sticky and is available with 42.5 and 47.5-degree sponge.

Before I played with Dignics 09c and Nittaku Fastarc G-1, I had the 47.5-degree version in max for half a year on my Stuor Nobilis ZLC Hinoki blade. (96g packed, uncut 71g., 51g. by 157 x 150 mm.)

The 47.5-degree version generates significantly more spin than the 42.5-degree version. It is a bit faster but has the same excellent control (- on the same wood, same thickness.) Both versions are not particularly bouncy and in this respect are reminiscent of a Dignics 09c (- especially in the short game.)

To generate spin is very easy, and incoming spin is not a problem. Flat hitting is the parade discipline of this rubber.

My ratings for the 47.5-degree version: Speed: 9.0, Spin 9.4, and Control 9.5. In my opinion, the ratings in the table refer to the 42.5-degree version (- just like mine from 2019.)

For comparison: the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 (also 47.5 degrees in max.) has a little less speed, more spin, less control, and less weight. Btfy. Dignics 09c has more spin, less speed, but has more catapult on balls hit frontally!!! The control is also excellent, with weight like G-1.

In 2019, I reviewed the 42.5-degree versions: black, med. thick, packed 89g, uncut 62g. Additionally: black and red, max., both 91g. packed and 64g. uncut. Attention: the red top sheet is softer!!! This version is not the fastest but has good spin properties. It has never been so easy for me to hit with a rubber!!!

Conclusion: Excellent rubber with the absolutely best price-performance ratio that I have ever experienced with a rubber. Buy, test, and love it!!.