DHS Hurricane 3 National (Orange Sponge)

I have been playing with H3 NAT on a rosewood NCT5 forehand side for a month now without using any booster. I find it to be a great traditional Chinese rubber. It’s tacky, heavy, and hard, providing many more features in the game than provincial or commercial rubbers.

However, you need to put in the effort to utilize all of these features. The main strength of this rubber is its fast loop with a low arc. This forces the opponent to stay low for the counter-attack, keeping the play close to the table. Not everyone can adapt to this style.

Additionally, you need to play very low and close to the table to get the most out of this rubber. While it may be overpriced, the T05 is an easier rubber to play with and costs about the same.

First of all, it’s a Chinese rubber with tacky characteristics and medium hardness. It’s perfect for close-to-the-table play, but requires significant effort at medium range.
Due to its medium-high throw angle, you need to maintain a focused body position. It’s a demanding rubber, and smashes and flat hits can be challenging. Additionally, its tackiness attracts dust and humidity, requiring frequent cleaning during training sessions.

Review of Unboosted H3 National

This review is of unboosted H3 National. I’m sure with boost or glue, this rubber would be excellent.

Characteristics and Demands

H3 National features a very high-quality, beautiful, and consistent sponge and top sheet. However, it is very demanding and can easily lead to injuries due to its high dwell and tack.

Suitability for Learning Technique

Despite its demands, H3 National is a great rubber to learn technique with. It forces you to perfect your technique and work hard.

Recommendation

If you’re not planning on boosting your rubber, I recommend getting the 40-degree sponge. It’s faster, less demanding, and has less dwell compared to the 39-degree sponge, which has excessive dwell.

Alternative Suggestion

I highly recommend TG3 Neo Commercial over H3 National. TG3 Neo Commercial is easier to use and performs similarly to H3 National, even though it’s significantly cheaper.

First of all, not all DHS “national” rubbers in the market are the real thing. They are often copies or imitations of rubbers used by Chinese national players. Genuine national rubbers are exclusive to these players and are very limited in availability. Don’t be misled by sellers claiming to offer genuine national rubbers unless you are purchasing them directly from players like Ma Long or Wang Liqin.

However, since fake rubbers are often designed after the real ones, it’s likely that their properties are similar to the genuine product, making them still a good choice for table tennis players.

After experimenting with various tensors and spring sponges for my FH, I decided to venture into the world of Chinese tacky rubbers. Previously, I played Tenergy64 on my JM blade, but the combination never quite resonated with me.

Upon discovering the national version of this rubber available on eacheng, I was intrigued and ordered one in 2.2mm, orange sponge, 40deg hardness. It arrived in a simple plastic cover and emanated a pleasant odor. The quality of the rubber appeared to be on par with any other high-quality rubber on the market.

For a week, I have been using this rubber on my Timo Boll ALC blade. It offers a superb blend of speed, spin, and control. Topspins and loop drives are both swift and highly spinny. The ball charges forward and kicks off the table, posing a formidable challenge for opponents to block. Looping underspin is effortless, even with a European-style grip. The unique characteristic of this rubber is the beautiful click sound it produces when struck. The throw angle is moderately high. Currently, the durability of the rubber remains unknown.

This is my maiden foray into Chinese rubbers for my FH, and I have been enamored with it ever since. While the price tag of $80 was substantial, I would not hesitate to purchase it again. However, I have noticed that some other sites offer it for around $60, which is more within my budget.

Very good rubber for the higher levels. This is one of the most controllable rubbers at the high speeds.

For lower level players, try using the Provincial rubbers. Buying national rubber at a lower level is a waste of money, since you won’t use all the gears that the rubber has to offer. I would say people who use this should be 2400+ in USATT rating.

Review: Joyner BTF with H3 and Yasaka Pride

At my club, our Chinese trainer, Li Qi (not sure of the exact spelling), is reputed to be a former pro in China or Europe. His playing style is distinctly Chinese, and he uses the Joyner BTF racket with H3 (possibly Neo) and Yasaka Pride.

Compared to my own racket, the Joyner BTF is extremely lightweight. The H3 rubber is much softer than the standard H3 I have, with visible pimples that indicate a thickness of 38 degrees. It also has a bouncy feel and very little tackiness.

Playing with the Joyner BTF and H3 is a revelation. The combination provides exceptional speed, spin, and ease of lifting the ball. Even with slow, gentle brushing strokes, the ball stays up with remarkable stability. It resembles the qualities of Tenergy 05 but with even better performance.

Upon closer examination of the H3 rubber, I realized it has a different printing style than the standard version. It matches the “Ma Long personal rubber” displayed on the Prott.cc website, which is priced at $9999. My trainer confirmed that he replaces his rubber every two to three months.

It was a privilege to experience the quality of this genuine Chinese rubber. Despite the availability of cheaper H3 variants, I will cherish this one and continue to use it to improve my game.

Amazing rubber, it’s a completely different rubber.

Commercial version is as dead as hell.
Provincial version is where it actually starts playing as it says on the package.
National is where it is perfection, it plays like a beast. You can rip out topspin that are just beautiful. Control is great; you can block, push, and touch shots.

Orange sponge gives a really good feel.