Donic Bluefire M3

Good dwell-time. Fast speed, great spin, and serve. High throw angle is good for spin-loop forehand end backhand on a stiff hard blade or backhand on a soft flexy blade.

This is literally the best rubber I have played with. Seriously underrated. Loop machine on forehand (FH). Best paired with a faster blade. More dwell time, giving you a fraction of a second to control and impart higher spin.

I used it on forehand and then tried it on backhand (BH), where it shined even more. My backhand topspin, even from far away from the table, was coming like a beast. Due to the higher throw, your confidence for attacking is high.

The ball kicks a lot on topspinning with good technique. Don’t waste your cash on Tenergy. Give this rubber a try.

I switched to Donic Bluefire M3 max (black) on my backhand about 7 months ago from Andro Rasant Grip. I noticed the effect immediately - the dwell time increase, and my backhand loops were devastating.

My shots had better shape with more spin, a similar throw angle but slightly less distance. After an adjustment, I found myself looping harder and faster to bring the distance back, but with more spin and speed. Chopping and serving are fine with this rubber, and blocking is a dream. Banana flicks and strawberries are pretty good, and counter-hitting is easy.

As a backhand dominant ALL+ player, I think I’ve found my perfect rubber. Setup: Bluefire M3 max black (BH), Powergrip 2.2/V-15 Extra max red (fh), TSP Swat Power.

Fantastic rubber for off+ blades. It is very hard and very stiff. This gives it excellent control and allows for precise shots. It is also very durable, lasting for many months of regular play.

Tried the Bluefire M3 on a friend’s blade. I felt like I was playing with a soft Sriver from years ago. It’s an ALL+ rubber, best suited for all-round players. It offers decent speed and spin, but nothing extraordinary. Even a new Mark V would generate more spin. I didn’t care for it very much. You should definitely try it before purchasing it. There are better rubbers available that provide more spin and speed. Overall, I was not impressed.

I’m using it with the Stiga VPS diamond touch, and I think it’s a wrong combo. However, the rubber is good. The blade, I think, is very poor. Or maybe I don’t have the technique to use the VPS.

UPDATE-NOV 2017-BOTH VPS+M3 ARE GOOD. Looping monster, very good control. The sponge is very delicate, or rather the Donic glue is the worst ever; it tears all the sponges when removing the rubber. Andro glue is awesome.

I think this rubber is good for forehand and backhand. The spin, speed, and control are amazing. It has a good arc even with my blade Corneliau Aero Off. I recommend this rubber because it is low cost.

I played this only 5 minutes on a Tibhar Chila. First I took it on fh, and my first impression was: this is less spinny than an Evolution FX-P and Rasant Powersponge, I’m a bit disappointed. As fast as the Evolution, a little more than the Rasant PS.

Because of his less spin, I tried it on my bh, and here is the revelation: I can do everything I want, all my balls are on the table!!! A real good control. Still less effective than other, but so much more controllable, so it became more effective (I’m not afraid to make out of hell topspins). And another good stuff is blocking with it. My blocks are very consistent and I can place the ball wherever I want. Perfect for activblock/countertop right after the bounce.

I didn’t test chop, chop block, serve, and pushes. But sure I will buy it for my bh!

I learned backhand (BH) topspin, loop, and block using DHS H2 and then used Xiom VEGA Euro DF. Now, I’m using M3. I would say learning BH with H2 is difficult. Your technique has to be perfect and absolutely consistent. When I changed to Xiom VEGA Euro DF, it was so easy to do all the shots. Now, with M3, it’s even easier and more consistent compared to the Xiom. I just do the shot with just reflex action, and the ball goes in as compared to the other two rubber, I need more concentration, especially with the H2. Since I learned my BH with DHS H2, this is not a hard nor it’s a heavy sponge for me.

All I can say about M3 is to confirm what others have said about it: great for looping underspin balls, topspin drive, blocks, short and long underspin push. Loads of topspin on loops and drive with high arc. I didn’t mention serve because this is my BH rubber, and I use my forehand (FH) rubber to serve, which is DHS H3 Neo. Overall, an excellent BH rubber, and it pays real dividends if you already have good technique. Then, all BH shots suddenly become much easier to do and land.

I would say if you are a flat hitter and smasher, this rubber is not for you. You must use spin to make full use of this rubber.

Changes from Tenergy05 allowed me to play with M3 without problems. It is an awesome rubber from Donic and it is not overpriced. I will stick with the Bluefire series.

Overall, this is a very good rubber. I use it on my forehand and backhand at maximum thickness. My blade is an Andro Kinetic Explorer OFF+. It works very well. Serves come a little long but are still spinny. The short game and touch play are pretty good, but sometimes the ball goes long.

Looping mid-distance is really easy as the throw angle is high, and my blade is quite fast, so loops are very good. However, looping underspin requires a relatively high angle and not a very fast stroke, as the rubber has a high dwell time.

Blocking is really easy as long as you read the spin carefully. Flicks work well, but sometimes go long. This rubber works well if you play not too passively or aggressively.

On a very fast one-ply J-pen, I practiced for four hours with [the rubber] trying to implement my game style of blocking and driving. Overall, I enjoyed using the rubber, but I will need to adjust my technique to suit it.

I would describe it as an all-around spin-oriented rubber with good speed in reserve. It’s one of those rubbers that “asks for spin”. If you simply drive the ball, it will easily fly off the board. To achieve a shot that resembles a drive, you must impart topspin.

The blocking capabilities are interesting and surprising. Even though it’s not the ideal rubber for blocking due to its grip, its extended dwell time allows for excellent control. I will provide further updates in the future.

M3’s sponge is harder than the Acudas Blue P1. This was surprising, as P1 is purported to have the hardest sponge in the Blue series. Both topsheets appear very grippy (semi-tacky). I have not yet played with the M3, but these are my initial impressions.

Review of Donic Bluefire Rubber

Introduction

The Bluefire series from Donic attempts to provide an alternative to the renowned (and costly) BF Tenergy rubber. Donic has achieved moderate success in this endeavor.

Playing Characteristics

Individual perceptions of the rubber’s attributes may vary due to differences in playing styles. Nevertheless, the reviewer experienced the following:

• M3: Excellent looping arc, potent smashing, precise spin control, effortless “empty” ball loops, facile chopping and lifting, adjustable dropping.

Durability

In terms of durability, the black and red rubber surfaces exhibit differences after extended use (one year). While the black topsheet retains its softness, the red becomes slightly firmer. Initially, the rubber surface appears grainy, but this diminishes over time, resulting in a slight reduction in grip.

Recommendation

To compensate for the reduced grip, the reviewer suggests hitting the ball with increased force. Alternatively, players may opt for an OFF- blade, which requires less force when striking the ball.

Long-Term Performance

After approximately 300 hours of rigorous use, including training camps, competitions, and regluing, the reviewer concluded that the Bluefire rubber offers commendable performance. The loss of grip is gradual and barely noticeable. It pairs particularly well with OFF- stiff to spin-elastic blades.

Personal Experience

On the backhand, the reviewer found the rubber to excel in dropping and opening loops. However, as the rubber aged, chiquita and smash hits became slightly more challenging.

Despite extended use, the rubber remained playable, but excessive hand sweat ultimately caused the topsheet to deteriorate at the tip of the index finger.

Overall Assessment

The Bluefire rubber boasts exceptional durability, with intact edges and a resilient sponge despite evident wear and tear on the surface. While the topsheet may degrade over time, the rubber retains its performance and durability for both competitive and recreational play.

Review text:

It offers good control, generates a lot of spin, and provides enough speed for all-rounders. Due to its high Throw, it is well-suited for looping, particularly when lifting short balls. However, drive looping is not its strong point, especially at mid and long distances, because of its moderate speed. I recommend using this rubber on a hard carbon blade as it is a medium-soft rubber, which provides enough dwell time and feel.

Due to its high Throw angle and softness, it is not ideal for hard hitting, so I prefer it on the backhand side. I have encountered difficulties with short pushes, which may be due to my lack of training, but I believe it is also somewhat related to the softness, Tackiness, and Throw of the rubber.

Update: A peculiar observation (after 4 months of use) is that this rubber shrinks and leaves black lines on the ball, which is likely because my rubber is black.

This is a great rubber. When I started to play with it, I used it on my forehand (fh) and a Tin arc on my backhand (bh). I thought it was too slow for a forehand, so I switched it to the backhand. In my backhand, all the 3rd balls were full of spin, and so are the normal backhands. You won’t have problems with control, but I rated it 9/10 because in some counter attacks it can “explode”. It’s good for people who are starting out.

Soft overall rubber with a high throw angle. Good power used on my BTY Skinny Flex (carbon blade).

It’s very noisy rubber.
I hate that at all!!!

It’s easier to slow loop with this rubber compared to Acuda S3. However, the mid-distance loops are way better with Acuda S3. There might be more spin in M3, but the Acuda S3 has a way better ball line. So the arc is a little bit higher on M3 when topspinning.

One thing with M3 is that it’s easy to save balls when you’re late to it. I don’t know if that’s a good thing though, at least not for your development cycle. The weight of the rubber is pretty heavy, but that’s not something I care about very much.

Another problem is in normal shots with this rubber. When you’re not looping and just trying to play it normally, here you notice that you need to change something. The ball goes very far in these situations. It often goes long. No problem if you block with it though. Here, the rubber works very well. It’s when you put pressure on the ball with a normal stroke that it behaves weirdly.

Another thing I noticed with the rubber was how hard it was to glue it onto my blade. I re-glued it twice, and it’s still not attached properly. I will use it for at least one more practice…

I put this rubber (Max) on my Donic Epox control because I was looking for something very spinny but not too fast. I chose the M3 over the M1 and M2 because I wanted the softest sponge and slowest rubber in the Bluefire line.

However, even this M3 is extremely fast. In fact, it is one of the fastest rubbers I have ever played. That said, blocking, serving, and chopping are great, and topspin has massive potential.

My main issue is the ball going long on loops and drives. I think this is because this rubber has a very high throw angle - even higher than Baracuda, which is already too high in my opinion.

I put Rakza 7 Soft on the other side of my blade at the same time (both rubbers brand new) and like that a lot more. I think it suits my all-round game better, as the throw is a lot lower (still high, but not crazy high like the M3), the spin is just as high, but the blade just feels more controllable and precise than the M3.

I may try Xiom Omega IV Elite next, as I seem to do better with softer sponges.

I think the sponge softness rating on the R7 Soft is spot on, but the M3 definitely feels more like 45° than 35°, at least to me.

UPDATE: I have now practiced a few times and played one league fixture with this rubber.
I have to say, it is definitely growing on me. The sponge seems to have softened up a bit and I am now getting the high, spinny loops that everyone talks about. This rubber really does generate a LOT of spin.

Maybe I am just getting used to it or maybe it needed a “break-in” period. Who knows? Either way, I will be keeping this on my FH side.

Outstanding! Very best control and spin, very good speed! I do not understand the 8.4 average speed on ratings, it is much faster - a 9+ easily!

This is going to sound strange, but it feels like when they made this rubber, their main goal was to recreate the T05FX, not anything better.

Has very good soft feel and spin.
Super bouncy but not that fast, indicative of limited gears.

After trying Tibhar Evolution MX-P, I switched to this rubber. I have also tried Donic Baracuda, and I have played with Tenergy 05, 64, and 05fx.

Andy Smith pretty much sums it all up. I love the spin on serves and loops. I land shots with this rubber that blow my mind. Although I find it’s easier to land a lot of those shots using Tenergy 05, I feel that with Tenergy 05 I can get the ball to break out away from the table easier. Other than that, Bluefire performs just as well for me in all other aspects. I’m sticking with Bluefire for a while. I may even move from Baracuda to Bluefire on my backhand. Keep up the good work, DONIC.

I needed a rubber with enough pace, spin, and control for my forehand (FH). I’m setting up the points with my Dtecs OX on backhand (BH) so when the opportunity occurs, I kill the rally with a smash. The M3 that I have is in black and 1.8mm, and it has enough speed to put the smash away. When in defense, it has enough spin and control to loop or chop from a distance. It’s a great rubber for me, but it’s very expensive (around 46 euros/60 dollars) over here in the Netherlands.

Played with Desto F3 back in the day and loved it. Then F3 Big Slam came out and switched to it and loved it as well. However, I noticed I didn’t have quite as much spin as other rubbers.

Then Acuda S3 came out and it was the first rubber in years that I could replace F3 and F3 Bigslam with. It had better speed/spin and still pretty good control.

Now comes along the Bluefire series and I decided to give M3 a try. It was heavier but I got used to it. The first thing I noticed right from the very first loop was that it had much more spin. This rubber produces some serious spin!

It’s quite firmer than S3 in my opinion and I didn’t think I could play with a firmer rubber like this, but decided to play with it for another week. Finally, I went back to Acuda S3 and the first thing I realized was that it didn’t have nearly the amount of spin that Bluefire did. It’s also more springy like Andy Smith said. I made up my mind right there that I was putting the Bluefire back on and that was that.

I played a tournament with it after about using it for 2 weeks and lost 3 close matches to 2250 - 2300+ players. I just played the second tournament with it and won the event. I beat a 2250 - 2300 player in the finals and it was one of the best matches I’ve ever played. The spin I was able to generate with it really caused problems for my opponents, and the blocking was superb. I blocked many outright winners with it. This rubber is really great!

I’m currently using this on BH with a 2.0 mm thickness.

AndySmith sums it up well in his review. The grip is fantastic, and the throw angle is very high, but the ball just snaps back down. It’s linear and easy to control. I have no issues with blocking; it feels good. There is indeed more dwell time than I’ve experienced with other tensors, but the rubber is still not mushy at all; there’s still a crisp feeling. It’s not super fast, but you could use max thickness to get the speed up a little if you’re a speed freak. Or maybe try the M2 or M1.

The only minor downside I can find is that it’s a little heavier than most other soft(ish) tensors.

I’ve tried quite a few rubbers over the last year or so, but I have always gone back to Rakza 7 Soft as my BH rubber. Not anymore, though. The Bluefire is on my blade to stay.

The BF series is the first tensor I’ve used with a massive range of gears. The topsheet is also the grippiest I’ve used in this type of rubber.

It’s not overly bouncy like old-gen tensors and behaves very well in the short game. Service spin is excellent. The combination of the topsheet and sponge gives a real sense of “dwell” when you hit the ball, whereas previous tensors (Acuda, Coppa, etc.) just fire the ball out. Accordingly, blocking does feel a little indirect at first, and it’s not as fast as previous tensors when hitting flat.

But it’s looping where this rubber shines. It’s a loop monster. The arc is massive, and the spin is huge, which gives you an enormous window to work with.

This is a special rubber.

Hello guys, this is my first review. Sorry for my poor English, I’m Spanish.

I bought these rubbers as recommended by my trainer. I’m an offensive player at close-middle distance. I base my play on top spins with big loops on both sides, with very good topspin vs topspin.

I bought two rubbers, red and black, for both sides, same thickness MAX. My first impression was very elastic, good tact, and a beautiful color of sponge (blue). The surface is opaque like Tibhar Q1.

I tested these rubbers on a Donic Persson Powerplay. I don’t like very fast blades.

My first impression in play was that the top spins are very easy to do, with big loops and high control. This control allows you to open the angle of the ball and put it close to the lines of the table. The sidespins take good angles with these rubbers. Good sound but less than TENERGY, 1Q, or Aurus.

With this rubber, you can do slow toppings close to the table very dangerous to your opponent. The game at middle distance becomes very grateful; allows you to respond to all the balls with topspins with great security and control. However, performing deadly topspins is more difficult than other rubbers like 1Q, TENERGY, Aurus, or Acuda, perhaps in harder versions of this rubber, this drive is more accessible.

Very good for short game, pushes are good, and receiving serves are a bit easy and dangerous when you use flips or backhand “chikita-topspins.”

The smashes are not the best feature of this rubber, but like all the soft versions of rubbers.

Blocks are very good, specially to open angles, also active block.
I think this rubber is very spinny but not much if I compare this with 1Q, but your services will be great.

In conclusion, a rubber for an offensive player with a game based on topspins in a middle distance, and use slow topspins or flip to open the game.

I use Rakza 7 Soft and Hexer PowerGrip SFX, both rated 37 and 42 degree soft. The Donic website lists Bluefire M3 as 40 degree soft, but when I used it, it felt like 45 degree hard.

Bluefire M3 is certainly faster than Rakza 7 Soft and Hexer PowerGrip SFX, but the dwell feels poor compared to them. However, it is still good in terms of speed, spin, and control, it just has a shorter dwell time.

Good choice for ALL+/Off- players. I use M3 on BH, and I can tell my flicks are notably better. It’s rubber with great control and spin over speed.

The M3 rubber from Tibhar features a soft sponge with a hardness of 40°. This rubber provides superior spin and control, but it yields less speed compared to the M1 and M2 rubbers.