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Donic Bluegrip S1 is a high-performance table tennis rubber designed for advanced and professional players seeking a combination of speed, spin, and control. With a speed rating of 8 and a spin rating of 9, this rubber excels in generating powerful shots while maintaining excellent control. The tacky surface (tackiness: 4.6) provides excellent grip on the ball, allowing players to execute precise spins and variations.
The 6.1-degree sponge hardness offers a balanced feel, enabling both offensive and defensive strokes with ease. The rubber's consistency rating of 10 reflects its reliability in delivering consistent performance even during intense rallies. Although the durability rating is slightly lower at 6.9, the Bluegrip S1 still offers good longevity compared to other high-end rubbers.
According to forum reviews, players appreciate the Bluegrip S1's versatility and adaptability to various playing styles. It is well-suited for all-round players who rely on a mix of attacking and defensive techniques. The rubber's impressive gear range (8.7) allows players to transition smoothly between different gears, from soft touch shots to powerful smashes.
Overall, Donic Bluegrip S1 is an excellent choice for advanced and professional players seeking a well-balanced rubber that excels in speed, spin, and control. Its tacky surface and consistent performance make it a reliable option for players looking to enhance their game to the next level.
At first, I felt this rubber was a bit slow for backhand play, but it started to grow on me. It’s a tradeoff; with the extra tackiness, you gain more control on opening loops, serves, and pushes. However, you do lose some ease of blocking and speed compared to standard ESN rubber.
Over time, this rubber really grew on me, and I began to appreciate it more and more. Essentially, with this rubber, you might play 5% slower but achieve 15% higher quality shots. To truly take advantage of this rubber, you need to play more actively, incorporating more loops and flicks. Using the rubber to generate active spin is the key. It does not perform as well for blocking or playing straight compared to types like G1 or MXP rubber.
The topsheet is rather tacky and soft, and the rubber overall plays a little softer than the medium-hard sponge would suggest. The catapult effect is at the lower end of the high range. Spin production at low speeds and during serves is very high, while spin at high speeds is moderately high. It is important to note that spin needs to be generated by using the topsheet to brush the ball.
The throw angle is not too high, which I appreciate. Both the throw and speed have a significant range due to the very effective hybrid construction, adding a lot of variability to your strokes. The short game is exceptional with this rubber, providing lots of control and spin when desired. Additionally, it is rather insensitive to incoming spin, as a tacky rubber should be.
I played with this rubber on my backhand and found that I preferred it over the forehand. The catapult effect unlocks more gears for the backhand compared to the forehand. This rubber can both execute powerful shots and produce spinny loops, while simultaneously offering a strong short game and excellent serves.
Overall, I definitely see it more as a backhand rubber.
Bluegrip S1 serves as an excellent transition between Chinese rubbers, such as Big Dipper, and European rubbers like Dynaryz ACC. It features a slightly tacky surface that provides high grip along with sufficient speed and outstanding spin.
The sponge has a hardness of 47.5°, similar to Acuda S1, and comes in a striking blue color. This rubber offers good control for passive shots while delivering enough speed and power for aggressive strokes. Additionally, it excels in producing spinny loops and serves.
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