Donic Bluegrip S1

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.

The throw angle is roughly the same as the S2. However, the throw distance for topspin is definitely longer and faster compared to the S2.

Overall, this rubber serves as a good hybrid, making it easier to transition to higher degree sponge hybrids, starting from a 42.5 with the S2.

My plan is to use this as a stepping stone to approximately 50° hybrids like the K3 or 09c. For weight reasons, I will probably choose the K3, as it is significantly lighter than the 09c.

This rubber is impressive! The average user ratings seem quite accurate. It performs well in nearly every aspect, especially when combined with good technique. Although it is fairly quick, the rubber primarily focuses on delivering excellent spin and control.

I appreciate its linearity. I believe that USATT-rated loopers in the 1400-1700 range would particularly enjoy this rubber due to its versatility and the varied gears it offers. While it does lose a bit of tackiness over time, it appears to maintain its performance consistency.

In my opinion, its playability is similar to that of a softer Nittaku Hurricane Pro 3 with an orange sponge.