Donic Bluestorm Z2

Great backhand (BH) rubber for ALC blades. The uncut 2.1mm rubber weighs 68.5 grams. It’s very easy to open up on the BH against backspin, and topspin drives are easy to execute and powerful. However, it’s softer than the stated hardness of 47.5 degrees. Durability is not good, even by Donic standards.

Equal spin to T05 in high end shots.
Not very powerful rubber.
Very spin insensitive after 2 months.
“New” feeling gone after a month.
Medium hardness but feels soft (39 degree feel).
I used it on my forehand.
I use 50 degree now, which is much better and more stable.

UPDATE! Hi All! I have been testing this rubber on both sides for a time now. I loved it on FH and BH too. Before that, I was using M1. This rubber is faster than M1, has a bit lower throw in some cases, and feels more spongy due to the 2.33 mm thick sponge. Now, I use it on both sides.

Compared to the M1 in different strokes:

• Looping is more dynamic, easily varied, and more aggressive due to the spongy feel. Riskier highly rewarding shots can be played close and far from the table. I really like FH and BH flicks.
• Counterlooping is the most notable feature of this rubber as it is very solid and fast.
• Dropshots are bit tricky. Don’t do passive blocks; always direct the ball with small movements.
• Counterhits are good as any. The rubber feels a bit spongy, the throw is lower, but stable.

The main DIFFERENCE is this spongy characteristic! Fine touch and passive strokes are harder to get used to because the balls will fly further than intended. With this rubber, you have to be more dedicated to the shot/touch to engage the sponge of the rubber to get control over your shots. If you just hold your racket passively when handling the ball, you won’t get any good results. But when you hit the ball correctly, you can feel it sinking in the sponge and can immediately feel the control of your ball. Due to the spongy feeling, you may feel like you are playing with the old 40 mm celluloid ball, but with a new 40+ poly.

So to describe this rubber, I may say that this is an M1 mixed with an Acuda Blue, a Rosena in beast mode, a T05 with more dwell time and speed. I can recommend it to an all-round looping attacker, not for chopping but pushes are loaded with backspin. Excellent for different looping styles. Speedwise, I was playing with a Waldner WC '89 OFF blade with M1. I had to put that blade down because I was not able to hit the ball on the table. I had to go to an OFF- blade to get the same speed. So take note that this rubber is really one tempo faster!

The Bluestorm fairs well and is decent rubber. No comparison to Tenergry can be done, but it fares well for an intermediate player.

The durability is low and loses its tackiness very fast. Once the rubber is removed, the shrinkage is drastic. I’ll give it a 7.5 out of 10.

It feels soft, and the dwell time is long. Can pair with a hard blade. Speed is not the fastest, but it gives me safety. Good for opening and blocking.

I used the Bluestorm Z2 for about 2 months on a Bty Taksim ALC blade FH. It was a very good and user-friendly rubber that performed similarly to Bluefire JP02 but with more spin. However, its durability was its weak point, as is common with some Donic rubbers.

The rubber has all the qualities to play table tennis. It has speed when needed, very nice control, good spin, is great to block with, and can be as powerful as you want it to be. VERY NICE RUBBER!!!

Put this rubber (2.1) on both sides of a Donic Waldner WC89 blade and it performs very well. Ball placement and blocking come easy. The blade and rubber provide a very nice touch and feel sensation. When exploding the ball, the sound is great.

As of today, the Bluestorm Z2 rubber is the best I’ve used when comparing it to other medium to medium hard rubbers. Have used the Z1 & Z3 versions and they also perform very well, each with its own personality.

Donic has done their homework in providing a winning Bluestorm Rubber Series for the new plastic ball (IMO).

5 Stars and a 10.

Due to the 2.3mm sponge, this rubber delivers a very spongy feeling upon ball contact. The 47.5-degree sponge, combined with a slightly soft top-sheet and thin, sparse pimples, prolongs the dwell time. This also helps to increase the feeling, thus making topspin very easy to execute.

I fell in love right after playing a couple of shots on Boll ALC. It provides a very easy feeling for serving and topspin.

For pushing and short games, its performance is average, with nothing special to note.

Weight: ~48 grams (cut). This is quite light for a modern rubber.

Durability: Shall be updated (just playing it for 10 days); expected to last for 2-3 months on a daily use basis.

Table Tennis Rubber Review

• Low sensitivity to rotation, resulting in high control.
• Medium throw angle, providing a balanced trajectory.
• Pleasant sensation, offering a comfortable playing experience.
• High rotation, enabling powerful spin shots.
• Satisfactory blocking, effective for defending against incoming spins.
• Easy to attack, facilitating aggressive shots.
• Medium weight and medium hardness, suitable for a wide range of playstyles.
• Recommended for advanced and professional players, especially for backhand (BH) use.
• Good for intermediate and beginners for forehand (FH) use.
• Exceptional performance compared to T05fx, receiving high marks for its overall capabilities.

This is my 4th FH rubber on a Donic Ovtcharov v1 blade. I like this one the most. Prior to this, I used the DHS H3 (normal version), the Andro Hexer Powergrip (my 2nd choice), and the Bluefire M1.

This rubber spins well. Looping is excellent with a lot of spin. However, it is not a very fast rubber, but it is controllable.

Overall, I am satisfied with it.

It’s too powerful but very spinny, which makes it difficult to control.

Muy buen hule! Estaba usando Bluefire M2 para derecha y M1 para mi revés. Sin embargo, sentía que al M2 le faltaba potencia y generaba una curva más alta de la deseada en mis topspins.

Pensé en usar otro M1 para derecha, pero un amigo me recomendó probar el BlueStorm Z2 con esponja Max+. El cambio fue inmediato. El golpe se sentía tan suave como la esponja del M2, pero con mayor velocidad. Incluso era un poco más rápido que el M1, y con casi el mismo nivel de efecto. La curva del tiro quedó intermedia entre la del M2 y la del M1. Además, ofrece una gran sensación que permite cambiar fácilmente entre golpes fuertes y finos en los topspins.

Lo recomiendo para jugadores que no les gustan los hules de esponja medio duros, pero quieren mantener una buena velocidad en sus tiros, con buena rotación y curvas no tan elevadas en sus topspins.

Love this one. Using it on my BH, it helps me to receive serves, so it feels insensitive to incoming spin, with great control and spin (less than Goldarc 8). Speed is fast (less than Goldarc 8), so I love it on my BH.

UPDATE (9 March 2018): Super quality plus long-lasting rubber. Great for all shots, including loops, chops, and pushes.

I had been playing with the Bluefire JP1 turbo on my backhand for a while now and felt it was a great attacking rubber, but something was missing. My UK Donic supplier, Jarvis sports, put me onto the new Bluestorm rubber. After a little research, I went for the Z3 rubber, which is soft and full of control. To be honest, I thought this rubber was consistent in loop attacks but lacked the final “punch” or killer shot that could be easily initiated.

When I switched onto the Bluestorm Z2, there was an immediate improvement in accuracy, power, and control. I couldn’t miss; my punch backhand shot winners were… winners. I could chop well with this rubber, and looping was a dream. The nearest rubber I could compare this Z2 rubber to would be the Tenergy 05, although Bluestorm handles the new balls very well, if not better than the Tenergy 05. Donic, you have created a winner.

Physical:

The rubber is described as medium hardness, but it feels more medium-hard. It has a typical height of pips on the top sheet. It is a durable rubber for an ESN product, with ESN’s durability having been praised in recent years. Unlike older tensors that could deteriorate quickly, this rubber is more resilient.

Speed:

This rubber is very fast. It doesn’t offer the typical safety margin of a mid-range series. Although it’s positioned as a midpoint between Z1 and Z3, it feels faster. It allows for playing away from the table without sacrificing power. Personally, I find it a bit too fast for my preference.

Spin:

Spin generation with this rubber is tricky. Due to its speed, spin is excellent when hit with sufficient force. However, spin is not as impressive with partial or less powerful strokes. It’s difficult to penetrate the sponge with mediocre swings, and the rubber’s lack of tackiness means the top sheet alone can’t generate significant spin. With a solid technique, one can hit powerful third-ball attacks with spin, but it requires a precise and forceful stroke. Overall, spin is present but requires higher skill and confidence in the shot.

Recommendation:

I would recommend this rubber only to club players who are comfortable controlling rubbers like T05. It could also be suitable for backhand blockers or forehand counter-drivers who value speed and power over spin.