Nittaku Hammond Pro Alpha

This rubber is extremely fast and elastic, making it ideal for backhand play. It reacts to incoming loops almost like anti-spin rubber due to its unique characteristics. Interestingly, there is very little grip on the topsheet, which is almost smooth. Most of the spin generated during loops comes from the ball sinking into the sponge. However, because the surface has limited grip, it is not well-suited for serves.

In addition to its lack of grip, the rubber has a very low throw angle. As a result, I find myself constantly adjusting my backhand drive angle to ensure the ball clears the net.

Overall, this rubber excels in loop drives and has fantastic blocking capabilities.

This rubber is very underrated. It feels medium hard, harder than both the GA8 and R47. Its linearity allows it to be fast or slow, depending on the arm acceleration.

The surface has an excellent grip, much grippier than average, making it great for serves and returns. I can’t understand why some people have said this rubber is weak in the spin area. I believe it can be considered one of the first successful hybrid rubbers ever made. Additionally, it performs well with plastic balls.

Used during the speed glue era, this rubber was highly regarded for backhand play. Notably, Wang Liqun utilized it as his backhand rubber, showcasing its effectiveness at that time.

I think this rubber has a Chinese top surface combined with a Japanese sponge. However, it hasn’t improved my game as much as I hoped. The speed is quite slow, and the spin is not as substantial as I imagined.

This rubber is effective for blocking; however, it does not perform well for serves and loops.

I tried this rubber hoping it would closely resemble the characteristics of the glued Hammond (regular Hammond).

While it offers similar speed, spin, and throw angle, the feel is quite different. It is a bit firmer and seems to have significantly less dwell time, which made it much tougher to control—especially on service returns. Additionally, it is more demanding when counter-looping. Although I had no trouble generating spin, I struggled overall with control.

On the other hand, it worked better for my backhand. I believe it pushes and serves marginally better than the regular Hammond, but it just doesn’t inspire the same level of confidence.

This is an excellent rubber for backhand blocking, punching, and driving. However, it is not ideal for looping since the rubber lacks grip. The surface is very smooth and quite hard. While it performs adequately for pushes, it is not suitable for chopping. I tested this rubber with the Boll Spirit and Kong Linghui blades.

I love this rubber! I put it on my forehand and started looping with it. It performs exceptionally well.

The rubber flows smoothly and has impressive speed. It is definitely recommended for attackers who enjoy a fast-paced game.

However, it is a little weak on serves.