Nittaku Hammond

A real surprise that anyone can play with.

Additionally, you can enjoy the significant benefits!

This rubber is very good for the new plastic 40+ ball. It is not sensitive to incoming spin and maintains a low trajectory when hit with power. The control is impressive, making it easy to block against spin and execute spin drives.

Moreover, it allows for comfortable short ball play and prepares the player to attack effectively. The rubber is light and durable, making it suitable for both short and mid-distance flat hitting. While it offers moderate spin, it strikes a good balance overall.

This rubber is great for improving your strokes. It provides excellent speed and responsiveness, especially when used with speed glue. Overall, it enhances your performance and helps elevate your gameplay.

Speed is good; however, the low throw angle was a disappointment for me. On the positive side, it is great for smashing.

This rubber offers excellent speed and impressive spin capabilities. It is particularly effective for enhancing your looping skills.

Es demasiado rápido, pero ofrece un buen control y un gran efecto. Si lo recomiendo, es porque es estupendo.

Sin embargo, no es apto para principiantes; requiere dedicación para acostumbrarse a este caucho.

This rubber provides an excellent balance between speed and spin. It is perfect for players who are looking to enhance their game with a combination of both attributes. The unique formulation allows for powerful shots while still maintaining the ability to generate a significant amount of spin. Whether you are an offensive player or someone who values control, this rubber meets a variety of playing styles and needs.

Note that this review focuses on the speed-glued Hammond rubber used on a 5-ply Off-wood blade.

I wanted to glue! I had been struggling to find a no-glue forehand rubber that suited my playing style. Eventually, I decided to glue up a sheet of Hammond just to see if my memories of the “good old days” were accurate.

I can confidently say I wasn’t mistaken! The glued Hammond is incredibly fast, offers ample spin, produces a loud sound, and provides excellent feel. It has all the gears and an impressive amount of control. Counterlooping is surprisingly easy, whether I’m looping from close range or farther back. I find it effective for blocking, flipping, countering, and smashing as well. While there are rubbers that excel in pushing and serving, the Hammond performs better than adequately in these aspects too.

This rubber is among my top two favorites of all time.

I had the Hammond Max on both my forehand (FH) and backhand (BH), using a Nittaku Septear 7-ply Hinoki blade.

Initially, when I transitioned to the Septear and Hammond setup, I was still developing my strokes and overall game. Since then, I have switched and learned other techniques.

My style of play is predominantly backhand, and I have a stronger BH than FH.

The rubber is definitely very good for backhand play, as it blocks well and is fast. It performs well for smashing and driving, but it lacks bite for spin shots. Although it is not tacky, it provided enough speed for my needs. However, when I started to try looping, it was barely passable as a looping rubber.

When I tried the DHS Skyline 3 as a backhand rubber, it added significantly more spin to my BH loop. The topspin loop/hook became a very tricky combination in my game, but it lacked the sponge response that I preferred in a backhand rubber.

As a forehand rubber, the Hammond Max was not as effective because I struggled to loop with it. While it was fast and good for driving and smashing, it was not useful against players who were faster than me. With a tacky rubber, I could handle faster players better by adding spin and deception to my game, especially during service.

Compared to the Hurricane series, my current setup, the Hammond Max lacks the bite needed for looping and executing tricky spin shots, particularly during serves. Since switching to the Hurricane, I have become much more formidable against some players, and my service has also become one of my strong points too.

I used this rubber on my coach’s bat and loved it. It was very powerful and provided a perfect forehand for my game.

When comparing it to Bryce, here are my observations:

• Price: Bryce < Hammond
• Speed: Bryce < Hammond
  (This comparison is made using normal glue for both rubbers.)

I would recommend this rubber for people who smash a lot and those who use a forehand chop. :P

(Sorry if you disagree; this is just my opinion.)

EDIT: I do not recommend using speed glue, as I glued mine today with speed glue (Black 2.2mm).

This is a good rubber option for players who appreciate quick performance combined with excellent control.

It is very fast, making it suitable for beginners; however, it requires a certain level of control and a great command of technique to use effectively.