Stiga DNA Pro M

Pros:

• Fast
• Light
• Spinny
• Easy to spin
• Top sheet feels soft
• Powerful

Cons:

• Durability seems low
• Spin sensitive - have to be wary of incoming spin

This rubber provides good spin and speed, making it a very safe choice for backhand play. It is quite bouncy on carbon blades, so a 7-ply wood blade or an innerforce-style blade is recommended. Be cautious when brushing the rubber, as it may become overly bouncy.

This rubber is an absolute class. Used at 2.1mm thickness for 6-7 months on the Drinkhall Power Spin Carbon blade, it performed exceptionally well. On the backhand, it was an absolute beast, providing immense spin and power. On the forehand, it was remarkably solid and reliable.

The rubber is easy to use, making it suitable for intermediate players. It offers an excellent balance of spin, speed, and control. This makes it one of the best rubbers available for players of this skill level.

After six months of using this as my primary backhand rubber, I’ve found that it’s safe and controllable, but it lacks spin.
The speed is adequate and well-suited for backhand play. Flicks are easy to execute despite the reduced spin, and blocks are exceptionally effortless. In terms of speed, it’s comparable to the Xiom Omega VII Euro, but as mentioned, this rubber falls short in the spin department.
While the lack of spin isn’t a major concern for me, I would prefer to use my O7Euro if I had it available. Nevertheless, this rubber remains my go-to backhand choice in a 2.1-millimeter thickness.

It’s easy to play with this rubber. The topsheet is soft and very grippy. It’s easy to generate a lot of spin without using too much power.

However, to generate a huge amount of topspin by using brutal force is harder, likely because of the soft topsheet.

I tried it on the forehand side first, but later I found out it suits me better on the backhand. I find it easier to use the wrist for backhand strokes than forehand.

Plays much softer than its 47.5-degree rating suggests. Fast backhand spins, chiquitas, and strawberries are all excellent shots with this rubber. Blocks arc a bit too high, and the catapult effect can disrupt the short game, but these are not major issues.

Review

This is my favorite among the rubbers I’ve owned. As an intermediate player, I require a high level of control. Equipping my paddle with these rubbers (on both sides) instantly improved my performance without the need for a warm-up, even after transitioning from much softer rubbers (Rakza 7 soft).

To my surprise, these rubbers are notably tacky despite their recent acquisition. However, I cannot yet comment on their durability or the longevity of their tackiness. Another unexpected characteristic is their slow speed. I anticipated them to be faster than my previous Rakzas, but they were significantly slower while maintaining a comparable level of spin, offering significantly more control. This has enabled me to execute larger strokes and expand my range of techniques.

I highly recommend these rubbers for intermediate players creating their first custom paddle.

Tack will disappear soon. There is an issue with the weight, which can differ ±10(!) grams uncut. Very disappointed.

Very good, I use it on both sides. Outstanding control. Very good service. Strong at the table and away from the table.

You have to be careful with this rubber. It is a modern and good offensive rubber if you can handle it. To me, all the differences to all the other tensor rubbers are so massive that I have to try this one in my backhand.

Forehand experiences

• Plus:
  • Good spin also in serves
  • Reasonable control
  • Easy blocking
• Minus:
  • When spinning, you have to be careful not to brush the ball too much. In that case, the ball will fly over the table.

Backhand experiences

• Underspin and receiving serves is not that easy.

I will try this in my backhand and I will update my review.

I have always hated Stiga rubbers, but this one was really good! I have tried a lot of rubbers, and this one is a keeper. I still think Tenergry is a better rubber, but only for better players. If you aren’t a professional player, I think you will get better results with DNA instead of Tenergry.

DNA can be compared with Tenergry 05 because both are spinny with a high arc. I think the rubber felt pretty soft for being 47 ESN degrees. I could easily choose 50 on FH.

DNA isn’t too pricy for a new, good rubber, so try it if you would like a wannabe Tenergry 05 which has a bit more control and a bit less spin and speed.