Tibhar Hybrid MK

This table tennis rubber is very easy to play with, and I immediately found a connection with it. I would describe it as ever so slightly tacky and very grippy. Opening up on the third ball or directly from the serve is a breeze, and smashing feels reminiscent of ESN Tensor smashing.

Looping generates a high arc, and there is ample easily accessible spin. Tibhar states that its hardness is 48 degrees, but on a 5-ply offensive blade, it feels more like it’s in the range of 42-45 degrees. Nevertheless, the short game is excellent; the ball can easily be kept short and spinny, unlike with most similar-feeling softer rubbers.

The rubber produces a nice thumping sound and vibration when you brush the ball, and it provides good feedback with other strokes as well. Additionally, it chops well on the forehand (with a 2mm sponge), offering high spin and good control.

Serves are fantastic; while they may not reach the level of H3N, they rival those of Rakza Z. In my opinion, this is the best rubber among the jack-of-all-trades types, offering the most versatility among the options.

This rubber plays like a softer version of the Hybrid K3. The throw angle is very high, requiring players to use a closer angle compared to other tensor-type rubbers. Overall, I find it better suited for my style than the Hybrid K3.

Here are a few facts about this rubber:

The black rubber is 2.0 mm thick and weighs 108 g in its original packaging. When uncut, it weighs 65 g, and when cut on the blade, it weighs 44 g. The red rubber, also 2.0 mm, weighs 46 g when cut. Both rubbers measure 156 x 150 mm.

The sponge hardness is rated at 48 degrees, while the total hardness is approximately 52.4 degrees, according to Spin and Speed in Germany. The upper rubber has the ability to hold the ball momentarily, similar to the D 09c.

I have been testing this rubber for half a year, albeit sporadically, and I have experimented with various different blades. Unfortunately, I consistently reach the same conclusion: the controllability and overall control are very good; however, the spin potential could be higher.

Sadly, I have noticed that the durability of this rubber is not particularly great, though I cannot determine the extent to which the rubber’s care impacts this. In conclusion, I have yet to find the right blade for this rubber that works well for me, whether I use it for my forehand or backhand. Nonetheless, in my environment, up to the middle divisions, this rubber is played more often and with much enjoyment.

I believe this will become a new best-seller for Tibhar. I am using it in max on an inner carbon blade on the backhand side. The topsheet is very soft and grippy, while the sponge is undeniably on the softer side—possibly even softer than the stated hardness. It is very easy to compress and engage when hitting the ball.

What really stands out about this rubber is its ease of use and lack of spin sensitivity. This characteristic makes it excellent for pushes, drop shots, blocks, and advanced techniques like the fanning backhand chop block. You can definitely tell that Kenta was involved in the design of this rubber.

The maximum speed and spin of this rubber are quite decent, though they are, of course, less than those of other high-end rubbers that utilize harder sponges. There is a harder version available for players seeking more power, but I would argue that this version is sufficient for most players.

While equipment doesn’t make you a better player, the ease of use and the lack of spin sensitivity have enabled me to change my shot selection and overall tactics. This has increased the variety of backhand tools and shots at my disposal. Overall, this is a really impressive rubber, and I will continue to use it.

This rubber is a pleasure to play with, and I quickly found it easy and enjoyable. It has a slightly tacky surface and is very grippy, providing a medium throw angle with excellent loop effects. Smashing the ball with this rubber is effortless.

The rubber feels softer than 48 degrees, which enhances its performance in the short game. You can easily keep the ball short and spinny. It also excels in chopping and serves, making it an all-around impressive rubber. Overall, it offers great performance, particularly rewarding players who are hitting and timing the ball well.

I put the rubber on my Innerforce Layer ALC 24 hours ago and did some practice. Switching from Barracuda took a few minutes to get used to it. The whole setup feels lighter now, which lessens the pressure on my forearm muscles. I think it needs some time to break in, but I can already execute short returns like never before. It’s very insensitive to incoming spin, making practice with choppers much easier. I can take my time to execute a good topspin and can even attack the chop more effectively than I ever could before. I will provide an update later.

In my second session, I was hoping to practice my basic techniques while playing against a long-pimp chopping player most of the time again. However, this time felt different. The rubber has fully broken in and feels like normal rubber, just less bouncy. I could lift the chop with such ease that it felt as if I had been born with this skill. The topsheet gripped the ball exceptionally well, resulting in even shorter returns than last time. It felt like I exerted less effort, yet my topspin has noticeably improved. The opponent was amazed by the change.

My backhand loops now have better control, allowing me to block returns long or short with ease. I managed to smash the ball a few times at much higher speeds than ever before, using only a small backhand movement. The ball consistently landed two feet from the bottom of the table, meaning there was plenty of topspin. Because of this performance improvement, I have increased my speed rating from 8.5 to 9.

This is an excellent rubber, but I’m finding it difficult to adapt from the softer Andro Grip.

The services are amazing and easy to place, offering loads of spin. Returns are also straightforward, as the rubber is not sensitive to incoming spin. Blocks, smashes, and drives all perform perfectly.

The only area that perplexes me is topspin variations. I usually switch between fast, heavy topspin and slow, higher loops, but I’m still working on my angles.

Overall, I would say that this rubber is fantastic for training technique. It is not too fast, very linear, and, when you master it, deadly! It can be used on either side, but in my opinion, it is best suited for an off blade.

I tested it on a Nittaku Caron Inner.

This rubber offers excellent control and feels great after a few training sessions. I would recommend it for use with offensive (OF) and offensive-defensive (OF-) woods.

Typique de Tibhar, cette plaque offre une très bonne rotation. Son angle de rejet est un peu plus élevé que celui de l’Andro Powergrip. Elle est similaire à la Fastarc G1, mais elle procure un peu plus de rotation et son angle de rejet est légèrement supérieur.

Great rubber, easy to use, but it does not last very long. I train 10-12 hours a week, and after 4-5 weeks, the top sheet is not grippy anymore, and it’s time to change the rubber.

Very good control, but a bit slow rubber for me.

Got some power, but the rubber doesn’t feel like a hybrid compared to D09C, Rakza Z, or BlueGrip C2. I tried it on my BH, but switched back to Rakza7 soft max which gives me more spin. It’s a good, all-purpose semi-hard rubber, but just not tacky or hybrid enough.

Coming from Tenergy 05, it’s softer and easier to use.
However, you don’t get the automatic spin like Tenergy, and the sponge feel is not as solid.
I’m going to keep using it because it’s forgiving and easy to use.

Usada por um amigo que considera idêntica ou superior à Dignics 09 C.

Good rubber.

Works great for me on BH.

After looking at the marketing and descriptions in various forums, I thought I’d try to find something a little lighter with more spin than the Donic BlueGrip C1 max sponge on FH, 2.0 on BH. I am using it on a Viscaria blade with the Donic blue glue, 2 coats of rubber with one on the blade. This was a totally disappointing experiment. I’m primarily an offensive player, closer to the table or mid-range drives off the serves. Fair looper and chopper to break rhythm. USATT rated around 1400.
I found this rubber to be very lifeless. Difficult to develop spin and slower on drives than the Donic BlueGrip C1. The only thing it did achieve was being lighter in weight by ~12 grams assembled.
Considering that this is supposed to be a newly developed rubber, they missed the mark.
I have 2 Viscaria blades and only switched rubber on one. During club play, my opponents openly commented on the stark differences between the 2 rubbers while both drilling and in match play, confirming my own evaluation.

A spinny rubber that has a low direct throw, surprisingly it is very easy to chop attacking shots. It’s also great at returning topspin balls, an unusual rubber that does most things well. Rubber is medium/heavy.

The rubber plays more like a tensor than the Chinese sticky topsheet/hard sponge. You must clean the rubber often to retain the grip.

It’s not as spinny as Tibhar Hybrid K3.

Forehand tarafında kullanıyorum. Memnunum.

Corrected review text:

Feels similar to H3 49 degrees with better grip and feel, spin on par with T05, and speed similar to high-end Andro. However, it may be too brittle as it gets damaged easily.

My order arrived in one day in Greece. Thank you, Table Tennis.com!

After getting used to it, it turns into a spin monster. The rubber grips the ball really tightly and shoots it out with great spin. So much spin that my opponent was surprised. Even my normal backhand produces more topspin. The only thing is after a while the sponge seems soft. I think this rubber goes well with a hard, but not necessarily fast blade.

It is a good rubber; great hybrid.

Review text:

Not the typical hybrid rubber as it doesn’t have a sticky surface, but it is grippy for sure. It can be considered a trimmed down Hybrid K3. Not very fast, but great control. If you are not a fan of built-in catapults (like Evolution or Rasanter), you might want to give this a try.

Spin and power on a different blade than Victas ZX GEAR FIBER and Tibhar balsa fibertec 75. On Tibhar balsa fiber 60 81g, it is fast and spinny and very good for hitting. Also, on DHS Hurricane 301, it is good for hitting, not as good as Hurricane 8 but still good. It is a good rubber, and also resilient. Try it, you will be surprised. It is also lighter than other rubbers.

Excellent rubber - used for forehand attack and counter, great control and serve return. Well-balanced rubber and gives great speed/spin when needed.

One obvious drawback is that it is impossible to play in high humidity.

This rubber is for “pro players”. It is too susceptible to moisture. Very good rubber when you shoot hard but not easy to play.

The rubber is good for my backhand.
Good control for me and enough spin.
Speed is not really high but okay for me.

The Tibhar Hybrid MK was developed by the top players of Tibhar, like Darko Jorgic, Shan Kun, and Kenta Matsudaira. The rubber is stated to be 48 degrees, but it feels much softer. Although it is marketed as a hybrid rubber, it is not really tacky or hard. If you are looking for speed, this is not the rubber for you. Tibhar MK’s strengths are in its spin and control. It is super easy to block with this rubber. The dwell time is longer, making your shots more consistent when spinning and receiving. If you are looking to improve the consistency of your game, you have to try this rubber out. - Coach Crisostomo.

This is a very high-quality rubber. After trying the 2.0 mm version, I have decided to switch over to it. It has improved my loop drive as it has the perfect amount of dwell time, grip, and throw angle. This has increased my mental confidence, and I’m very pleased with its performance during intense competition. I’m winning more matches.

Very good grip and speed. Good control in blocking and pushing. Suitable for backhand.

It is a very controllable rubber, with a lower shooting angle than Rakza Z, less sticky, hardness 48º ESN or 37º China, that is, slightly softer than Rakza Z. It is hybrid but feels more European or Japanese. Of all the similar rubbers I’ve tried, in the Bluegrip S1 style, it is perhaps the one that offers the best control. But it gives less spin than an H8-80 for example, and I think less ball speed on strong hits than a Rakza Z. Either way, it allows me to play my game and hit all the subtle shots and deep cuts without getting the ball up too high.

Disclaimer: The rubber is called hybrid, but it has a topsheet that has absolutely no tackiness.

The main characteristic of this rubber is its soft topsheet and linear but elastic sponge. These give the rubber a very consistent behavior in all types of situations.

I personally use it on the backhand at 2.0. Before, I used Tibhar EL-P and the MK seems to have a different design philosophy from the Evolution series. The main difference is the absence of the tensor effect that catapults balls even at low contact speeds. This makes the touch game superb as the control is maintained, which is usually the weakness of European rubbers. The top sheet is somehow soft, very spinny, and not spin-sensitive all at the same time. This makes the rubber great for receiving, blocks are easy to control, and countertop requires just to swing and the ball goes in almost always. The high throw and good spin make it good for open-ups and flicks. Overall, it is a very safe rubber, with high throw and good spin. Its only weakness is far from the table play (at least for backhand) due to its lower speed. It is not a slow rubber, but if you like the speed of other ESN rubbers like Evolution, then this would seem slow.

This is a good rubber. It is soft and delivers a nice feedback when driving and looping. The ball sinks into the soft sponge, and it can be easily placed in a controlled manner all around the table. Blocking, looping backspin, and counter-looping are very easy to perform. Keeping the ball short with backspin is a bit harder, though, because the sponge is reactive. Hitting the ball hard and flat will produce enough speed to win the point.
This is not a tacky rubber, though. I don’t understand why it is marketed as a hybrid rubber.

The only drawback I’ve found is that the rubber is very susceptible to humidity. It can form a very thin layer of “goo,” and then it becomes very slippery! In my club, I need to clean it all the time between points in order to have a grip! Other rubbers like Xiom Vega Europe do not have this issue under the same conditions! Very strange behavior!