Xiom Musa

The Xiom Musa rubber did not suit me well. It was too slow for forehand and too fast for backhand, and the amount of spin was not as big as I expected.

Two undoubted advantages of this rubber are a high level of control and great durability.

To sum up, my rating for Xiom Musa (in scale 1 to 10) is:

• Speed = 8.5
• Spin = 7.5
• Control = 8.6

This rubber is only suitable for beginners who need to learn proper strokes because it is neither fast nor spinny. It does nothing well despite its forgiveness and ease-of-use. I had heard that it was good for chopping, but the low spin it produced made it unsuitable for this purpose, especially compared to other slower/deader rubbers like Marder and Tackiness Chop.

A cadet at my club uses this rubber and plays well, but it seems that his performance is despite the rubber, not because of it. It is a better idea to spend money on other rubbers. (It should be noted that I like Xiom products in general, but this particular rubber does not seem to have any significant value beyond being a cheapish introductory rubber. Even then, there are better options available.)

This is a great product at a great price. I would recommend this rubber to a beginner. However, don’t be fooled, you can play well with this rubber until the intermediate level.

From here, the next step would be a Xiom Intro (introduction to tensors) and from there the Xiom Vega Pro (X). If you are serious about competing, it’s best to learn the basic strokes with a simple rubber (that has good spin) like this one. Don’t start with a tensor right away.

I use it in the backhand because I find it easy to control. As a left-handed player, I use my backhand a lot. However, I do not recommend this rubber if you are looking for speed. I don’t consider this rubber as an offensive option, but more like an offensive all-rounder.

Tested in black, 1.5mm:

Very soft. Not suitable for hard hitters in this thickness; difficult to find consistency. Hitting softly, playing consistent shots is much easier. Control and placement at low gears is great, and spin is better than the term “non-tensor” would suggest. Nothing exceptional, mind you. Good first rubber since easy to use. Enjoy your TT!

Salut! Sunt începător (de un an și jumătate de când joc tenis de masă) și folosesc Xiom Musa pe ambele părți ale paletei. Pot declara că aceste plăcuțe de cauciuc sunt perfecte pentru un începător. Oferă un control foarte bun și, de asemenea, un efect bun.

The rubber provides a lot of spin but is slower than modern tensors. Musa is good for opening loops over the table but is not fast enough to finish the point securely. I only use it to open the rally and put my forehand (Skyline TG3 NEO) into action. If you are a backhand-oriented player, this rubber will not be suitable for you as it is easy to lose the initiative in backhand-to-backhand rallies against tensors. Musa also has very good control for pushing short or punch blocking but lacks the high speed necessary for consistent offensive play.

Why is everybody talking about this rubber as a backhand rubber? I think it depends on your playing style.

I use it on my forehand side. I am a defensive player with a Toni Hold blade. On my backhand, I use Butterfly Challenger 1.5 mm, and on the forehand, 1.5 mm Xiom Musa.

Xiom Musa gives me lots of control because of its relatively soft sponge. It also generates lots of effect. For me, this is my number one rubber to defend against incoming topspin balls.

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The very soft and porous sponge gives me great confidence for backhand loops and smashes. It’s a very good rubber indeed.

Best backhand rubber for enhanced backhand skills. This rubber will unleash its deadliness in correct strokes.

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Easily one of the best backhand rubbers I have used. It may be a bit slow, but with such great control, it is not a problem to hit really powerful shots without fear of missing the table.

A non-tensor German rubber similar to Andro Shifter. Surprisingly slow despite Xiom’s marketing claims. The topsheet offers good spin due to its grippy nature. It has a very linear response, unlike bouncy tensors.

Considering its characteristics, this rubber would be a suitable choice as a backhand rubber, provided you don’t require low-speed bounce.