Xiom Sigma V

Good grip, but not great. Oddly, it seems a downgrade on the discontinued Sigma I Pro.

It has a dwell issue; it struggles to really catch the ball. This makes it very unforgiving.

It loses speed from mid-distance, and because it doesn’t catch the ball that well, it gives you a really small margin for error.

The throw angle makes it difficult to counter close-to-table as well.

I think this is more of a sponge issue than a topsheet issue, but they don’t seem to work together that well.

It doesn’t have the characteristic soft click sensation that many former Sigma and current Omega rubbers do, and it doesn’t have as much oomph. That being said, with the dynamic friction topsheet, it can produce a lot of spin—maybe a bit less than 05—and the trajectory is very dangerous. It’s spin-insensitive, too; you can hit through spin quite well.

Like the previous Sigmas, the flight of the ball is low, then kicks up at the table. This makes playing against this rubber quite difficult, but it is also difficult to master.

The short game is reasonably good, and with the grip, serving is also decent for spin. But because the sponge is weak, it’s difficult to add pace on short serves.

The main issue I have with this rubber is the lack of confidence it gives on mid-distance counters, where it clearly lacks kick. This rubber is a little unbalanced and slightly disappointing, but it’s quite popular in Korea where it’s sold.

Available on GMarket

Very good rubber. Tried on a Tibhar Paul Drinkhall Powerspin Carbon. Good for blocking and counterattack, and for looping it is very good.