Xiom Vega China VM

I bought a pair of Vega China Max rubbers a few months ago, but I didn’t have the time to try them out. While cleaning my house last weekend, I found an unused blade—a simple limba-ayous, 7-ply, Clipper-like blade. I decided to test it during my training session this evening, and I was truly impressed.

The adaptation time was very short; after about 30 minutes of warm-up, I was ready to play a match. My conclusion after two hours of play is that it’s one of the most underrated rubbers available. It’s essentially a springy alternative to H3, much more forgiving, and somewhat similar to H3-50, but bouncier and faster in the short game. However, it is not as tacky as the H3 series.

This rubber is usable even by beginners who are willing to learn the Chinese technique. In the right hands, it becomes a spin monster and is quite fast. To those who complain about the lack of speed from this rubber, I’m sorry, but I believe the issue lies with your skills.

I love the hard feeling of the sponge! It’s also great for backhand play; control isn’t an issue as long as you remain active. This is a pure offensive rubber—it is NOT suited for a passive or defensive game.

I consider this one of the best hybrids I have tried (I call it a hybrid because it’s tacky, yet you really feel the tensor) and it’s one of the cheapest options available as well. My only complaint is its above-average spin sensitivity.

I also don’t understand why there haven’t been any reviews since 2014.

As mentioned by Amigo, this rubber is designed for all-out attackers. It is not suitable for passive play; you must apply an aggressive stroke, or else the ball will simply drop dead.

To fully utilize the rubber’s capabilities, you need to generate a heavy stroke. However, it’s worth noting that there are many other better rubbers available at half the price of this one.

Review of Vega China Table Tennis Rubber

Impressions:

The Vega China arrived in very sleek and professional packaging. Even the plastic covering the rubber was of high quality. However, I didn’t find the topsheet to be excessively tacky; it had just enough tack to be effective. When bouncing a ball on the rubber, it was clear that this is a Chinese rubber: it offers a very low and dead bounce.

Playing Impressions:

The first thing I noticed when I executed my first forehand topspin was how the ball dove towards the floor after bouncing off the table. The spin generated by this rubber is simply insane! It is very easy to impart spin on the ball. I’m not sure if it’s the slight tackiness combined with the tensor technology that allows for this level of spin, but I certainly appreciate the extra spin.

Despite being a tensor rubber featuring Xiom’s Carbo Sponge and Hyper Elasto technology, the Vega China is definitely not a speed demon. It feels a bit quicker than my Mark V, but that’s about it. The spin gives the illusion that it is much faster than other rubbers.

The short game was fantastic! I managed to put a friend, who usually beats me, on the verge of losing due to my tight service returns. The deadness of the Vega China in the short game really helps in keeping returns short and low while the tack adds a fair amount of spin.

Power looping is what this rubber is built for. Most of the players I practiced with found it challenging to return my power loops with the Vega China. The loops are not only quicker, but they are also significantly spinnier, making it difficult to block effectively.

As for control, I can’t provide a definitive comment. Having transitioned from a pure Euro rubber to a Chinese tensor, I only had a day to hit with it. Initially, it felt like it lacked control because I kept over-hitting. However, after a few hours of practice, I began to understand it better, and it didn’t feel so uncontrollable anymore. Thus, control largely depends on the player’s technique; poor technique leads to a low control rating.