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.

Review of Xiom China VM @ Max

Rating:

The Xiom China VM rubber comes professionally packed in the typical Xiom Vega style, although it is not vacuum-sealed. It features a plastic cover over the rubber surface. The sponge is black, but it differs from the rest of the Vega series—it is not very porous and has a texture similar to rubber material. The pips are of medium height, possibly on the shorter side, resembling the height of Vega Pro or TG3 (measured with the naked eye). The tacky top sheet, like other tacky sheets, will stain a bit over time due to cleaning.

Spin:

The spin produced by this rubber is nothing short of insane! Short topspin shots, especially during opening loops, are just as good, if not better, than H3 or TG3 tuned rubbers. This rubber enables you to open your game with ease, lifting underspin effortlessly. You get a relatively dead feeling that is perfect for those shots. It can be difficult to tell you’re playing with a tensor in a short game; it has a distinctly Chinese pro style feel, leading to incredible openings.

At medium distance, the rubber’s performance becomes a bit confusing. I can’t classify it strictly as a Chinese or tensor rubber; it offers the forgiveness typical of tensors while providing better bounce than standard Chinese rubbers. It can save you easily when you find yourself out of position or in a tricky situation, like when executing blocks that resemble drives or making any other “in trouble” shot. The catapult effect is noticeable at this distance, but it is not like that of a typical tensor.

When playing away from the table, the spin is likely the best you will find—comparable to H3 or other professional rubbers. The feel is similar to TG or H, but with added help from tensor technology, providing some forgiveness. At this distance, you will feel a lot of catapult action, and the rubber will produce a continuous click. If you hit with a bent elbow, your spin will be less powerful at this distance; otherwise, you truly have a monster in your hands.

Speed:

In a short game, the rubber feels as dead as can be, certainly the least bouncy tensor I have ever played with. The control during short rallies is excellent. At medium distance, the game becomes effortless—there’s no need to elaborate further on this.

When you step back over 3 meters and start hitting hard, this is where the rubber truly shines. Thanks to the hard sponge and the springiness provided by tensor technology, you can generate as much speed as you desire. It is nearly impossible to bottom out this sponge. Compared to the Vega Pro, which I typically bottom out at about 80% of my strength, this rubber allows me to exert, in my opinion, up to 110% while still maintaining impressive performance, similar to the DHS monsters.

Other Characteristics:

The Xiom China VM has a higher throw angle, making it excellent for bombing shots from a distance. It is semi-tacky, providing an immense bite on the ball. The rubber feels somewhat heavier than the Vega Pro (I don’t have a scale to measure the exact weight), but it is not the heaviest option available.

Recommendations:

I would highly recommend this rubber to physical players and all-out attackers with well-developed skills—those who swing with intensity and don’t mind getting tired during practice.

However, I would not recommend it for less experienced players or those who enjoy a more casual game. Additionally, it is definitely not suited for defenders who prefer to block and chop from either distance or close to the table; there are far better alternatives for those playing styles.

Since this rubber has only been rated three times prior to this review, I hope my insights will be helpful. Don’t hesitate to purchase it if you enjoy smacking the ball from time to time. Keep in mind that, on various forums, people often rate H3 as a slower rubber (regardless of the version), yet H3 is fast enough for Ma Long, so I bet many of us hit harder than he does!

Best of luck to everyone, and have fun playing table tennis!

This rubber works well for me. Nowadays, I prefer using lighter rubbers to increase my agility at the table.

The rubber is a little more usable than Thors, but that’s not saying much. It does a few things well, while everything else is subpar. The serves are very good, and flat hitting is commendable. Unfortunately, that’s about it.

In comparison, H3 Neo and TG3 Neo are both better and more affordable options. Overall, I would rate this rubber a 5 out of 10. It ultimately finds itself in the trash alongside Thors.

Nightmares! This rubber produces powerful spin but is exceedingly slow, even when using speed glue. Looping is effective, but it requires a lot of strength. Smashing and pushing are quite difficult, and blocking performance is mediocre. There’s really no comparison to DHS Hurricane. I prefer to stick with Hurricane and Sword King. Don’t waste your money on this rubber.

In 2024, the Vega China VM remains an excellent choice, significantly better than the newer Vega Pro Hybrid, which has a mushy feeling and lacks tackiness.

The Vega China VM shines at the table and performs well at mid-distance; however, playing from far away requires more effort.

I have paired it with the Timo Boll CAF on my forehand. This combination makes blocking, serving, short game, and topspin shots much easier due to its forgiving nature. My next step is to pair it with the TB Innerfiber ALC.

My review compares the Xiom Vega China (XVC) to unboosted Hurricane 3 Neo (H3) and Skyline 2 Neo (TG2). The XVC has a very high throw angle compared to H3, TG2, and the new Sanwei Target National. This high throw angle made the XVC unusable for me, as I am accustomed to the lower throw angles of traditional Chinese rubbers.

One positive aspect I discovered is that the XVC is incredibly fast. I tried it on both my forehand and backhand. With my backhand, I could execute a fast block with minimal hand movement. However, the rubber was difficult to control. When I applied more force or performed longer strokes, the ball often went out. To be fair, I am still adjusting to this higher throw angle. After about three hours of play, I managed to achieve decent topspin loops. I also found that my reflex blocks, which typically do not succeed, had a much better success rate with this rubber. This seems to be because only a small movement is needed to propel the ball forward with topspin.

The catapult tensor effect of the XVC is very strong. However, I found it to produce much less spin compared to H3 and TG2. Consequently, I struggled to perform slow topspin loops and had difficulty looping against backspin.

I recommend this rubber for players who currently use tensors like Donic Bluefire M2 and are looking to transition to harder rubbers without the drawback of a low throw angle. However, I do not recommend it for those like myself, who have used unboosted H3 and TG2 and are seeking a similar but faster option. In my experience, both the XVC and the new Sanwei Target National were tested, and I found that the Sanwei Target National better fulfills this specific purpose.