Xiom Vega Euro DF

I have been using this backhand rubber for two years, and I still periodically revisit it. As a backhand-dominant player, I have some interesting observations.

It’s an unusual rubber; in some aspects, it’s forgiving, but its extreme softness causes it to be bouncy even with light touches. Consequently, it requires some time and effort to tame. The softness also makes it prone to bottoming out on harder shots. Xiom rates it at 37.5 degrees, but I find it noticeably softer than Tenergy 05FX (36°) and Spinlord Marder (35°), roughly on par with TSP Ventus Soft, which is one of the softest rubbers available.

Due to its softness, this rubber has few gears. Although the spin is decent, it is by no means comparable to other soft tensors. In short, it’s a good backhand rubber for loopers and blockers, and it chops quite well once tamed, especially with the 1.8mm sponge.

One final point worth considering is that it performs poorly in hot and humid conditions, as noted by another reviewer. I would recommend this rubber for beginners and anyone looking for a controlled backhand. It is also suitable for inverted choppers using all-around or defensive blades who occasionally want a more dynamic backhand alongside heavy cuts.

This is a classic soft rubber known for its excellent spin capabilities. When hitting softly, the ball travels quickly. However, when hitting hard, the ball tends to move at a slower pace.

I tried the 2.0mm thickness on both my forehand (FH) and backhand (BH) sides. The rubber weighs only 38 grams when cut, making it quite lightweight.

It’s extremely easy to play with and has a low catapult effect. Lifting underspin is effortless! The rubber offers a perfect balance of speed, spin, and control. This is my first experience with an ESN Tensor, and I had no issues adjusting to it.

However, there is a notable downside: the durability is very poor. After only three hours of play, the topsheet already lost its grip. Due to this issue, I would not purchase it again.

Soft rubber with a hardness of 37.5 degrees, this rubber is excellent for blocking and offers good control. It performs well when lifting low balls from a mid-distance, providing a satisfying speed glue sound. With the right technique, it can achieve impressive speed.

In terms of the short game, it is not too bouncy, but it is very spinny. It can be challenging to return slow loops due to its high spin potential. I have been using it on my backhand for three months, and I find it particularly effective for opening with backspin balls. I feel very confident executing this with the VE DF.

In my country, it costs 30 euros, which I believe is a good value for money.

In my experience, the rubber performs well on blades with hard outer layers, such as the Yasaka G5 and Stiga Emerald V. However, it feels softer and less powerful when used on the Yasaka YES. I have the rubber in a thickness of 2.0 mm.

The VE-DF plays somewhat like a cross between Rakza 7 Soft and Rasanter R37. However, I would prefer R37 if I were looking for a soft rubber. The VE-DF is indeed soft, as mentioned by other users, and it offers good control for basic shots.

It features the typical Tensor ‘ping’ and has more speed than others have attributed to it. However, it is certainly not as fast as the regular XVE, which is rated at 8.9. I would say the speed is very similar to Rakza 7 Soft, which is rated around 8.6, while the throw angle resembles that of Rasanter R37. My scores of ‘10’ were primarily intended to raise the averages from 8.3 to 8.5, which I believe is a more accurate representation compared to other soft rubbers I have used.

The VE-DF is good for developing basic shots, but it may lack the ‘gears’ for players with a more advanced game. The rubber has a high-quality, grippy topsheet, meaning it should be no less durable than standard XVE. I generally agree with the speed, spin, and control ratings provided by the user ‘tipoman’.

I fully agree with McCustom. The rubber is extremely soft and bouncy, even with the lightest touch, including on the backhand with a Yasaka Sweden Classic ALL blade.

Like most tensor rubbers, chopping is challenging due to the very limited margin for error. However, unlike many tensors, even a medium-force loop will cause it to bottom out. Hard loop attacks produce such a cracking sound that I started to worry about damaging the outer wood layer of my blade!

Ultimately, you have little control over the short game and lack both speed and spin in power plays. It is only effective for slow opening topspins or flicks, which can be tricky, but at least you can take advantage of the grippiness of the topsheet.

[Update] December 2017: The above impressions were formed while playing in relatively warm conditions—around 25 degrees Celsius. Now, it is colder in the court where I play (10-15 degrees), and the rubber feels significantly harder! I prefer it in colder conditions; it no longer bottoms out during loop exchanges and only does so when attacking. The bounciness has also been reduced, allowing me to truly enjoy the grippy topsheet while chopping. It’s clearly a winter type of rubber!

The rubber has never reached the described hardness of 42.5°. A more realistic measurement would be around 37-38°.

It may be too soft for harder topspin strokes. However, countering feels good.

Vega Europe DF is extremely grippy. The DF technology creates a significant amount of spin while remaining non-tacky, which means it doesn’t react heavily to incoming spin.

This rubber is very soft and bouncy, requiring a delicate touch, especially for mid-table pushing, as opposed to short-short play. The speed does not increase significantly for harder strokes, but it excels in close-to-the-table attacking due to its bounciness.

Topspins, or open-ups, can produce a lot of spin and tend to be slow when executed with a brushing motion. The pip structure, which consists of long, thin, and sparsely arranged pips, contributes to a less direct and predictable trajectory for shots. Additionally, the dwell time feels short because the rubber ‘repels’ the ball before it can fully grip it, particularly on slower or more passive shots; therefore, control can be a challenge.

When strokes are executed correctly, they create a loud click, with good dwell time from mid-distance if the ball is taken late. However, any shots where speed is prioritized over spin are likely to bottom out, unless they are close-to-the-table drives.

The quality of services is average; the grip is sufficient but not exceptional, while flicks are very controlled. Remarkably, the grip remains excellent even after about 50 hours of play. I would say this rubber is effective at teaching good technique, provided the user is willing to learn.

Enjoy your table tennis!

First things first: the Vega Euro DF is a really soft rubber. The feeling is around 35°, making it by far the softest rubber I’ve used since I stopped playing with Desto F3 several years ago. Currently, I mostly use harder rubbers like Vega Pro, Omega Pro, and Genesis M.

I have been using the Vega Euro DF on my RPB backhand for four months, and it is a very good rubber if you prefer soft sponge and springy options with a “speed-glue” feeling. However, if you frequently play strong topspins or flat hits and blocks, you may find this rubber too soft, which could lead to difficulties in control. The sponge bottoms out quite quickly when you execute strong shots. As I mentioned, I use this rubber for spinny topspins in my penhold RPB backhand, and it is well-suited for that style of play.

While it is certainly not the most spinny rubber available, the topsheet is very grippy, ensuring you won’t encounter any surprises when trying to lift a ball. Although I find it a bit too soft for my liking, if you don’t mind this characteristic, you might enjoy this rubber very much.

The rubber is notable for its soft sponge and surface. I used the 2.00mm black version with the DHS PG7 as my forehand. While it excels in producing spin, it falls short in terms of speed when needed. This rubber is particularly suitable for players looking to improve their techniques after transitioning to their first custom table tennis racket.