Yasaka Rising Dragon

ATTENTION! Hello “friends of this rubber!” Unfortunately, this rubber has been removed from the ITTF approval list! The Rising Dragon 2, however, is still approved. In the past, I was initially intrigued by this rubber’s high spin rating. However, when I read the trajectory ratings, my interest waned. Fortunately, I was able to get a used rubber a week ago (for very little money! ; -P) that I had only briefly tested. It’s a mystery to me why they claim this rubber has a flat trajectory. I was testing the Tibhar Hybrid K3 on the other side of the racket in parallel with it, and its arc wasn’t significantly higher! I initially tested the Yasaka on my forehand side (on the very fast XVT ZL Koto, outer blade), but subsequently found it better for my backhand side. And believe me, this rubber creates a nice arc! ; -P More facts: my black rubber with 2.15 mm sponge weighs 45 grams, cut to 155×149 mm. It’s sticky enough to hold the ball for a few seconds! Addendum, here are some table tennis basics; -P: stickiness describes whether a rubber can lift and hold the ball. Tackiness describes how well the rubber “grips” the ball and how well it can generate rotation.

Top-quality rubber from Yasaka, very similar in characteristics to Rakza Z, but with slightly more spin. Excellent spin potential, very good control, especially for touch shots in and around the net. It is fast enough if you have the technique.

I have been playing with Rising dragon for just over five months now on Butterfly Ai Fukuhara blade. Rising dragon is my primary FH rubber and for good reason. I play with T05 hard, H3 Neo provincial blue 40 degrees, Jupiter 3 asia and Nittaku H3 neo turbo blue sponge, but this is the best. When playing for the first time, you’ll be so happy, asking why would you ever need T05, Dignics, Tibhar K3, etc. It’s amazingly playable right out of the packet! Tacky, powerful, and high spin. After breaking into it for a month, passive flat hits and lazy forehands will NOT go over the net, and almost automatic spin is no longer there. Then I understood immediately, just like H3 neo and T05 hard, to get the best out of this rubber you need good topspin and loop discipline. This rubber is great for intermediate attacking players. The more you break into it, the more you will achieve the arc on the ball that you want. At times you feel that there is a tensor effect to it, which makes it so different to unboosted Chinese rubber. Therefore, I would compare it most to Tenergy 05 hard in terms of playability. I would also say that this is more suited to power topspin players, not those who want automatic spin from the rubber immediately, as it will make you work for it. This is absolutely one of the hidden gems in table tennis FH rubbers!

After the many reviews on this website, I bought Rising Dragon. I am very satisfied. Previously, I used tacky rubbers such as G3 Neo, Neo Skyline 2 TG2, and Battle 2 Provincial Gold. This rubber is way easier to play and with lots of spin. Speed is not high, but like boostered Chinese rubber.

Very good rubber for looping. You can easily brush the ball and get the effect of the rubber very fast, even with less training. The spin and speed of the ball are also good enough to make it difficult for opponents to counter. Overall, this rubber is suitable for me, and I like it.

This is the rubber I love most. It has spin comparable to R47, G1, Raksa Z, and other renowned spin-oriented rubbers. It offers different levels of consistency and is easy to play with.

The Nittaku G1 and Andro Rasanter R53 are considered excellent forehand rubbers in table tennis.

Very loose sponge - do not glue.

This rubber is designed for soft control. It has a very loose sponge, which can be prone to breaking when removed.

Performance is above average, but the glue used with the rubber and sponge is not that good. That’s why the rubber separates from the sponge easily. I will never use or buy this rubber again unless it’s free. Just kidding.

Yasaka’s New Rubber

Yasaka’s newest rubber has proven to be excellent for all aspects of table tennis. It ranks among the best I’ve tried, despite having only two sessions with it so far. I will provide a more detailed review in a week.

However, I am already smitten with this rubber. It provides exceptional spin, comparable to the top ten rubbers in this category. Its speed is also impressive, similar to Rakza 7. Control is also excellent. I recommend pairing it with a fast blade for optimal performance.

The rubber features a soft, slightly tacky, and very grippy topsheet paired with a medium-hard sponge.

It grips the ball well and is a little bit more linear than regular tensor rubbers. This makes it suited for every part of the game, from serving to receiving, slow looping to driving, flicking to smashing.

Indeed, it feels like a hybrid, not really leaning toward any end, but gathering characteristics from Euro, Japanese, and Chinese rubbers.

A mix of German, Chinese, and Japanese technology. Outstanding spin, the best I have ever tested spinwise. Many serves and right sideloops just pass by the opponent. Long durability. Buy now! The black one is spinnier.

Bought in red color max thickness, I paired it with a Hurricane Pro 3 Turbo Orange on a Zetro Quad blade, using it predominantly on my backhand.

The majority of the reviews here are fairly accurate. This rubber has great speed and spin without compromising control. Serve returns are far easier compared to regular ESN rubber and remain low when using proper technique. It seemed fairly resistant to dust and maintained its grip throughout the course of a game. I quite enjoy the texture of the top sheet as well.

Good rubber that plays like European-Japanese rubber. It is slightly tacky and provides a good left dwell time on the ball. While it’s not a spin monster, it does provide a high level of spin potential. Xiom rubbers generally offer better spin. The throw angle of Rising Dragon is medium-high.

Review text:

This rubber has a tacky surface. The control and speed are adequate. It is great for producing quality spins and flat hits. I use this rubber on my backhand, with the maximum sponge thickness, on the Yasaka Dynamix 17. This combination elevated my game to a new level.

The only downside for me is that it collects a lot of dirt and dust easily, so I always have my cleaning sponge handy. This rubber is made in China, and it has a feel that is typical of Chinese rubbers. Overall, it is a great rubber.

Yasaka Mark V HPS Review: A Versatile All-Around Rubber

The Yasaka Mark V HPS table tennis rubber is known for its unique combination of China spin, Euro speed, and Japan touch. However, despite its versatility, the rubber’s properties are equal in measure, offering a balanced playing experience.

While the rubber provides ample spin, it is not overpowering, allowing players to maintain control. Similarly, its speed is moderate, enabling players to feel the ball well. Additionally, the rubber’s reactivity is balanced, making it suitable for both attacking and blocking.

However, it’s important to note that this rubber requires effort to master. It will not magically solve playing deficiencies. Players looking for a direct replacement for Chinese rubbers like H3N should consider Yasaka Shining Dragon or traditional rubbers from 729, Palio, Haifu, Globe, or DHS.

Despite its versatility, the Mark V HPS may not appeal to all players. Its unique blend of characteristics may not align with the preferences of players from specific regions, such as Europe, China, or Japan.

The most perfect rubber I have ever played except for the H3 National version. Spin is just perfect, not too hard for classical Chinese rubbers. Speed is enough for attack. It is really sensitive to incoming spin. Blocks are very hard to do (not for blockers because of its spin capacity). It is not too heavy but not light, consider this. Perfect harmony of Japanese and Chinese. Congratulations Yasaka. The Shining Dragon version is slower but tackier.

I used my Rising Dragon with Ma Lin Soft Carbon and it is amazing. I can serve fast, short, and spinny serves in one. This rubber is really good at everything.

The only thing is that the rubber drags a lot of dust to it, so cleaners should be bought too. The tackiness is not too tacky, which is perfect for me. A really good rubber. Thank you, Yasaka!

Simply wow…

Very good rubber! Yasaka finally managed to combine a tension sponge and a Chinese-style tacky topsheet. The combination feels really good: monstrously aggressive and spinny, yet very well behaved while blocking, serving, and playing short pushes over the table. If your training can manage the tricky control and unforgiving throw angle, this is a top choice for both forehand (FH) and backhand (BH).

I got this in red, with maximum sponge. It generates a lot of spin but has a medium throw angle. It may seem challenging to play with initially due to its “Chinese” feel, but with a low throw. The sponge is Japanese, and it feels pleasant after breaking in. I used mine for 10 months, approximately 500 hours, and it still performed fairly well towards the end of that period. It serves effectively, although not as well as Hurricane. It is tacky but not as much as other Chinese rubbers. However, the Japanese sponge allows the ball to sink into the topsheet and sponge sufficiently, creating highly spinny loops and pushes. Its speed is medium-fast. I would compare its speed to Rasant Grip, with slightly more speed than Xiom Vega Europe. It also offers excellent touch and control, making it a versatile rubber suitable for a wide range of playstyles. It is not so fast as to prevent you from playing a slower game, yet it possesses sufficient top-end speed for an all-out offensive game or an effective put-away shot. However, I believe it is better suited for offensive players. If you prioritize spin over speed, consider a rubber like Spinlord Marder. Yasaka Rising Dragon appeals to those seeking a balance of maximum spin and speed without resorting to a completely Chinese rubber. It is also a suitable choice for players who generally play offensively but vary their game and speed due to its touch and control capabilities.

Replaced the h3neo on both sides of my DHS PG7 with this rubber today, then later played about 4 hours with it. Initial observations: The red and black sheets were so different, if I didn’t know better, I would think they were not the same rubbers.

The black side is almost completely non-tacky. It won’t lift a ball and protection sheets fall off. It’s also about 10-20% faster than the red side. Good for blocking and hitting, not so much for looping.

The red side is medium tacky, with good looping characteristics, good control, and overall tamer.

Because of the differences, I used the black side mainly on bh for quick attacks and receiving serve and the red on fh for looping, and it worked out pretty well. I actually like both sides, in their own way.

My ratings reflect the average between the two sides, with obviously low marks for consistency.

In comparison, the h3neo was identical on both sides of the same blade, was way more spinny, not as controllable (great for looping, not so much for blocking and driving), and considerably slower.

*Update: Weird that no one else seems to be experiencing the differences I have. It’s still great rubber though, and I highly recommend it. Even on the black side, the ball goes where you want it and short spinny serves are even better than the h3neo. The gears are really amazing. On a side note, kudos to Megaspin for their outstanding customer service and very speedy shipping.

Push: Easy to push.
Counter loop: Excellent, very easy, and lots of control.
Loop: Possibly the best hybrid rubber on the market for looping. Strong mid-distance spin and speed.
Serves: Lots of spin.
Tacky: Medium tacky. Outstanding on Nittaku Latika.

Using this rubber on the FH side on Xiom Vega Euro blade, this rubber has some tackiness but the feeling is close to Euro/Jap rubbers. The sponge is hard and tensor effect is present, although this is not a very fast rubber. I don’t know why this rubber’s hardness is rated “Medium”, in my opinion it is hard. The trow angle is medium low, but lifting backspin is easy because of the tackiness and the good spin produced from the topsheet. In general - a very good product, in fact this is the first tacky rubber that I really liked.

Overall 9.5/10.

This rubber excels in feel, control, and spin. Notably, its exceptional feel stands out as a key advantage. However, despite its impressive attributes, its overall rating could benefit from an upward adjustment to better reflect its capabilities.

Review:

Moving from DHS H3 National to this rubber provides more speed, gear, and spin, but with less tackiness and slightly reduced control.

Yasaka Rising Dragon is a professional-grade rubber, offering a blend of Japanese touch, European speed, and Chinese spin. It excels in flips and quick smashes near the table, enabling skilled players to execute lightning-fast forehand spin shots.

Caution: The rubber’s tackiness diminishes quickly as it accumulates dirt, which can pose a risk during matches. The reduced grip can lead to missed shots falling into the net. To mitigate this, it’s advisable to carry a wet sponge during play.

I was curious to try this Yasaka Rising Dragon on the Yasaka Extra Offensive for my forehand. I play penhold and switched from DHS H3 Neo on DHS PG7 blade to this setup. I got the black top sheet on MAX sponge.

The first thing I noticed was that it’s not as tacky as the H3 Neo, but it’s tacky enough for good touch play. For looping, I had to adjust my stroke a bit. At first, the trajectory was much flatter (throw angle not as high, weaker rebound off the paddle) but also much faster than the H3 Neo. After some adjustment, I became very comfortable looping and driving with this rubber. It produces as much (if not more) spin than the H3 Neo and is faster. Medium to long distance looping/counter looping rallies required some more effort and power, but I found control at that range to be superior to the H3 Neo.

Serving was excellent due to the high spin, though it needs a different touch. Playing close to the table was also very good due to the control and decent speed in returning with a block/drive.

This setup not only has more speed than H3 Neo + PG7 but also much more control - big points for any offensive style player. I could feel the ball much better in my hand and arm during each hit, and this helped increase my control. The sound of PG7 + H3 Neo was much deeper and thicker, and the touch was not there - it just had a very slow, heavy feel. Just note that neither of these rubbers is particularly fast on their own - they should be played on at least an OFF blade.

Very good rubber from Yasaka. The tacky surface goes off after some training, but the rubber is very grippy.

It’s a very spinny rubber with amazing control. The speed is not too high, but if you want speed, take it in the maximum thickness. However, keep in mind that the rubber’s best point is not its speed.

For me, who is a defender, it fits well. I can push, chop, loop, hit; the rubber can do all of them. The 2mm is like a 1.8 of other rubbers, so if you want to chop with that rubber, you can do it.

Nice and spinny serves too. Another very good product from Yasaka.

I just love it (in 2.0 thickness) on the forehand of my Victas Koji Matsushita DEF NEW. It has great control over any type of topspin I use. It’s easy to counter topspins with it. It has really nice spin, and (which was unexpected for me) it’s actually very nice for defence. It offers great blocking and nice chopping!

It’s still a question how long this rubber will work so great, as I’ve only used it for a week so far.

Switched from Rakza 7 soft, which was my best forehand rubber so far. This rubber is faster and has more spin. Serves have more spin. Control is just as good or better, so this is excellent.

As I’m getting more used to it, my attacking ability with it is improving, and my chop is almost as good with the Rakza 7 soft. In a few more months as touch improves, both should be better.

This rubber is pretty light compared to the other tacky rubbers and is medium tacky, giving it an edge on the shots that need more initial grab, like serves, chops, loops, and pushes.

My favorite rubber. It is the only rubber I use. It is much faster than the 729 pips I played with in the 90s.

I love the control on this rubber. Compared to Rakza 7, it’s a hair slower, at least as spinny, significantly more controlled, more linear (but still has pop when I need it), and about the same hardness.

In my view, its feel has more in common with Rakza than, say, a typical Chinese rubber (e.g., Hurricane 3). I love it.

It’s so slow, it feels like a Friendship 729 Super FX Super, a little softer but still has a hard and dense sponge.

The spin, block, and service are good, but it’s too slow for forehand. It is also heavy rubber.

This rubber is just fantastic. I got it since it was so hyped on this site, and I was not left disappointed! Switching from Tenergy 05, this just catapulted my game. Well, okay, at least it complemented my game even more. It has a nice medium arc, which makes it more difficult to counter loop against me, as the ball doesn’t bounce so high on the opponent’s side. The spin is monstrous, definitely the same as the tenergies, but the control is much better. Blocking away from the table, making tactical placement loops to the edges/corners has fantastic control as well, and the short game, without exaggeration, has never been better for me. The ball just goes low and short.

This rubber is absolutely fantastic in every single aspect for an offensive player. My highest recommendation!

The ONLY con I can find about it is the durability. I play 20-30 hours a week, and this rubber is close to used up in 1 month. But to balance that out, you can buy 3 sheets of this rubber for the same price as 1 tenergy, so you can afford to switch more often :) problem solved, LOVE IT!

Currently using it on my FH with a Yasaka Ma Lin Extra OFF blade. It’s very good with so much spin. Not so much speed, but my blade makes it fast, and has good control. Highly recommended for aggressive players who like to win with spin.

I just got this rubber, Max thickness, and am using it on a Yasaka Gatien Overdrive Metal Blade. Yes, it’s an old blade, but the Yasaka Overdrive is the same blade.

Compared to the Xiom Omega 5 tour Max, it’s a bit slower, has more spin, more control, and a lower throw angle. It’s very good for reversing opponent spin.

I think it would have been nicer if it had a bit more power, but it’s always either control vs. power. Control is excellent. You can pretty much loop anything. It’s good at looping at the top of the bounce and great for flips, thanks to the extra control.

Not recommended for beginner to intermediate level players. Must have well-developed strokes.

Clearly, the weight is not a 4 on a scale of ten if an uncut sheet weighs 10 grams more than a sheet of Adidas P7. Three to four fields are distorted because of half a dozen proponents of the product. This is B.S.

Great rubber!

Japanese-Chinese hybrid rubber. The spin is incredible, and it offers excellent control and enough speed. I think it performs better with medium or fast blades. Congratulations, Yasaka!

Awesome! This rubber is a monster of power spin. If you are a topspin player, then you should try this rubber. You won’t regret it.

Just bought this out of sheer curiosity. It feels just nice. I’m using this as FH rubber with my Yasaka Extra Offensive. It’s a very nice tacky rubber with a sponge hardness that’s just right. You can drive it, return blocks, and spin it really well. Don’t go for this if you’re looking for a tensor-type feel. It will slow down your speed a little due to the tackiness.

The rubber is not as tacky as some other brands offer, but it is a spin machine. The speed is above average but not uncontrollable. The rubber has a low rebound, like tacky rubbers, which means the ball doesn’t bounce much after hitting. This makes it good for serves and touch shots.

You need proper technique to take advantage of the spin and speed. It is recommended on fast blades. Since the rubber has some tackiness, you might have to practice serve return. It is also good for blocks as it just removes the speed and spin of your opponent and adds your speed and spin. It is a good choice for forehands.