Yinhe Mars V2

It makes me feel like I’m on Mars.

This rubber is a bit strange for me. I used it on my backhand. It is incredibly good to loop on a backspin, but all the other shots are not good. It is very slow, even with correct technique and good power. The ball goes to the net very easily due to the lack of speed.

People who bought this rubber thinking it is a T05 clone are mistaken; it’s not even close! It lacks speed and spin is okay. The topsheet is medium tacky, and the sponge hardness feels harder than a Vega Pro, but the topsheet is very soft and thin. I would say its hardness is about 48 to 50 degrees (I bought the hardest rubber, but I know there is a softer version).

If you want a cheap rubber that plays like Euro rubbers, go for Kokutaku 868, because Mars 2 is not a good option.

OBS: I tested this rubber with YINHE Mercury 11, which is quicker for me than a Primorac Carbon, so this rubber is actually very slow.

The rubber is grippy and gives a good feeling. It’s slightly slower than the AK47 Red, but the feel is clearer.

Review removed.

I’ve been using this rubber on BH. It’s a fairly average grippy rubber, very slightly tacky. It’s ok in every aspect.

The speed is ok; there’s enough gears to finish points. The spin is decent for a non-tacky rubber. The rubber actually grabs the ball very well. This allows for good control in both soft and power shots.

Because it’s not a tensor, it’s not dynamic and the throw angle is medium. You have to use some motion in order to generate speed and spin.

The best aspects of this rubber are probably its low price and high durability. And unlike other tacky hard Chinese rubber, this rubber is pretty soft. So you don’t need to be familiar with tacky rubber to play with it. Anyone can pick it up and play right away without any issues.

Despite it being somewhat average in most categories, I would rate this rubber 9 out of 10. Because it performs well relative to its price, and it lasts quite a while. Whether you are only a recreational player or a serious player, you can’t go wrong with this. This is especially good as a cheap practice rubber.

For me, this rubber is not a good choice. It costs approximately 15 dollars and its durability, I think, only lasts 2 or 3 months, using it thrice a week. A better choice would be a DHS hurricane, in my opinion, by just adding 5 to 10 dollars. About this rubber, it’s a tacky rubber. It’s very light compared to a DHS hurricane. I used it with a Donic Epox Offensiv and I think it produces a decent speed. The sponge hardness is possibly between hard and medium hard.

Good control, light, very durable, and nice-looking; however, it does not provide good spin. Speed is linked to spin, which is why this rubber is slower than expected.

Another issue I personally encountered with this rubber is that I mistakenly believed it to be faster than my other rubber, Jupiter, based on the seller’s and this site’s speed ratings. This led me to rate it 5 to compensate for the overall rating. However, my actual rating for speed would be 8.3.

This rubber can be satisfactory for players on a budget who prioritize control and are looking to improve their technique.

Good rubber with normal speed, good control, and very good spin. Worth the price, but it’s a bit too heavy.

New Version of MAR 2 (White DF Sponge, Soft)

• Affordable and cost-effective option.
• Provides decent speed, particularly for backhand play.
• Offers good control and counter-looping capabilities.
• Comparable performance to Xiom Vega Asia, approximately 85%.

Old Version of MAR 2 (Red Sponge, Hard)

• Excelled in control and speed when used close to the table.
• Capable of effective attacking, looping, and chopping.
• Counter-looping could be improved with a softer sponge.
• The sponge becomes firm when utilizing more than 80% strength.

Nice rubber as it can produce a good amount of speed on the ball, especially when looping. However, the spin is lacking. This rubber is also not very durable. I have been playing with this rubber for 70 hours so far, and the grip has already faded. It is still a good rubber for beginners, though.

This review is on the Galaxy Mars V2 factory tuned red @ max. 35 deg.

Physical:
The rubber has good looks, with a nice red (orange) sponge. The top sheet has wider pips than average, and medium height pips. It appears to be a very grippy sheet with a slight amount of tack (tackiness does not factor in while playing much).

Spin:
The rubber has a good amount of spin. The grip of the top sheet and sponge deformation produce some good rotations. At close range, the rubber performs well in terms of spin and provides solid control. Medium distance is the best for this rubber. One can generate heavy loops without much effort. At medium distance, you get the best sound too. Far away, the rubber is ok, at least for the 35-degree version I have. It would be great to try a harder sponge for FH heavy shots from distance. I think the rubber would work great.

Speed:
This is a bit on a strange side. The rubber acts between dead china rubber and slower tensor rubber. I don’t really understand the marketing “T64 Clone”… It has solid speed and not too much bounce. The problem is far away when you will engage the blade a bit too much. Maybe if you get a regular version of Mars 2, it would be better than the tuned (soft) for speed at distance…? Overall speed of this rubber will be fine for most of the players unless you are way up there in the TT world. Then maybe this rubber would be ok for BH.

Throw angle:
On a low side here… I feel as if many would find this great on BH. For FH, one has to make slight adjustment on strokes. I usually play TG3N on FH, so it took me a few hits to get a grip on Mars 2. I had no such issues on BH, rubber was fine out of the pack.

Recommended to:
Honestly, this is one of those rubbers I would recommend to anybody. Beginners will have fun with it because it has properties of both Chinese and tensor rubbers. It can help beginners decide what path to take (tensor vs dead tacky). Intermediates will get the most out of this. The rubber will provide more than enough speed and spin on both FH and BH. For pros (if you have to buy), then this is a cheap training option.

Overall great product at a $15 price tag. Highly recommended, so give it a shot if you like, and have fun playing TT.

Review

My first table tennis rubber as a player.

I chose this rubber after browsing various forums and using a friend’s bat with Mk V rubber. I needed a less tacky rubber while improving my technique, and this was the perfect choice. It’s still affected by opponents’ spin, but not as much as tackier rubber, and can create enough spin while chopping to earn points. The rubber is fast enough for me at 2mm 33 degrees, and I find it good for close-to-table play. However, looping is challenging when far from the table, which is easier with the Mark V.

Overall, it’s a great rubber for beginners at a fair price. My rating is based on its purpose and effectiveness for my needs.

Hardness:
35 degrees on red and black for my testing.
Medium-heavy weight by my judgment.

Application:
Comes factory-tuned, requiring removal of the plastic cover from the sponge side to expose the factory-applied glue. Air for a few minutes before applying.

Characteristics:
Rubber is quite hard and completely non-tacky. Tenergy-esque in that respect.

Performance:
Good speed and spin (non-tacky, so a bit less). Offers a good level of control.

Throw Angle:
Medium-low. Aim a bit higher compared to others to prevent ending up in the net.

Blocking:
Quite good with the medium sponge providing enough kick.

Pushing and Chop Serves:
OK, but lack some bite due to the non-tacky surface.

This is good rubber for looping. I used T05 before (too high of a throw angle on Photino). I quote Galaxy product description:

• Galaxy Mars V2, Lowest throw, offensive rubber, controlled version of Butterfly Tenergy 64!

I am not sure if that description is accurate. I never used T64. All I can say is I worked better for me on Photino blade. Low throw angle. Very fast, easy to loop, blocking loops are easy. Counterloop needs a little extra effort if you try to counter loop a heavy spinny loop due to the lower throw angle. I am using 33-degree sponge. I got both 2.3mm and 2.0mm. At $17.99 a sheet, it’s quite a good product. I tried 2.0mm FH and BH on my T8. The blade is too hard or the sponge is too soft; not ideal to loop with that combo.

Soft Mars 2 (34-35 d)

When Soft Mars 2 is placed on a Korbel blade, it plays identically to Xiom Omega IV Europe. The sponge hardness ranges from 33 to 41 degrees, excluding 40 degrees. Additionally, the thickness can be customized to any desired level between 1.8 and 2.3 millimeters. The slightly delicate top sheet is nevertheless clear and translucent. Given its price, this rubber is an excellent value.

Review

This rubber offers good value for its price point. It resembles the Xiom Omega IV but with slightly reduced performance in terms of speed, spin, control, and durability. However, it is significantly less expensive at $9.

When used on TBS, JM, and Korbel blades, its performance comes close to that of the Xiom Omega IV.

Note that this rubber is not a suitable alternative for the T64 clone.

Review

First off, before I proceed, let me acknowledge that TTXOnline sent me this rubber for review purposes. My rating level is approximately 2150-2200.

I’ve been using the new Mars V2 for a couple of weeks now on a Donic Burn Off- blade. It’s slightly heavier than the European rubbers I usually use, but not as heavy as Tenergy. The sponge resembles Tenergy’s sponge in appearance and feels about the same hardness.

The rubber has a medium throw angle and average speed for a Chinese rubber. I was able to brush loop effectively and found it performed well at close to mid-distance. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for longer distances.

Pushing was effortless, and blocking/hitting was also quite easy. Overall, I give this rubber a positive review and believe it’s worth the price. It’s not a Tenergy substitute as it lacks the speed and high throw angle of Tenergy, but it’s a quality rubber that I recommend for players from beginner to intermediate levels.

I bought this rubber (red medium max) when I didn’t have the money to buy expensive rubbers for my backhand. I’m not a professional player, so my opinion may be wrong, but with all my rubbers, my backhand topspin often flew off the table. This rubber is slower than Fastarc C1, Mantra M, and for me that’s good because now my backhand tops have improved. And this price… But it smells unpleasant, probably pumped with factory booster. By the way, I don’t know why the guys in the reviews write about tackiness, because, in my opinion, this is a slow Chinese tensor, without a tacky topsheet…