The Xiom Vega Europe is without doubt one of the hottest rubbers presently out there. In accordance with Revspin.com, it ranks sixth among the many most used rubbers.
All through my testing, I began to actually perceive why so many individuals find it irresistible. It’s an extremely easy-to-use rubber. I discovered it to be a wonderfully balanced rubber with which you’ll be able to execute each stroke within the recreation.
Above all, it’s a very secure and controllable rubber. We advocate it for gamers of all ranges, particularly novices and intermediates, who worth consistency over pace.
XIOM VEGA EUROPE REVIEW SUMMARY
Good for: All-round offensive gamers who worth management over pace. Newbies will even make good use of this rubber. 0-6 years of taking part in.
Advantages
Distinctive management.
Unparalleled blocking skills.
Quick recreation.
Stability.
Spin insensitivity.
Light-weight.
Inexpensive.
Drawbacks
Common pace and spin.
Serves lack heavy spin.
Exhausting to hit high-quality pictures.
Concerning the Reviewer
Alvaro brings 7+ years of taking part in expertise. He’s examined 20+ rubbers for Racket Perception and his fashion is The Controller.
Concerning the Overview
Blade Used: Stratus Energy Wooden
Rubber Thickness: MAX
Hours Examined: 10+
Advisable Playstyles
We advocate the Andro Rasanter R47 to gamers who need to assault and counterattack their opponents with quick direct pictures.
Design of the Xiom Vega Europe
Xiom is a Korean Desk Tennis model, and they’re well-known for providing top quality Desk Tennis gear at cheap worth factors. The Xiom Vega Europe is without doubt one of the extra inexpensive merchandise of their vary, priced effectively beneath the typical European rubber.
The Xiom Vega Europe was launched in 2010, so its expertise is outdated in comparison with new tensor rubbers. This doesn’t essentially imply the Vega Europe is worse than newer rubbers, although. What this rubber lacks in efficiency, it makes up with excellent management and feeling.
Its design consists of a grippy topsheet and a smooth sponge. There aren’t any apparent indicators of manufacturing facility boosting and the rubber itself doesn’t have a big rebound impact.
Preliminary impressions
The Xiom Vega Europe has no tackiness in any way, it’s purely grippy. For my part, it has the proper degree of grip for the aim of the rubber.
It doesn’t have as a lot grip as top-of-the-line offensive rubbers which suggests that you would be able to’t generate as a lot spin, however this has an upside. The Vega Europe doesn’t soak up almost as a lot spin as newer rubbers whereas sustaining greater than sufficient grip to play offensive pictures.
This rubber has round 20-30% much less spin than newer tensor rubbers such because the Tibhar MX-P (read our review), but it surely’s loads simpler to make use of and management. Between these two, I’d argue that the Vega Europe is the higher alternative for many gamers, at the very least on their backhand aspect.
The sponge may be very smooth, which will increase the dwell time. It makes the rubber not have as many gears, with the shortage of high gears being particularly noticeable.
I had no issues with my backhand stroke, however I wouldn’t apply it to the forehand aspect because it lacks energy to supply quick loop kills.
The throw of the rubber is medium and even medium-low, however backhand loops and drives cleared the web simply high-quality. This rubber’s throw helps loads with blocks and pushes, which stayed low to the web.
The Xiom Vega Europe, reduce for my Tibhar Stratus Energy Wooden, weighs 46 grams in max thickness. It’s a very mild rubber, so should you’re trying to lower the load of your racket, it is a good selection.
A bounce take a look at reveals that the rubber feels very smooth and the bounce will not be excessive, an indication of its common pace. I’d say the pace is slightly slower than the Rakza 7 smooth however considerably sooner than the Hurricane 3 NEO.
Specs
- Weight (Minimize): 46g
- Pace: Medium-Excessive
- Spin: Medium-Excessive
- Management: Excessive
- Tackiness: Barely Cheesy
- Hardness: Delicate
- ITTF Accepted: Sure
- Sponge Thickness: 1.8mm, 2.0mm, or MAX
Abstract: Management each rally with this smooth, balanced offensive rubber that is good for novices onwards.
Playtesting
I glued the Xiom Vega Europe on the backhand aspect of my Tibhar Stratus Energy Wooden, because it’s a smooth rubber.
I additionally tried it briefly on my forehand aspect, however I didn’t prefer it. It lacks pace and spin to shut out factors, so I wouldn’t advocate it when you have a succesful forehand. When you’re a newbie, nonetheless, this rubber might positively work on the forehand aspect.
When you’re searching for a tougher different to the Vega Europe to make use of as your forehand rubber, check out our Xiom Vega Pro review or the Yasaka Rakza 7 review. These two are related rubbers within the sense that they’re very spinny and controllable, however they pack extra punch than the Vega Europe.
This evaluation relies on 10 hours of taking part in matches and drilling with gamers starting from early intermediate to superior ranges.
The movies on this evaluation had been taken from a coaching session with a complicated offensive participant.
Driving and looping
The primary characteristic of this rubber is stability. This rubber will not be very explosive, so it’s troublesome to shock opponents with quick pictures, however it is rather constant.
Speaking about drives, they fly low to the web with a excessive diploma of security. Though they weren’t very quick, backhand drives had been very constant and straightforward to play. It is rather straightforward to intention with this rubber on account of its excessive management and dwell time.
I didn’t like punch pictures with this rubber, as it is rather smooth and lacks pace for this stroke. Punching didn’t give me good outcomes.
Looping was the same story. Backhand loops had good spin, however they weren’t harmful sufficient to generate factors on their very own.
With this rubber, you’ll be able to’t rip balls previous your opponent. The best pictures with the Vega Europe had been these with good spin aimed to the opponent’s elbow or to the huge backhand.
As this rubber has a excessive diploma of security, it’s straightforward to arrange performs. This rubber enabled my forehand very effectively since I might place the ball in an uncomfortable place for my opponent after which step round for a forehand winner.
What I actually preferred about this rubber was performing open-ups towards backspin. The medium throw of this rubber, the medium pace, and the steadiness it has permit it to carry out open-ups with whole security and good spin.
I used to be performing a drill by which I needed to open up towards backspin and hold attacking with my backhand.
At one level, my coach says “they’re virtually all getting into, aren’t they?”. After I use my common backhand rubber, the Rakza 7 smooth, I miss many extra open ups than with the Vega Europe due to the additional pace and better throw.
The Xiom Vega Europe is totally predictable when performing open ups, they usually journey with nice spin. Despite the fact that this rubber doesn’t have that a lot grip, it does produce good spin on open ups when you must actually brush the ball to get the carry over the web.
In conclusion, the offensive recreation is controllable and with comparatively good spin, however it is rather troublesome to cross opponents with pace.
What I ended up doing with this rubber is opening up with a lot of spin and putting the ball in uncomfortable locations for the opponent, then stepping round and ending factors with my forehand.
Serve and obtain
Returning serves with this rubber was wonderful. The rubber doesn’t have as a lot grip, neither is it quick, so it’s loads easier to return serves. Due to its comparative lack of grip, nonetheless, it was additionally troublesome for me to bother the opponent with my very own serves.
Pushes with the Vega Europe stayed low to the web and with a excessive sense of management. It was very straightforward to return any type of serve.
Backhand flicks had been additionally good, however I really feel {that a} greater throw and a extra reactive sponge would have helped much more when lifting heavy backspin serves. I discover it a lot simpler to assault most of these serves with the Rakza 7 smooth that I take advantage of usually.
My serves stayed low over the web and it was straightforward to maintain them brief as a result of the Vega Europe will not be bouncy in any respect. Nevertheless, I by no means felt that my serves carried important spin, so I compelled fewer errors from my opponents than standard.
Blocking and chopping
Apart from open ups and serve obtain, the third and final side of this rubber that I discovered really exceptional is obstructing. This rubber soaks up vitality like no different European rubber I’ve tried.
It is rather straightforward to soak up highly effective loops as a result of it isn’t a quick rubber, the throw is medium, and it doesn’t have that a lot grip. I simply needed to put my racket behind the ball and the rubber did the remainder. I didn’t should make many angle changes for it to go in.
This energy when blocking helped me to maneuver my opponents round and get probabilities to assault.
Chopping was good. Chops had been controllable and flew low to the web. Nevertheless, when the opponent attacked with extra pace and spin, chops began to rise and had been tougher to regulate.
It was what I anticipated for a rubber of those traits. It’s not made for chops however it may be a viable possibility each every so often should you’re in a troublesome state of affairs.
Options to the Xiom Vega Europe
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Xiom Vega Europe is an excellent allround/offensive rubber. It’s troublesome to beat your opponents with sheer pace, however in case you are trying to management the ball and play longer rallies, it is a superb rubber.
The issues that stand out essentially the most about this rubber are its wonderful open-ups towards backspin, its service reception, its blocks, and the overall management of the sport. I felt very assured taking part in with this rubber as quickly as I picked it up.
I like to recommend it for gamers who wish to play lengthy rallies as an alternative of third ball assaults. When you like outplaying your opponent with ways, sensible placement, and shot variations, that is the rubber for you.
In case you are a newbie, I additionally advocate the Vega Europe because it’s a superb rubber to good your methods and you’ll have no drawback controlling it.
Alvaro’s been taking part in Desk Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked inside the high 100 in his native Argentina. He likes to compete in provincial tournaments and is all the time searching for methods to enhance. Alvaro made his favorite reminiscences with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight crew to share his ardour with different gamers!
Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 05 | Backhand: Butterfly Rozena
Playstyle: The Controller
