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The Xiom Vega Intro is an providing specifically tailor-made for starting gamers, placing emphasis on management above all the things else.
The Vega Intro goals to be the proper rubber for gamers transitioning from premade to customized rackets.
We playtested the Xiom Vega Intro extensively to seek out out precisely the way it performs.
XIOM VEGA INTRO REVIEW SUMMARY
Good for: Newbie offensive gamers, all-round gamers, blockers, and defenders. 0-10 years of taking part in.
Advantages
Versatility and management.
Linearity.
Ease of use.
Stability, firmness, and consistency.
Spin insensitivity.
Very good at taking part in out the quick recreation.
Nice for studying methods.
Reasonably priced.ity, firmness, and consistency.
Drawbacks
Not as a lot velocity or spin as ESN tensors.
Can’t get a lot high quality in your pictures if you happen to don’t play actively.
In regards to 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.
In regards to the Evaluation
Blade Used: Stratus Energy Wooden
Rubber Thickness: MAX
Hours Examined: 10+
Beneficial Playstyles
We advocate the Xiom Vega Intro to gamers who need to take their desk tennis expertise a step additional by using a controllable, high-quality desk tennis rubber.
Design of the Xiom Vega Intro
The Xiom Vega Intro is available in a high-quality sealed package deal.
Inside, we are able to discover the rubber, lined by a protecting movie.
After I grabbed the rubber, I observed that it had fairly a little bit of inbuilt pressure, which I wasn’t anticipating. This was an early trace of how the rubber would play.
After urgent on the rubber, I discovered the Xiom Vega Intro’s hardness to be about medium. I’d say its hardness is round 42.5-45 levels ESN.
For my part, that is the optimum hardness for a rubber designed for learners.
Some slower, control-oriented rubbers are too gentle, to the purpose the place the rubber loses stability and all the highest gears. The Vega Intro will not be too gentle but it surely’s additionally not exhausting, making it straightforward to get energy out of it.
The Xiom Vega Intro is barely cheesy and it has a superb quantity of grip.
The Vega Intro weighs in at 49 grams, which I fairly like.
I’d very a lot want a rubber that’s designed for learners to be on the heavy aspect than to be mild and flimsy.
The issue with controllable rubbers is that they’re usually too mild and gentle, and thus, they’ve good management but it surely’s exhausting to generate energy with them.
It was a pleasing shock to seek out that the Vega Intro had:
- Inbuilt pressure.
- The identical weight as high-end rubbers such because the Tenergy 05.
The Vega Intro is about as heavy as most European rubbers just like the Yasaka Rakza 7 (50 grams), the Donic Baracuda (50 grams), the entire Tenergies (49 grams), the Andro Rasanter R47 (49 grams), and the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 (49 grams).
Compared to its siblings, the Vega Intro has the identical weight because the Vega Pro (49 grams), it’s 1 gram heavier than the Vega X (48 grams) and it’s 3 grams heavier than the Vega Europe (46 grams).
Specs
- Weight (Lower): 49g
- Pace: Medium-Excessive
- Spin: Medium-Low
- Management: Very Excessive
- Tackiness: Barely Cheesy
- Hardness: Medium
- ITTF Accredited: Sure
- Sponge Thickness: 1.8mm, 2.0mm, or MAX
Abstract: Grasp your methods and outwit your opponents by making use of this rubber’s excellent contact and management.
Playtesting the Xiom Vega Intro
The Xiom Vega Intro, as you might inform from my 4.2 ranking, was a constructive shock for me, because it ended up being precisely what I’d been searching for for fairly a while.
Some folks advocate that learners begin with common offensive rubbers, however offensive rubbers are too quick for learners coming straight from premade rackets.
What they advocate to offensive learners is to get comparatively quick rubbers with ALL or ALL+ blades.
Nevertheless, I’m not satisfied by this method, as this is able to imply that learners must change their blades to sooner ones down the street.
Altering blades is one thing we don’t advocate, because the blade is crucial factor of the racket when it comes to hand feeling and consistency.
It’s essential to maintain your blade for years and get to comprehend it very properly, so getting offensive rubbers with blades that may want altering doesn’t make a lot sense in my view.
The alternative method is to advocate “basic” rubbers, such because the Yasaka Mark V or the Butterfly Sriver with offensive blades that gained’t must be modified.
The issue with that is that these rubbers are greater than 50 years outdated, and so they don’t work as properly with the plastic ball.
The Mark V and the Butterfly Sriver merely don’t have that a lot velocity, however what’s problematic about these rubbers is that they don’t have a lot spin as properly, which makes it exhausting to land topspin pictures on the desk or to bother opponents with spinny assaults.
Spin is essential in desk tennis, and to have offensive learners attacking with topspin from the get-go is one thing essential.
What I had been searching for, up till this second, was a rubber that bridged the hole between basic rubbers which have a number of management however little or no velocity and spin and offensive rubbers, which have sufficient velocity and spin however not sufficient management for learners.
I’m assured that the Xiom Vega Intro is the proper possibility for learners.
The Vega Intro has all of the qualities a newbie might need, and so they might additionally pair the Vega Intro with an OFF- blade, which gained’t want altering anytime quickly.
When it comes to spin, the Vega Intro has greater than sufficient high quality to bother opponents with offensive pictures reminiscent of loops, or defensive pictures reminiscent of pushes or chops.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t have as a lot spin as most offensive rubbers, so it additionally gained’t take up as a lot incoming spin. This turns out to be useful when making an attempt to obtain spinny serves or blocking spinny pictures, which learners understandably have hassle with.
The velocity ranges of the Xiom Vega Intro are additionally not as excessive as these in offensive rubbers, however they’re greater than enough for offensive play.
The Xiom Vega Intro is an entire lot sooner than the Yasaka Mark V, and it’s across the identical velocity stage because the Xiom Vega Europe. It’s additionally simpler to get energy out of the Vega Intro than with actually exhausting rubbers such because the Hurricane 3 NEO.
One other factor I actually favored concerning the Vega Intro is that it’s not too gentle.
Very gentle rubbers are sometimes comparatively bouncy however have few gears. Because of this they play at roughly the identical velocity on a regular basis.
This makes gamers purchase the unhealthy behavior of not hitting the ball with acceleration. It doesn’t actually matter whether or not they hit exhausting or not, because the rubber doesn’t have the “high gears”.
The Xiom Vega Intro has a medium hardness, so it’s not bouncy and exhausting to regulate within the quick recreation, and it additionally rewards hard-hit pictures.
For all these causes, the Xiom Vega Intro is the proper stepping stone between premade rackets and offensive customized setups.
We examined the Xiom Vega Intro on each the forehand and the backhand, and it suits either side completely.
Driving and looping
Driving and looping is an space of energy of the Xiom Vega Intro.
Drives are very protected and the Vega Intro has a impartial really feel to it. As we talked about earlier than, the Vega Intro does have some inbuilt pressure, but it surely’s nothing too drastic. Drives are protected and controllable, however if you happen to begin hitting the ball exhausting, you get increasingly velocity.
When it comes to looping, the Vega Intro is excellent. It doesn’t have the tempo nor the spin that offensive rubbers have, but it surely has loads of management whereas retaining enough offensive capabilities.
One thing I discovered with the Vega Intro is that the rubber behaves very properly whenever you begin hitting exhausting.
The Vega Intro doesn’t backside out and it’s very secure, and it even produces a loud cracking sound when hitting the ball with energy.
Whenever you hit the ball slowly or with common acceleration, you get managed assaults with medium velocity, however if you happen to hit the ball more durable, you’ll be able to truly get very quick and spinny pictures. See for yourselves:
As you’ll be able to see, the Vega Intro can pack a punch when energy looping and it doesn’t backside out simply due to its hardness vary.
For those who hit exhausting, you get tons of high quality. For those who don’t, you then gained’t get a lot velocity or spin on the ball.
The Xiom Vega Intro can also be a superb looping rubber on the backhand aspect.
I actually favored it on the backhand aspect as a result of it simply has a lot management. The backhand wing is much more versatile than the forehand wing, the spectrum of pictures you’ll be able to play is rather a lot better.
The Vega Intro is a good driving, punching, and looping rubber, amongst many different issues. It doesn’t have as a lot velocity or spin but it surely’s fairly exhausting to overlook the desk with this rubber.
Right here’s a clip of the Vega Intro when performing backhand loops:
Backhand loops land on the desk 9 occasions out of 10 and that’s precisely what you need as a newbie, particularly if you wish to compete in tournaments.
One other factor I actually favored concerning the Vega Intro is that it provides loads of security when opening up towards backspin, and added to that, I might get a number of spin on the ball.
That is because of the sponge of the rubber. The sponge on the Vega Intro isn’t too bouncy and it’s medium/medium-soft.
Even when the topsheet doesn’t have as a lot spin, you’ll be able to actually really feel the ball sinking into the sponge.
The Vega Intro isn’t bouncy in any respect so that you get a really lengthy dwell time with the ball. You may speed up into the ball with confidence as a result of you realize the ball gained’t shoot out violently out of your racket.
The Xiom Vega Intro is a good rubber for coaching and for match play as a result of it has tons of management.
When coaching, you want management to carry out many rounds of every train, and when taking part in tournaments, you want a rubber that will get the ball on the desk even whenever you’re nervous otherwise you don’t know the venue.
As you progress in your profession as a participant, you will have one thing sooner than the Vega Intro, particularly if you happen to’re an offensive participant, but it surely’s an excellent rubber to get your toes moist in aggressive desk tennis.
One other side that positively stunned me concerning the Vega Intro was counterloops, each shut and much from the desk.
Counterlooping removed from the desk requires extra effort than with an everyday ESN offensive rubber, however the Vega Intro feels very controllable and secure.
I can stress my opponent if I hit with 100% of my energy, or I can hit a bit slowlier and land as many balls on the desk as I would like. The Vega Intro’s dwell time actually helps on this regard.
When countering near the desk, it’s the identical story. The Vega Intro could be very controllable, and if you happen to go for it, you’ll be able to hit winners off forehand counterloops.
You may both counter with loads of acceleration to move the opponent, or counter with medium acceleration to regain the initiative within the level and start your personal assault.
Counterloops with medium acceleration are very protected, and it’s a vital high quality to have in a rubber for offensive learners.
The Vega Intro is nice for studying how you can counterloop due to its dwell time and its management.
The counterloop is among the hardest pictures to drag off, so having a rubber that simplifies the shot is a really sturdy high quality of the Vega Intro.
In brief, the Vega Intro is a really controllable rubber. It’s a nice rubber for performing protected drives, loops, flat hits, open-ups, and counterloops.
Serve and obtain
Serving and receiving are excellent with the Xiom Vega Intro. The passive serve obtain specifically is among the biggest strengths of this rubber.
Because of the Vega Intro’s velocity ranges, it’s very straightforward to maintain serves quick and low to the online. It’s one of many best rubbers I’ve ever tried when it comes to management of the serve.
Nevertheless, the Vega Intro will get a 3/5 on serves as a result of you’ll be able to’t actually put that a lot spin on the ball.
The spin of a serve is among the most essential qualities, so even if you happen to can management the ball properly and place it the place you need, you gained’t damage your opponent in case your serves aren’t as spinny.
This isn’t to say that the Vega Intro has little spin, however there’s a noticeable distinction between the Vega Intro and common ESN rubbers, and there’s additionally a noticeable distinction between ESN rubbers and the Tenergy 05 or the Yinhe Big Dipper, for instance.
Therefore, the Vega Intro is beneath common when it comes to the spin you’ll be able to generate when serving.
Receiving with the Vega Intro is a dream come true. You may principally do no matter you need.
Flicking isn’t exhausting as a result of the Vega Intro will not be bouncy and it isn’t a tough rubber.
Touching quick is easy. Brief pushes keep very quick and low to the online due to the Vega Intro’s velocity ranges.
Pushing lengthy can also be excellent, and you’ll management the depth of your pushes with ease.
Along with all this, the Vega Intro doesn’t take up as a lot spin, so that you don’t get as penalized if you happen to misinterpret the spin of a serve.
With the Tenergy 05, for instance, if you happen to learn heavy backspin and the serve is simply mild backspin, you’ll most likely pop the ball up fairly a bit.
The Vega Intro isn’t almost as reactive when it comes to velocity and spin, so the passive serve obtain is great.
This high quality can also be essential for learners, since most will understandably battle when making an attempt to obtain tough serves.
Blocking and chopping
Blocking with the Vega Intro was nice.
The Vega Intro has a number of management and a superb really feel for blocking. I felt like I might block hard-hit loops much more simply than with bouncy ESN rubbers.
The draw back to that is that it’s exhausting to compromise opponents together with your blocks. It’s fairly straightforward to dam however my blocks weren’t that harmful.
Nevertheless, if you happen to’re a newbie, what issues most is getting your blocks on the desk, and the Vega Intro works completely to that finish.
Chopping is one other energy of the Xiom Vega Intro. The Vega Intro’s velocity, management, and spin insensitivity make it a really constant chopping rubber.
Alternate options to the Xiom Vega Intro
General reflections on the Xiom Vega Intro
As you’ll be able to inform, I fairly favored the Xiom Vega Intro.
The Xiom Vega Intro is a good possibility for learners, all-rounders, and defenders due to its management. It’s the best selection if you wish to get the ball on the desk constantly, be it whereas attacking or defending.
Along with this, the Vega Intro is extra inexpensive than the entire ESN rubbers, in order that’s one other plus.
I had a number of enjoyable in my testing of the Xiom Vega Intro and I’ll begin recommending it any more to:
A) Gamers who’re beginning out, and
B) Gamers who worth management above all the things else however need to retain good offensive potential and enough spin capabilities.
Alvaro’s been taking part in Desk Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked throughout 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 workforce to share his ardour with different gamers!
Blade: Tibhar Stratus Energy Wooden | Forehand: XIOM Vega X | Backhand: XIOM Vega X
Playstyle: The Controller
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