The Yinhe Mercury 2 is likely one of the hottest Chinese language rubbers, and it’s simple to know why. You simply must have $5 to spare and you will get a model new sheet.
Table tennis rubbers are very expensive. Most gamers use rubbers across the $40-80 worth vary. For the value of 1 Dignics rubber, for instance, you will get over twenty Mercury 2s.
That’s why, earlier than reviewing the Mercury 2, I used to be considerably skeptical about it. Might a rubber this low-cost be any good? I playtested it extensively to search out out the reply to that query.
YINHE MERCURY 2 REVIEW SUMMARY
Excellent for: Newbie and intermediate attackers, all-round gamers, and defenders. 0-10 years of enjoying.
Advantages
Unparalleled worth for cash.
Versatile and controllable.
Ease of use.
Linearity.
Stability, firmness, and consistency.
Confidence-inducing.
Good ranges of spin.
Very cheesy, ball slippage is non-existent.
Nice for all types of spin photographs, together with looping and chopping.
Excellent at enjoying out the quick recreation.
Drawbacks
Not as a lot velocity or spin as ESN tensors.
Can’t get a lot high quality in your photographs should you don’t play actively.
Mediocre at flat hits.
Not excellent for countering near the desk.
Comparatively heavy.
In regards to the Reviewer
Alvaro brings 7+ years of enjoying expertise. He’s examined 20+ rubbers for Racket Perception and his type is The Controller.
In regards to the Assessment
Blade Used: Stratus Energy Wooden
Rubber Thickness: MAX
Hours Examined: 10+
Really helpful Playstyles
We advocate the Yinhe Mercury 2 to gamers who wish to make the most of a really controllable, versatile and spinny rubber for any form of enjoying type.
Design of the Yinhe Mercury 2
The Yinhe Mercury 2 is available in a high-quality sealed bundle. I used to be fairly shocked by the standard of the packaging because it’s delivered to the identical commonplace of rubbers 5, 10, and even 20 occasions its worth.
Inside, we are able to discover the rubber. We purchased the Mercury 2 in black, as Chinese language rubbers are stated to be tackier of their black variants (though the actual difference between red & black rubbers is barely small).
One other factor that shocked me in regards to the packaging is that the rubber got here with a protecting movie. A lot of costly rubbers don’t include a protecting movie, and to see one at this worth level may be very optimistic.
I used to be additionally very happy with the sponge Yinhe selected for this rubber.
I used to be anticipating a dense, onerous, and stiff sponge, much like these current on different Chinese language rubbers such because the Hurricane 3 NEO or the Friendship 729 Super FX.
From the second I grabbed the rubber, I seen that this wasn’t a typical Chinese language rubber.
The cream sponge on the Yinhe Mercury 2 is sort of elastic. It’s what I’d look forward to finding on a European rubber.
Talking of hardness, this rubber is available in 3 completely different variants, delicate, medium, and onerous.
The variant we purchased was the medium hardness one, and I feel it’s the one to go for should you’re planning to apply it to the forehand aspect.
The Mercury 2’s hardness on its medium hardness variant is 36-38 levels on the Chinese language scale.
I feel that 36-38 levels are an correct measurement. Whereas enjoying, it behaves like a medium-hard, elastic rubber, round 47 levels ESN. It feels a bit softer than it’s.
As in each overview, I attempted to rub my fingers throughout the rubber, however I couldn’t! My finger caught to the rubber the second I pressed on it.
In accordance with Revspin, this rubber is “medium cheesy”. I’ve to say this wasn’t my expertise with this rubber in any respect. See for yourselves:
The Mercury 2 is extraordinarily cheesy, and it may choose the ball up from the desk for 3-7 seconds.
The one I bought is noticeably tackier than the Hurricane 3 NEO we reviewed, and quite a bit tackier than the 729 Super FX and the Rakza Z.
The Yinhe Mercury 2 weighs in at 51 grams. It’s a comparatively heavy rubber, however I don’t assume that’s a nasty factor.
I’d very a lot choose a $5 rubber to be on the heavy aspect than to be mild and flimsy.
The Mercury 2 is about as heavy as most European rubbers just like the Tibhar Evolution MX-P (51 grams), and the Yasaka Rakza 7 (50 grams). It’s additionally 2 grams lighter than the Hurricane 3 NEO.
Specs
- Weight (Minimize): 51g
- Pace: Medium
- Spin: Medium-Excessive
- Management: Very Excessive
- Tackiness: Very Cheesy
- Hardness: Medium
- ITTF Authorized: Sure
- Sponge Thickness: MAX
Abstract: Take management of the rally with this simple and enjoyable to make use of reasonably priced Chinese language rubber.
Playtesting the Yinhe Mercury 2
This rubber’s efficiency was an enormous shock to me.
The mix between its topsheet and its sponge works completely to create a flexible, spinny medium-speed rubber.
The Mercury 2’s topsheet is as cheesy as they arrive and is paired with an elastic sponge.
The sponge on the Mercury 2 jogs my memory a variety of the cream sponge current on the Mark V, although the Mercury 2 is a sooner, extra elastic rubber.
The Mercury 2 performs considerably equally to the Rakza Z, really. Each rubbers are recognized for his or her management, versatility, and ease of use.
By way of hardness, the Rakza Z and the Mercury 2 really feel precisely the identical to me.
The Mercury 2 is sort of a 15% slower, tackier, and lower-throwing model of the Rakza Z.
Driving and looping
Driving and looping is an space of power of the Mercury 2, however I can say that this rubber is sort of sturdy at all the pieces. I couldn’t discover many weaknesses on this rubber.
Drives are very secure and the Mercury 2 has a impartial really feel to it. It feels elastic however not very vigorous.
Driving and looping with the Mercury 2 instills a way of confidence within the participant, so you’re feeling like you’ll be able to’t miss.
That is primarily as a result of Mercury’s velocity ranges. You’ll get what you set into the shot, so that you by no means overshoot the desk as a result of it’s too quick, but it surely’s additionally not gradual.
In case your swing velocity is common, then you definately received’t get a lot energy on the ball, however you additionally received’t miss. Nonetheless, should you cost into the ball with velocity, then you will get high-quality photographs with this rubber.
I can get much more high quality with the Mercury 2 than with most of the rubbers we’ve reviewed up to now, with the Mercury 2 being by far the most affordable, aside from the 1-cent Huieson Thunder.
The Mercury 2 is nice for looping. I can confidently say that I might use this rubber on my forehand aspect.
As you’ll be able to see, the Mercury 2 can pack a punch when energy looping and it doesn’t backside out simply due to its hardness vary.
In the event you hit onerous, you get tons of high quality. In the event you don’t, then you definately received’t get a lot velocity or spin on the ball.
That is the principle distinction between the Mercury 2 and most European rubbers.
In case your swing velocity will not be too quick, then you definately received’t have the ability to get tempo on the ball.
If you buy an MX-P or a Fastarc G-1, for instance, even should you don’t hit the ball as onerous, the rubber will add energy to your photographs.
I can’t assist however surprise how this rubber would carry out with a layer or two of booster. If you’d like extra details about the method and the end result, we have now written a guide to boosting in table tennis.
If boosting the Mercury 2 enhances its enjoying traits, then we might have a quick, spinny offensive rubber for simply $5.
Even when unboosted, the Mercury 2 is superb at looping. I didn’t discover that I used to be missing energy when countering removed from the desk
As you’ll be able to see, my photographs traveled with good high quality.
What I didn’t like in regards to the Mercury 2 was countering near the desk.
Its throw angle is medium, but it surely’s fairly flat. I saved overshooting the desk again and again.
I additionally tried countering with my Fastarc G-1 to verify I used to be hitting the ball accurately, and I bought most of my counterloops on the desk.
When countering near the desk, this rubber offers little or no margin of error, because the rubber doesn’t get the ball up and down as quick as grippy rubbers.
Countering is quite a bit simpler with ESN rubbers such because the Fastarc G-1.
As for open-ups, the Mercury 2 labored completely superb.
Nonetheless, to generate good high quality open-ups, one has to play actively. You possibly can’t simply use your forearm and anticipate a high-quality shot, as you would do with an ESN rubber.
You received’t get a lot high quality in your open-ups should you don’t swing your racket quick sufficient, however you’ll discover it onerous to overlook the desk, which is all the time good when opening up.
In case your swing velocity is ample, then you definately’ll get good spin in your open-ups with the Mercury 2.
Serve and obtain
Serving and receiving is superb with the Mercury 2.
Because of the Mercury’s tackiness, it’s very simple to maintain serves quick and low to the online. I feel it’s one of the best rubber I’ve ever tried for serving quick and low.
After I tried serving with this rubber for the primary time, I couldn’t get the ball over the online. As soon as I tailored, my serves stayed as quick and low as they’ve ever been.
I didn’t give the Mercury 2 a 5/5 score on serves as a result of it isn’t as simple to load serves with spin.
Receiving with the Mercury 2 is a dream come true. You possibly can play secure and high-quality flicks and pushes. Flicking isn’t onerous as a result of the Mercury 2 will not be a bouncy or very onerous rubber.
Touching quick is easy. Brief pushes keep very quick and low to the online due to the Mercury’s tackiness.
Pushing lengthy can also be excellent, and you’ll management the depth of your pushes with ease.
Blocking and chopping
Blocking with the Mercury 2 was nice.
The Mercury 2 has a lot 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 onerous to compromise opponents along with your blocks. It’s fairly simple to dam however my blocks weren’t that harmful.
I’d say that chopping is the principle power of the Mercury 2. To this present day, the Mercury 2 is one of the best rubber I’ve ever tried for chopping.
Chops are fairly spinny and keep low to the online. I’m not one of the best chopper, removed from it, however I might chop much more constantly with the Mercury 2 than with some other rubber I’ve tried. Chops will be loaded with tons of spin should you graze the ball accurately.
Yinhe Mercury 2 vs DHS Hurricane 3 NEO
The velocity degree of the Mercury 2 is round that of the Hurricane 3 NEO, however I might be aware some variations between the 2.
The Hurricane 3 feels a lot tougher throughout play, and it’s quite a bit tougher to make use of than the Mercury 2.
The Mercury 2 performs very effectively, and it’s not onerous to make use of in any respect.
I can say that the Mercury 2 is noticeably sooner on medium gears than the Hurricane 3 NEO, but it surely doesn’t have the top-end energy that the Hurricane has.
If I had to decide on, I’d use the Mercury slightly than the Hurricane because it’s quite a bit safer and extra constant to make use of.
Alternate options to the Yinhe Mercury 2
The Yasaka Rakza Z is a better high quality, barely sooner, higher-throwing and spinnier model of the Yinhe Mercury 2.
The Donic Baracuda is one other controllable offensive rubber. It’s very spinny and significantly sooner than the Mercury 2.
Total reflections on the Yinhe Mercury 2
As you’ll be able to inform, I used to be blown away by the Yinhe Mercury 2.
In the event you informed me the Mercury 2 price $40, I’d consider you. The Mercury 2 is a superb rubber due to its versatility, its management, and its ease of use.
I’d advocate this rubber to a really large spectrum of gamers, as each stroke performed with this rubber is superb, apart from counters near the desk and flat hits.
The Yinhe Mercury 2 has no enterprise being this low-cost, and I might use it myself if I needed to chop prices on rubber modifications, particularly when boosted.
If you wish to buy the Yinhe Mercury 2, then I’d advocate getting its medium hardness variant for the forehand aspect and its delicate variant for the backhand aspect.
I had a lot of enjoyable in my testing of the Mercury 2 and I’ll begin recommending it to any extent further.
The Mercury 2 exhibits you don’t must lay our a fortune to get high-quality tools, and that’s why it’s so standard.
Alvaro’s been enjoying Desk Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked throughout the prime 100 in his native Argentina. He likes to compete in provincial tournaments and is all the time in search of methods to enhance. Alvaro made his favorite reminiscences with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight staff to share his ardour with different gamers!
Blade: Tibhar Stratus Energy Wooden | Forehand: XIOM Vega X | Backhand: XIOM Vega X
Playstyle: The Controller
