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Review: downlow on the Boost TC |
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gekogark1212
Gold Member Joined: 05/06/2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 1121 |
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Posted: 03/03/2009 at 7:18pm |
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Its been almost 2 months that I've used the
Boost TC on my FH, and I feel obligated to at least give a review of it
before I switch over to the Nimbus Medium.
Played on the Yin-he M-6, which is similar to an old school clipper. Initial Physical Inspection Nice grippy topsheet, completely non tacky, its got that nice glossy shine to it when viewed from an angle. Sponge is soft, softer than anything I've ever used...it is around Tango hardness, and even Solcion is harder than the TC. Overall the rubber is also very light. I'd say it weighs in the high 30's for a cut sheet. Hitting/Blocking Hitting against topspin is beautiful, the soft sponge ensures each ball is dug well into the sponge and produces a beautiful arc. The TC is also quite a fast rubber (surprisingly) and so with each hit, you have the perfect combination of speed and spin. Hitting against backspin however, is atrocious. The ultra soft sponge doesn't give enough support for the hard contact required for this stroke and often bottoms out if you are not careful. A coach looked at my technique and wondered why I couldn't hit against backspin and claimed the TC to be "spineless". Blocking with the TC is a two edge sword. On the one hand it is soft and has nice speed and arc, which is good for semi-aggressive block. On the other hand, TC invites heavily spun balls (like those of the infamous Tenergy) to have tea inside. The dwell becomes its weakness here, the ball immediately sinks deep inside the sponge, and you're forced to close the racket to ridiculous angles just to get the ball on. Also, since the sponge is so soft, it cancels out some of the spin and most of the speed...hence all that adjusting for nothing. Serving / Pushing Coming from harder rubbers such as Sriver and Higher, serving really isn't something TC can be proud of. Yes, spin is adequate...but completely negligible without a fair amount of deceptive motion. The reason huge amounts of spin can't be produced is because as if you're making thin contact with the topsheet, you can only go so thin before it slips...the "normal" solution is a higher ball toss and hit harder on the serve. While this works on H3 and the like, TC's ultra soft sponge comes to work and shoots it off the rubber before any significant spin is put onto the ball. Again, pushing with the TC relies on your ability to deceive (ie, pushing to various places with the same initial racket angle). Oh it can produce heavy pushes, but doing so requires the perfect stroke. Looping / Counterlooping Looping and counterlooping off topspin is very very nice. Probably THE reason to choose TC. It feels like the very old Tango Extrem, that bites the ball so well on each stroke...while maintaining good power. The best part about it is the arc, it has such a beautiful text book arc that makes you want to hit harder and harder, knowing it'll all land. Loop-killing off backspin is horrible...same reasoning as hitting backspin. But opening loops off backspin is very easy to do, although the spin is so-so, but you can manipulate the arc and open with a very short loop, then wait for the counterloop Conclusion I would recommend anyone thinking about this rubber to use it on some form of composite blade. It would certainly make killing backspin much easier. Apart from its weakness against backspin, it really is quite a unique rubber. It has the brilliant glue feeling of a soft tensor, the speed of a medium-sponged tensor, the short game of a hard-tensor and the durability of a Sriver. That's gotta be a win. ahahha |
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(='.'=) But there's no sense crying over every mistake, (")_(") You just keep on trying till you run out of cake. |
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ibupro
Super Member Joined: 11/23/2008 Status: Offline Points: 446 |
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Very nice review, I wish I could write up one like that.
Most of the problems with TC are solved with TP, imo. |
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stiltt
Assistant Admin Joined: 07/15/2007 Location: Location Status: Offline Points: 984 |
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What a nice review! thanks a lot. I am still thinking of using it to develop a better and more aggressive counter looping game. I played for a couple weeks with Desto F3 on the FH and soft sponge will indeed forgive many mistakes when doing those counter looping strokes. Are Boost TC and Desto F3 comparable?
BTW, did you try the thickest sponge? |
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gekogark1212
Gold Member Joined: 05/06/2005 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 1121 |
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I would say the TC has a fair bit more speed and much more topsheet grip to the F3. Also, when brush looping on thin contact, the TC can withstand such techniques, whereas the F3 tends to slip. Yes, I am using the max version of TC. |
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(\__/)
(='.'=) But there's no sense crying over every mistake, (")_(") You just keep on trying till you run out of cake. |
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stiltt
Assistant Admin Joined: 07/15/2007 Location: Location Status: Offline Points: 984 |
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I AM SOLD!!!
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venacious
Super Member Joined: 12/07/2008 Status: Offline Points: 165 |
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Why are you switching to Nimbus Medium?
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LOOPMEISTER
Platinum Member Joined: 11/13/2008 Location: U.S.A. Status: Offline Points: 2486 |
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You're looking for a soft rubber to take some bite out of those twin Amultarts, right!? |
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stiltt
Assistant Admin Joined: 07/15/2007 Location: Location Status: Offline Points: 984 |
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When I had a T4 I played for 2 weeks with Desto F3 on the FH and my loops were presenting such a HIGH ARC and landing so well on the table!!!! I could even win some FH counterlooping rallies with a usatt 2100 with a strong FH loop as his main weapon (Sardius + T05). Now the Amultart with T64 2.1 is great but it is a setup a bit above my league. I want to try Boost TC Max on it for the FH and Boost TC 2.0 on the BH. I expect to have more mistakes forgiven on loops when going broke. |
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Ironman
Member Joined: 01/05/2009 Status: Offline Points: 42 |
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I just tried TC 2mm on BH and MAX on FH for the first time at yesterdays training at a T-4 blade.
It felt good but I have to try it some more. One guy I played against complained that it was not much spin in my opening loop at his underspin, because at some balls his blocks went into the net. I dont know yet if it�s allways so. My forehand felt really good coming from a Bryce FX 1.9mm and my BH felt as it needed more adjusting because I had a much slower rubber before (LKT Rapid Speed 2.2mm). |
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Persson Powerplay V1, (FH+BH) Calibra LT Sound, 2.0mm
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speaquinox
Gold Member Joined: 03/19/2007 Location: Turkey Status: Offline Points: 1742 |
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In my opinion TC seriously lacks spin in slower strokes. Less grip on topsheet compared to most rubbers.
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Innerforce ALC, Glayzer / Rozena
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Ironman
Member Joined: 01/05/2009 Status: Offline Points: 42 |
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If slower strokes makes a big variation in the spin compared to faster strokes it can be an advantage. Making it hard for the opponent to read how much he need to push in his blocks/strokes.
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Persson Powerplay V1, (FH+BH) Calibra LT Sound, 2.0mm
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Hefner
Super Member Joined: 02/03/2008 Location: Iceland Status: Offline Points: 191 |
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Great review!!!
I have been using Stiga Magna in bh now, and I'm looking for a replacement. Would you guys recommend Boost TC og TP ? according to Stiga�s website Magna and TP have both medium hardness so I guess TP would fit me better are what? What other rubbers are similar to Magna in your opinion? Thanks |
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Butterfly Maze Off
Stiga Boost TC both sides |
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Stavros
Gold Member Joined: 12/02/2006 Location: Greece Status: Offline Points: 1533 |
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I've been using TC for 4 months without boosters on Schlager Carbon.
I would say that TC is much better on hard carbon blades. I've used Tenergy 64, 05, Sriver G3, many german tensors and none of them was better forehand rubber than TC. PROS: Very good service return (tacky topsheet, when there is no much humidity). Very fast on looping against backspin. Extremely light. Many gears on looping (close to the table, mid and far from the table). Very durable. Not very expensive. CONS: Topsheet and sponge susceptible to humidity (you must always sweep the topsheet and when you glue you must wait for 7 days after each gluing for max performance!) Not good for pushing and counter hits (mushy effect, not tensioned topsheet, so, not good for backhand) Not good for imediatelly after the ball rebound hitting (so, not good for backhand). Not so fast for direct shots and flat hits. Consequently, i think that TC is the best forehand rubber that I've used. Just use a hard carbon blade and wait 7 days after applying water glue. |
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Blade: Stiga Infinity
FH: Dignics 80 BH: Dignics 05 |
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Hefner
Super Member Joined: 02/03/2008 Location: Iceland Status: Offline Points: 191 |
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Interesting Stavros So you wouldn�t recommend the Boost TC for bh, have you tried the TP?? I�m wondering if that would fit bh better..... |
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Butterfly Maze Off
Stiga Boost TC both sides |
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Stavros
Gold Member Joined: 12/02/2006 Location: Greece Status: Offline Points: 1533 |
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Hefner, I haven't tried TP, but many say that TP is much better on b/h than TC. |
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Blade: Stiga Infinity
FH: Dignics 80 BH: Dignics 05 |
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Hefner
Super Member Joined: 02/03/2008 Location: Iceland Status: Offline Points: 191 |
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Thanks Stavros!
Would be nice to hear from those you have tried TP on bh |
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Butterfly Maze Off
Stiga Boost TC both sides |
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Nutriment6464
Silver Member Joined: 11/20/2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 608 |
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currently trying boost on all-wood blade, ok but I'll post some reviews when my T-2 arrives.
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pokerpete
Silver Member Joined: 09/05/2006 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 797 |
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i would say this is a very accurate review and it for sure better on forehand although i dont have the problem of counter hitting i would add that this is the easiest rubber to very loops and hits/drives with ...also the control is so good and to add to the cons, just that when new the rubber has some tack to it and that is all gone now after 10 hours of play....just wondering how i could get it back 3rd ball attack sooo much easier when rubber is new |
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Blade:Stiga Sense 7.6/ Timo ZLC FH: Tenergy 05FX BH: Tibhar Q5 Sound |
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