Review: GD Karate Soft rubber (2.2 mm)

Brand: Giant Dragon
Rubber: Karate Soft. Same topsheet as Karate Hard but softer sponge
Class: OFF
Type: inverted
Tackiness: none
Weight: 2.2 mm about 57-58 g uncut piece, around 40-42 g cut to Ultima (BBC Attack II shape)
Hardness: no official data. Sponge seems to be about 3-4 degrees softer than KH
Thickness: 2.2 (Black, Red)

Price: $17.99 from ztabletennis.com or for E9.90 from spinfactory.de (hard version for E13.90)

Pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/JimT2008/GiantDragonKarateSoft

After 2-3 practices (4-5 hours of continuous play):

At first I felt disappointed- the rubber didn't behave reliably, bottomed out very fast, reacted to spin too much etc. Decent but nothing special. That's how my first hour ended. I put it back into my armory and let it breathe until the next time. Especially since in two days I had a tournament and I didn't want to get my "gears" all messed up.

Two days later I took it out of my backpack and started playing it again - on FH. On BH was Omega IV Asia 2.0 mm... as usual. Then I turned it around, tried it on BH as well (shortly, you can play it on BH but I liked it better on FH).

This was a different story - after the rubber 'settled", got fresher or whatever, it started playing much much closer to Karate Hard (which by the way didn't require the break-in period at all).

Speed: about the same as KH, a tad less than O4A

Spin: more than KH; comparable to O4A on hard attacking shots, more than O4A on slow loops

Control: same as KH in attacks; slightly better in slower spinny strokes, slightly worse in flat hits

Throw angle: a pinch lower than KH; noticeably lower than O4A

Sensitivity: perhaps a little higher than KH which is no surprise since topsheet is the same but sponge is softer

Tackiness: none

Hardness: I would venture a guess than KS sponge is about 3-4 degrees softer than KH. We will find out soon, after my friend with a durometer gets a cutoff piece and takes measurements.

Bounce/catapult: there is no catapult (same as KH, KS is pretty linear rubber). However, the general "springiness" of KS is certainly less pronounced than with KH. I should say  that KS bottoms out sooner than KH (I cannot call myself a super-hard looper-attacker but in my counterlooping duels KS sometimes required some adjustments... doable but there is definitely need for it).

Generally I would refer you to the review of Karate Hard I did a while ago:

http://www.mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=36134

and say that KS plays almost identically to KH except for small differences that I have described above. It is also considerably lighter. A cut piece of KH (for the same Ultima) weighed 48-49 g, with KS it's more like 40 g - both 2.2 mm thick. That's a big difference!

My overall recommendation to GD (if they ever get to read this) is to keep KS/KH line but add a Karate Medium rubber with sponge somewhere in between KS and KH. That would be what is called the "golden mean", the best and probably most successful rubber for majority of offenisve players. Here is why:

KH is a bit too hard for an amateur player, not great in opening loops, not enough feel to play good offensive control strokes, but great in hard counterattacks, blocking, in drives and smashes, practically never bottoms out. KS is softer, more suitable for beginners and developing players, plays much better in loops, slow blocks, passive/defensive game, easier for spinny placement shots but not so great in harder attacks and counterloops, bottoms out on extra strong loops/drives.

KM could be hopefully the best of two worlds, combing the better qualities of both its sisters. Now we only to get Giant Dragon TM and R&D people to read this and agree with me - how hard could it be?

hmmm white sponge...does it play like the old Dunlop Barna sheets?

Grave dig but here's the answer to your long time dream :
http://www.pingpongonline.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=986&products_id=12132

I hope someone will review this.