Today my Grip-S Europe Soft - black - max arrived and i happily opened the package... and that was when my happiness ended . I had tried the ttnpp version of Grip-S untuned and was blown away by the excellent topsheet of this rubber. The problem was the sponge was extra hard and wasted the topsheet. Thinking that ES will have same topsheet but softer sponge i decided to try it. WRONG!

The ES has a "Europe" sign at the topsheet and is quite softer than the other version i had. I ordered a Xiom Σ Pro for backhand and i can say that the ES is slightly harder than Pro. The overall hardness of ES is equally from topsheet and sponge, instead of sponge being harder in the other version. Also it wasnt porous like the other but it is more lively. The sponge had a thick layer of glue (?) and was not feeling any gluy at all but rather plastic. The rubber was glued on a T-4 using one thin layer of VOC glue. I rived the rubber after a few hours and the glue stayed well on the sponge. It seems to be very durable.

The topsheet is fairly soft but not that grippy as expected, not near the old one. In fact i could say that Pro has about the same spin, a bit less. I cant say it is tacky but sometimes it can hold the ball for a couple of seconds but mostly less than a sec. It remided me of Ω 4 Asia and i think it has many similarities, gives a very good feeling-control cause of its softness. The pimples are really short, i dont remember seeing shorter, the topsheet has normal thickness and the sponge is quite thick.

Dont know if it needs to break in but it feels ready to play out of the package. I put my racket on the same case with my other 2 and after about an hour i unpacked them to further examine and test my brand new rubbers Grip-S ES, CJ8000 42-44 and MercuryII 37. It is hard to believe but the other rubbers where playing like slightly boosted! They where more springy and grippy than before! That glue-booster-whatever layer is really doing its job! Now i understand the extra hardness of my ttnpp untuned version...  ! Update: Wrong assumption, this happened cause of the fumes of the VOC glue i used, not the ES glue layer.

Moving to the playing characteristics i feel the need to explain how i play as i believe it is as important to the review itself for someone who reads it. I can categorize my style as modern attacker. I play an open game meaning that if the ball reaches the net height or if it doesnt hit the table twice i try to smash, spin or whatever i can. I prefer using spin than speed on my shots or at least a mix. I would rate myself as a normal club level player, nothing special.

Yinhe T-4 / Fh - Grip-S Europe Soft - max / Bh - Xiom Σ Pro - 2mm

Flat hitting: Because i dont know the proper "scientific" words for the t.t. moves i will explain that i mean hitting with open-like blade like when warming up in training. Nothing special on this sector. It is behaving like a fairly slow tensor and it has a linear play, unlike chinese rubbers. The lack of speed isnt something that bothers me, i could say that it has just the power i need to play my game. In smashes it has a very nice feeling cause of the softish, smooth, delicate topsheet. It surely isnt its strength but it suits me well. If i had to rate it i would give for speed 7-7.5/10 and for my needs  9/10. 

Pushing: Not a move that i like or use a lot, unless my back hurts or im not in the mood. If i dont concentrate i feel i can make errors somewhat easily. It doesnt give me a secure feeling for now. I will update when i go for a full time training to be more accurate.

Blocking: Angle adjustment is key as it isnt that spin insensitive. It provides excellent control though cause its not bouncy. I found it easy to keep my block short or at the sides of the table and near the net. Update: The blocks are very easy and can be kept low and slow. Very nice if you want to change the pace of the game or force the opponent to move close to the table. 9/10

Spinning: Nothing like i was expecting but very good performance. The softy, smooth, delicate topsheet hasnt the properties of the hard extremely grippy other sheet i got. It "tsiks" on very closed angles or when brushlooping low from the table, meaning i hear a "tsik" sound, i see a long mark that the ball left on the topsheet and the ball drops down dead or with a little spin. I found it weird that it has so low "tsik" angle though it is a medium-high to high throw rubber. The softish sponge is of big help and can add a powerkick when needed. Update: this rubber is not for brushlooping. It is a failure in this section, which is an important part of my game. The point is that when more of the topsheet / spopnge is engaged the results change dramatically. Excellent spin capabilities and control because of the softy topsheet and also quite easy to spin-counterspin. It is better than my Σ Pro but still i am not happy. For its performance 9-9.5/10 for my needs 7.5-8/10

Flicks: When the ball has enough height on opponents serves or serve returns i tend to flat-hit the ball or add also some spin, i call that flick. Not really impressed, not disappointed. The overall softish feeling doesnt help me much because though it grabs well the ball i find it hard to hit. I would prefer either topsheet or sponge to be harder. 8/10

Service: Though i dont feel like my services having much spin, many of the returns were faulty. I believe thats because the topsheet doesnt have a grippy crisp feeling. Update: My serves are having much spin i just cant feel it in my hand because it has a soft feeling. Control is very good i can place the ball where i want without difficulties. Nothing extraordinary but very efficient. 9/10

Durability: Though it early to tell i believe it will last a lot longer than an average tensor. Though it has soft feeling it seems to be dense and durable. I could cut it easily with scissors but when i tried to rip the leftovers of the rubber i had to try somewhat hard. I would think seriously to rely my life hanging on a sheet of Grip-S ES from a cliff.

Summary: Thats my perception according to the light training i had. I feel like i have been fooled by myself or it is still early and i havent understood the rubber correctly. This rubber plays wonderfully near the table and offers more control than tensors. To make it short, it plays like a slower tensor. I try to start playing more near the table so it will fit me more but still it isnt what i expected. It disappointed me for my expectations but not as a rubber. I have to say that it is a great rubber to play with and i would suggest it instead of a tensor. Overall i am pleased with what i got for the price of 28.5E ~ 35$ give or take (from tabletennis11.com discounted). I would rate it around 9/10. It is an ok rubber but i wouldnt buy it again !

Dear consumers, all information is subject to change without prior notice. Thank you for your understanding!

I would like to know if the Grip-S has a different topsheet than E and ES (these two have the same right?) and also the difference in sponge hardness and behavior. I am willing to buy a regular Grip-S if it seems promising. Please explain thoroughly. Thanks.

Sorry for me bad engliz. 

Off topic: Well, every brand has its own marking system. Even ES isnt soft at all and it is marked as med-soft at 40%, maybe in chinese sccale it could be true but it is harder than Σ Pro that is rated by Xiom as hard. My point is that even if you try other brands rubbers you could have the same disappointment. In my opinion thats stupid and only serves the companies needs, there should be universal standards for a lot of things but profit just wont let it happen, a whole other big topic.

Please help me about the Grip-S, thanks.

cotdt wrote: i'm still waiting for Stoi's review that he promised

OK  ! I will edit my first post now!

I added some updates from my last semi-serious training. The rubber doesnt suit me so i dont think i should take the time to adjust to it. I will be using CJ8000 though it is way harder to master cause of their ultra high throw. The rubber will either go for sale/trade or sit with the other rubbers. I cant believe a 10$ rubber has what i was looking for... Something nice i will miss is the easiness to counterspin.

manofan i can add anything else you like to know - except choping  - just be more specific. I will be able to play shortly with T05 as soon as my mates get their new rubbers, just dont expect it to have the same brushing capabilities.