Explanation
I’d review DONIC’s 2021 Adhesive Tension Rubber, Blue Grip C1. Speaking of DONIC rubber, there are many rubbers that are named blue. It also features a large lineup of spin blue fire series, speed blue storm series, and adhesive tension blue grip series. I think this brings the merit of being able to finely change the hardness and seat according to the skill of the player. The highlight of this Fall-Winter 2021 is Blue Storm PRO, which will be the latest rubber in the Blue Storm series. I have already placed an order for Blue Storm PRO because I want to review it in the future, but the performance of German rubber has improved considerably these days, and as an evolved Tenergy rubber, it may have the same or higher performance than Tenergy. I’m expecting it. Among Japanese players, Kaede Suzuki of Aiko Dai Meiden is famous because he uses DONIC’s equipment. It seems that he used blue grip rubber for a while, but he seems to be using blue storm rubber in search of a habit ball that is drawn out by technology, not a habit of relying on rubber. Perhaps you are using the latest Blue Storm PRO. I’m looking forward to playing an active part in the All Japan Championship in January 2022.
Among such DONIC rubbers, the Blue Grip C1 reviewed on this page was released as a rubber that gives off a unique color. This Blue Grip C1 is a rubber sold at the same time as XIOM’s Omega VII China Ying, and has a sponge hardness of 60 degrees. Since the concept of the Omega VII China shadow released earlier was “rubber that exceeds the Chinese rubber leopard”, I think that this blue grip C1 is also a rubber with a strong image as a super hard German adhesive tension rubber. In fact, when compared with the hardness of the German standard, the only rubber that is so hard is Omega VII China shadow, and I think it is one of the ambitious rubbers. Looking at what has already been reviewed, I got the impression that there are many rubbers that are easier to use and have improved speed and ease of use compared to the Omega VII China shadow. How is it actually?
The explanation in Japanese of the manufacturer is as follows.
A spin rubber that is convincing to the power group.
The 60 degree bubble blue speed sponge made quite hard and the adhesive top sheet with the best rotation performance and grip feeling firmly produce a big catapult effect. It is recommended for players who use the power of fore drive as a weapon with strong adhesive rubber.
https://www.donic.jp/
Published performance value
Blue Grip C1 has the highest spin performance of 11 +++. You can also see from the published performance values that it is the latest Blue Storm PRO that is well-balanced. Next is the comparison of katsuo000 hardness testers.
After all, when you compare the hardness, the characteristics of rubber come out. Among the rubbers of DONIC owned by katsuo000, the one that is heavy and hard is Blue Grip C1. On the other hand, the Blue Fire JP01 Turbo, which went up considerably and felt easy to rotate, is the same weight as the Tenergy 05 and is a little softer. Taking the difference between the sheet side and the sponge side of the shore a hardness, the values of JP01 turbo and Tenergy 05 are quite close. This is not a coincidence, and as the name JP01 suggests, JP01 was probably made with Tenergy 05 in mind. The Z1 turbo and M1 turbo still have a smaller difference than the JP01 turbo and a larger difference than the Dignics 05, so it may be said that it is an easy-to-use rubber among the German spin tensions. The difference in Blue Grip C1 is obviously small, and I think it shows how difficult it is to bite. Blue Grip C1 is quite difficult to bite into, so I think one of the evaluation axes is how easy it is to get a habit ball.
Blue Grip C1 sticking and weight
Although it is a strong adhesive, I thought that it was a rubber with a low adhesive feeling and almost a slight adhesive, which seems to be the adhesive tension made in Germany these days. Since the Kyo Leopard Dragon 5 is a racket with a wide blade area, I think it is also characteristic that it has become quite heavy. It weighs 57 g, which is a little lighter than the Omega VII China shadow, and is an obvious super heavyweight. Compared to Nittaku’s Hurricane Pro III Turbo Blue’s 65 g, I think it’s a rubber that doesn’t go that far.
Blue Grip C1
Tacky tension
Made in Germany
・Sponge Thickness: 2.0 mm, Max
・Speed: 11
・Spin: 11++
・Sponge stiffness: 60
・オープンプライス (4,363 yen)
・82 g (before cut) → 57 g (Hurricane Long V, 158 × 150 mm)
Three features of Blue Grip C1
To be honest, I’m getting used to the Omega VII China Ying, so I’m wondering if I can make an accurate comparison of ease of handling, but I felt that it was a rubber with outstanding hardness and rotation amount rather than a habit ball.
Compared to Omega VII China Ying, rubber from spin tension with a hardness of 60 degrees
There are many comparisons with Omega VII China Ying of the same hardness, but while Omega VII China Ying were a tacky rubber, this Blue Grip C1 was a rubber with a high cross-linking density. While it is difficult to bite in, I felt that it is a rubber that makes it easier to do meat technology than Omega VII China Ying. I felt that it was a rubber that was quite incompatible with the Hurricane Long 5, which is easy to drive. Omega VII China It is an adhesive rubber rather than a spin type tension rubber compared to a rubber that is used for adhesive habits like shadows, and I felt that it is a rubber that requires a more overwhelming amount of rotation.
Even though it’s an adhesive rubber, it bounces a lot!
Like the Omega VII China Ying, it is an adhesive rubber, but what surprised me was its speed performance. It was a large gymnasium, so I felt it was slow, but it still had outstandingly high speed performance compared to the leopard. I also felt it in the shadow of Omega VII China, but if the speed goes up to this point, it will pop out before spinning, so I also felt that the racket that should be matched naturally would be an inner carbon or wood plywood racket. No matter how much you want to fly, if you do not stay in the inner system, it will bounce too much and it will be difficult to drive with the amount of rotation, and the quality of the drive will deteriorate. There is no doubt that the racket to be matched will be a wood plywood system or an inner carbon racket.
Easy to hit down!
As I get used to the shadows of Omega VII China, I also felt the ease of hitting the downward rotation speed drive with this Blue Grip C1. However, I also felt that it was easy to get a speed drive like a smash because it is hard to feel the chewy feeling like the shadow of Omega VII China. I think this is a part that depends on skill and sense.
Each technics review
Forehand
Light hit
As for the impression of receiving the ball, I didn’t feel that it didn’t bounce like a leopard, but it felt like a normal spin tension rubber.
Drive on long balls and rallies
I think there is a part due to my own arm, but it’s not a chewy rubber, but a chewy rubber, so I felt that it was hard to bite and I just played it. It bounces firmly, so I thought it would be a rubber that would be easy to meet even if it was attached to the Hurricane Long V. However, I also felt that the taste and habit of driving was hard to come out. It may mean to use it like a spin type tension rubber, but it is heavy and not as fast as a spin type tension rubber, so I think that I still want to drive.
Drive with open face
I felt that the good thing about this rubber is that even if you hit it fairly roughly, the drive will enter. I didn’t feel that it was spinning, but there may be a feeling that the speed drive will come in due to the impact.
Loop (top spin) drive against back spin
Since it is a combination of Hurricane Long V and hard rubber, it was easy to hit a strong loop drive with strong rotation even if it was not adhesive rubber. Since the whole rubber is hard, the seat is not so hard, but I felt that it was good to pop out. The recent German-made adhesive tension rubber has a good pop-out, so I think that it will be a low loop drive as much as aiming at the net.
Speed drive against back spin
It was easy to hit. However, I felt that the amount of rotation was low. I felt that it is easier to use adhesive and adhesive tension rubber than spin tension rubber because the ball sinks enough to make a speed drive even if the hit point is dropped, so there is no need to move in a hurry. I’m a habit, and when I try to hit a speed drive, I use my body like a smash, so I’d like to fix the center of gravity a little more and hit it by turning the torso, but I’m glad that it was easy to enter even if it was rough.
Curve / shoot drive
I felt it would bend a lot, probably thanks to the Hurricane Long 5. I don’t think outer carbon will bend this far.
Block
The block was easy. The ball doesn’t fall. This may be a good point of the recent German adhesive tension. I think Hurricane and the like will fall. In the case of a leopard, I think it will be hit as if it were raised.
Counter drive
It was easy to do. If it is so heavy, it will not eat the rotation of the opponent’s drive, so it feels like you can take it forcibly.
Stop
It will stop firmly. It’s an adhesive rubber, so it’s a problem if you don’t stop.
Push
I didn’t feel like I was cutting the fore because I wasn’t good at cutting it.
Serve
It cut firmly.
Backhand
Comparison with other rubbers (personal impressions)
Max spin amount
Hurricane type ＞ Dignics 09C ≧ Blue Grip C1 ＞ Dignics 05
Speed
Dignics 05 ＞ Blue Grip C1 ＞ Omega VII China Ying ＞ Rhyzen ZGR ＞ Hurricane type
