Explanation
We would like to review the German-made adhesive tension rubber, STIGA’s DNA Dragon Grip, which is a hot topic in the streets. In recent years, the quality of German-made rubber has improved remarkably, and the number of German-made adhesive tensions has increased. I would like to compare them.
DNA will be Stiga’s high-end rubber series. To date, there are three types, all of which are Stiga’s first German-made rubber series. DNA Pro series, DNA Platinum series, and this DNA Dragon Grip. Only the DNA Dragon Grip is an adhesive tension rubber, and the other DNA series are basically spin tension rubbers. Until the release of the DNA series, Stiga sold and handled rubber made in Japan. Such Stiga will release a high-end rubber made in Germany, the first of which will be the DNA Pro series. DNA Pro is a rubber that seems to be the original German spin tension rubber, and it was very similar to the best-selling rubber Fastarc G-1 in Japan. And the second release last year is the DNA Platinum series. This is very popular and has been highly rated by table tennis YouTubers (Goblin’s) and other reviewers. katsuo000 also reviewed DNA Platinum Extra Hard as a good impression rubber.
The DNA Platinum series was a rubber very similar to Butterfly’s Tenergy 05. The grain shape of the sheet is thick and has a characteristic of spin system, and it was a rubber that feels quite good to bite even when combined with the 52.5 ° extra hard sponge (XH). Tenergy 05 is also a rubber that feels good in the hardness, but this DNA Platinum series is also a rubber series that is very good at biting into the indicated hardness, and it is a hard rubber that can be easily bitten, so the amount of rotation It will be terrible. It is a sponge that is not similar to the butterfly spring sponge, but it makes you feel that German technology is evolving. Is the feeling of use about 47 ° with the hardness of the German standard? I feel that it is the closest rubber to Tenergy 05 among the post-tenergy rubbers.
And the DNA Dragon Grip was released in quick succession. Recently, we have entered the era of adhesive rubber group male division, and each company has released adhesive tension. I would like to review what kind of rubber the DNA Dragon Grip is.
I can only tell you how amazing it is, but I would like to touch on the technology. First of all, DNA Platinum and DNA Dragon Grip are said to have adopted technologies such as Longer Trajectory, Direct Power Hit Effect, and Power Sponge Cells. Perhaps a new sponge called the Power Sponge Cell will perform like the Tenergy 05 to show similar performance to the Butterfly Spring Sponge.
・Longer Trajectory
・Direct Power Hit Effect
・Power Sponge Cells
In addition, the DNA Dragon Grip uses a technology called C Touch Tensor. The phrase “C-Touch” is the technology used in the seats of DONIC’s Blue Grip C1 and I imagine it’s probably similar. I quoted the explanation about C Touch Tensor from the STIGA site. ↓
C Touch Tensor
Adhesive top sheets provide exceptional grip and a high level of control on serve and receive. The newly installed sponge was developed based on AI (artificial intelligence) and advice from top players. By digitally analyzing the data, we identified the important characteristics of the material, and made the strong rotation amount and high control performance of the adhesive top sheet coexist with the powerful speed of the new sponge.
https://stigasports.jp/product/dna-%e3%83%89%e3%83%a9%e3%82%b4%e3%83%b3-%e3%82%b0%e3%83%aa%e3%83%83%e3%83%97%e3%80%8855%e3%80%89/
Published performance value
You can clearly see that the DNA Platinum series has improved rotational performance compared to the previous DNA Pro series. And you can see well that the adhesive tension rubber with higher spin performance from the DNA platinum series becomes the DNA dragon grip. Next is a comparison with a hardness tester.
As you can see from this figure, DNA Pro H, DNA Platinum XH, and DNA Dragon Grip are as hard as Tenergy 05. Of course, the German-made rubber STIGA rubber is heavier, and the butterfly rubber is lighter, which is also a characteristic of the result.
Finally, the difference between the hardness on the sheet side and the hardness on the sponge side is plotted. Katsuo000 feels that the larger this value is, the easier it is to handle or bite into the rubber. I have included Tenergy 05 as an index, but you can see that Tenergy 05 is a rubber that is very easy to handle and easy to rotate because it has a good hardness and is very easy to handle. On the other hand, the DNA Dragon Grip seems to have specifications that are conscious of Dignics 09C, and the hardness difference between the seat side and the sponge side is close. The difference between the seat side and the sponge side is smaller than that of Dignics 09C, and I think it is a rubber that is difficult to bite into. However, the value of shore c itself is harder in Dignics 09C, so its influence may be stronger. (For adhesive rubber, the difference in hardness between the sheet side and the sponge side is not a very good index, and I feel that it is easier to understand if you compare purely by hardness. What kind of comparison is good in the future? I would like to think about it.)
DNA Dragon Grip sticking and weight
DNA Dragon Grip ・Speed: 132 ・Spin: 146 ・Control: 80 ・Sponge Thickness: Max (2.3 mm) ・Sponge stiffness: 55.0° ・6,600 yen + tax ・74 g (before cut) → 52 g (after cut)
I pasted it using YASAKA’s Norisuke. After all it is heavy! By the way, I pasted the racket on my favorite WRM 970XX-KLC recently. This racket is an inner Kep1er carbon racket with a 5.7 mm thin plate, a hard upper plate dyeing material, and the lightest among Chinese rackets. The cost performance is very good (5,980 yen + shipping fee for sale), so it is recommended.
By the way, the sheet doesn’t feel very sticky. Recent German adhesive tension rubber does not have the sticky feeling of the sheet like Chinese adhesive rubber. The smell is a little peculiar, but compared to Chinese adhesive rubber, it is a level that even people who do not know table tennis do not mind. If it is not sold as an adhesive tension rubber, it will be difficult to recognize it as an adhesive rubber in the first place. Of course, the performance has the characteristics of adhesive rubber!
3 features of DNA Dragon Grip
Adhesive rubber that bites in with a light force!
As you can see from the results of the hardness comparison, it was a rubber with a very light force, which was hard enough to hit by hand, and it was easy to put out a sticky ball. First of all, regarding the hardness, it was a rubber that bites well and is easy to handle compared to the adhesive rubber made in China. The bite is too good and you may even feel like a spin tension rubber. The sponge is a hard sponge that is even harder than DNA Platinum XH and has fewer bubbles, but I didn’t feel that hard. In the review of Karahashi Takukyu Yoyogi store, it was also reviewed that the DNA Dragon Grip can add vertical rotation with a small force without making a big swing when used in the back, and it can get points. If you want strong rotation even with such a weak force, I think the DNA Dragon Grip is a very good option.
A seat that emphasizes ball holding and rotation rather than Rakza Z
The characteristic of DNA Dragon Grip is that the seat is thick and the grain shape is low and thick, that is, the seat shape is characterized by the rotation performance that is adopted for the spin type tension rubber that emphasizes rotation. The sheet of the DNA Platinum series also had a sheet shape similar to Tenergy 05. On the other hand, the sponge is not as hard as other super-hard adhesive rubbers and feels more biting than I expected. Of course, there are multiple German tension rubbers of the same hardness, such as Omega VII China Guang from XIOM, Blue Grip C2 from DONIC, and VICTAS. Examples include Triple Extra. For this comparison, I mentioned Rakza Z Extra Hard, which has already been tested to some extent and has the same hardness. I hope it can be compared with other adhesive tension rubbers, but I haven’t. The Rakza Z XH is symmetrical compared to the DNA Dragon Grip, and the overall weight of the rubber is heavier than the DNA Dragon Grip, while the sponge has a lot of bubbles and the sheet is rather thin and the sheet is thin and Tenergy 80 (Tenergy 80). It has a shape like a speed tension rubber such as 80) or Tenergy 64. It was an adhesive rubber because it was heavy and hard as a whole, and it was a rubber that was somewhat like a speed tension rubber. The DNA Dragon Grip has a symmetrical design guideline compared to the Rakza Z XH, and I felt a great difference in its rubber design. The DNA Dragon Grip has a seat and grain shape similar to that of a spin-type tension rubber specializing in rotation like Tenergy 05, but the sponge is a sponge that is not too hard. It was a well-balanced rubber like between the adhesive rubber and spin tension, which is perfect when you want more spin performance than DNA Platinum XH.
It’s easy to bite in and handle, but it’s also easy to get rid of habits (misleading by the amount of rotation)!
Although it is not completely comparable to the rubber mentioned above, I think that the DNA Dragon Grip is probably classified as a habit ball (or easy to make mistakes due to the amount of rotation) rubber side even in the hardness of 55 °. I will list the same degree of hardness again.
・Omega VII China Guang (XIOM) 55°
・Blue Grip C2 (DONIC) 55°
・Rakza Z Extra Hard (Yasaka) 52~57°
・Triple Extra (VICTAS) 55°
・Dignics 09C (Butterfly) 44° (Butterfly standard)
・Hybrid K3 (TIBHAR) 53°
・Hybrid K1J (TIBHAR) 52.5°
・Blue Grip R1 (DONIC) 50°
・Rakza Z (Yasaka) 47~52°
・Rising Dragon (Yasaka) 47~52°
There are rubbers that I have used and rubbers that I have not used, but among the above, DNA Dragon Grip was a rubber that was easy to get a habit (misleading due to the amount of rotation). For example, even if I drive in a state close to hand-striking without wearing shoes, I felt that the rotation and the way the ball bounces and flies from the table will change. I think that this amount of rotation and habit is the performance you want if you use adhesive rubber! Personally, I felt that it was a rubber that could make mistakes with the amount of rotation more than the Rakza Z XH and the Dignics 09C (of course, the Rakza Z XH is faster than the Rakza Z XH and the Dignics 09C is better if you want ease of handling in addition to speed. I think). Please refer.
Each technology review
Fore hand
Light hit
There was no discomfort with the momentum like tension rubber. At least I don’t think I feel like I don’t fly like a leopard.
Drive on long balls and rallies
I felt it was a little soft. Compared to the spin type tension rubber, there was an impression that the ball enters a little shallower because the arc line is very easy to come out. It grips the ball very well, so it is easy to spin. I personally like the one that is a little harder, but it may be easier to use if you want to speed up. Since the sponge hardness is 55 °, I felt it was soft, but I didn’t lose to the opponent’s ball.
Drive with open face
Even if I opened the surface, it would rotate firmly and sink, so it was very good. This area was just like an adhesive rubber. Also, I felt that the drive would be stable because it would sink by rotation if it was rubbed without opening the surface in the opposite direction due to the shape of the seat.
Top spin (loop) drive against back spin
Since it grips firmly, I was able to hit a drive with abundant rotation. However, it is not a rubber that is hard and does not bounce like a leopard, so I felt a little power loss. I felt that it was shallow and low and easy to control.
Speed drive against back spin
Even if I hit it like rubbing, I was able to hit the speed drive and the impression was good. However, since it is an adhesive rubber, I felt that the ball would run better if I hit it with the surface open. I think that hitting like rubbing will increase from the opponent’s court.
Curve / shoot drive
I felt that the ball would bend well when it was curved or shot because the ball entered shallowly. The course is also easy to aim for.
Block
I felt that it was a little susceptible to rotation. Instead, it was easy to block balls such as smashes.
Counter drive
It was easy to bite in firmly and rotate, and it fits well and it was easy to counter drive. Is it really an adhesive rubber?
Push / stop
I felt that it took some getting used to cutting because the bite was a little too good. Since it is an adhesive rubber, it was very easy to do without popping out.
Serve
It was easy to rotate firmly. However, I felt that it was softer than the Omega VII China shadow and that it popped out a little better.
Back hand
Light hit
After using it in the fore, I tried using it in the back, but as I imagined, I felt it was easy to use in the back. With a sponge hardness of 55 °, the weight is certainly as heavy as 50 g, but I felt that it was easier to handle than Chinese adhesive and could be used in the back without any discomfort.
Drive on long balls and rallies
I felt a sense of stability because I held the ball firmly. I also felt that the ball was a little slow to leave. I also felt that impact was needed to speed up from the middle team.
Top spin (loop) drive against back spin
It was very easy to do. I felt that I could make a loop drive with just the right hardness and a sense of stability. Also, because it grips the ball firmly, I felt that it could be lifted even if the hitting point was dropped.
Speed drive against back spin
I felt that the speed was a little mature because I had a good ball. I also felt this in DNA Platinum.
Block
I felt that it was easily affected by rotation for its hardness. It wasn’t that difficult.
Counter drive
It was easy to do. I felt the feeling of holding a ball more than Dignics 05, so it was easy to feel that I had a counter drive.
Push / stop
Since it is an adhesive rubber, it will not float. However, since the sponge has a good bite, I felt that it was easy to overshoot if I was not careful about the touch.
Chiquita
It was easy to do. It was easy to rotate!
Comparison with other rubbers (personal impressions)
Spin amount
Omega VII China Ying ＞ DNA Dragon Grip ＞ Dignics 05
Speed
Dignics 09C ≧ Rakza Z Extra Hard ＞ Rhyzen ZGR ＞ DNA Dragon Grip ＞ Hurricane NEO III