Explanation
MIZUNO, a Japanese comprehensive sports bland, collaborated with Sumitomo Riko for developing new table tennis rubbers to compete with world standard rubber Tenergy. Sumitomo Riko is a Japanese high quality rubbers and resins company and the new rubbers are made in Japan. The highest performance in Q series, which are developed with Sumitomo Riko, is Q5. After release of Q3 and Q4, technology pursued to improved much more performance for Q5. As a result, sponge of Q5 is Accel Arc Sponge, which is different from Q3 nor Q4. Appling Accel Arc Sponge, Q5 is compatible a good biting into sponge and repulsion to enhance energy efficiency. When release, Q3 and Q4 showed a lot of topics. Q5 exceeded topics than Q3 nor Q4. When Q5 release, several top players, who contract with MIZUNO, announced to use Q5 as professional gears. Below are top players who announced to use Q5.
– Yuya Oshima (All Japan Championship Singles Second Place, Doubles Winner)
– Rikuto Maede (All Japan Cadet (under 15 years old) Winner)
– Ryusuke Karube (All Japan Amateurs’ Championship Winner)
– Yurika Taira (All Japan Amateurs’ Championship Winner (Women))
Magazine “Table Tennis Kingdom” also featured Q5.
A new rubber “Q5” has evolved sponge from Q3/Q4. Therefore, Q5 is not the same class to Q3/Q4 and Q5 possess the highest performance and top of rubber in MIZUNO!
Bubbles of Q5 sponge is large and good bite against ball. In general, soften rubber often shows good bite against ball but less bounce. However, for sponge of Q5, basic performance of material is developed. Thus, Q5 shows compatibility both good bite against ball and much improved performance of speed and spin.
From Table Tennis Kingdom 2018
1. Energy efficiency Up
2. Spin amount and flying distance Up
3. Biting against ball Up
4. Weight saving (lighter about 2 g than Q3/Q4)
5. Good Control
Below are information from MIZUNO homepage. First is shape of pimple.
Pimple thickness of Q5 is 1.7 mm, which is the same to that of Tenrgy 05. Distance between pimples is 0.65 mm, which is more wider than that of Q3/Q4.
Pefermance
We found published performance for GF series, but we don’t find the published performance for Q series. However, we found the figures.
Q series shows higher performance of both speed and spin than GF series.
Q5 is positioned “80” in Tenergy / Dignics series. However, Q5 is designed as high speed performance by shape of pimple in top sheet, and high spin performance by developed sponge (Accel Arc Sponge). (Tenergy / Dignics series are designed a performance by only shape of pimple in top sheet. (no change in sponge structure)).
Paste and Weight of Q5
Zhang Jike ZLC is selected.
In Q series, Q5 is the most heavy rubber. Information from Table Tennis Kingdom, Q5 is lighter than Q3/Q4. This weight may depend on individual difference.
In addition to weight, Q5 is odor similar to Q3/Q4.
Q5 (MIZUNO)
Accel Arc Sponge
Tension type (XL52/3)
made in Japan
・Sponge Thickness： middle（1.7 mm）、Thick（1.9 mm）、Extra thick（2.1mm）
・Sponge stiffness：47
・\6,800 + tax
・72 g（before cut） → 51 g（after cut paste to Zhang Jike ZLC）Thee Points of Q5
Highest Spin Performance in Q series!
During using Q5, katsuo000 felt hitting more mad and harder than Q3/Q4. However, the top spin drive by Q5 showed much high spin! The spin amount by Q5 may be similar to Tenergy 05 Hard and Rasanter R53. This excellent performance of Q5 is unique and no exist in Q3/Q4. Q5 is very hard, but in the reviews of Q5, there’re Q5 may be softer than Q3/Q4, thus katsuo000 thought that Q5 may show large change as individual difference. On the other hand, the spin amount by Q5 is very excellent in both lots of reviews and katsuo000 feeling. Especially, katsuo000 felt excellent in curve forehand drive with touching side of ball.
Of course, similar to other Q series, push, stop and counter drive is easy!
Similar to Q3/Q4, by Q5 push and stop is very easy to low and short. Moreover, the counter drive of Q5 against drive ball is very easy. This performance is important for lots of TT players.
No difficult to use comparison to Q3/Q4
Using Q4, feeling of hitting the ball, katsuo000 may imagine high arc and high arch line. But, in real the arch line by Q4 is very straight. This type of feeling uncomfortable often occurs when using Q3/Q4. However, using Q5, katsuo000 didn’t feel uncomfortable.
Review of Every Technique
Fore Hand series
Light Hitting
katsuo000 felt very hard. And A5 smells odor.
Drive during Rally
Top Spin Slow Drive against back spin ball
Q5 showed highest level of top spin slow drive. Excellent!
Speed Drive against back spin ball
少し硬いので食い込ませるのが大変でしたが打てると感じました。
Block
Easy to control.
Counter-Drive
Very easy to counter-drive by Q5.
Stop
Easy to control to low and short.
Push
Easy to control to low
Flick
Serves
Much high spin amount.
Back Hand series
Light hitting
Too hard to control.
Drive during Rally
Top Spin Slow Drive against back spin ball
Speed drive against back spin ball
Block
Good to control.
Counter-drive
Stop
Easy to control to low and short.
Push
Easy to control.
Chiquita
Spin Chiquita is good. No drop.
Comparing to other rubbers (Personal Impressions）
Spin
Dignics 05 ＞ Q5 ≧ Tenergy 05 Hard ＞ Q4 ≧Tenergy 05 ＞ Q3 ≧ Tenergy 80
Speed
Dignics 05 ＞ Tenergy 80 ≧ Q3 ≧ Q5 ≧ Q4 ＞ Tenergy 05