Comprehensive reviews of the latest rubbers from Victas, the V > 15 Extra, an advanced level rubber designed for a high spin looping / counter-looping style game.
This new rubber from Victas was released in late 2015 (hence the number “15” in the name), and was designed for a high spin loop / counterloop game for advanced players.
The extremely high grip is not only great for spin, but it was specifically designed for the plastic balls, where extra grip and zero-slippage is more important than ever.
The Victas V>15 Extra rubber has become a huge success first in Japan, then became a #1 seller in Korea where is was found to be the best alternative for Tenergy for the plastic ball. The V>15 Limber was more successful in Singapore, where a softer sponge was preferred. Although these rubbers share the spin potential and catapult of the Tenergy series, they are considerably more forgiving and easier to play with.
From the Manufacturer Victas:
Victas V>15 Extra: The ultimate weapon for aggressive offensive players!
V > 15 Extra is a high-end offensive rubber which will enable you to perform on a new level in topspin rallies. Feel the ultimate power and high-efficiency energy conversion of the innovative 47.5° offensive sponge and experience the unlimited potential of the spin-optimized top rubber sheet!
Demanding offensive players who rely on aggressive topspins as well as topspin-to-topspin rallies will take their play to a new level with V > 15 Extra!
Note: The reviews below are from members from OOAK Forum. Although the sheets were given out free of charge in exchange for a review, the members were chosen for their high ability to review rubbers and give an independent assessment and can be trusted to give an un-biassed opinion.
Review by so_devo from OOAK Forum
Part 1:
This rubber was sent to me for review per the original thread (on OOAK Forum).
Here is a quick post of the physical properties of the rubber. I will add playing properties shortly.
Firstly, is this a Tensor? I don’t know for sure (maybe someone can confirm?) but I suspect so, as it has the same “high energy tension” text and logo as VS>402 and OOAK describe that as a tensor (https://www.facebook.com/OoakTableTennisShop/).
Also of note from the packaging is “Made in Germany” and a weblink – http:\\www.tsp-yamato.com . Now my Japanese is zero, but from what I can deduce TSP and Victas are both brands from the same company. I didn’t realise this.
Out of the packet the rubber feels heavy. It weighed 70.8g for a 162 x 170 mm sheet which is Tenergy 05 Max heavy (0.257g sq/cm)
The sponge has pores but they are small; smaller than Rakza 9 which in turn are smaller than Rakza X. This is a dense sponge, hence the weight. I had no difficulties at all glueing it, using just a single glue layer (Joola-X).
Picture of sponge (right):
Topsheet is of excellent quality, and has a Tenergy-like look about it (i.e. not shiny like many tensors). I will take a picture of it for my next post.
I did have a brief hit with it last night but will wait until I have had a decent length practice session before posting. Suffice to say first impressions are good.
Part 2:
It has taken me more sessions than usual to form an opinion on this rubber. Upfront, let me say that I think it is an excellent rubber. The praise will not leap out at you from your screen though, as to me it is very competent at everything I would need it to do, without being outstanding in the show-grabbing qualities for most: spin and speed. But the overall offering, the sum of the parts, is very good indeed.
AndySmith has done a very good review of the V>15 limber (the Extra’s softer version) at http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=28108. This is worth a read as I can relate to everything he writes so limber is obviously very similar, albeit softer.
We should not forget that this rubber is a tensor, with max sponge, and when rating rubber qualities my words should be considered in that context.
I found it a very easy rubber to adjust to; the dense sponge keeps the blade out of the equation somewhat and the throw angle medium. It is certainly not overly spin sensitive (for a rubber in this class)
First impressions of V15>extra are that it’s a bit average really, decent speed and spin with a really solid feel; but gradually you realise what is so good about it. It won’t blow you away when hitting topspin to topspin in practice in the same way more extreme rubbers can. However the speed and spin are more than adequate and it is really easy to play with, being both linear and consistent. As Andy wrote, you very much get out what you put in and you need to be active to generate the speed/spin – V15>extra will then deliver in a predictable, consistent way. The upside to the need to be active is that in the short game it is immensely controllable, so much so that it took me a while to re-adjust to my regular rubber (currently Rakza X) when I switched back.
I obviously put this rubber through a full range of shots (in my case, all forehand) both in practice and practice match situations. Loops, drives, blocks, pushes, touch shots, chopping at distance. No obvious weaknesses to me, it does it all.
Where does this rate in comparison to other rubbers? In speed, it is slower than all of the regular (not soft) Rakza series (7, 9, X). In spin terms it is similar to X, which to me is marginally the least spinny of that series. (speed x>9>7, spin 7>9>X)
So, what’s not to like? Well, if you are looking for a very light setup, this isn’t for you as it is heavy. If you are looking for extremes of spin and speed it’s not for you. If you are looking for an out and out 3rd ball rubber there are faster and/or spinnier options you can choose. However if you are an ALL+ / OFF- type of player, or dare I say a modern defender, I can see this being an excellent choice.
A final word about the quality of this rubber; I have put quite a few hours on the rubber and, as is my way, also hit the table. It remains flawless and unmarked. I shall try to produce some video shortly.
Part 3:
A few follow up notes for this rubber, which I have now adopted on my main setup and put quite a few more hours in.
The outstanding feature remains the very high level of control with very good spin and speed. I played a tournament at the weekend and had a couple of players ask what my FH rubber was, given how well I attacked with it and how well it blocked.
The topsheet remains completely unmarked, and the edges are not chipped (this usually happens to me very quickly).
I feel that I am getting some more spin and speed from the sheet now. Maybe it has softened a little. It is more than adequate for me and has sufficient power to leave the table and trade at mid distance.
All in all an excellent rubber that is highly recommended for attacking allrounders if you like medium/hard sponges.
A further Victas V>15 Extra review can be found on German table tennis translated here
This Victas V>15 Extra is available from the Australian Victas Distributor here
