Adidas R4 & R6 Review

Adidas R4:

R4 from Adidas is designed with the all around player in mind. A medium soft sponge makes the rubber easy to handle, while generating excellent speed. It handles high-intensity impact well, enabling the player to receive the ball with stability and control. Recommended for all around and counter attacking players on the backhand side.

The R4 is the allrounder in the adidas rubber range. The medium soft sponge makes the rubber easy to handle still generating excellent speed. Even under high-intensity confrontation the R4 will help you to remain stable and in control. The R4 is the perfect choice for allrounders, counter attack players and a great alternative for the backhand of competition players.

  • Sponge: medium hard
  • Strategy: ALL/OFF
  • Speed: fast
  • Spin: extra high
  • Control: high
  • Pimples / Pips: In

Adidas R6:

The R6 rubber is known for its versatility and profound sound. Newly developed sponge technology generates better traction during aggressive play, leading to superb control and feel. Great for learning players, especially on the backhand side, who often rely more on the sound of the impact during points.

Flexible and dynamic with a profound sound when hitting the ball are the key characteristics of the adidas R6. Thanks to the newly developed sponge technology the R6 generates traction and vigor during active and offensive play at the same time offering superb control in intense situations. For competition players, the R6 is a great choice on the backhand. Youngsters in particular often define their playing feeling over the sound of the rubber, for them, the adidas R6 is tailor-made.

  • Sponge: medium
  • Strategy: ALL/OFF
  • Speed: fast
  • Spin: high
  • Control: extra high
  • Pimples / Pips: In

 

Click here to buy Adidas R4 direct from Megaspin

Click here to buy Adidas R6 direct from Megaspin

 

Reviews by Yogi Bear (with permission and thanks!):

 

Adidas R6
R6 Red
Thickness: Max or 2.2mm
Weight uncut: 50-51 grams 171x171mm ; cut 36 grams to an Adidas C500 carbon blade
Sponge Hardness: this is the softest Adidas rubber I have tried. By DHS Scale its about 34 degrees. My fingers really dug deep into the sponge upon pressing it.
FH to FH BH to BH:
Doing speedy fh and bh drives with this rubber. I tested this mainly on the forehand and I love its very loud sound. Maybe because it was due to its softness combined with the C500 carbon blade. Having a soft sponge means I had to hit the ball through the sponge to get the full effect. Control is very good and driving is effortless.
Pushes:
Pushes are above average and can still produce very spinny balls. Need to adjust the angle of the blade when receiving pushes to compensate for the height of the ball.
Loops:
Low throw trajectory. Somewhat of a straight, long  line when looping. This rubber has a very good dwell time because of its softness but you need to dig deep into the sponge to get maximum spin. Control is not an issue but i liked this better in my fh for looping.
Blocking: 
This rubber excels in blocking – active and passive. The blocks are very stable and this rubber is not sensitive to incoming spin.
Countering:
Awesome rubber for countering topspins in all ranges -near-middle and far from the table. lobbers, counter drivers and blockers will surely love this rubber. Control and stability makes this rubber a hitter’s dream.
Smashing:
Despite its very soft sponge this rubber is built for smashers who wants a soft and controllable rubber than its very fast.
All in all the R6 performed above average for speedy attacks and strokes which are not prioritizing spin. I would rate the spin as above average for a tensor rubber but not on the level of a donic baracuda or tibhar genius though the R6 is faster than both rubbers. I would greatly recommend this rubber for beginners (2mm) who wanted a stable and controllable rubber to develop their game and for intermediate players (max) and advanced players (max) who wants an extra speed on their game but dont want to lose a lot of control. The R6 should be paired with an off- or off all wood blade to fully utilize its spin potentials according to the blade designer which I fully agree since I tested it with a carbon blade, it suits more to an all wood blade.

 

Adidas R4

R4 Black
Thickness: 2.2mm or max
Weight: Uncut 53-54 grams 171x171mm; 38 grams cut to an Adidas C500 carbon blade
Sponge hardness: about 36 degrees in a DHS Scale

Basically, the faster rubber in the R- Series. It has the same topsheet with the R6 but with a harder sponge.
FH to FH, Bh to BH:
same with the R6 but faster by 10-15%. R6 has more control and dwell time.
Pushes:
A bit more stable in the pushing department because with the harder sponge, the ball doesn’t pop up.
Loops:
on fh and bh loops i liked this better since I could brush the ball better. Its really a matter f preference though since I have a somewhat Chinese stroke which emphasizes more on brushing the ball and not hitting through the sponge. The trajectory is still low a bit higher than the R6 but still considered low and long.
Countering, blocking ad Smashing:
Same with the R6 but faster and the ball has a lesser dwell time.
All in all the R6 and R4 have surpassed my expectations for their level of rubbers. These rubbers are the first generation of Adidas rubbers the company has produced. It can compete with the level of those JO Silvers and JO Gold but are faster and more controllable. I have noticed that the topsheets are much durable than that of the JO series too. These 2 rubbers are user friendly especially to beginners and intermediate rubber though I am not saying this are beginner rubbers only. These rubbers are good because they have more than enough speed coupled with very good control. The best thing about these rubbers is that both are very light and when i weighed the set up: R4 38 grams + R6 36 grams + C500 blade 85 grams = a staggering 159 grams only! That is very, very light compared to 170-180 gram blades that are already considered normal in weight