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Nittaku
Hammond X
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HAMMOND X has greatly increased spin while
maintaining excellent speed! Hammond X is a new generation based on the
"integrated Energy (ID) rubber HAMMOND. Hammond X differs from Hammond
in that the brand-new technology "nano-composite" is used when mixing
the chemical component of Hammond X. In the "nano-composite", the
chemical component ground up to nano level is compounded, so the
characteristic of each component is emphasized. In particular, the
sponge of Hammond X has 70% synthetic rubber to make the spring effect
maximized as the result of the nano-composite. So, you will find that
spin is greatly increased, while maintaining excellent speed!
Characteristics:
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Speed: 9.4
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Spin: 9.6
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Control: 7.2
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Nittaku Hammond X Review: |
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I tried this rubber out on a number of blades
from ALL to OFF + the very week this rubber hit the American market in
Spring 2006. This rubber is a totally new kind of rubber using nano
technology - where the scientists grind the stuff so small (like I will
do to Speedplay) that you measure the particals on a nano scale, then
they somehow reassemble the stuff into a topsheet. The sponge receives
some high tech hybryd modifications as well, mostly synthetic stuff. The
concept is like taking a VW beetle, roving the motor, and replacing it
with a Porsche motor, then modifying the suspension and everything else
to make the endstate something totally different and high performance
over the former. I personally think they had Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles throw some Nittaku Midship (a Sriver like rubber) into a nuclear
reactor and pull it out before it totally melted. This is the
Six-Million Dollar Man of TT rubbers. (Old 70s American TV show where
the government rebuilds a dying man using bioinic body parts to give him
super human strength and speed) Please respond with your opinions.
Nittaku's marketing machine says:
HAMMOND X has greatly increased spin while maintaining excellent speed!
Hammond X is a new generation based on the "integrated Energy (ID)
rubber HAMMOND. Hammond X differs from Hammond in that the brand-new
technology "nano-composite" is used when mixing the chemical component
of Hammond X. In the "nano-composite", the chemical component ground up
to nano level is compounded, so the characteristic of each component is
emphasized. In particular, the sponge of Hammond X has 70% synthetic
rubber to make the spring effect maximized as the result of the nano-composite.
So, you will find that spin is greatly increased, while maintaining
excellent speed!
Der_Echte's real No-Shit observations...
The marketing statement fails to tell you that you are participating in
the largest secret government experiment of all history. The stuff does
work like advertized, though.
Speed: Fast! Very Fast. A couple notches
below Couga. Best noted on drives and fast loops.
Control: Surprisingly good on drives and passive shots. Loops close to
the table take some getting used to. Mid distance loops are sweet - nice
control.
Spin: Average on serves, excellent on drives sinking the ball to wood.
Kreanga-like on mid distance loops with a full stroke.
Thickness: I used 2.2 Black
Tackiness: A little, not a lot. It is a grippy rubber.
Sponge: Medium stiff. Gives different properties with the type of
stroke. Full explosion of catapult on full swing drives and powerloops.
Weight: Average
Price: Slightly expensive, kinda like saying you got slightly schloshed
drinking Absolut Vodka
Throw Angle: Medium Low
Power: X-Men like on all shots using anything more than an moderate
swing, kind of proportional increase.
Ball Feeling: Best on full swings, but great on pushes and receiving
serves.
Who this rubber is for: Anyone wishing to
benefit from a rubber that has astounding catapult effect and monster
spin. A player with good drive and loop strokes will love this one.
Aggressive mid distance loopers can powerloop all day to the bank.
Hitters who use a tacky rubber for the other surface to setup 3rd ball
smashes off the serve will absolutely crave Hammond X. A Blocker/Counterdriver
can benefit as well. Choppers and classic defenders should look
elsewhere.
Match Performance: You put the sheet on
your favorite OFF blade and groan in anticipation of breaking it out at
your club for the first time. You think " Man, am I gonna bust something
out on these guys" and you do. You open up with warm up drills and right
off the bat you feel how you get proportional increases in speed and
spin, all with acceptable control. This rubber does take some getting
used to, but which ones don't? You setup a hard drive and hit it. The
ball seems to be moving at a different speed than your opponent! You
fall back a meter to loop. You let it fly. The ball goes into the sponge
enough and the loop goes fast and true with tremendous topspin to land
it safely on medium and fast loops. You get into position and REALLY let
loose your powerloop. All the opponent sees is a white or orange blur
move at a supersonic pace from below the table to just over the net to
near the endline - truly amazing what this does at high speeds. I truly
can compare this increased effect of speed and spin to ever increasingly
pushing down on the accellerator of a BMW 750i somewhere out on Autobahn
7 heading towards Ulm - nothing to stop you as you go to 120 km/h, then
140... 280... (that is nothing but opponents' superior skills and
allround play!) Serves are par for the course and pushes/passive shots
are predictable and controlable - the firmish sponge is consistant at
low speeds. The speed of your drives seem like they will go off the
table, but you produce more spin than you think and they land in.
Driving at high speeds and aggressively looping the ball are the
strongest points of this setup.
I know I have talked this one up a bit,
but I couldn't help myself. This rubber is a unique offensive
powerhouse.
Review by
Der_Echte (published with permission) OOAK forum:
http://forum.oneofakindtrading.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=354 |
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