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Andro Rasant Series
Andro Rasant
This was the first product in the Rasant series to hit the market, with a German 45-degree sponge hardness and a dual-purpose design for both forehand and backhand.
The rubber has a noticeably bouncier surface compared to the other Rasant rubbers, resulting in a shorter ball contact time and poorer ball control. However, when executed with sufficient force, the rubber demonstrates a well-balanced performance for both looping and driving.
Andro Rasant Grip
With the same German 45-degree sponge hardness as the first-generation Rasant, this rubber is also designed for both forehand and backhand use. The biggest improvement in this rubber is the significantly enhanced feel, with improved clarity, transparency, and solidity, without sacrificing any performance in elasticity, ball control, or spin. The shortcomings of the three previous Rasant rubbers have all been resolved in the Rasant Grip.
Andro Rasant Turbo
With a German 47.5-degree sponge hardness, this rubber is designed for forehand use. Its strengths lie in good ball control and a good combination of power and spin once hit hard. However, the rubber struggles with light ball contact and tends to bottom out.
Rasant Powergrip
With a German 50-degree sponge hardness, this rubber is designed for forehand use. It addresses the shortcomings of the Turbo, such as the lack of power with light ball contact and the poor ball control of the first-generation Rasant. This is a relatively outstanding rubber for forehand use, but it is heavier than other rubbers.
Rasant Powersponge
This is the softest rubber in the Rasant series, designed for backhand use, with a German 42.5-degree sponge hardness. It offers good ball control, a clear feeling, and is easy to hit through the ball.
Who is Andro Rasant for?
Overall, this Rasant rubber is suitable for both forehand and backhand and requires a powerful stroke with a relatively aggressive and direct playing style. It is best suited for players who rely on their strength to attack and whose forehand and backhand attacks are relatively balanced.
This rubber is not suitable for beginners. They will find it struggling to control the ball due to its fast speed.
Review of Andro Rasant
Appearance
I believe that the green surface of the rubber has left a lasting impression on most people. After all, we are accustomed to the more traditional blue and red colors.
However, the Rasant series boasts a standout feature beyond its green sponge: the adhesive instructions booklet that comes with the packaging. This booklet’s main content is brimming with comic illustrations that emanate a distinctly American style.
The creative design reflects Andro Company’s effort into their “Green Superhero” representative in the Rasant series. I am really fond of this surprising part of the rubber.
Speed
I glued both Andro Rasant on the forehand and backhand during the test. I used the Stiga Clipper CR as the paddle to pair with Andro Rasant. This is my favorite blade, in fact.
Rasant is the pioneering product in the Rasant series, with a sponge hardness of 45 degrees. In terms of hardness among German rubbers, it is considered a relatively hard one.
German rubbers are well-known for their cake sponge. However, Andro Rasant uses a more versatile one which is called “cheese sponge.”
During the test, the rubber surface feels noticeably tighter and tauter, with greater elasticity. When executing topspin strokes, the ball’s contact time is shorter than other rubbers, which poses a challenge for players relying on hitting the ball with small effort.
So that’s why at first, I was not accustomed to it. Even paired with an all-wood blade, the rubber is still relatively fast. I think many players may also struggle to control it at first.
However, after some strokes, I gradually got used to it and hit the topspin with greater effort. After applying full force, the Rasant rubber produces a well-balanced and clearly perceptible shot quality.
Its unique ball retention and excellent follow-through make it suitable for players who enjoy a powerful, aggressive playstyle. It can be felt that the ball has been totally grabbed by the rubber and then released with full power.
Due to its large-spored sponge structure, the rubber provides a distinct sensation of momentarily holding the ball before releasing it with a strong bounce. Players who appreciate this sensation will find that it enhances their ability to control their shots’ spin, trajectory, and final landing spot.
Spin
Apart from its amazing speed, the spin of Andro Rasant also left me with a deep impression. The soft and large-pored sponge creates a smooth and gentle feeling. During the topspin rallies, it can be felt that the rubber has clear feedback.
Apart from it, the great friction of the topsheet helps the rubber generate huge amounts of spin during the topspin rallies or when we lift up the backspin. I have tried both forehand and backhand, and the balls are quite spinny, especially with full penetration and great effort.
Control
According to the official statement of Andro Company, Andro Rasant has excellent ball control. However, I really doubt this saying. Compared to other rubbers in the Rasant series, Andro Rasant has a shorter ball retention time and a weaker ball control performance.
Players who are not skilled in hitting the ball with full force or utilizing their body strength may find the strokes less effective and struggle to place the ball in their intended location consistently.
This issue often arises during rallies involving forehand and backhand loops and can be quite detrimental to the player’s performance.
Furthermore, due to its relatively hard texture, the Rasant rubber may have a slightly weaker performance in short games compared to softer rubbers. When attempting short and long pushes with both forehand and backhand strokes, I find that the ball may sometimes unexpectedly go further than intended or even go off the table.
However, only after exerting full force, the Rasant rubber offers a balanced performance for topspin strokes, which can be impressive and effective. So I suppose this rubber is not suitable for everyone.
Defense
Overall, Andro Rasant is quite bouncy, making it relatively easy to defend. Especially on the backhand, the rubber is quite fast, so players can easily hit the ball back, whether it’s an active or passive block. I am quite fond of its performance of blocking.
The rubber produces a crisp and metallic sound when hitting the ball, which is quite enjoyable for me.
However, the hard topsheet is not proper for chopping. The hardness is somehow like the Dignics 09C. I tried several strokes and found it difficult to control the ball well and absorb the incoming power in such a short dwell time. Thus, this rubber is definitely not proper for a defensive playstyle.
Serving
Initially, it was not easy to adapt to the spin and placement of the opponent’s serves, but after some practice, I could control the spin and place the returns more accurately.
The long push was a bit challenging, as the rubber is relatively fast and tends to overshoot the table. However, the long push shots were very spinny and had a lot of potentials to unsettle the opponent’s game.
I found the flick to be very satisfying to return some short serves with a long trajectory and quick bounce off the rubber. I was also able to confidently go for high-risk shots, such as a forehand flip into the opponent’s half of the table, without too many worries.
Andro Rasant is also a great rubber for serving. It’s an excellent choice for serving quick and unpredictable long serves with topspin or sidespin. Additionally, the rubber is good at generating heavy backspin, making it a great option for serving some spinny balls to the net zone.
Conclusion
Andro Rasant stands out from other rubbers in the market with its built-in Tensor effect. After our review, we found that this rubber is ideal for players who prefer a fast-paced game with lots of spins. As the Andro official claims, “Fast, faster, RASANT!”
However, it’s important to note that a fast-paced game isn’t suitable for everyone. Non-professional players may find it difficult to control the ball using the strength of their bodies, which can make this rubber challenging to use.
Out of the five products in the Rasant Series, Andro Rasant is the most classic, although it may not be the best option for every player. For instance, Andro Rasant Powersponge offers significantly improved control.
If you want to try out the first generation of German Cheese sponges, then Andro Rasant is worth considering.
