A few days ago, after receiving a new blade, I was considering what rubber to pair with it. I opened an online shopping website and browsed through to see which rubber options I hadn’t tried yet. That’s when I came across Loki Rxton. Honestly, I had never heard of this rubber before, but most of the reviews seemed positive, and the price was reasonable.
What caught my attention even more, was that Loki Rxtion 3 had a pink series. In the past, colorful rubbers were popular in the table tennis community, and I had tried blue and green ones, but I hadn’t used a pink rubber yet. So, without hesitation, I placed an order and bought the pink Loki Rxton 3.
Famous Spokesman
The Loki Rxton series of rubbers proudly bears the endorsement of Wang Hao, a legendary Chinese table tennis player who has left an indelible mark on the sport. With a career spanning over two decades, Wang Hao has achieved remarkable success, earning the admiration and respect of table tennis enthusiasts worldwide.
Wang Hao’s exceptional skills and achievements have solidified his status as one of the greatest players in the sport’s history. He has claimed numerous titles, including multiple Olympic medals and World Championships. Known for his precise technique, powerful shots, and strategic play, Wang Hao has inspired generations of aspiring table tennis players.
Who is Loki Rxton 3 for?
The Loki Rxton 3 features a medium-hard cake sponge that undergoes pre-expansion treatment, providing excellent power and enhancing the impact of shots. This rubber is suitable for players who excel in power and speed. The surface of the rubber is slightly harder, so players need to apply the right amount of force to effectively penetrate the rubber and make solid contact with the blade.
The overall appearance of Loki Rxton 3
On receiving the rubber, I couldn’t wait to open the packaging. The front side of the rubber was pink, while the sponge was white. The pink rubber with the white sponge had a hardness of 39 degrees. Before testing it, I assumed that this rubber wouldn’t be too hard since I had already used the DHS Hurricane 3 with a hardness of 40 degrees. Could it be harder than that?
According to the official description, the Rxton 3 features a medium-hard sponge that has undergone precise pre-expansion treatment. It is said to provide excellent power from the base, greatly enhancing its ability to generate strong shots. The physical appearance also revealed noticeable gaps in the sponge, indicating some form of pre-treatment.
After weighing it, the overall weight of the rubber was 67 grams.
Speed performance
During the testing of this rubber, I affixed it to my Sanwei Echo, a high-quality 5-ply all-wood blade. If you’re interested, you can refer to my previous review of the blade. Based on my experience with colored rubbers, most of them tend to become stiff over time, similar to the feeling of rubber aging. Even though some rubbers are labeled as 39 or 40 degrees in hardness, they often feel too thin or too hard without much deformation. The combination of a stiff, unresponsive topsheet and a hardened sponge creates an overall uncomfortable sensation. The rubber lacks dwell time and has decent control but lacks spin.
However, when I tried the Loki Rxton 3, the overall feeling was that the rubber was relatively hard but had some dwell time, and the sponge exhibited noticeable deformation. The topsheet also did not feel as dead. It seems that different additives used in different colored rubbers have varying effects. During forehand rallies, the ball speed felt generally normal. Due to the hardness of the rubber, the hits were quite bouncy, and the sound produced was loud. The first attack was also relatively fast.
Next, I tried topspin shots and felt that this rubber was indeed very hard. The rubber produced a metallic impact-like sound when exerting power to strike the ball. The ball sensation felt primarily based on the impact, and although it was satisfying to swing with full arm rotation, even with an all-wood blade, the ball speed was impressive. The speed should be even faster if paired with a carbon fiber blade.
Spin performance
The performance of the Loki Rxton 3 in terms of spin is not very satisfying. Due to the high hardness of the rubber, it produces minimal deformation. Generally, rotation depends on the rubber’s ability to grip the ball and the depth of ball contact. With a slightly softer rubber, there is a feeling of the ball being enveloped by the rubber and then released, resulting in a stronger spin. However, the Rxton 3 lacks this sensation, and in topspin rallies, it feels more like the ball is being struck away.
As a result, in a rally from mid to long distance, players find it difficult to rely on the spin to win, and they have to rely more on speed and power, using a relatively violent approach to defeat opponents. Additionally, such a hard rubber requires a significant amount of training time. Otherwise, it is challenging to penetrate through the opponent’s racket. However, the rubber provides excellent support for generating powerful shots, whether it is used on an all-wood or carbon fiber blade.
Control Performance
The overall feeling of control with the Loki Rxton 3 is quite good. Although people generally say that the Loki Rxton 1 has better control, the Rxton 3 still offers good control over placement and speed. While we shouldn’t expect too much in terms of spin from this rubber, it handles pushes and underspin shots reasonably well.
During testing, I initially thought that using such a hard rubber for short pushes might not be effective. However, to my surprise, the ball didn’t pop up too high, and the placement and positioning were generally as expected. Furthermore, the advantages of this rubber become apparent during topspin strokes on both the forehand and backhand. It offers good speed and control over ball placement. Even without much spin, it can still put the player in an advantageous position during high-speed exchanges.
Defense Performance
The Loki Rxton 3 performs well when it comes to blocking. The sponge gives it a solid feel, making it effective for defense. It’s like hitting the ball against a thick wall, which neutralizes the spin and energy of the incoming shot. I’m especially happy with its performance for backhand defense. I can easily block back topspin shots and have good control over changing the ball’s direction, whether it’s straight or angled.
When opponents hit powerful topspin shots with lots of spins, timing becomes important. But using Rxton 3 for defense feels like pressing the ball down with force, making it easier to handle. However, it’s not suitable for chopping. While you can try chopping occasionally, it’s too hard and lacks enough spin, so it’s not recommended for serious chop shots.
Conclusion
Overall, this rubber excels in high cost-effectiveness. After all, it’s priced at less than ten dollars, so you won’t lose much even if you use it casually. However, if you plan to use it in competitive matches, you’ll need to train well, especially if you’re a power player like Fan Zhendong, who can fully exploit its potential. Those powerful shots can be highly impactful against opponents.
But this rubber may not be recommended if you rely on spin and slower ball speeds to win. In that case, you can try the Loki Rxton 1 from the same series, which is still a very good option and suitable for the majority of players.
