The table tennis rubbers produced by Yinhe Company are well-known among table tennis players. The company has produced many classic Chinese-made blades and rubber sheets over the years. The Yinhe rubber is particularly noteworthy for its high cost-performance ratio and excellent feel.
Yinhe Apollo 5 is a budget-friendly rubber with quite great performance, making it a popular choice for players of all levels. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the unique features of Yinhe Apollo 5 and explore why it has become a reliable and beloved choice for players worldwide.
In fact, in the table tennis community, there is much debate about whether a rubber can combine the unique qualities of DHS Hurricane 3 and T05, two of the market’s most successful and classic rubbers. The answer is yes, as Yinhe Company has launched the ultimate product, Yinhe Apollo 5, which appears to meet this demand.
Who is Yinhe Apollo 5 for?
The Yinhe Apollo 5 is a table tennis rubber that is well-suited for offensive play styles, particularly for players who rely on generating a lot of spin and power in their shots. It is especially suitable for loopers who use a lot of topspin in their game. This is because the rubber’s tacky top sheet enables players to produce strong spin, making it easier to control the ball and execute aggressive shots.
The Yinhe Apollo 5 is also similar to another popular table tennis rubber, the DHS Hurricane 3. Both rubbers have tacky top sheets designed to generate strong spin.
Review of Yinhe Apollo 5
Appearance and Data
Based on the manufacturer’s description, the Yinhe Apollo 5 table tennis rubber should have a soft, tacky, and bouncy exterior. However, after testing the rubber, I found that the 34-degree sponge felt more like 37 or 38 degrees, and there was still a slight amount of stickiness to the surface.
It’s not as tacky as the old DHS Hurricane 3, but almost the same as the new DHS Hurricane 3. The rubber demonstrated a good rebound and bounced when pressed with a finger. What’s more, I found that the sponge texture appeared to be high-quality, with relatively large pores.
I glued the rubber on the classic Zhang Jike ALC blade. Personally, I prefer to use Chinese tacky rubber with a carbon blade or non-tacky rubber with a pure wood blade.
Speed
Starting with forehand drive, we can hear a clear metallic sound when exerting medium force. The rubber is responsive, allowing for good control and accurate placement of the ball. The rubber is also effective for powerful smashes and has good stability, making it forgiving for less-than-perfect shots.
The speed generated with medium or small force is not particularly fast. I find that I need to apply more force to increase the speed. Even though the Yinhe Apollo V rubber incorporates Tensioned Sponge technology, the elasticity may not be as impressive as anticipated.
However, this rubber can demonstrate its advantages when a sufficient amount of force is applied. During the topspin rallies with my teammate at a mid-to-far distance at the table, the Apollo 5 showed excellent power, a strong spin, and produced a good second bounce.
Both the forehand and backhand loop shots are so powerful that blocking them back is quite difficult.
Without the use of speed glue, Yinhe Apollo 5 still has more power than Hurricane 3, although it may not be as powerful as Hurricane 3 with a booster applied. The Apollo 5 can easily replace a non-boosted Hurricane 3. While the power of the Apollo 5 is comparable to the 729-08, it may not be as fast as the 08.
Spin
Yinhe Apollo 5 ‘s ability to generate spin is a major highlight. The ball still retains its high-speed rotation even after hitting the net or landing on the table.
The rubber generates significant spin when performing backhand flicks, short pushes, and chops. The rubber’s spin generation is even noticeable when executing upward flicks with a wrist twist.
I think Apollo 5 is especially suitable for players who prefer looping shots. Executing cross-court and side-spin shots from the backhand position is effortless, producing a peculiar and unpredictable arc that’s both aggressive and tricky to return.
The sponge of this rubber is soft, and the surface has good frictional properties. When applying proper force, the sponge deforms significantly, making it easy to generate spin. The strengths of this rubber are lifting up backspins and continuous topspin loops with great stability and high control.
Yinhe Apollo 5 is not as tacky as Hurricane 3, but it’s much tackier than the new version of Hurricane 3 and 729-08. The tacky topsheet is able to generate huge amounts of spin. The push shots can also be quite spinny.
Overall speaking, spin is characteristic of all tacky rubbers. I have tested countless rubbers and found that the Chinese rubbers are relatively spinner than the Japanese and German ones.
Control
I am highly pleased with the level of control provided by the Yinhe Apollo 5. Whether executing drives or loops, the ball always goes where I intend it to go. The rubber has a relatively high margin of error, so the ball is still likely to remain on the table even when caught off-guard during topspin rallies.
The only aspect I find challenging to adjust is the rubber’s lower throw. I am more accustomed to rubbers that provide a higher throw and arc, so it has taken me some time to become accustomed to it. So at first, there were some times that the ball failed to go over the net.
Defense
Although the Yinhe Apollo 5 rubber is not particularly hard, it is quite bouncy, which makes it ideal for defensive play. Whether it’s the active blocks or passive blocks, this rubber can handle it all quite well.
I am particularly surprised by its performance in forehand defense, as my backhand defense is typically much better. Therefore, my forehand game relies heavily on the quality of the rubber. I can feel that the ball can be blocked back fastly with great spin and also nice control. This feeling is hard to describe, but I have never experienced it with other rubbers.
Apart from this, Yinhe Apollo 5 is also a great choice for chopping. The rubber is medium hard and can generate quite a strong backspin. This makes it hard for the offensive players to lift it up. The ball can even miss the net when returning it with a push shot due to its super strong spin.
Serves
The serves generated by the Yinhe Apollo 5 rubber are highly spinny, with my opponents often having difficulty returning four to five serves per game. However, I sometimes eat my opponents’ backspin serves due to this rubber’s strong tacky properties. The rubber is highly effective for executing long pushes and short pushes.
As long as the ball is well located, it can make the opponent uncomfortable to return it back. But I want to say here that many times we have to adjust the angle of the blade well to exert proper strokes and return the serves effectively.
Yinhe Apollo 5 VS DHS Hurricane 3
Yinhe Apollo 5 and DHS Hurricane 3 are both high-quality table tennis rubbers.
The Yinhe Apollo 5 rubber is known for its excellent spin capabilities, with a tacky surface that helps generate spin and a soft sponge that allows for good control. It is also quite bouncy, making it suitable for defensive play.
In comparison, the DHS Hurricane 3 rubber has a harder topsheet and sponge, resulting in a more direct and powerful shot. It also produces a lower throw angle, which can be advantageous for close-to-the-table play.
In the non-speed glue era, the Yinhe Apollo 5 rubber can easily replace the non-boosted version of the DHS Hurricane 3. The rubber’s exceptional performance has elevated its status to be on par with the National version of Hurricane 3 and surpass the Provincial version.
About Yinhe Company
Yinhe Company is a prominent Chinese table tennis equipment manufacturer with a rich history of producing high-quality products at affordable prices. Established in the late 20th century, the company has built a strong reputation among table tennis enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Yinhe’s commitment to quality and innovation has led to the development of a diverse product line that includes paddles, rubbers, blades, balls, and other essential table tennis accessories. Their commitment to research and development has resulted in products that provide players with excellent control, speed, and spin, giving them an edge in competitive matches.
Yinhe’s rubbers, in particular, are known for their tackiness, allowing players to generate more spin on their shots. At the same time, their blades offer a variety of characteristics to suit different playing styles.
Conclusion
Yinhe Apollo 5 is quite a nice rubber that combines both the advantages of DHS Hurricane 3 and Butterfly T05. Its tacky top sheet and high elasticity sponge provide excellent spin and power, allowing players to execute offensive shots with precision and ease.
While the Yinhe Apollo 5 may not be the best choice for beginners or intermediate players due to its high level of spin and speed, advanced players will appreciate the level of control they can achieve with this rubber. The Apollo 5 is suitable for players who prefer to play with topspin and need a rubber that can generate a lot of spin and power, especially on serves and topspin shots.
As I mentioned, if you want to find an ideal alternative to DHS Hurricane 3, Yinhe Apollo 5 can be considered first.
