Singapore Smash: How to Use These Forehand Tensors
Nowadays forehands are mostly tacky, whether high-tack or lightly-tacky. I gradually realize that for pros, in a big arena, after backing off the table, tacky rubber’s arc stability is indeed stronger and the spin is better. Tensors mainly score by “penetration,” and backed off to mid-far table, their threat and stability are mostly less than tacky rubber’s. But some players still stick with a forehand tensor — to them, the forehand’s sense of speed and penetration remain very important.
ZYRE-03
Users: Lin Yun-Ju, Tomokazu Harimoto, Togami Shunsuke, Jha. Although a tensor, everyone agrees it holds the ball easily and lifts backspin very steadily. But easy ball-holding and lifting does not necessarily mean strong spin. ZYRE-03 can be very fast and very driving. “Driving” means it can produce a long arc, especially in topspin rallies. Some players, starting out with it, find it too elastic with too long an arc after applying force, prone to errors. Basically, for Harimoto, Togami and Jha, you rarely hear “their ball is very spinny” anymore, because they rely more on “ball speed.” Fast and driving enough is fine — that is ZYRE-03’s forte. Its absolute spin lifting backspin is not strong, but it can lift, enter the rally, and play speed. Of course, the racket is a whole — we only discuss the rubber here; with different blades the result differs.
Helix Platinum
User: Moregard. I have been busy, so I have not played the 55° Helix yet — next week. I asked Stiga and confirmed Moregard uses 55° on both sides at this Singapore Smash. I have played the m and xh hardnesses before. The m hardness is already enough for most amateurs’ backhands — slightly harder than the same-hardness DNA Platinum. And when you apply force it feels solid. Its spin quality is impressive, surely among the best German tensors. That is where it beats the DNA Platinum series, especially lifting a half-long backspin ball.
DNA Platinum
User: Hana Goda. For an amateur backhand, choose M or H. I think the H hardness plays a bit like a T80. For forehand, XH works. Although also a tensor, its friction is fully sufficient. Compared to the Helix, the DNA Platinum is easier to drive through. What does that mean? For an amateur forehand, it lowers the threshold, fairly easy to produce speed penetration. If you want a cheaper Tenergy, the DNA Platinum is worth considering.
Nittaku G-1
User: Ito Mima. With today’s plastic ball, G-1 works on both wings. The backhand usually takes Super Thick (2.0mm); the forehand, 2.0 or Max. With Max, the power exceeds German tensors like MX-P — actually suiting our compatriots’ amateur forehands. The sponge has a nice ball-wrap, so long ago it was seen as one of T05’s budget substitutes. Its controllability is easier than T05’s, not as springy.
T05 Hard
User: Zhu Yuling. Domineering power, precise ball-gripping — it really is like a Hurricane among tensors, still not lacking spin and bottom power. Zhang Jike once used it on the forehand (a Swedish Open one year before retiring); Zhu Yuling has long used it. It is just a bit heavy and hard, but once you get used to it, it is great on the forehand. It demands you actively apply and output force, so its threshold is slightly higher. But traditionally it fits our forehand habits well — whether the spin quality of lifting a half-long backspin ball or the fierce power after a loop-drive. If I were a few years younger and did not work late every night, this would be my favorite.