Solid and Unremarkable: Pinyi Pishan Purple Sponge

Originally published 2023-07-21 · Translated & republished with permission

Welcome to this joint issue of the Rubber Review and the Mushroom Field Guide. The Field Guide is a public-interest column meant as a reference for fellow players. This issue’s subject: solid and unremarkable — the Pinyi Pishan purple sponge.

Test blade: Sanwei Blue Marlin Pro

Mushroom’s Quick Take

  1. Pinyi is a domestic brand that has risen in recent years. Its distinctly Chinese-style naming and packaging are a refreshing surprise. But sounding good isn’t enough — performance has to deliver too. In this issue we’ll talk about the Pinyi Pishan.

  2. The Pinyi purple-sponge Pishan is 2.15 mm thick, with hardness split into soft (37-38) and medium (39-40). It’s a tacky backhand rubber, with a bare weight of 74.5 g — very heavy — priced at 128 yuan.

  3. This is a thick, heavy, tacky backhand rubber. In physical characteristics it resembles organic Hurricane 3 Soft, and in product positioning it resembles the Hurricane 8-80. Let’s look at it in detail.

Play-Test Impressions

  1. At low power, the overall feel leans steady and stable. The clarity of the feel is moderate, falling between Hurricane 3 and Hurricane 8-80.

  2. The topsheet lifespan is good, and the tackiness makes it easy to lift the ball.

  3. The sponge doesn’t have a lot of power — it’s not the brute-force type — but thanks to the 2.15 mm thickness and high weight that raise the sponge’s support, it still holds up. On hard loops and flat hits there’s a crisp, metallic sound that feels great in the hand, but you can also clearly tell the power isn’t high — roughly equal to a 37-degree Hurricane 8-80.

  4. It suits players who already have a backhand framework. You need to use your stroke and body to return the ball, leaning on the surface tackiness and the sponge’s support to push the ball out, generating more spin and speed variation. It’s very much like a 2.15 mm, 37-degree Hurricane 3 Soft. The purple Pishan has a lower entry barrier than Hurricane 3, with a lower ceiling but also a higher floor.

Overall Assessment

Weight: Purple Pishan greater than Hurricane 3 greater than Hurricane 8-80 greater than Hurricane 8

Power: Hurricane 3 greater than Purple Pishan, roughly equal to Hurricane 8-80, greater than Hurricane 8

Speed: Hurricane 8-80 greater than Hurricane 8, roughly equal to Purple Pishan, greater than Hurricane 3

Tackiness: Hurricane 3 greater than Purple Pishan, roughly equal to Hurricane 8-80, roughly equal to Hurricane 8

Feel: Hurricane 8-80, roughly equal to Hurricane 8, greater than Purple Pishan, roughly equal to Hurricane 3

The purple Pishan can be understood as a no-boost version of “organic Hurricane 3.” It’s a product that sits between Hurricane 3 and Hurricane 8-80, with performance that basically matches its price. Its obvious downside is the weight, so I’d give it a medium recommendation. If they could get it under 70 g down the road, it would be even better.

PS: Everything in the Mushroom Field Guide reflects the author’s subjective impressions. Rubbers vary from sheet to sheet, and pairings with different blades will change things too. Comments and corrections are welcome.

© Original author. English translation © UltraSpin, published with permission.