Stiga DNA Hybrid: Wen Ruibo's Title-Winning Weapon

Originally published 2026-02-07 · Translated & republished with permission

This installment’s rubber: Stiga DNA Hybrid M 47.5 degrees

Test setup: Zhang Jike ALC blade, DNA Hybrid M tacky on the backhand

Quick Take

First, congratulations to China’s rising young star Wen Ruibo, who used Stiga’s Luma hybrid-carbon blade along with DNA Hybrid rubber to win a WTT Contender title. That sparked my interest in this rubber, so on a whim I just glued a sheet on to talk about it briefly.
The DNA Hybrid series comes in M, H, and XH, corresponding to 47.5, 50, and 52.5 degrees, which is roughly equivalent to Hurricane’s 37, 38, and 39 degrees. The “Hybrid M” uses a German cake sponge, 2.1mm thick, with a bare weight of 64g and 44g after cutting.
The surface is tacky, the topsheet has a glossy sheen, it grips well, and it’s lightweight, making it well suited for penhold reverse backhand (RPB).

Backhand drives: The feel is slightly clear and crisp, the sponge grips the ball, the topsheet really bites the ball, and the speed is moderate without being sluggish.
Backhand close-to-table loops: The margin for error is extremely high. However you hit it, it works. The arc is great, the topsheet and sponge feel quite unified, and the overall feel is very comfortable.
Backhand quick rips: A perfect fusion of topsheet and sponge, with a smoothness rivaling D09c. This is a standout strength.
Overall control: Short pushes over the table, regular pushes, twiddle flicks, and banana flicks are all very controlled and the grip is excellent.

Backhand smashes: The sponge is soft, so smashes tend to go into the net and lose a bit of arc.
Backhand defense: With the soft sponge, its ability to hold up against incoming power is limited, and it tends to collapse and lose arc.
Backhand loops away from the table: Limited by the sponge hardness, support is limited. Once you actively put power in, the ball sinks into the sponge and won’t come back out. If it feels too soft for you, I’d suggest going harder.

For players rated under 1500, or for penhold RPB players, go with DNA Hybrid M on the backhand.
For players rated above 1500, go with DNA Hybrid H on the backhand.

The XH hardness can be used on the forehand, or on the backhand for higher-level players.

If we’re only considering backhand use, I’d score M a 7 to 7.5 and H a 7.5 to 8. Both are worth recommending.