Stiga DNA Hybrid M Review: Wen Ruibo's Championship Backhand Rubber

Originally published 2026-02-07 · Translated and republished by UltraSpin with permission

This Issue: Stiga DNA Hybrid M 47.5 Degrees

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

First, congratulations to rising Chinese national team star Wen Ruibo, who used Stiga’s Luma hybrid carbon blade and DNA Hybrid rubber to win a WTT regular season title. That result sparked my curiosity about this rubber, so I went ahead and mounted a sheet to share some quick thoughts.
The DNA Hybrid series comes in M, H, and XH, corresponding to hardness ratings of 47.5, 50, and 52.5 degrees — equivalent to Hurricane 3 at 37, 38, and 39 degrees. The Hybrid M uses a German cake sponge, 2.1 mm thick, weighing 64 g uncut and around 44 g after trimming.
The surface has a semi-tacky coating with a smooth, moist feel. Excellent grip with low weight — well-suited for penhold backhand flip play.

Stiga DNA Hybrid M rubber topsheet showing semi-tacky smooth surface texture

Stiga DNA Hybrid M sponge cross-section at 2.1 mm thickness, yellow cake sponge

Wen Ruibo at WTT regular season using Stiga Luma blade and DNA Hybrid rubber

DNA Hybrid M mounted on Zhang Jike ALC blade for backhand testing session

Backhand drive: Slightly transparent feel, sponge grabs the ball, topsheet bites aggressively. Moderate speed — not sluggish.
Backhand close-table topspin: Extremely high error tolerance — you can almost do no wrong. Beautiful arc. Topsheet and sponge feel well-integrated. Overall touch experience is very satisfying.
Backhand counter-loop/flick: The seamless blend of topsheet and sponge delivers a silky smooth sensation rivaling D09C. A standout strength.
Overall control: Short game flicks, pushes, banana flips, and counter-touches all feel dialed in. Friction is excellent.

Backhand block/smash: Soft sponge causes the ball to dip on flat blocks — loses arc.
Backhand defense: Soft sponge has limited structural support — can’t hold up against heavy incoming balls, arc drops.
Backhand mid-distance topspin: Limited by sponge hardness. When fully powered, the ball goes in but won’t come back out — if it feels too soft, go up a grade.

Stiga DNA Hybrid M rubber final rating summary with Zhang Jike ALC test blade

Players rated 1500 and below, or penhold players using backhand flip: go with DNA Hybrid M backhand.
Players rated above 1500: go with DNA Hybrid H backhand.
XH hardness works on the forehand and for advanced players’ backhand as well.

Rating for backhand use only: M gets 7–7.5 out of 10; H gets 7.5–8 out of 10. Recommended.