Stiga Platinum Helix: The Secret Weapon Behind Ma Long's Victories
Stiga Platinum Helix: Ma Long’s Winning Rubber
Welcome to the Mushroom Table Tennis Review Diary! Today, we delve into the Stiga Platinum Helix, the rubber that propelled Ma Long to the world number 2 ranking in 2026 and helped him clinch two major titles. 
Test Setup
- Blades Used: Destiny Carbon, Venom Dragon, Zhang Jike ALC
- Main Focus: Backhand testing
Overview
- Performance Shift: Ma Long switched from Platinum DNA to Platinum Helix in 2026, maintaining his competitive edge and winning two titles, demonstrating the Helix’s strength.
- Hardness Options: The Platinum Helix comes in M47.5, H50, XH52.5, and 55 degrees of hardness. The M variant weighs 68.5 grams and is 2.2mm thick, making it relatively lightweight after trimming (estimated 46.5-48 grams).
Playing Experience
Forehand (H Hardness Test)
- Flat Hits: The ball comes off the rubber well, but it lacks exceptional speed, performing as expected.
- Loops: The rubber has good grip, producing quality loops at close range. However, the 50-degree hardness feels too soft for the forehand, comparable to a 38-degree Hurricane 3. A harder version like XH or 55 degrees is recommended for the forehand.
- Backspin Loops: The rubber grips the ball well, making it comfortable to initiate loops.
- Overall Forehand: The main drawback is the lack of speed, but it compensates with good grip and resilience. A harder version would make it more powerful.
Backhand (Key Focus) 
- Feel: The Helix has a thin rubber surface and a thick sponge, providing a unique feel compared to traditional rubbers. It resembles Butterfly’s T80 Hard in its balanced and neutral performance.
- Soft Hits: The ball comes off quickly, and the thicker sponge provides solid support without feeling hollow. However, the thin rubber surface slightly compromises the directional control and the integrated feel of the sponge and surface during light flicks.
- Hard Hits: The sponge becomes notably more solid with increased force, offering excellent acceleration. The M hardness provides good support, while the H hardness delivers higher quality and power, making it very impressive.
- Defense: The rubber performs adequately without any notable strengths or weaknesses.
- Comparison: The Platinum Helix M is similar to a 37-degree Hurricane 3, offering good control. Compared to the Platinum DNA M, the Helix requires slightly more power but offers better control, resilience, and a higher ceiling. The Platinum Helix H, at 50 degrees, offers a significant step up in speed and quality, making it a top-tier choice.
Final Thoughts 
The Stiga Platinum Helix is the brand’s latest flagship rubber, priced at 275 yuan. Initially, when Mushroom received the sample, the rubber was not yet on the market. The feedback given was that a price range of 250-300 yuan would be reasonable, which aligns with its current pricing. The Helix excels in ball retention, shot quality, and arc stability, while it lacks in directional control and the integration of the rubber surface and sponge. 
The Helix series features a unique design with a thick sponge and a thin rubber surface, offering a non-traditional feel. It is difficult to summarize its performance in a single phrase: it can do everything, and it feels good, but it doesn’t stand out dramatically. It is very ‘balanced and neutral,’ akin to an enhanced version of Butterfly’s T80. It is indeed effective, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why. This article took Mushroom a long time to write, as it is a product that is hard to describe. 
- M Variant: 7-7.5 out of 10 (recommended for players rated 1300-1500)
- H Variant: 7.5-8 out of 10 (recommended for players rated 1500-1800)
The Helix series possesses the qualities of a mid-to-high-end rubber and is definitely worth a try!
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Author | Mushroom Table Tennis Header Design | Wang Kaiping