Ziwei and Weizhen: Joola's Two Beginner Rubbers
From the new packaging, you can probably tell this is Joola’s fresh start. Today’s two rubbers suit beginners or ordinary improvers. The Weizhen name appeared before, but since I have not played it, I am not sure it is the same formula. The 42° Weizhen (Vizon Command) and the 47° Ziwei (Micron Dynamic) are both China-made, lightly-tacky-surfaced, and built-in-energy (no oil needed). Both are expected to be inexpensive.
Ziwei: strong consecutive play, steady as a rock
Shakehand face, measured at 45.7g — a weight fine for both wings. The 47° hardness is likewise very moderate, well suited to both sides. A lightly-tacky surface paired with purple sponge. I quite like it. Very easy to use, and on the no-oil built-in-energy base, very stable.
On small-ball control it is obedient — short drops do not pop up easily, and pushes and flicks control well. Lifting and looping are easy to handle, hard to fault, with really good consecutive play. Direction is fairly precise. Overall ball quality is a bit like a no-oil built-in-energy Tianji 3. This lightly-tacky surface gives nice ball-holding assist at the moment of looping, so it feels very stable, with decent added spin. This 47° hardness, I think, suits both wings — for an improver it is not too hard or too easy to drive through. The feel is fairly lively, with no power threshold. The strike feedback is soft and clear, with some support. Driving hard is no problem either. Of course, do not expect especially violent, domineering ball quality from a rubber at this tier — that is unrealistic. It highlights stability, control and consecutive ability, which matter most to beginners and ordinary improvers. Beyond that, looping has nice throw, but with some jetting feel.
From the clarity of the gripping feel and ball-holding stability to its loop-and-drive versatility, I think Ziwei suits ordinary players well. Amateur experts and pros can look forward to Joola’s flagship rubbers, but Ziwei fits the ordinary amateur well. Low threshold, but well balanced.
Weizhen: soft and through-driving, better for beginners
Shakehand face, measured at 42.5g, hardness 42°. From weight to hardness, it better suits backhand use, especially penhold backhand. A lightly-tacky surface paired with domestic cake sponge — ball-holding is fairly easy. Quick-rip and flick-hit are slick too. But limited by the sponge hardness, overall support is relatively ordinary. I think it better suits beginners. For improvers, its support is not quite enough, a bit prone to netting. For beginners it is good — clear feedback, soft, easy to drive through. Strike direction is good too, fit for practice, and the sponge is fairly lively.
Comparing the two, Ziwei’s ceiling is higher than Weizhen’s. From sponge support to strike quality, I think improvers can use Ziwei fine — its forehand, though not violent, is steady, and the backhand fits very well. Weizhen, though, does not quite suit players with a foundation; its sponge support is not strong enough, better for beginners.