Nittaku Hammond Z2 vs Yinhe Big Dipper: Which Should You Buy?
| Nittaku Hammond Z2 | Yinhe Big Dipper | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.8/10 | 8.4/10 |
| best_side | forehand | forehand |
| control | 7.5 | high |
| speed | 9.0 | medium (offensive) |
| spin | 9.5 | extreme |
| sponge_hardness | 52 | 38/39/40 degrees (provincial-style blue sponge; 39 measures roughly 51 ESN) |
| type | inverted | hybrid tacky (blue sponge) |
| weight_uncut_g | 70 | 68 |
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Hammond Z2 (8.8) outpaces Big Dipper (8.4), reflecting Z2’s premium Japanese engineering and established consistency. Z2 emphasizes exceptional looping and counterlooping power with above-average durability and manageable throw angle. Its distinctive non-ESN character suits varied blade types, with excellent serve spin and devastating active blocks.
Big Dipper counters with exceptional spin on serves, brushed loops and pushes from its modern porous blue sponge. Outstanding stability and almost no ball slippage, national version approaches boosted blue-sponge Hurricane 3. Available in three hardness options (38, 39, 40 degrees) to tune play. Genuine value alternative to Hurricane 3 Neo and European tensors.
Both pursue spin-oriented attacking, but from different traditions. Big Dipper’s stiff sponge needs break-in time and rewards hard, active hitting. Not beginner-friendly and weak for flat hitting on softer versions. Some quality control variance reported. Hammond Z2 offers better consistency and versatility across power levels. Choose Z2 for premium performance and reliability; choose Big Dipper for Chinese tacky spin tradition and budget pricing.
FAQ
How extreme is Big Dipper’s spin?
Big Dipper (extreme) matches or exceeds Z2 (9.5) on serve spin and brushed loops, approaching Hurricane 3 character.
Which is faster?
Hammond Z2 (9.0 speed) is faster. Big Dipper is medium-offensive speed, rewarding hard active hitting.
What about Big Dipper’s quality control?
Some variance reported between sheets, unlike Z2’s consistent Japanese quality.
Can I use Big Dipper without boosting?
Yes, but the stiff sponge benefits from boosting and break-in time. Unboosted, it underperforms versus boosted alternatives.
Which suits beginners?
Neither. Both demand active, committed strokes. Big Dipper is especially weak for casual or flat hitting.