Dignics 09C was released on April 1, 2020 . This rubber has attracted the attention of many users as a sticky rubber with High Tension rubber momentum, but it has already been used by some top players and has achieved good results.

In this project, we will discuss the potential of this rubber from the comments of top players who changed their equipment to Dignics 09C. This time, I would like to introduce the comments of Timo Boll (Germany) who has been involved in this rubber from the development stage and asserts that it is “definitely the best rubber for me”.

Timo Boll 

Plays: Left

Style: Shakehand Attacker

Titles:

• 2020 Europe Top 16 Champion
• He has been active as a leading European player since his teens, using his sophisticated loop drive and counter drives as a weapon, and still reigns as a top ranked player (10th in the world ranking as of March 2020)

Equipment:

“I’ve always wanted to play with this kind of rubber.” – Timo Boll

Dignics 09C is a rubber that I have been deeply involved from the development stage, and involved in testing various pimple shapes, top-sheet adhesiveness, sponge thickness, and I think that it is definitely the best rubber for me. I’ve always wanted to play with this kind of rubber. Now I am very happy to be able to play with this rubber.

In terms of performance, I think that the rubber is a completely different type of rubber from what Butterfly has made so far. It is not only easy to generate spin, but also strong in gripping the ball.

First of all, noteworthy is the high rotation performance. When you hit a drive, the ball will draw a high arc, so even if you hit it with your hand from a difficult position, it will rotate firmly and draw the arc properly and hit the opponent’s side.

I also feel that a great advantage of Dignics 09C is that it is easy to perform services with a great amount of spin. If you want to apply a lot of spin with other rubbers, you need to contact it thinly, but you can’t properly spin it if you hit the ball too thin. In that respect, with the Dignics 09C, I feel that it is easy to control because it can rotate firmly even with thick contact. In addition, if you hit the ball with a different contact point, other rubbers would slip on the surface, the Dignics 09C can firmly grasp and rotate the ball.

Second, the rubber has a very high ability to counter-attack. Not only is it easy to spin, but it is also easy for your opponent to spin the ball and counter-attack. In other words, I feel that the counter drive has stabilized, but the power has increased.

In addition, since the introduction of plastic balls, the Chiquita shot has become quite popular, and responding aggressively to Chiquita has become an essential technique in modern table tennis. It can be said that it is a rubber that meets the needs and is suitable for this.

The high control performance cannot be excluded as a feature of the Dignics 09C. There is a feeling that the ball is firmly grasped, and there is a feeling that the ball stays on the rubber for a long time. Therefore, I feel that it is easy to control.

If you used Tenergy 05 rubber before , for example, when you hit the counter drive, you have the impression that you might miss if you do not catch the opponent’s ball with the accurate timing and racket angle, but with Dignics 09C, from the ideal hitting point I feel that it can be controlled even if it is slightly off.

My play has changed. Considering my age, it’s not a good idea to play away from the table much. Ideally, you should be decisive as early as possible with as few rallies as possible. In that respect, the Dignics 09C, which demonstrates its strength in playing close to the table, matched the style I wanted.

As I said at the beginning, this is a completely different style from conventional Butterfly rubber, so I had to change my play a bit, but it was relatively easy to make the transition. I felt positive about my play when I changed to Dignics 09C. The speed of Tenergy 05 and Dignics 05 is better, but I wasn’t obsessed with that.

With this rubber, it is easy to create spin, so I would recommend it to players who prefer more control. It’s relatively easy to change the tempo of play, so I think it’s possible to play in a way that makes it difficult for your opponent to adjust.

(Coverage by  Table Tennis Report Editing Department)

(Photo courtesy of ITTF)