Tibhar Hybrid K3 [Field Test Report] (2024)

1. Hybrid K3 – Sticky ‘tension’ rubber made in Germany

Since the introduction of the poly-ball, interest in sticky rubbers has continuously grown to compensate for the drastically reduced rotation. And, accordingly, more and more top players are using DHS ‘Neo Hurricane 3’ which is a representative of adhesive rubber and is very famous as the weapon of Chinese top players. In order to cope with this situation, German and Japanese makers and rubber manufacturers have put their efforts into developing sticky rubbers those can compete with Chinese sticky rubbers, and the results are being introduced one by one. Tibhar ‘Hybrid K3’ is one of the latest sticky rubbers made in Germany. Tibhar ‘Hybrid K3’ can be classified as ‘sticky tension rubber’ because it is both a sticky rubber and a tension rubber which has the built-in speed-glue effect.

In the past, Tibhar has released ‘GripS’ using a Chinese top sheet and sponge, and the representative Tibhar player – Vladimir Samsonov won the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals using ‘GripS’. ‘Hybrid K3’ can be said to be a rubber that inherits the tradition of ‘GripS’, and top Tibhar players such as Kenta Matsudaira, Darko Jorgić, Cedric Nuytinck and Alexis Lebrun are using this rubber. However, unlike ‘GripS’ made in China, ‘Hybrid K3’ is purely made in Germany from the top sheet to the sponge, and the recent technology of the new generation tension rubber is applied.

The sponge density of ‘Hybrid K3’ is about 53º by German standard and about 40° by DHS standard. It is made slightly softer than the sponges on the Butterfly ‘Dignics 09c’ or the Stiga ‘DNA Dragon Grip 55’ whose sponge densities are around 55° or higher. This is to improve usability, but many players will still feel that it very stiff even with this level of density. Even top players may require reduced density. Matsudaira Kenta is using this rubber on his backhand side for performing his various backhand technics.

The top sheet is similar to typical top sheet of Chinese sticky rubber. The sheet is thick, while pimple is low. The pimples are arranged very densely. The adhesive is not strong. There is no adhesiveness at the level of being able to lift the ball, and it feels ‘a bit stickier than non-sticky rubber’. The weak stickiness and German new-generation sponge which is a bit softer than typical sponge of Chinese sticky rubber creates the unique characteristics of ‘Hybrid K3’.

The average areal density of the rubbers used in the test is 0.242 grams per square centimeter, and when attached to a standard 157x150mm blade, the rubber alone weighs around 48 grams. (Caution: Due to individual variation, it may be lighter or heavier than this when actually in use, and the weight of the glue is added by 2 to 3 grams per side, but it may become heavier if the glue is applied in multiple layers.) This is not a light weight, but it is roughly comparable to the weight of the Tenergy 05 2.1mm. Also, it is lighter than Tibhar ‘Evolution MX-P’ or ‘Evolution MX-S’ those are typical new-generation tension rubbers of top class. ‘Hybrid K3’ isn’t a lightweight rubber, but at least it is a rubber that is free from the preconception that ‘sticky rubber is heavy’. If the rubber that the player has been using is a rubber with a Tenergy 05 type pimple structure, such as ‘Evolution MX-P’, there will be no need to worry about the weight problem when combining it with a blade. However, if the rubber the player has been using is a rubber with a small pimple (for example ‘5Q’ or ‘Tenergy 80’) or sparse pimple arrangement (for example ‘Quantum’ or ‘Tenergy 64’), you need to consider that it is definitely heavier than those rubbers.

TTGearLab has conducted field tests at table tennis court with several key blades and ‘Hybrid K3’ combinations.

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2. Characteristics of ‘Hybrid K3’ for various TT techniques

Follwing is the result of the test by each technique. Three players tested ‘Hybrid K3’ with various blades, and summarize the average characteristics.

[Basic strokes without spin] – Unexpectedly normal although it is a sticky rubber.

It felt ‘surprisingly ordinary’ when performing basic rallies at the level of warm-up with basic offensive forehand/backhand strokes without spin. Chinese adhesive rubber such as ‘Neo Hurricane 3’ is often somewhat uncomfortable because it gives a strange feeling, such as being crushed when the ball sticks to it. However, the ‘Hybrid K3’ gives much less of that feeling, allowing for a much more ordinary rally than expected. Although ‘Hybrid K3’ is a sticky rubber, the basic attack strokes can be performed without difficulty thanks to its reduced adhesiveness and highly elastic sponge. And, the interesting thing is that when the player hits the ball lightly, it gives a ‘feeling like softly grabbing the ball and throwing it’ because of the adhesiveness. However, the better way to make the stroke more stable is to give the ball a little spin. By doing so, the warm-up rally becomes more comfortable.

[Basic topspin] – Adjustment is necessary. But, the spin is always very impressive.

When using this kind of rubber, players expect ‘strong rotation’. And, ‘Hybrid K3’ certainly satisfies that expectation. If the player knows how to give the ball rotation, he/she will get the best spin performance with this rubber. It easily creates a ball with more intense rotation than any other rubber from Tibhar, the maker of this rubber. There is no room for complaints about rotation. What should be noted in topspin are other factors.

If the playes are able to properly execute the topspin technique, they will experience very good directional stability with ‘Hybrid K3’. The technique is called as ‘topspin’ in one word, but in reality, it is very diverse, from the technique that draws the ball thinly as if covering the surface of the racket to the technique that grabs the ball while making an impact as if colliding with the ball with a slightly larger angle of the racket. However, with the ‘Hybrid K3’, the ball flies in the direction the racket moves during impact no matter how the player hit it. This tendency is so strong that players who have previously used non-sticky rubbers may need to pay attention to the direction the ball is flying and control the direction of impact. That is, when the player hits the ball upward, the ball just flies upward. This can be a very nice trait if used properly. The problem is that directional stability is good even when the amount of rotation of the ball is insufficient. Furthermore, flying distance is long. Therefore, when used by players who do not have a good topspin technique, the ball may fly too far and feel difficult to control.

Also, compared to using non-sticky high-tension rubber, it is necessary to bend the angle of the racket face to some extent. In particular, in a topspin-to-topspin rally, the player should intentionally tilt the racket face a little more. Because of this, it is expected that players who have used only non-sticky rubbers will need some adaptation period when using ‘Hybrid K3’ for the first time. However, once players adapt and adjust, there will be very few complaints about topspin. ‘Hybrid K3’ drags the ball well in the direction the player wants, is insensitive to the opponent’s rotation, and sends the ball with a fierce rotation quite far. It doesn’t give much discomfort even when player plays at mid-distance area. However, there will definitely be cases where it is difficult for players to adapt to the ‘Hybrid K3’ because of its stiff feeling.

[Preempative attack by topspin against backspin] – Safe and comfortable, thanks to insensitivity to the opponent’s spin.

What matters in topspin against backspin is how comfortable the player is when pulling the ball up—that is, how well the rubber handles the opponent’s spin. If the rubber is sensitive to the rotation of the opponent’s ball, the player becomes anxious, which makes the play passive. ‘Hybrid K3’ is a rubber that does not give players such anxiety. ‘Hybrid K3’ is insensitive to the backspin on the opponent’s ball, and safely sends the ball into the opponent’s court regardless of the type of topspin technique. If the only goal is to send the ball safely into the opponent’s court, there is no need for a particularly strong impact or delicate angle adjustment. If the player picks up the ball roughly, the ball goes in safely. Therefore, players can take the initiative in the rally by making a preemptive attack against the ball with backspin. Of course, players should be careful not to rely too much on that comfort. Player should use stability to make a powerful ball by impacting as hard as possible.

[Block against topspin & Counter topspin at close to table area] – Wide range of variety. But, it requires players’ skill.

The general image on the block by sticky rubber is ‘easy to make variety but difficult to make fast ball’. That is because the adhesiveness of sticky rubber absorbs a large part of the energy of the opponent’s ball. Because of the significant energy dissipation, the ball tends to be slow knuckle ball. Therefore players tend to use counter-topspin instead of block in case the ball should be fast. But, ‘Hybrid K3’ can make meaningfully fast ball by block, while it still provides the wide range of variety.

It is easy for players to intentionally change the spin of the ball when performing soft block. Spin variation such as weak topspin, knuckle and weak backspin can be easily made by slightly moving the racket at the moment of impact. The block by strong impact can easily makes knuckle ball. And, that ball is unexpectedly fast, and the trajectory of ball is very low. It is quite difficult for the opponent to return that kind of ball – fast, low and without rotation. In addition, it is easy for a player to intentionally lower the angle of the racket while moving the racket forward to perform a block with forward rotation. (This is something between the knuckle block and counter-topspin.) In that case, the ball has a completely different nature from the ball of block that just bounces it off. The wide variation of block is the advantage of ‘Hybrid K3’. It is very useful on the backhand side of racket. However, generally players must actively use their skills in order to take full advantage of the variety of ball from sticky rubber, and ‘Hybrid K3’ isn’t an exception. Although ‘Hybrid K3’ is easier to use than other sticky rubbers, player doesn’t have to forget that ‘Hybrid K3’ is also a sticky rubber.

The ease of counter-topspin at close-to-table area is one of the general advantages of sticky rubber. ‘Hybrid K3’ also let players perform counter-topspin without difficulty. However, players who have never used sticky rubber before can be embarrassed at first because the ball easily goes over the end line. This problem can be easily solved by adjusting the angle of the racket slightly.

[Stop (Drop shot) and Push] – Very effective as a sticky rubber.

As can be expected from the fact that the ‘Hybrid K3’ is a sticky rubber, it is very easy to perform stop and push. ‘Hybrid K3’ has the property of absorbing the rotation while catching the opponent’s ball, so it is easy to pass the ball very short. However, in the beginning, there may be many mistakes that the ball does not go over the net. In that case, the solution is to make the racquet move in a small U shape. Once accustomed to ‘Hybrid K3’, the player will be able to enjoy the absolute safety of the stop.

The push of ‘Hybrid K3’ has very good directional stability and strong rotation. However, non-skilled player who hasn’t experienced sticky rubber may make a lot of mistakes that the ball goes to the net. Of course, this is neither a problem of the rubber itself nor a problem of adaptation, but simply a matter of basic skills. If a player keeps the basics that push moves the racket from back to front, he/she will be able to easily perform a sharp push that goes deep into the opponent’s court with fierce rotation. And, the player can induce the opponent’s preemptive attack with a deep push. Since the rotation of the ball is very strong, the opponent has no choice but to attack by swinging the racket from the bottom up. Aiming for it and counterattacking with counter-topspin or strong block is a good tactic for scoring. It’s good to keep that tactic in mind when using the ‘Hybrid K3’ on the backhand side.

[Flick] – Very safe. But, player should not rely on that safety.

The safety of flick is excellent because of the low sensitivity to the rotation of opponent’s ball and the high directional stability, just as the preempative attack by topspin against backspin is very safe. Thererfore player can attack very aggressively by topspin against long ball and flick against short ball. But, what player should be aware of when he/she performs flick against short ball is not to rely on the safety of flick, because the flick isn’t a technique to finish the rally. Player should always think about following rally. If player rely too much on the safety of flick provided by ‘Hybrid K3’ and doesn’t put sufficient rotation to the ball, he/she will easily allow the counter-attack of the opponent. Therefore, the player should give strong rotation to the ball by taking another advantage of ‘Hybrid K3’ – excellent spin performance. At that time, it is better to focus on strong rotation and severe courses rather than being concious of speed, because the speed of flick from ‘Hybrid K3’ is not that high. Then the flick will be very effective.

[Service] – Intense rotation & moderate speed.

Short service with strong rotation is very easy and very effective. Service without spin is also easy. Player may feel that the short service from ‘Hybrid K3’ is perfect. However, fast long service isn’t that easy because the speed of service is moderate. Instead of raising the speed of long service, giving strong backspin to the ball and making the trajectory as low and deep as possible will be better strategy of long service. The purpose is identical to that of push – to induce the opponent’s attack and counterattack it.

[Chop] – Performance is good. But, feeling is somewhat stiff for chopping.

(Note : Only offensive blades were used for the testing. So the evaluation on chopping may be improper.) ‘Hybrid K3’ isn’t rubber developed for for chop. However, player can chop much more easily than expected. Making the ball with strong rotation that draws very stable trajectory is very easy. Therefore chop can be considered as a variation of all-round play in case ‘Hybrid K3’ is combined with an offensive blade. However, although the performance and stability are good, the stiff feeling makes the player uncomfortable. That is because both of the top sheet and the sponge of ‘Hybrid K3’ are hard although it is the rubber that is softer than conventional Chinese sticky rubbers for offensive strategy. But, because the playing characteristics is good, it is expected the combination with proper defensive blade will make a good combination for choppers.

[Summary]

Advantages : Impressive rotation. Insensitive to opponent’s rotation. Easier to adapt than Chinese sticky rubbers.

Disadvantages : Stiff feeling. Racket angle should be adjusted by practice for adaptation.

Proper playing style : Aggressive topspin & continuous topspin.

Proper playing area : Close-to-table area ~ mid-distance area.

Proper racket face : Basically forehand side is recommended. But, it can be also used for backhand side.

[Field test ratings by testers]

See Also

Kia reveals China-exclusive K3 and K3 Plug-in Hybrid

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3. Combinations with various blades

TTGearLab tested ‘Hybrid K3’ with various blades. Basically, the fundamental characteristics of ‘Hybrid K3’ don’t significantly vary by the combination. However, there are some characteristics depending on the combination. Floowing is the summary of the characteristics of combinations.

[Combination with outer-fiber blades]

In general, the blades of ‘outer-fiber’ combinations are faster than the blades of ‘inner-fiber’ combinations or pure-wood blades. ‘Hybrid K3’ is faster than ordinary sticky rubbers, and its feeling is stiff although it is softer than comparable Chinese sticky rubbers. Therefore, player may feel that the combination of ‘Hybrid K3’ with outer-fiber blade is too fast, and too hard. Nevertheless TTGearLab found that it is basically very good combination. That is because it provides high level of precision. Once the player gets used to it, powerful yet controlled ball can easily be made.

Tibhar ‘Drinkhall Power Spin Carbon‘ is one of the representative of Tibhar outer-fiber blades, and it is good replacement of Butterfly Timo Boll ALC or Viscaria. The combination of ‘Hybrid K3’ with ‘Drinkhall Power Spin Carbon’ can make a ball with powerful topspin. The trajectory is somewhat long and high. But, once the player gets used to the combination, the trajectory of topspin can also be precisely controlled. The feeling is direct and precise. And, variety of techniques from stop to smash can easily be performed. This combination is strongly recommended for skilled players who lay emphasis on the power of topspin.

Butterfly ‘Viscaria‘ introduced in late 1993 is the best-seller blade which is the representative of outer-ALC blade. The combination of ‘Hybrid K3’ and ‘Viscaria’ can also be recommended for the players who lay emphasis on the power of topspin. The player can easily control the length and the height of the trajectory of the ball with topspin. When compared with the combination with ‘Drinkhall Power Spin Carbon’, the player may feel that the ball goes one tempo late when player performs hard smash. But, the actual speed of ball isn’t low. And, with this combination, the player will mostly use topspin instead of smash.

(Note : “Fan Zhendong ALC‘ is identical to ‘Viscaria’ except for graphic design. Therefore, the result of the combination with ‘Fan Zhendong ALC’ will be same.)

Butterfly ‘Fan Zhendong ZLC‘ is an outer-ZLC blade which is identical to ‘Zhang Jike ZLC‘ except for graphic design. The characteristic of this combination is that the feeling of dragging the ball and hitting the ball are clearly distinguished. When the player drags the ball, it feels like the blade and the ball bite each other. On the contrary, the ball bounces very violently if the player hits the ball hard. Even when performing blocks, the player can clearly distinguish between and just bouncing the ball and giving it spin. Therefore, the combination of ‘Hybrid K3’ and ‘Fan Zhendong ZLC’ is suitable for all-round play, although ‘Fan Zhendong ZLC’ is a very fast blade. This combination is recommended for the player who wants to raize the overall power of the all-round play.

[Combination with inner-fiber blades]

Inner-fiber blades are in general softer and slower than outer-fiber blades. (Of course there are some exceptions.) For that reason we can expect that it will make good combination with ‘Hybrid K3’ whose feeling is hard. Actually, the feeling is good. However, the ball tends to fly too long, especially in case ‘Hybrid K3’ is combined with inner-ALC blade of standard speed.

Butterfly ‘InnerForce Layer ALC‘ is the typical inner-ALC blade which provide soft feeling and moderate speed. Because of its moderate speed and soft feeling, we can expect that it will make great combination with ‘Hybrid K3’. Actually the feeling is very good. However, one problem is that the ball flies too far when the player performs the attack by topspin. Sometimes it makes the ball uncontrollable unless the player hits the ball softly. Therefore, if the player wants to play with various offensive technics, outer-fiber blades will make better combination than this blade. However, the result becomes different if the player attack very aggressively at close-to-table area. The ball with strong spin goes deep into the opponent’s court while drawing very low trajectory. The trajectory looks like going to the net, but actually the ball safely goes over the net. This combination can be recommended to very aggressive players.

Tibhar ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon‘ is even softer and slower than Butterfly ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’. And, it makes good combination with Chinese sticky rubber. The combination of ‘Hybrid K3’ and ‘Stratus Samsonov Carbon’ is also very good. But, not for all players. For the players who lay emphasis on speed, this combination will feel a bit lacking. However, it will be great combination for the players who want to player with ‘continuous’ topspin. The stability of the continuous topspin provided by this combination is unmatched. The speed isn’t extremely high. But, the power of ball isn’t low because the ball is spinning fiercely. In case the player plays at close-to-table area, the feeling of the block isn’t that good while the stability of block is excellent. Therefore, counter-topspin may be better choice than block in case the player has to return the topspin from the opponent at close-to-table area. Anyway this combination is proper for ‘always spin’ strategy. (For block, 7-ply wood blades will be better.)

Butterfly ‘Ovtcharov InnerForce ALC‘ is thicker variation of Butterfly ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’. Although it is faster than ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’, it is more controllable when combined with ‘Hybrid K3’. When attacking with topspin, the ball is dragged very smoothly. Still the ball tends to go far, but is much controllable when compared to the combination with ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’. However, the performance at close-to-table area is less impressive than the combination with ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’. When compared with the combination with outer-fiber blades, this combination is softer and more stable in every technique. However, the control is less precise. This combination is also recommended for the player who mainly play with topspin.

Tibhar ‘Shang Kun Hybrid AC‘ is currently the representative of Tibhar inner-fiber blades. This blade is faster than ‘InnerForce Layer ALC’ and softer than ‘Ovtcharov InnerForce ALC’. The combination of ‘Hybrid K3’ with ‘Shang Kun Hybrid AC’ catches the ball more deeply than the combination with ‘Ovtcharov InnerForce ALC’. The advantage of this combination is that it is good for very aggressive topspin from mid-distance area. Further, it doesn’t lose the safety and power when the player attack with topspin at close-to-table area. For that reason, this combination is recommended to very aggressive player who plays using wide areas of the court. But, if the player wants higher power and more precision, ‘Drinkhall Powerspin Carbon’ may be better choice.

Stiga ‘Inspira CCF‘ is the representative of ‘normal’ Stiga inner-fiber blades whose head shape isn’t Cybershape. For the players who don’t like the head shape of ‘Cybershape Carbon’, this blade will be a good solution. Because of the thick construction, harder top layer and harder fiber, this blade is harder and faster than ‘Ovtcharove InnerForce ALC’ or ‘Shang Kun Hybrid AC’. When ‘Hybrid K3’ is combined with this blade, the characteristics is close to that of the combination with ‘Drinkhall Powerspin Carbon’ or ‘Viscaria’. Therefore, this combination is good for the players who want to make powerful balls by various techniques.

[Combination with pure-wood blades]

Pure wood blades of moderate speed make good combinations with ‘Hybrid K3’. The natural and moderate feeling of pure wood blades is in good harmony with the hard feeling of ‘Hybrid K3’. This combination is basically recommended for the players who mainly play at close-to-table area. (Note : TTGearLab tested just two 7-ply wood blades of moderate speed. TTGearLab expects that the result will not much different in case slower wood blade is combined. However, the result may be different if the wood blade is a extremely fast one.)

Because the ball doesn’t fly too far, the control at close-to-table area is excellent. On the contrary, the power of ball may be insufficient if the player plays at mid-distance area. Therefore,

Tibhar ‘Bernadette Szöcs Signature 1‘ is a 7-ply wood blade with moderate speed. The combination of ‘Hybrid K3’ with this blade provides excellent control. Because the ball doen’t fly too far, the control of the topspin at close-to-table area is excellent. On the contrary, the power of the ball may be not that high if the player plays at mid-distance area. In case the player attacks from mid-distance area, ‘continuous topspin’ that lays emphasis on safety will be the proper strategy. The block against opponent’s topspin is very safe and precise. But, the speed of block may be insufficient if the players wants to be more aggressive at close-to-table area. In that case, counter-topspin will be better technique than block, especially the player uses ‘Hybrid K3’ at backhand side.

Stiga ‘Clipper CR‘ is the representative of 7-ply wood blade. But, the actual specification of ‘Clipper CR’ has varied several times so far. Some players may imagine very heavy weight of ‘Clipper CR’. But, current version isn’t heavy at all. The average weight of ‘Clipper CR’ is around 80 gram. (That makes ‘Clipper CR’ one of the ideal blade to be combined with heavy sticky rubbers such as Xiom ‘Omega VII China Ying’. But, ‘Hybrid K3’ isn’t that heavy.) The overall characteristics of the combination of ‘Hybrid K3’ with ‘Clipper CR’ aren’t much different from the combination with ‘Bernadette Szöcs Signature 1’. The difference is that the combination with ‘Clipper CR’ provides somewhat ‘dry’ feeling, while the combination with ‘Bernadette Szöcs Signature 1’ provides somewhat ‘wet’ feeling. That makes the combination with ‘Clipper CR’ more precise in most of techniques. But, for some players may feel that this combination is less comfortable.

TTGearLab recommend the combination with ‘Clipper CR’ for modern all-round players, while the combination with ‘Bernadette Szöcs Signature 1’ for continuous topspin players.

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4. Summary

Tibhar ‘Hybrid K3’ is one of new sticky tension rubbers those are developed for the competition against Chinese sticky rubbers. However, ‘Hybrid K3’ doesn’t resemble Chinese sticky rubbers, and has somewhat different characteristics. Although it still requires some perioud of adaptation for players until they get used to, it is much easier to use when compared with Chinese sticky rubbers because it is softer and faster. If the player understands its characteristics well and adapts through practice, ‘Hybrid K3’ is expected to bring very good results. The key will be how well the player can use the powerful rotational force and how well the player can control the long trajectory.

‘Hybrid K3’ is recommended for following players.

(1) The players who want to use sticky rubber but feel Chinese sticky rubbers uncomfortable.

(2) The players who mainly use topspin and want to raise the power of spin.

(3) The all-round players who want to raise the power and the precision of all-round play.

‘Hybrid K3’ isn’t recommended for following players.

(1) The players who want to use Chinese sticky rubbers such as ‘Neo Hurricane 3’ or similar rubbers.

(2) The players who prefer the rubbers of soft feeling.

(3) The players who frequently use the tactics from fast long service.

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