Killerspin Blast Review

Thursday, February 11, 2010

By Greg Letts, About.com Guide

After becoming a convert to Killerspin Fortissimo when reviewing that rubber, I was in two minds when the folks at Megaspin asked me if I wanted to try out the latest Killerspin rubber - BLAST. On the one hand, I was very happy with Fortissimo and wasn't looking to change, but on the other hand, maybe Blast would be even better? In the end, curiosity won out and Megaspin sent me a 2.0mm sheet and a maximum thickness sheet of Blast to review. Thanks guys!

Player Level and Style

Attacking: Shakehander with inverted both sides, 2000+ USATT level. Used on a Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit blade.
Rubber Reviewed

Killerspin BLAST inverted rubber, Red, in 2.0mm and maximum thickness sponge.

Summary

Blast certainly lives up to its name, being a little faster and a tad less spinny than Fortissimo. In the max thickness, it has quite a high throw, requiring a forward swing when looping and counterlooping. The 2.0 sponge doesn't seem to throw quite as high, but is still plenty fast as well. Feels a touch stiffer than Fortissimo, without feeling like a rock.

Who Will Like It

A great rubber for aggressive loopers who want a high throw rubber with tons of speed but with enough spin to bring the ball down on the table again.

Who Will Hate It

Similar to Fortissimo, this rubber is not recommended for anybody looking to play a safe, controlled game. You need good technique to handle the touch game, and to take full advantage of the power available from this rubber.

Marketing Claim

TOPSPIN, CONTROL AND POWER TRIPLE THREAT
Killerspin's new BLAST is a triple-threat, cutting-edge rubber made especially for advanced skill, topspin players looking for extra power. Like Killerspin's Fortissimo, the Blast's rubber consists of a hybrid top-sheet made of an elastic compound, which generates amazing rebound, as well as a soft compound that helps grab the ball and create more spin. Equal components of natural and synthetic rubber give an extra spring effect. However, the Blast's top sheet is stiffer than that of Fortissimo, generating extra power for a wicked shot.
The Blast also features a made-in-Japan soft sponge, ideal for powerful topspin shots with great control, and German 'TorqsionTM Technology', which is stronger than normal tension standards, and gives the rubber an added performance edge. The Blast is protected by Killerspin's plastic bag to maintain the rubber's integrity from production to the court.

Specifications

Blast's topsheet is noticeably stiffer than Fortissimo, but not in a bad way. It's just that you could tell the difference if you didn't know which rubber you were given. The sponge seems fairly similar to me, medium firmness without being mushy or hard. Weight-wise, it's not a light rubber either, but certainly not overly heavy.

Playing Impressions

I started with the Blast in maximum thickness on my Timo Boll Spirit blade, comparing it to the Fortissimo 2.0mm rubber on the other side of the bat. According to the ratings giving by Killerspin, Blast is supposed to be a touch faster (10.8 compared to 10.6), a little less spinny (9.3 compared to 9.4), and have a tad less control (9.3 to 9.4). In practice, these ratings are actually pretty accurate. There is a more zing when looping the ball, but still more than enough spin to bring the ball down on the table, and the control is pretty similar between the two.
The main difference between the max thickness Blast and the 2.0 mm Fortissimo was the throw angle of the rubber. Blast in max thickness definitely lifts the ball a few degrees higher (I'm guessing that max thickness Fortissimo would also throw higher than 2.0mm Fortissimo). This was most noticeable when looping against pushed balls, or weak strokes from over the table. I needed to really be aware of hitting near the top of the ball to keep the ball low. It's not a problem, just something that I needed to adjust to. The higher throw didn't seem to make as much difference when counterlooping back from the table, probably because there is more time for the spin to bring the ball down.

Against chopped balls, max Blast gives you the luxury of still swinging upwards and forwards, allowing you to hit with fair power against even heavy spins. But beware the float ball - you really have to get on top of that sucker or you'll be hitting the back barrier on the full!

When counterlooping or looping against block, Blast rewards the modern forwards and upwards loop ( at 45 degrees or less). I was amazed at just how much power I could generate while still landing the ball on the table. But every now and again I would accidentally revert to my old upwards swing, and the ball would sail well clear of the table. Forwards and upwards (with the emphasis on forwards) is definitely the way to go.

Blocking feels OK, quite good control generally, but you do need to get over the top of the ball.

The short game is pretty much the same as for Fortissimo, you need to be paying attention and using good technique to keep things under control. It's a pretty lively rubber, so naturally enough it's kind of unforgiving if you get sloppy with your form.

I've been using Blast for a little over two weeks at the time of writing, and I'm willing to stick my neck out and say that this is the first rubber I've used that really does feel like speed glued rubber. It's been a while since I last speed glued, and using Blast in maximum thickness (now that I've got used to the high throw) really does feel like using a speed glued Sriver or Mark V to me. Is this for real, or just my imagination? I'm not sure, but the speed and spin feels pretty similar to how my speed glued rubbers used to feel. I'd say the control is a touch less, but it's near enough for me to say that I'm very pleased with this rubber.

Blast 2.0mm

At this point, I didn't really want to try out the Blast 2.0mm rubber, I was having too much fun powering the ball all over the place with the max thickness version. But for the sake of completeness, I did put Blast 2.0mm through its paces, and compared it to both Blast max and Fortissimo 2.0. The result? Pretty much what you would expect. Blast 2.0 feels quite similar to Fortissimo 2.0, with a lower throw angle than Blast max, and roughly in between the two in terms of speed. Again, it feels a little stiffer than Fortissimo, with a bit less spin, and the control is virtually the same. When using Blast 2.0mm and Fortissimo 2.0mm on the one racket, I could pick up the bat without caring which side was on the forehand or backhand, it really didn't make that much of a difference. The Blast would go a little faster and lower, the Fortissimo would go a little higher with a touch more spin, but both would go on the table with virtually the same swing angle, so all was good. The feel in the short game was pretty much the same as well.

Durability

Blast seems to be fairly tough rubber, without any chipping around the edges from when I've clipped my bat on the edge of the table. I found that with my Fortissimo rubbers, the first thing to wear out was usually a split in the middle of the topsheet after 2-3 months, from where the ball has repeatedly impacted the high tension rubber. I'm guessing that Blast will probably wear out in the same way. But bear in mind that I'm often playing 10 or more hours a week, so thats a lifespan of around 80-150 hours, which is pretty good for any rubber, let alone a tensioned one.

Overall

As you might have guessed from this review, I've replaced my Fortissimo rubbers with Blast in max thickness. This rubber has the pace and spin of speed glued rubber (in my opinion), feels like speed glued rubber, and the control is just about as good. Once I adjusted to the high throw and started swinging forwards more, the ball goes like a rocket and still lands on the table. I'm in no hurry to try out Tenergy 05 again - I'm quite happy BLASTing away!

Interested in purchasing Killerspin Blast rubber? Buy Direct

Courtesy of Greg Letts/About.com

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