During this year’s Sports Expo, Ulla launched these two new sticky sets, a combination of sticky rubber surface + cake sponge. At the beginning, I did not care much. I think it is just to enrich the product line, after all, the major foreign brands are now out of the sticky sleeve well. When it is a point of cake. Later on, the more I played, the more wrong —— will these two sticky sets be the main rubbers of the second half of the year for Ulla? If so, it is —— true to its name!
The similarities between the two ZGRs
Thunder and Dynasty are two different series. We have played Thunder CMD, Dynasty ACC and AGR before, and intuitively speaking, Thunder is the mid-range price point, while Dynasty is the flagship product of Ulla, the most expensive series of counter-rubbers.
So, what about when both Thunder and Dynasty have ZGR? Touching the rubber surface, it is sticky, but it is really not obvious that it is sticky. If you compare it with the domestic Breeze 3 and Pentium 2, it is only “slightly sticky”.
Thunder ZGR and Dynasty ZGR are both “sticky rubber + cake sponge” combination. This combination of friction and arc stability, as well as the sense of speed are generally okay. However, there is often a problem that the overall support is average and the upper limit of the rubber bottom strength is not high. The brand had to increase the hardness of the cake sponge to combat this problem. We can see that on the package, the hardness of Thunder ZGR is labeled as “hard +” and that of Dynasty ZGR is labeled as “hard”. This means that both of them are made with small holes and high hardness cake sponges.
The difference in structure
The particle structure is different.
The particle diameter of Thunder ZGR is 1.5mm, the height is 0.7mm, and the spacing is 0.8mm.
The particle diameter of Dynasty ZGR is 1.5mm, the height is 0.8mm, and the spacing is 0.9mm.
Simply put, Dynasty ZGR uses taller particles and is more sparsely arranged. But from this point alone, it is difficult to speculate what the difference in feel is between the two.
Because there is another key point, Thunder ZGR is equipped with hard balance sponge, while Dynasty ZGR is super bouncy sponge.
Feedback
The rubber surface of both models is slightly sticky, although it is called ZGR (harmonic: Chinese), it is not that sticky. The stickiness is to “stabilize the arc” during downward spin and holding. Friction and rotation performance is not as strong as Breeze 3.
However, when we pull the ball, we will feel that this micro sticky is really effective. I can attack with more confidence, and the landing point and arc are very accurate. The ball holding effect is very good. When you rip the backhand or bring the forehand fast, the feeling of “sticking to the ball” will be very comfortable and count.
The mid-range Thunder ZGR is a bit more transparent than the high-end Dynasty ZGR. Although the sponge of Thunder is hard+, but the actual play, but softer than the Dynasty. The support of Dynasty ZGR is still higher and more brittle.
Practical test
Thunder ZGR, about 48g after cutting
Suitable for both forehand and backhand. I don’t feel the lack of support when I put it in my forehand. Just a little softer than Dynasty ZGR. The first speed is not bad. The friction of the rubber surface is not particularly strong, but still holds the ball well. Easy to hit with power and accelerate. Good spin performance, medium level. Good accuracy in landing point. Good for both friction and hitting.
This weight is fine for crossboard backhand. Just the right amount of stiffness. It is quite good for screwing or hanging. If you want to add spin to the ball, the rubber surface can handle it. If you put some force on a downward spin and eat the ball into the sponge, you will think, “Ah, this sponge is not bad. It’s not bad to attack with active power. There is enough speed and power, and the penetration is suitable. It does not seem to be strained.
I think enough at the price of 200 yuan, Thunder ZGR should be able to stand out. The forehand and backhand are pretty good. You can’t expect the rotation to be stronger than a hard sticky jacket like Wild Breeze 3, but the overall is very balanced and easy to play. And it’s faster than many sticky jackets. At the same time, the power threshold is low.
Dynasty ZGR, about 52.5g after cutting
For amateur players, this is for the forehand. Because it is “heavyweight”. Its style is somewhat similar to D09c. It is not too stiff under small power, it can hold the ball, the stickiness is not obvious, but it can hold up after power. The D09c seems to be more stable and wraps the ball a bit more when rubbing under small power. But from medium power, Dynasty ZGR starts to show its advantages. The overall feel is more crisp and bouncy. The first speed is faster and has more pressure. If you exit the table, I think the power of this is still a step above the D09c. Show better stiffness and kill. Fast enough and powerful. Some of the “Amazing Dragon Scepter” feeling of the rubber.
If Thunder ZGR is a balanced forehand and backhand, easy to play through and easy to handle, then Dynasty ZGR has stronger support and bottom strength, which is the standard for forehand. After the start of the power, the rotation value of the Dynasty ZGR will also be higher than the Thunder ZRG. It is worthy of being the flagship. But it also means you have to have a better power level, otherwise you will miss a little bit more. It should be said that its sponge wrap is still a little weaker than the D09c. You need to give it a room for power, without this room, its overly crisp sponge is not good enough to wrap the ball. The spin under small power is average, so you have to be an amateur to use it well and keep the active power. This is the main advantage of the ZGR: sharp speed and power pressure.
In terms of matching board, Thunder ZGR can be matched with a stiffer base board; Dynasty ZGR is relatively versatile. The support itself is full enough. As enthusiasts, we need to pay attention to the price of the product after it is released. If the price is right, I believe both products can stir up the current pattern of the German set market.