Donic Bluestorm Z1

Fantastic rubber for backhand. It’s a little slower than Z1 Turbo (but still fast) and very controllable. Punches and loops are fast and/or spinny. Blocks are fantastic too.

One of the fastest 47.5 rubbers, this rubber is light and has a softer feel. On a press test, it feels like a 42-degree rubber because the top sheet is soft and elastic.

The catapult is just crazy intense. You need good technique to play with this rubber, as stated on the Donic website.

It has very little dwell time. The arc is low and long. Blocking is not automatic; you must work on blocking and go over the ball.

Lifting backspin is a bit harder because of the lower throw. The repulsive force of the sponge is very strong, so the ball doesn’t have much time on the rubber to get maximum spin values. However, the speed is there, and it has maximum values.

If you play with this rubber correctly, you will be rewarded. It is for advanced users only.

I’ve been using this rubber since 2017, so I believe I know it very well. I’ve tested it with various blades occasionally and have permanently used it with the DHS Hurricane Bo2.

It’s a highly aggressive rubber with limited dwell time, demanding good ball control and precise technique. I currently use this rubber on both sides of a Hurricane Long 3.

In close-range play, it tends to launch the ball high and long, hence the need for good ball control. Simply touching the ball with the topsheet provides consistency and spin in touch play, serve, and receive. Blocking with this rubber is acceptable, but it requires precise handling.

Attacking with this rubber is remarkable. It grips the ball and propels it outward swiftly. The speed can be exceptional without sacrificing spin. My coach also uses this rubber instead of Tenergy 05. For me, it lasts approximately three months, which is the average durability based on my usage.

I highly recommend it for intermediate and professional players. For beginners, I suggest Z2, which is slower and offers more consistency.

Works very well on my Donic Waldner World Champion 89 Blade. Using the (2.1) thickness on the blade (both sides) it gives me the speed and power when needed but most of all it is very controllable and ball placement comes easy.

The Donic Waldner WC89 blade is known for being a blocking machine and if you put Z1 on the blade it will definitely enhance the blocking (nice combination).

5 Stars and a 10.

I prefer using BZ1 on the backhand because of its strong catapult effect. It’s a very powerful rubber that’s perfect for middle distance play.

I pair with Donic Waldner Senso Carbon, but inconsistent top spin happens to me on both the backhand and forehand, even with a more closed racket angle. The ball sometimes unexpectedly goes out of the table. First impressions are that this rubber generates a huge spin, as advertised at 10+++, more than Bluefire and Acuda Blue! It’s new for me, so I still need to adjust my stroke and timing for this very spinny Z1.

Bluestorm Z1 is a very fast rubber that doesn’t compromise on spin. I currently have it on my forehand on a Xiom Hayabusa ZXi blade, where the shots are really fast and spinny.

All kinds of offensive shots are easily played, but the rubber really shines in the fast offensive game away from the table. The short game is also adequate, though occasionally the pushes tend to go a bit long than desired, but that could be due to the combination of a very fast blade with this rubber.

I really like the spin that can be generated from this rubber along with the drives. Services are very spinny and I can place them wherever I want to.

The only drawback is that the rubber is seriously not durable. I’ve been playing for 3-4 weeks now with this rubber, but already the hitting area has worn out. Overall, it’s a very good offensive rubber but with low durability. The sponge remains intact, but the topsheet becomes dead. I’m going to boost the rubber and update this again.

Review:

I paired BlueStorm Z1 with a max thickness for BH + FH with a newly purchased Butterfly Garaydia T5000. This combination is incredibly fast and can generate a lot of spin. I only have 3 hours of playtime with it and still need to adjust to the enormous speed. Many blocks go out, but this can be corrected with more practice.

Likes:

• Speed
• Spin
• Light weight, even with max thickness
• Reasonable price

Dislikes:

• Low durability, signs of wear already present after only a couple of hours.
• Sponge is too soft, especially with the Garaydia T5000. You can almost feel the blade ‘hitting’ the ball.
• Low throw angle when paired with a low throw angle blade, making it hard to lift heavy backspin balls.

Hi All! Since there is little information on this rubber, I will share with you my initial impressions, based on some hours of playtime. These new ultramax series rubbers are the next generation of rubbers that are truly meant for poly balls. It has been a long time since I have seen those flight curves of the balls, reminding me of the old days of celluloid balls. This Bluestorm Z1 is the next big step, which has a 47.5-degree sponge (similar to JP series) and a non-tacky surface. The first impressions which amazed me are: it is easy to attack close to the table, easy to counterloop, and dropshot. The rubber is very fast and requires precise timing with good technique. To be honest, I recommend this monster to those who are playing an all-out attack and are experienced players. Recreational, hobby, and mediocre players cannot tame this rubber. If you want to simply describe this rubber, I would say that this gives more speed and aggressiveness than T05, it feels a bit harder, but rewards more. I would say that Z1 exceeds T05.

For a more controlled solution, please try Z2, which resembles the bluefire M1, a bit faster and with the same sponge.

This rubber provides good topspin and is fast.

Great rubber with loads of control, spin, and speed. Works superbly well with Nitakku Violin; my game has improved by 20%.

Rápido, dureza media alta, me facilita mi juego de derecha para abrir el juego con topspin veloz y pegado a la red.

Good spin and speed.

Are o viteză superioară, agață foarte bine și după o vreme de joc cu ea vei avea și control.

We look forward to seeing rubbers in various colors such as pink, light green, and blue. Thank you.

Good rubber for intermediate players.

The evolution of Barracuda. I tried it after playing with Barracuda for 7 years. It’s quite faster and has a bit less spin than Barracuda. I like the feeling of playing with Bluestorm Ina Viscaria blade. Affordable price. I can’t say anything about durability yet. Affordable price. Spin 97, speed 99, control 93.

Very good balance of speed, spin, and control.

Too fast and too springy for BH. FH shots get overwhelmed by your power easily. Has good spin but its control is poor.

Excellent rubbers.

Quality starts deteriorating after 3 weeks for an average of 2 hours of play per day. I have been a Donic fan for many years, and it is disappointing to see that the quality is not like it used to be.

Me gustó mucho esta goma, tiene muy buen control y una velocidad aceptable.

This rubber has a very good grip; it sticks to the ball. It’s not so fast when it comes to counter-attack or blocking. It gives a lot of spin and imparts a lot of effect to the ball.

Good control.

Great rubber for forehand (2.1 mm)! Not very durable, but control, spin, speed, and power are okay.

Perfect!

My favorite.

Good speed.

Power and a lot of spin.

Estoy muy satisfecho con esta goma. Tiene buen control y velocidad. La utilizo en ambos lados de una madera Person Powerplay Senso V1.

This is an excellent rubber, it works well with the 40+ ball, but the durability is not very good.

Накладка супер!

This rubber is super fast, but nonetheless its control is awesome.
I could play short pushes and land close to the net most of the time, and when I decided to topspin (and actually landed on the table) no one could return my shots.

Best rubber I have ever bought.

Best rubber ever.

Despite wearing out very quickly, it keeps the spin alive. It’s very controllable and fast.

It’s lighter than the Bluefire, but the control, speed, and spin are great. If you feel like Bluefire is a bit heavy for you, then go for this, you won’t be sorry.

Excelente caucho, buen control, buena catapulta y buen shock, lo más parecido a un Tenergy 05 pero con muchísimo más control.

Una buena elección fue cambiar de la Acuda P1 Turbo a la Bluestorm Z1. En pocas horas me adapté al cambio y estoy asombrado del control y la velocidad con los que he mejorado sustancialmente mi rendimiento ante jugadores más veloces y talentosos que yo. Espero que su duración también sea mayor que la Acuda P1.

Needs a bit of time to get the right traction, but then speed and spin are good as well as control.

Fast rubber with good control.

Very good.

This rubber is loaded! 47.5° sponge gives you good control, very linear loops but has the ability to lift the ball up from low places. Great for looping, pushes, flicks, etc. This is nearly the only rubber that does it all other than Tenergy 05 and it doesn’t bottom out during rallies like the T05. I’ve experimented with many different rubbers and there is not one of them that does it all for me like the Z1! I love it!

Very hard rubber for my liking. I prefer it a bit softer.

It will be good with a carbon blade.

Very nice rubber for FH. Matches with any blade.
It’s fast and spinny, with good control. I think it’s too fast for BH.
I tried it with:
H Long 5
Donic True Carbon
Stiga Infinity VBS V
Stiga 190
Stiga 290 not recommended.

Thank you TT11 for the great service.

Abdulrahman.

I have used this red rubber and I am really satisfied with it.

I use this rubber with Yasaka Max Carbon 3D blade with excellent results. Very good for topspin shots and defensive volleys. Good speed with control and very good for spinny shots too.

I was using Acuda S series on my backhand for years. In my opinion, it was the best backhand rubber in the world until the Bluestorm series. Bluestorm Z1 has the same or even better control, great versatility, and at the same time, feels livelier than Acuda.

As for the forehand, it is still a good rubber. Personally, I have not noticed any advantages over the Bluefire series (both M and JP). It is not worse, but it is not better, in my opinion. Overall, it is just a bit of a different flavor. Ultimately, it comes down to the player’s style and preferences.

But Bluestorm Z1 is the best backhand rubber!

Fast and controllable.

I was using Butterfly rubbers, but I am finding this rubber very good except for having to make adjustments with the speed of my shots and loops. Butterfly Tenergy rubbers are not long-lasting, I felt, and I am hoping these will last longer.

Excellent speed with very heavy spin. The throw angle is higher than the Acuda P1, and the weight is much lighter than the Bluefire and Acuda. It is ideal for heavy loopers, fast attackers close to the table, and mid-table players.

This is my favorite rubber to use with my Waldner Carbon Classic. It’s a very fast rubber that loops better than anything that I’ve used before. I really like how my serves are working now. I use it on my forehand and backhand.

A versatile rubber designed for the new ball and new tactics in today’s table tennis.
Good quality, easy to adapt, why pay twice as much for the ordinary Tenergy ?!
This is the new technology for the game.
I highly recommend the Donic Blue Storm Z1 to all levels of players.