With the Jekyll & Hyde rubber series, the Korean manufacturer Xiom wants to perfectly combine the opposing physical properties of spin and speed.

Spin energy is vitally important for the offensive topspin game. A strong tangential friction stabilizes the trajectory of the winning attack balls. Speed is created by force directed directly against the ball. However, the more frontal the ball impact point, the more difficult it usually becomes to generate spin.

The Jekyll & Hyde C55.0 is the hardest rubber in the series. As a result, the rubber provides a very direct feel, especially when hitting shots from the front. Compared to the Z52.5, it is a bit slower and in our opinion a little "tamer", but impresses with its improved spin development. It requires a fairly high technical level and clean hitting point in order to develop its full potential. We therefore recommend the rubber for ambitious and dynamic topspin players who have already gained experience with hybrid rubbers and want to go a step further, especially when it comes to spin.

The South Korean company Champion has existed since 1976 and was known for years, especially in South Korea, for producing high-quality table tennis tables. In 2006, the in-house brand XIOM was founded, which quickly gained international recognition and popularity in the flooring and wood segment.

The start in 2006 with the Omega rubber series was extremely promising. But from 2009 at the latest, when the Vega rubber series came onto the market, XIOM became increasingly popular in this country and became a serious option to the established brands in this country. While the Omega series combines rubbers with the latest technology, the Vega series stands for rubbers with a perfect price/performance ratio. From the outset, Vega Pro and Vega Europe have been considered the best alternatives to the popular but also very expensive Tenergy 05 and 05 FX from Butterfly.

In the years that followed, XIOM always stayed on top of what was happening. When it comes to rubbers, the Omega series was expanded to include the Omega V and the current Omega VII series and in 2019 the Vega X was released to mark the 10th anniversary of the Vega series, which also quickly became very popular.

XIOM has also been very active in the wood sector right from the start and is always working on new technologies and developments. This also convinces various top players, so that in addition to Korean top stars such as the 2019 World Cup third-place finisher An Jae-Hyun, the Brazilian world-class player Hugo Calderano also trusts in XIOM's products.

In addition to the undoubted high quality of the various products, what we like about XIOM is, above all, the fair pricing policy and the product selection that, in our opinion, makes sense. While many other brands offer a rather confusing and ever-increasing mass of rubbers and blades, XIOM keeps its range fairly constant and only adds to it in a targeted and well-thought-out manner.

This means there is something suitable for all playing styles and levels, without being unsettling with an overwhelming selection. The naming of the rubbers (Pro, Europe, Asia, Tour) has also been largely the same for years and makes it easier for customers and ourselves to keep an overview. Also refreshing are the sometimes somewhat gaudy but always modern designs of the textiles, which represent a good alternative to the sometimes somewhat staid look of “classic” table tennis clothing.