The XIOM True Innovation has lost its attention among the XIOM fans while the XIOM Omega series have received so much attention worldwide. Now XIOM ZETA is being released in 2008, the XIOM True Innovation is struggling again to get an attention.
I have been using the XIOM True Innovation Asian & Euro version for few weeks. I have used XIOM True Innovation Asian version on a JOOLA Chen Weixing blade at the US Open 2008. After playing this rubber for a while, my real recommendation is that this is the right choice for a player who wants to feel or sense the top spin. The XIOM True Innovation is also for the modern top spin player who does not have much to spend for a rubber like Omega III. I would say XIOM True Innovation is the junior version of Omega III with few things lacking like click sound and speed.
The XIOM True Innovation is a tensor rubber and has speed glue effect built in. The rubber suits well on an offensive blade.
The table tennis game is about spin – top spin, under spin, side spin and no spin. What kind of spin you would like to play to win points? Your answer would be top spin loops? The next question I would ask is can you vary the top spin when you strike the ball? Probably not. That’s where the world class players win their points – change the amount of top spin to trouble the opponent. To achieve that quality of play, you need the right rubber. This is where XIOM True Innovation helps you to make a top spin player.
The XIOM True Innovation has a soft top sheet with soft sponge in the European version. The Asian version has hard sponge which is faster than the European version. The rubber suits close to the table as well as mis distance game. The Asian version has more power to play a mid-distance game. The Euro version with a sponge size of 2.0 really fits a close to the table game.
The XIOM True Innovation does not have a tacky top sheet. The spin is generated from its top sheet and sponge. While serving, good striking at the ball is necessary to generate side or under spin. You can’t depend on its top sheet to generate spin like you have achieved the same with a tacky Chinese rubber.
The XIOM True Innovation shines very well in looping against under spin and top spin. From anywhere in the court, you can loop successfully. However it requires good forearm movement – the top spin roll strokes from the mid distance won’t generate enough power to bring the ball to the other side of the table.
The throw angle is not that high like Omega III. The opponents will find it hard to smash the ball easily because the ball curves down because of the top spin. Blocking the balls coming from True Innovation is very hard.
I have found the XIOM True Innovation is not good like XIOM ZETA to hit softly pushed ball over the table and has any speed - especially floating balls. You need to loop to handle such shots or you have to push it back. This is where I have found its strength - to push the ball until you can set up a ball to finish – this is exactly what you see among world class top spin players.
Tips for players who want to master top spin:
The XIOM True Innovation is a very good rubber to develop your top spin game. To generate the top spin, you normally hit the ball from the equator to the top of the ball. This stroke will generate same amount of top spin and you can change only the force. The amount of top spin can vary by rotating the ball more which can be achieved by brushing the ball at the top fast.
Look at the video of this match between Bastian Stegar and Mizutani Jun. You will see how Bastian Stegar is brushing the ball on the top in the first point. Developing such kind of shots is important for a top spin player, and XIOM True Innovation helps you in that area.
You should not speed glue XIOM True Innovation. This rubber costs $36 in the US and Canada.