Dr. Neubauer · Explosion · Short pips

Explosion Soft

The soft build of Explosion: disruptive short pips with a very controlled block and a fast flat hit.

Explosion Soft leans towards disruption rather than spin. The pips flatten out the incoming rotation, so blocks and counters come back with a low, skidding trajectory that behaves differently from an inverted return. The 33° sponge keeps the ball on the racket long enough to place it precisely, which makes the short game and the passive block noticeably easier than on the firmer Explosion builds. Own spin is modest; the effect on the opponent comes from pace and flatness, not from heavy rotation.

Dr. Neubauer product photography is not licensed for TTDNA, so TTDNA renders its own neutral topsheet visualisation generated from verified construction data.

Official Dr. Neubauer data

CategoryShort pips
Surface classPips-out
Surface frictionNot applicable
SpongeSoft sponge
Sponge hardness33°
Thicknesses1.3 mm · 1.5 mm · 1.8 mm · 2.0 mm · 2.2 mm
ColoursRed · Black
Competition statusITTF approved
Approval checked2 August 2026
PriceVaries by retailer

Approval status follows the Dr. Neubauer catalogue check recorded on the date shown. Dr. Neubauer sells its competition range as ITTF-approved coverings; any covering the catalogue lists as training-only is shown as not ITTF approved. No reliable official Dr. Neubauer list price is published per region, so no price is shown rather than an invented one.

TTDNA ratings

Confidence: Medium-high

Speed92
Spin70
Control94
Power78
Grip53
Tackiness0
Arc65
Catapult64
Throw angle65
Elastic78
Spin sensitivity56
Short game68
Blocking79
Backhand flip73
Counterloop85
Opening loop74
Chop60
Serve66
Service receive82
Difficulty56
Beginner friendly52
Durability73

TTDNA values are TTDNA's own editorially normalised 0–100 ratings. They are never an official Dr. Neubauer rating and never a conversion of the Dr. Neubauer manufacturer scale.

Effect profile

Disruption64 / 100
Spin reversal20 / 100
Chop control60 / 100
Attackability91 / 100

Spin reversal is the returned rotation of the incoming ball. It is stored separately from the TTDNA spin rating, which measures the rubber's own spin production.

Strengths

  • Very high control for its category
  • High speed on active strokes
  • Genuinely usable for attacking

Best for

  • Close-table hitters and counter-attackers
  • Close-table attack players
  • Counter-hitting players

Data confidence

ConfidenceMedium-high
ReferenceDr. Neubauer official product page
Source prioritydr_neubauer_official_product_page → dr_neubauer_official_category_page → current_ittf_larc_approval_list → official_regional_dr_neubauer_page → specialist_retailer → independent_expert_review → community_feedback
Last checked2 August 2026

Variants and configurations

5 variants

Colour, thickness and configuration are variants of one model — never separate products. Colour never changes a rating, MAX and OX stay qualitative labels, and OX carries no sponge hardness.

Black · Red · 1.3 mm

Standard · Sponged · 33°

Speed 88 · Spin 67 · Control 98

Black · Red · 1.5 mm

Standard · Sponged · 33°

Speed 92 · Spin 70 · Control 94

Black · Red · 1.8 mm

Standard · Sponged · 33°

Speed 92 · Spin 70 · Control 94

Black · Red · 2.0 mm

Standard · Sponged · 33°

Speed 92 · Spin 70 · Control 94

Black · Red · 2.2 mm

Standard · Sponged · 33°

Speed 94 · Spin 71 · Control 92

Known users

Fast-block and hitting players — pen-hold forehands and close-to-table backhands that punish topspin early.

Dr. Neubauer publishes no athlete roster for this sheet, so TTDNA shows the player profile it is built for instead of invented names.

Rest of the Explosion family

69 Dr. Neubauer models in TTDNA · Compare the range