TableTennisDNA

Palio · Classic Palio · Inverted

HK1997

HK1997 is a grippy, non-tacky all-round Palio rubber with a long production history. Biotech and Gold listings are recorded as unresolved editions of the same canonical identity until a construction difference is verified, so HK1997 Gold stays part of the same canonical rubber.

Partially verifiedGrippy, non-tackyListed in the Palio approval inventoryMarket status unknownMade in China

Also listed as: HK 1997 · HK-1997 · Palio HK 1997

Specifications and evidence

CategoryInverted
SurfaceGrippy, non-tacky
SpongePalio sponge
Sponge hardnessMedium (TTDNA band)
Hardness scaleNo published manufacturer scale
Thickness1.8 mm · 2.0 mm · 2.2 mm
Rubber coloursRed · Black
Country of manufactureChina
Approval nameHK1997
Approval IDNo approval ID recorded
Approval coloursRed · Black
Approval statusListed in the Palio approval inventory
Approval verifiedCurrent list
Market statusMarket status unknown
Market status verifiedCurrent
Market sourceNo verified current source
List priceVaries by retailer

Approval evidence and market availability are recorded separately. A name listed by an approval source is not proof that the rubber is currently on sale, and a rubber on sale is not proof of a current approval. Approval is never inherited by a suffix or edition, and no expiry date is invented.

Market status describes current commercial availability only. Where it could not be verified it stays unknown rather than being guessed from a shop listing.

Printed hardness values and ranges are manufacturer figures on Palio's own regional or printed scale. A printed 54° is not assumed to equal a DHS or ESN 54°, and ranges such as 36–38 are kept verbatim.

No reliable official Palio list price is published per region, so no price is shown rather than an invented one.

TTDNA core profile

Speed
76
Spin
81
Control
86
Arc
73
Hardness
52
Tackiness
6
Block
73
Durability
75
Throw angleMedium
Play stylesAll-round attack · Blocking · Topspin
Recommended sideForehand · Backhand
Speed classALL+ · OFF-
LevelBeginner · Intermediate

TTDNA values are TTDNA's own editorial 0–100 ratings. They are not official Palio measurements, not laboratory data and not a conversion of any retailer score.

TTDNA ratings

Speed76
Spin81
Control86
Power69
Grip63
Tackiness7
Arc73
Catapult54
Throw angle71
Elastic65
Spin sensitivity66
Short game67
Blocking73
Backhand flip76
Counterloop79
Opening loop80
Chop61
Serve71
Service receive78
Difficulty54
Beginner friendly54
Durability75

TTDNA values are TTDNA's own editorial 0–100 ratings. They are not official Palio measurements, not laboratory data and not a conversion of any retailer score.

Strengths

  • Balanced speed and control
  • Easy blocking
  • Good durability
  • Forgiving

Weaknesses

  • Edition naming is inconsistent
  • No published official metrics

Best for

  • Developing all-round players
  • Club-level attackers

Not ideal for

  • Advanced power play
  • Players who need tack

Data confidence

Verification tierPartially verified
Specification confidenceMedium
Editorial confidenceMedium
Source conflictHK1997 Gold and HK1997 Biotech are unresolved editions, not separate canonical products.
Unresolved fieldsedition identities · official hardness · current market status
Source prioritycurrent_official_palio_catalogue_or_manufacturer_page → current_authorised_palio_distributor → current_ittf_racket_covering_list → official_packaging_or_technical_sheet → established_specialist_retailer → archived_official_or_distributor_page → independent_specialist_review → multi_user_review_consensus → community_forum → marketplace_listing
Last checked3 August 2026

Variants and configurations

3 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 · 1.8 mm

Standard · Sponged · Medium (TTDNA band)

Speed 72 · Spin 78 · Control 90

Black · Red · 2.0 mm

Standard · Sponged · Medium (TTDNA band)

Speed 76 · Spin 81 · Control 86

Black · Red · 2.2 mm

Standard · Sponged · Medium (TTDNA band)

Speed 78 · Spin 82 · Control 84

Known users

Offensive club and league players who want a spin-first inverted sheet on the forehand or backhand.

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

Rest of the Classic Palio family

Inverted

Amigo

Tacky Chinese-style topsheet with printed hardness ranges, focused on spin and short-game control.

Inverted

Hadou

Strongly tacky attacking rubber sold under many suffixes that are stored as unresolved editions.

Family membership groups related names. It never means shared construction, and family members are never merged into one record.

21 Palio models in TTDNA · Compare the range