The Nittaku Fastarc G-1 is one of the most popular rubbers in the world.
Between 2019 and 2021 it was the best-selling rubber on tabletennis11.com. What made this rubber the most popular for three years in a row?
Well, the vast majority of table tennis players have an offensive style and look for rubbers that have high speed and spin values with good consistency. That’s exactly what the Fastarc G-1 offers.
I have gone through 3 sheets of the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 and can confidently say that the rubber is one of the best offerings in the market for offensive players, not only because of its performance but also because of its outstanding value for money.
Perfect for: Offensive players of all levels on the forehand side of the racket, and intermediate and advanced offensive players on the backhand side of the racket. 2-15+ years of playing.
Ace
About the Reviewer
Alvaro brings 7+ years of playing experience. He’s tested 20+ rubbers for Racket Insight and his style is The Controller.
About the Review
Blade Used: Stratus Power Wood
Rubber Thickness: 2.0mm
Hours Tested: 10+
Recommended Playstyles
We recommend the Fastarc G-1 to players who want to attack their opponents with fast, spinny, high-arcing loops and counterloops.
Design of the Nittaku Fastarc G-1
The Nittaku Fastarc G-1 comes in a blue and gilt-sealed package.
Inside, we can find the rubber.
We purchased a 2.0mm “Super Thick” black Fastarc G-1 specifically for this review.
If we rub our fingers across the rubber, we find that it’s slightly tacky, around the same level as the MX-P or Rakza 7.
However, like most European rubbers, this rubber relies more on its grip than on its tack to spin the ball.
The Fastarc G-1 is composed of a shiny, extremely grippy surface and a porous orange sponge.
Also, if we turn the rubber upside down, we will find that it has a good deal of inbuilt tension, and the edges curl towards the center of the rubber. This is common to see on high-performance offensive rubbers.
The Fastarc G-1 weighs in at 49 grams, which is similar to or lighter than other rubbers in this hardness range, such as the Rasanter R47 (49 grams), the Yasaka Rakza 7 (50 grams), the Tibhar Evolution MX-P (51 grams) and the Yasaka Rakza Z (53 grams).
Speaking of rubber hardness, the Nittaku Fastarc G-1’s sponge hardness is 47.5°, making it a medium-hard rubber.
Another thing I want to mention about the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 is its durability.
Having gone through 3 sheets of it myself, I can attest to this rubber’s excellent durability. I’d go as far as to say that it’s the most durable ESN rubber I’ve ever had.
For me, forehand rubbers tend to wear out quickly in comparison to my backhand rubbers, as I hit more often and with more power on my forehand side.
A Fastarc G-1 rubber usually last me around 6 months in good condition. I consider this to be remarkable.
The Yasaka Rakza 7 and the Rakza Z last me around 4 months, while the Tibhar Evolution MX-P only lasts me around 6 weeks.
If we factor in the price of the Fastarc G-1, which is even lower than the MX-P, we can understand that this rubber is incredible value for money.
The durability of the Fastarc G-1 is similar to that of the Tenergy line.
Tenergy rubbers drop off in performance very slowly and even when they’re worn out, they still grip the ball.
The same thing happens with the G-1, it drops off very slowly in performance and it’s still usable after many months of intensive usage.
The topsheet has truly remarkable levels of grip, and ball slippage is non-existent when the rubber is new or a few months old.
- Weight (Cut): 49g
- Speed: High
- Spin: High
- Control: Medium
- Tackiness: Slightly Tacky
- Hardness: Medium-Hard
- ITTF Approved: Yes
- Sponge Thickness: 1.4mm, 1.8mm, 2.0mm, or MAX
Summary: Be proactive and outplay your opponents with this consistent, fast, spinny European rubber.
Playtesting the Nittaku Fastarc G-1
I used all three sheets of the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 on my forehand side.
This rubber can also be used on the backhand side if you can hit hard enough, but I personally prefer softer rubbers than this one.
The thing that makes the Fastarc G-1 so unique is its high throw. This characteristic makes it play like few other rubbers and gives this rubber some key advantages (and one disadvantage).
I found that to use the Fastarc G-1 to its fullest potential, you should contact the ball thinly when going for powerloops.
If you’re going to play a high-power shot, you must graze the top of the ball, or otherwise, you’ll overshoot the table. This rubber isn’t the best choice for hit-loopers because its high throw will make those players send the ball long.
This rubber works great for players who have a forward looping motion rather than a vertical motion, and it also favors players who play with a closed racket angle.
With rubbers such as the Hurricane 3 NEO, you can hit with a vertical motion and a relatively open angle and the ball will go in with tons of spin.
If you want spin with the Fastarc G-1, it’s all about closing the racket angle.
The topsheet has tons of grip and the rubber’s throw is super high, so you can contact on top of the ball and it will go in.
Around 90% of my misses with this rubber were from overshooting the table or sending it wide, and 10% or less from dumping the ball into the net.
As for speed and spin, this rubber behaves like an average European tensor rubber. It has enough speed and spin for every level of play, including advanced levels.
The Nittaku Fastarc G-1 is considerably faster and higher throwing than the Yasaka Rakza 7, faster but not higher throwing than the Rakza Z, ever so slightly faster than the Donic Baracuda and around as fast as the Rasanter R47.
It doesn’t have the performance levels of the Tenergy line, the Dignics line, or an MX-P, but it’s a lot more controllable. I’d say the Tibhar Evolution MX-P is around 20% faster and spinnier than the Fastarc G-1. The MX-P is also more direct and has a lower throw.
Driving and looping
Because the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 has manageable amounts of speed and spin and a very high throw, the main characteristic of this rubber is its safety.
If anything, the only real danger is overshooting the table, which can be corrected with slight technical adjustments.
The Nittaku Fastarc G-1 behaves very well when driving the ball as its high throw gives drives tons of safety and control.
The only thing that the Fastarc G-1 could use in regards to driving is a bit more speed.
The best thing about the Fastarc G-1 is its looping capabilities.
The Fastarc G-1 makes it easy to put a lot of topspin on the ball while maintaining tons of safety due to its high arc.
Loops travel with very good power and are very consistent. Unlike with the MX-P or with ultra-fast tensors, I feel like I can get as many loops on the table as I want with the Fastarc G-1.
I think the Fastarc G-1 is a superb training rubber due to its consistency. This rubber induces confidence in the player because of its grip and arc.
It’s hard to miss the table, and when you do miss it, it’s quite clear why: most times you’ll overshoot the table because you contacted the ball too thickly or you hit upwards rather than forwards.
You will never have to worry about clearing the net because of the Fastarc’s immense grip and high arc.
The Fastarc G-1’s high arc also helps when performing counterspin shots, both close to the table and away from the table.
Close to the table, the Fastarc has tons of safety, a lot more than with rubbers with a flatter throw such as the Rasanter R47.
With rubbers such as the Rasanter, you have to get the timing just right to clear the net and not overshoot.
With the Fastarc, the ball will go up, then down, instead of traveling with a flat trajectory. This, added to the rubber’s hardness and speed levels makes it a whole lot easier to land countertopspin shots.
I also enjoyed using the Fastarc G-1 away from the table.
It’s not as fast as an MX-P, for example, but given its high throw, it behaves much better than rubbers at its speed category, like the Rasanter R47.
The last thing I’d like to mention in regards to looping with this rubber is that it behaves a lot better in match play than I expected.
Due to its grip levels and high throw, it’s super easy to pick up low balls, lift underspin balls and play difficult angles.
I felt a whole lot more confident when pivoting with my forehand because even if I caught the ball on its way down, I could still get the ball on the table 9/10 times.
This is a shot that faster and lower throwing rubbers struggle with, such as the MX-P and the Rasanter R47.
If you wanted to hit a ball that’s around table height with the MX-P, it’d be a whole lot harder to get it on the table because of its high speed and medium throw angle.
This enabled me to feel much more confident with my forehand and to execute lots of hard shots with relative ease in match situations.
The speed level and the arc of the Fastarc G-1 make it an incredibly safe and consistent rubber.
The last thing I noticed with the Fastarc G-1 is that I received balls at a higher height than I was used to.
Due to this rubber’s high spin and high arc, my opponent’s blocks came back to me higher than usual.
This helped me capitalize on more chances than with other rubbers, as I had a greater margin of error.
Serve and receive
In terms of serve and receive, the Fastarc G-1 is a great rubber.
Starting with the serves, the Fastarc G-1 has tons of grip and it’s very easy to imprint lots of spin on the ball.
My serves stayed shorter than with the MX-P and had more spin than with the R47.
I also found the Fastarc G-1 fantastic at receiving the ball. It’s quite easy to play out the short game with pushes and it’s also easy to flick the ball.
It’s not fast to the point you lose control but it’s also not slow to the point that your flicks don’t have power.
The only thing I noticed is that my receives tend to pop up a bit more with this rubber so I had to angle my racket a bit less to counteract its high throw.
Blocking and chopping
Blocking with the Fastarc G-1 is good.
The rubber feels firm and stable and it has the perfect speed for blocking. Again, it’s not fast to the point you lose control but not slow to the point that your blocks aren’t dangerous.
Blocks do travel higher than normal because of the rubber’s high throw, though.
Chopping with this rubber was better than average.
I found that if I caught the ball between waist and knee height, this rubber was great for chopping.
The Fastarc G-1 produced tons of spin and got the ball to clear the net a lot more easily than with flatter throwing rubbers.
It is important to mention, though, that chops with this rubber should be played at a low height.
If you contact the ball higher than waist height, your chops will definitely pop up.
Alternative to the Nittaku Fastarc G-1
Exactly like the Fastarc G-1 but faster, spinnier and more consistent. However, it costs 2x the price of a G-1.
A more controllable rubber. It has as much grip as the Fastarc but it’s a lot more controllable and bit lower throwing.
The Rasanter R47 is the more direct, lower-throwing version of the Fastarc G-1. It’s better for hit-loops, blocks and flat shots.
Overall reflections on the Nittaku Fastarc G-1
Before this review, I had already used 2 sheets of Fastarc G-1, and I’ll keep this third one on my main racket.
The main selling points of this rubber are its consistency, its high throw, its speed, and its spin.
However, what I find differentiates the Fastarc G-1 from other rubbers at a practical level is its value and its durability.
There are more advanced and more powerful rubbers out there such as the Tibhar Evolution MX-P or the Butterfly Tenergy 05.
The thing is, the MX-P lasts very little while the Tenergy 05 is double the cost of a Fastarc G-1.
This all explains why the Fastarc G-1 is so popular.
There are lots of great offensive rubbers in the market, but no other rubber is as reasonably priced, lasts as long, and is from such a reputable brand as Nittaku.
Alvaro’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 100 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favourite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!
Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller
Hi,
Very good review, did you tried the Nittaku Fastarc C-1 ? Same topsheet but sponge little less hard. Some people like it for BH but it is also ok for FH.
Hello Cédric,
Thanks! I tried the C-1 briefly because my best friend plays with it on his backhand side. I agree with you, I think it’s a good backhand rubber that can also be played in the forehand.
We might buy a sheet and review it in the future.
Cheers,
Álvaro
Awesome !
Would like to know pros / cons of R42 both side vs C1 both side for intermediate close to table looper.
They’re both relatively similar in what they want. Both are controllable offensive rubbers.
The C-1 is a bit harder, faster, and more direct, while the R42 feels a bit mushier, has more dwell time, and it’s a bit slower and higher throwing.
Both rubbers accomplish relatively the same thing, with the C-1 being the faster version and the R42 being the softer, slightly softer version.
If you’re intermediate looper, you can go C-1/G-1 forehand and C-1/R42 backhand, depending on how confident you feel on your strokes hehe.
It’s hard to go wrong with these rubbers, though, so don’t worry 🙂
Cheers,
Álvaro
Dear Álvaro, thank you for your great reviews. Question: I played with Rakza 7 for 3 seasons and than 1 season Tenergy 05. But I feel like Tenergy is one step to far on the moment for my development. Is Fastarc G-1 something in between and still a good step up from Rakza 7?
And what about Xiom Vega X? And is the durability of the Vega X higher or lower than the Fastarc G-1?
Thank you in advance.
Best, Tim
Hello Tim,
Thank you for your nice words! They really mean a lot to me 🙂
As for your question, I feel like I have a good understanding of your situation as all of the 4 rubbers you mentioned are actually rubbers that I used for more than 4 months each. I will also add one other recommendation for you which is a rubber that I’m currently using and one that I really like.
I used 2 sheets of Fastarc G-1, 3 sheets of Vega X, many sheets of Rakza 7 (around 5-6) and one sheet of Tenergy 05.
Both Vega X and Fastarc G-1 are exactly in between Tenergy 05 and Rakza 7. In terms of performance levels, Fastarc G-1 and Vega X are relatively similar, though the Fastarc G-1 is a little bit more explosive. What you will probably have found is that Tenergy 05 has a much higher parabola than the Rakza 7.
The Rakza 7 is a much more direct, to the point rubber, even if it’s a lot slower. It’s also better for blocking than the Tenergy 05.
As for your questions, I would think about it this way:
Vega X is an upgraded version of the Rakza 7. It has a relatively similar throw but it’s much faster, it has more grip and it’s good for blocking and direct.
Fastarc G-1 is kind of like a Tenergy 05 lite. It has a similar high throw and the same “explosiveness”, but less. The main difference is that the topsheet of the G-1 is stiff rather than soft and flexible on the Tenergy 05, which produces a different feeling, and the trajectory of the G-1 is much longer.
If you like high throwing rubbers, I would go for the G-1, but it’s worse than Vega X for blocking and you might find that you overshoot the table more because the trajectory and the arc is very long. Some players have this overshooting problem, while others do not. I did have it.
If you like the feel of the Rakza 7 but you just want something faster, Vega X is the right way to go.
As for their durability, both rubbers are very durable, especially Fastarc G-1.
I found that Vega X lasts me around 4 months of intensive use while Fastarc lasts me 6-7. This is a lot more than what I had with other rubbers.
Finally, the other rubber you can go for is Rozena, which is also in between Tenergy 05 and Rakza 7. If you want a slower and softer feeling Tenergy 05 with more control, the Rozena is just that.
Cheers,
Álvaro
Dear Álvaro,
Thank you so so much for the extensive answer. I think Xiom Vega X is the way to go than because of the more direct feeling. Maybe I try them both anyway. 🙂 Furthermore, is Tenergy 64 something close to the feeling of Rakza 7/Vega X if I want to stay with Tenergy? Or is it a total diffrent ball game? Does it have more ‘control’ and direct feeling compared to Tenergy 05? Some people say the short game is better with Tenergy 64, that’s what I especially dislike with Tenergy 05.
Thanks again!
Best, Tim
Tim,
Tenergy 64 is bouncier than 05. Some people say it has more control because it’s more insensitive to incoming spin. If you find that what troubles you in the short game is the amount of spin, then yes, 64 is going to be better, but if you struggle with the bounciness of your rubber to touch short, then 05 is better bc 64 is more bouncy. I prefer 05 for the short game myself but I can see how some people would prefer 64.
Tenergy 64 is a completely different ball game, as you said. It’s miles faster and considerably spinnier than both of these rubbers.
Cheers,
Álvaro
Dear Álvaro,
Thanks again, you helped me a lot!
Have a good day!
Best, Tim
Dear Álvaro, thank you for your good reviews!
Question: I played 3 seasons with Rakza 7 and 1 with Tenergy 05. But I feel Tenergy is one step too much on the moment. Is Fastarc G-1 a good option and still a step up compared to Rakza 7 in terms of spin and a bit of speed?
And what about the Vega X? And in terms durability, is Fastarc G-1 better or Vega X?
Thank you in advance.
Best, Tim
Hi Alvaro
Very nice review! One question, I am deciding between Fastarc G1 and Fastarc P1 for the backhand, which would be better in your opinion.
I am an intermediate level player and most play two wing looping style and the blade i’m planning to use is the Yinhe Pro 01 (Viscaria clone)
Thank you,
Josh
Hello Josh,
Thanks for the nice words!
I prefer Fastarc P-1 for the backhand side as it feels slightly softer, more dwelly, and I feel like you get more sink on the sponge and control. I like it better for open ups and I think it’s more controllable for the backhand side. That’d be my pick. P-1 is also extremely durable so you won’t be disappointed if you do go for it.
Cheers,
Álvaro
Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it! Hope to see a detailed review of the Fastarc P-1 soon!
Josh
Hola Álvaro,
Excelente reseña y página por cierto.
Quisiera saber cómo se desenvuelve G1 en Ovtcharov Alc. No sé si tendrás conocimiento de este madero.
Hola Sebastian,
Muchas gracias!!
La G1 es una goma muy versátil, en una Ovtcharov ALC puedes esperar un buen balance entre velocidad, spin y control con un ángulo de tiro relativamente alto.
Sería una buena combinación para jugadores ofensivos de nivel intermedio o un poco por encima 🙂
Un abrazo,
Álvaro