Few things in table tennis supply cause more confusion than rubber grading. A customer orders “Hurricane 3,” receives it, and complains it feels nothing like the sheet their coach uses. Both are genuine. Both are Hurricane 3. They are not the same product.
Here is how the tiers work, and what it means for your inventory.
Commercial grade
The standard retail product, and what most buyers mean by default. Consistent, widely available, priced for volume. For the large majority of players — anyone below serious competitive level — commercial grade is the correct product.
Provincial grade
Produced to tighter tolerances, with sponge selected from a narrower specification band. The practical difference a player notices is consistency: sheet-to-sheet variation is lower, and the sponge tends to be more responsive. Provincial sheets carry a price premium. Availability varies by sponge colour and specification.
National grade
The tightest specification tier, produced in limited quantity. Supply is genuinely constrained — this is not a marketing position. Availability fluctuates and pricing moves with it.
If you are quoting national grade to a customer, confirm current stock before committing to a delivery date. This is the single most common cause of missed deadlines we see distributors run into.
Sponge hardness
Hurricane sheets are produced in a range of sponge hardnesses, and the available range differs by model and by grade. We stock the full hardness range for each model we carry. If you need a specific hardness in a specific grade and sponge colour, tell us the combination and we will confirm availability rather than substitute something close.
On selection: harder sponge produces more speed and spin at full stroke but demands more from the player; softer sponge is more forgiving and easier to control at partial power. There is no universally correct hardness — it depends on the player’s stroke speed and physical strength, not on their skill level.
ITTF approval — which DHS sheets are listed
If your customers include tournament players or event organisers, this matters: under ITTF regulation 3.2.1.3, the covering must be currently authorised, and the ITTF logo, ITTF number, supplier and brand names must be clearly visible near the handle.
The following DHS rubbers appear on the ITTF List of Authorised Racket Coverings (LARC) effective 1 January 2026:
Inverted (pimples in)
| Model | Approval code |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | 24-001 |
| Hurricane II | 24-002 |
| Hurricane III | 24-108 |
| Hurricane 8 | 24-054 |
| Hurricane 9 | 24-055 |
| Skyline | 24-003 |
| Skyline II | 24-005 |
| Skyline III | 24-006 |
| Gold Arc 5 | 24-056 |
| Gold Arc 8 | 24-057 |
| Gold Arc 9 | 24-059 |
| Tin Arc | 24-045 |
| Tin Arc II | 24-046 |
| Tin Arc III | 24-047 |
| Tin Arc 5 | 24-051 |
| G 555 | 24-015 |
| G 666 | 24-016 |
| G 888 | 24-018 |
| PF4 | 24-004 |
| PF 4-1 | 24-014 |
| 6512 | 24-013 |
Short pimples (pimples out)
| Model | Approval code |
|---|---|
| 651 | 24-030 |
| 652 | 24-031 |
| 874 | 24-032 |
| C 7 | 24-026 |
| Dragonow | 24-033 |
| Sharping | 24-034 |
| Sharping 2 | 24-058 |
Long pimples
| Model | Approval code |
|---|---|
| C 8 | 24-027 |
| Cloud & Fog | 24-053 |
| Cloud & Fog II | 24-028 |
| Cloud & Fog III | 24-029 |
The LARC is reissued quarterly (January, April, July, October). If you are supplying for a sanctioned event, confirm the listing period that applies to the competition date.
One point worth being precise about. ITTF approval is granted to the model, but regulation 3.2.1.3 also requires that the ITTF logo, the ITTF number, and the supplier and brand names are clearly visible near the handle on the sheet itself. A model appearing on the LARC is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one — the physical sheet has to carry the markings. If you are buying specifically for sanctioned competition, tell us at the enquiry stage and we will confirm the markings on the exact batch before it ships.
Practical stocking advice
For most distributors: depth in commercial grade, a modest buffer of provincial in the most-requested specifications, and national grade to order.
Rubber has a shelf life. Tacky topsheets lose grip over time and sponge degrades. Ordering twelve months of stock to capture a price break is usually a false economy.
If you want help sizing a rubber order against your actual turnover, send us your monthly volumes and we will work through it with you.
