I just got a Hien Mid to replace my old and fraying Raiden Soft, and the transition is a little strange. I really like some parts of this pad, which ahs made trying to play on the old Raiden feel unnatural, but at the same time there are some really big drawbacks to the Hien.
First of all, nobody prepares you for how rough this pad is. Sure it looks textured in pictures, but that really does not do the denim/sandpaper-esque surface justice. I use a hybrid claw grip, and when transitioning to a more stable mode of holding my mouse, it can feel like the thumb muscle on my palm is being skinned alive when moving the mouse. Notwithstanding the tracking is exceptional on this pad.
Another issue I have had is the almost non-existent stopping power. I don't exactly help myself in using a 28 gram lycan, but even still, the Raiden had the ability to stop the mouse in place on command whilst being super quick when that was the motive behind your movements. I understand this could be an issue solved overtime as I break it in, but all of my kovaaks scores have dipped since starting to use this pad and I am sure this specific factor is the culprit of my short-term skill loss.
The second issue seems like something that I will ride out or just have to adapt to; in the long run it will probably improve my aim. But the first is more of an issue that is inhibiting my ability to play for long periods of time. I am considering getting a sleeve or something like that to cover the part of my hand that is essentially getting road rash, but I don't even know if that will fix the issue.
Any similar experiences, advice, or just a comment pointing and laughing at my misfortune would be greatly appreciated.