Friendship/729 Dynasty Hinoki

Get this blade if you want to upgrade from a readymade paddle!

The blade offers good balance and touch due to its hinoki outer laminae. It provides excellent value for its price. The blade excels at blocking and chopping, and it can also generate sufficient spin to execute topspins and counterattacks. However, it is not overly spinny, and pairing it with faster rubbers is recommended. I have used various rubbers with this blade, including Globe 999, National SRIVER, Friendship 729 ESP, and Reactor Thunder. Currently, I prefer the Wood Galaxy Series N 9 Nº and T-11 Series blades, which provide the best combination of quality and value when paired with Friendship 729 ESP and Reactor rubbers.

Very fair offensive blade. Paired with fast Chinese rubbers, it makes a good setup for the attacking-minded player. It is controlled enough for blocks and pushes but also loops fine and serves well. The price is great, and it is highly recommended, a thumbs-up product.

This is a much more flexy blade than my main blade, the Dynasty Hinoki Carbon. It’s not as fast, and you can feel the vibrations much more in this Hinoki blade.