Friendship/729 729-08 ES

729-08 ES features the same topsheet as the original 729-08 rubber and is available in three sponge hardnesses: 45, 47, and 49. The ES sponge offers increased springiness compared to the original 729-08.

In terms of spin and control, the ES and the original rubber exhibit comparable performance, with both aspects being exceptional. However, there are two notable differences between 729-08 ES and the original.

Firstly, ES feels slower and generates a higher throw angle than the original 729-08. Secondly, while the ES can handle power in loops and drives, it lacks the speed and stability of the original when significant force is applied.

Overall, ES is generally more forgiving than the original. Aggressive attackers may prefer the original 729-08, while spin-oriented allrounders may find 729-08 ES more suitable.

Have the red topsheet, being using it for two months on my FH on a Galaxy Sweden Classic blade. It is non-tacky, can’t lift the ball a millimeter from the table. Control is good. Speed is mediocre, maybe due to the soft blade. Spin is average, noticeably lacking when playing slow over-the-table shots. In this aspect Hurricane 3-50 I have on my BH is much better.

Topsheet rubber is rather hard, with a thick layer and short thick pips. The sponge is medium hard. Close to medium range looping was a problem for me - you need good technique and quite a bit of power to engage the sponge. Only blocking was solid.

Overall, I’m not impressed with this rubber, it does not excel in anything. Being a 729 fan, got lured by the “Energy Sponge” technology, hoping it to be a kind of Chinese tensor. Well, this is not the case…

Update: It was not my type of rubber and I replaced it with CJ-8000 36deg. The durability of the product is good; it detached nicely intact. Weighed after that 44gr with some glue residues :).

A pretty meh rubber to me. I was using it on both forehand and backhand. While it generates big spin, the arc is quite high, therefore setting up dangerous replies from opponents. It’s bouncy, but good for defensive push games, as well as backspin and sidespins. Other than that, it’s pretty subpar in my humble opinion.

If you’re using it for practice to develop your game in terms of defense and placement of the ball, you might be interested in this rubber as it has the attraction of a low price tag. If not, don’t even touch it. It’s pretty basic at what it does. Maybe it’s the blade I put it into, so I might try it in the future on different blades just to see how it fares up on a more offensive blade.

Use it for forehand. This rubber has good control and spin for the price. The speed is enough.
Tackiness is more than enough.

My play style is allround and this rubber is a match with my offensive local blade.

This rubber is a good choice for defense.

I have been using Friendship 729-08 ES on my backhand for quite a while and really love this rubber. It allows me to loop every ball on my backhand regardless of its length. I can place the ball at any angle or corner I like with my backhand loop.

I use a Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit blade with Andro Rasant on my forehand and Friendship 729-08 ES on my backhand. Despite its low cost, Friendship 729-08 ES rubber is very controlled and very spinny. I will continue to use this rubber on my backhand for a long time.

My games have improved significantly since I started using Friendship 729-08 ES rubber on my backhand. However, I must emphasize that Friendship 729-08 ES should only be used on the backhand; I do not recommend it for the forehand.

On a Galaxy T8 blade, I paired this rubber with DHS G888 on the other side. I used it for three hours against my robot. It has a medium tackiness. It’s faster but has less spin than DHS (though not by much). It’s more consistent and easier to control than DHS. I play a loop game, and both these high-throw rubbers loop easily. I currently prefer the 729 on my forehand. I will try this combination in competition this week.

A good offensive topspin rubber with good control. I have it on a fast balsa blade - Galaxy T-11+. It produces good spin on serves as well as on topspin drives.

I bought it based on reviews just to try it - turned out to be a keeper. I like it better than the commercial H3 Neo I also have which is similar. For me, the 729-08 ES is plenty fast, with more spin and more control.

I’m surprised I haven’t seen more people using it - very good rubber at a reasonable price.

Very good control in the short game.
Spinny serves.
Opens well against underspin.
Pushes well.
This rubber is really growing on me.
Interested to see how long it lasts, especially since it is vacuum wrapped, and presumably factory tuned.

Firstly, this is an offensive rubber. It has a nice touch and it’s faster than 729 Cream Transcend and Hurricane 3. However, it maintains good control and offers many gears for a short game.

The rubber has specific trajectories, so hand movement must be adjusted slightly when playing with it. Executing the correct arc when looping will make it very difficult for the opponent to handle due to the amazing acceleration and spin. This rubber is a great choice for 729 lovers.

Very easy to make Reverse Penhold Backhand (RPB) strokes with this durable rubber. It provides excellent control and is suitable for all levels of players, making it a great choice for beginners and experienced players alike.

As I thought, it’s very good to play with, but it’s normally special for defensive play. It also gives great energy storage.

Review

Using it for 2 weeks:

• Speed: Comparable to my Sriver L, but slightly better when unglued.
• Spin: More spinny than Sriver.
• Control: Good, but Sriver is better.
• Looping: Better than Sriver.
• Near the Table: Sriver performs better, likely due to my playing style.

Overall, I prefer this rubber to my Sriver. I find spinny rubbers more enjoyable to play with.

Very easy loop and control.
Its smash is high speed.
Spin is very good.
I think it is the same as H3 provincial… sure!!!