Friendship/729 729-5

I had this on my FH for a while. It was pretty good when new but now it just doesn’t have any life left. The spin and throw really went down as it lost all of its slight tack and it aged.

I still have it around as a spare sheet.

Weight is 47 g in black 2.2 (max), so medium-heavy, and about 66 g uncut.

If you’re looking for a rubber similar to Sriver or Mark V but at a lower price, this is it. It offers average to above-average speed and performs well in all aspects but doesn’t excel at any specific feature. Paired with a quality blade, it can create a formidable racket suitable for advanced amateur or minor league competitors.

Note that the ratings given by the community for this rubber are inflated (it’s unlikely to achieve a perfect 9 in all three major categories). Nonetheless, it’s still a decent rubber.

Update: This rubber has been found to be more effective for backhand shots than forehand shots. Forehand looping can be challenging with 729-5.

Definitivamente he sido engañado por las notas expuestas aquí. Decidí comprar esta goma al ver que las puntuaciones de velocidad y efecto eran similares a otras buenas gomas, pero por 10 euros, ¿qué esperaba?

Pues eso, una goma lenta con poco efecto, dura y pesada.

Para principiantes, por su precio y nivel, va de perlas. Para gente de nivel intermedio que ya ha probado las gomas europeas y japonesas, olvidaos.

Speed: 6
Spin: 6
Control: 7.5

I have this 729-5 rubber (red, max, BH) mounted in a Galaxy Y-4 with a Haifu Whale III - training (black, max, FH) on the other side. It’s a spare training racket for me.

The 729-5 is indeed a low-tacky and medium-low throw rubber. The only positive aspect is control. It has low sensitivity to spin (and obviously lacks producing spin). The speed is acceptable.

In fact, I think I would have to change my BH strokes very much to play with this rubber, which I’m not prepared to do. So, I’ll switch it out for another one soon. It is a rubber for beginners and intermediate players fond of BH control.

In summary, this is the only “strange” Friendship-729 inverted rubber I’ve found so far. By seeing the first comments done in 2009, I wonder if the materials or chemical processes used in its fabrication have changed. (I think there are not fakes of this rubber.)

This rubber is best for backhand due to its medium sponge, slight tackiness, and medium to medium-low throw. To generate a shattering spin, you need to hit the ball with a heavy contact. The speed is 7.5 out of 10, while the control is 8.5. Blocking with this rubber is not as good compared to the 729 Faster. If you’re looking for a low-priced backhand rubber with good potential and enough gears, try this one.

This rubber has a high speed but not as much spin compared to the H2, which has incredible spin. Its medium hardness makes it more suitable for drivers than loopers due to its lack of spin.

Very good rubber for its price! I have it on a Palio TT blade, and it’s quite faster but with a lot of control on blocks and short play. Amazing on flat hitting and with a good spin when brushing the ball properly. Opponents complain over the hardish feel of the incoming ball of this setup. It’s not so spin-sensitive. Very cheap and good rubber.

Hardness: Black 42 / Red 45. Weight: Seems medium-heavy.

Tackiness and Spin: Initially, the rubber is slightly tacky, but the tackiness reduces after about 10 hours of use. Despite the medium-hard sponge, the rubber feels soft. Speed and spin are good, though spin is less pronounced compared to tacky rubbers.

Control and Throw Angle: Control is at a good level. The throw angle is medium-high.

Blocking and Pushing: Blocking is adequate, but bounce is limited due to the harder sponge. Pushing and chop serves offer good control, but spin is not as pronounced due to the lack of a tacky surface.

Attacking: The rubber performs well for attacking, offering both pace and control. Spin could be improved with a tackier rubber, but it is a good option considering its price. The rubber behaves more like a medium sponge than medium-hard or hard, and it feels heavy.

My Ratings:

• Speed: 8.4
• Spin: 8.0
• Control: 8.7
• Tackiness: Slightly tacky
• Throw Angle: Medium
• Weight: Medium-heavy
• Sponge Hardness: Medium-hard
• Gear: Above average
• Durability: Lasts longer than average
• Consistency: Always identical
  Overall: 8.4

I think this rubber is slow. I disagree with the speed shown here. For me, it’s 6.5-7 of speed. It’s somewhat less tacky than other Friendship rubbers, but it’s still a tacky rubber. Control and spin are very high.

This rubber is perfect for me combined with the Galaxy T-11 blade (which is very fast).

I don’t know the speed values of Friendship rubbers. In my opinion, they are all much slower than the ratings shown here.

This top speed rubber offers a reasonable price point.

Amazing rubber for the price.

Currently using it on my backhand. It’s brilliant for blocking; almost every shot gets back on the table. It’s fairly fast, I would say 8-9/10. It produces a lot of spin, so it’s excellent for serves. However, control is kind of lacking for me…

It’s slightly tacky but still produces plenty of spin. The throw angle is pretty high like all Chinese rubbers. It’s also hard, hence the reason it’s good for blocking.

Edit: 4 months now, and the rubber is still slightly tacky with regular cleaning with a damp cloth after play. It still playing like new, and I think it would also be good on the forehand.

This rubber is impressive when compared to the popular BTY Sriver. It offers both low cost and high performance, making it a great choice for players seeking value and quality.

I personally like the rubber because of the control it offers me. For the price, it’s a fantastic rubber, and it runs a lot faster than most of the other 729 rubbers.

Very nice rubber considering its low price. It outperforms expectations for its $14 price point.

It’s not too fast or slow, providing a good level of spin with a medium throw angle. Looping is excellent, while flat hitting is satisfactory. Blocking is also very good, but chopping is not its strong suit.

Overall, this is a great all-around rubber for amateur players.

It has a very high price-to-performance ratio. The quality is as good as any German product.

It’s a beautiful rubber, but how does it perform? I’d say much better than Gambler Wraith and 729 Cream Transcend, a little better than Focus III Snipe, and not as fast as Gambler Outlaw.

It’s a good rubber, especially considering its price. It seems to be an OEM of the RITC 729 red rubber. It’s a bit fast and offers less control. However, it lasts fairly well, which is typical of Friendship rubbers. I tried the black rubber with a thickness of 1.9mm and reversed it to use the heavy sponge. However, I found that it’s better with a thickness of 2.00mm to 2.2mm.

Really nice rubber. I have it on the same blade as Quattro and I see that the 729-5 is slightly faster and definitely spins better. The control is very nice. You can’t go wrong with this rubber, BH or FH.

This rubber is very soft and easy to use, with a sticky surface and a slow speed. When I first purchased it, I was surprised by its control and spin on the table. However, over time, the tackiness has decreased, which is normal for an 8-euro Chinese rubber. I recommend it to players who prefer playing close to the table and who lose points when the ball goes more than 10 cm over the table.

Okay rubber, not fast but has good control. It’s an average rubber, not exceptional in any specific area.

It is a beautiful rubber, very fast, very spinny, and very light.

Hard, elastic sponge, very similar to 729-2 New Sensor. I prefer the 729-2; its control and flat hitting are better than the 729-5.

The fastest 729 rubber I have used. It is very controllable on loops from close to mid-table, giving a medium throw angle, but that depends on the speed the ball is coming at you. I have it on a Yinhe MC-1 Off blade.

It can generate a lot of spin if your technique is right. It is not really a forehand chopping rubber and certainly not a backhand rubber either, as it is too fast. At £5 a sheet off eBay, it’s great on the wallet too. So far, I have had two sheets of this, as has my father.

This rubber is the best you can get for its price. It suits me just fine when I play in tournaments.

The control is great and the speed is fast. This rubber is great for someone who doesn’t like hard sponges.

I found this faster than the 729-08.

Comparing it side-by-side, the 729-5 had a higher throw and was definitely faster on flat hitting. Loop speed was probably about the same.

The 729-5 is a good, hard European-style rubber. It excels at hitting due to its hard topsheet and sponge. Looping is also effective with this rubber, provided you have sufficient power to penetrate the sponge. Despite not being excessively bouncy, the short game is solid. Serving is satisfactory, though not exceptional due to its limited tackiness. Overall, the 729-5 is a decent rubber, albeit not ideally suited to my preferences.

This rubber is great for loopers. I haven’t tried it with speed glue, but I’m guessing it’s similar to the effect of using it. I think it has the same sponge as Faster III. It feels very springy. Whenever you hit the ball, it feels like the whole topsheet caves in. Over-the-table play is very easy.

Not as tacky as previous 729 variations, but noticeably faster. Definitely not a glue-effect rubber, but still much faster than the traditional 729FX type stuff.

It has an interesting “crystal” effect on the top sheet. Shiny stuff aside, it performs really well over the table for blocking and driving. It has a nice feel for a hard-ish sponge.

This is a nice rubber that plays well at the table and off the table. It offers more control than European glue effect rubbers. It also allows for controlled chopping. Currently, it complements my game better than all other 729 inverted rubbers.