Friendship/729 Dragon-F

Review of Table Tennis Rubber

Purchased due to its very low price.
I mounted it on both sides of my DHS 301.
In my opinion, it is an excellent rubber. Tacky and quite bouncy.
Like all Chinese rubbers, it needs to be boosted with at least 2 coats.
Excellent control, you can place the ball exactly where you want if you have good technique. You cannot expect speed from these rubbers if you do not hit perfectly, but if you do, you will have a low trajectory and plenty of spin. Some doubts about its durability, but the topsheet does not seem as fragile as other Chinese rubbers.
Definitely worth trying.

Played this Dragon pro F medium-hard for 1 month. I can tell it is definitely a Battle 2 clone with less speed (~80% of Battle 2) and more control.

Loop & topspin are very safe & accurate, but quite predictable since the speed is somewhat mediocre.

When you flat hit, it doesn’t produce a loud sound unlike Battle 2’s loud crack sound.

Overall, it’s a good rubber for $15. 729 has a tradition of renaming their rubbers…

Mid-Hard RED

• Uncut weight: 68g (165x165mm)
• In my opinion, this manufacturer offers their old rubbers, repackaged under a new name.
• Even though they put a slightly better sponge under it, the red topsheet is too hard and inflexible for combinative play.
• Similar to Battle II, the black rubber is good, but the red one is bad quality.

Observation:

• Based on the manufacturer’s photos, I assumed it was a thin and soft topsheet.
• In the cross-section photo, the topsheet appears thin, but this is not true. In reality, it is much thicker than the height of the pips.

Conclusion:
Due to the aforementioned issues, I will not be purchasing from this manufacturer again.

Review:

Used with various blades from defensive to offensive without boosting. For short-to-short shots, an active approach is required to prevent the ball from falling into the net. Topspin with slower blades is challenging due to the rubber’s closed angle, resulting in edge hitting. Slow topspins with heavy rotation are also difficult.

The rubber excels at attacking shots, offering good speed and control.

However, the overall performance was disappointing, leading to frustration. After boosting the rubber, its performance improved to an average level.

Compared to the Battle series, this rubber is not recommended. While it is affordable, it requires boosting to perform effectively.

Regarding the rubber, the speed is indicated as 7.8. However, I would rate its speed closer to 8.8, making it faster than Yinhe Big Deeper and comparable to Xiom Vega X, with a speed value between 8.8 and 8.9.

The tires are excellent, offering good value for their price. I initially used them on the DHS Fang Bo B2X base, but they performed better on the Butterfly Viscaria.

I also have a 729 Dragon F Medium. Its hardness is around 52 degrees (relative to tensors), sponge thickness is 2.1 mm, and it does not catapult. It provides powerful revs and is enjoyable to play with. The boost enhances its performance. I use it for forehand, though the manufacturer suggests it can be used for backhand as well. However, backhand play requires better technical skills. It generates a good arc.

Despite the soft top-sheet, the sponge gives it a solid feel when playing.