Friendship/729 Faster ESN (Fenghun ESN)

I played with 2mm black on my backhand (BH) and 2mm red on my forehand (FH). The blade I used was the Butterfly Balsa Carbo X3. My forehand shots tended to go a little bit over the table, as I wasn’t used to this combination. However, my backhand over the table and at middle distance was perfect. I was so surprised, because this rubber is very affordable, yet it works wonderfully for my backhand.

I have been using Sriver FX for my backhand, but after trying this rubber, Friendship Faster 1 is definitely my choice. It is great for pushes and over-the-table attacks. I have finally found the perfect rubber for my backhand!

I wasn’t impressed compared to some of 729’s other offensive options. While it has enough tack to provide good serves and spin close to the table, the sponge isn’t as soft as I would have hoped for a German sponge.

It was still too hard to generate any real loops and lacked the pace of many of 729’s harder sponges. Its control is mediocre, as one might expect, and the high throw angle drove me crazy.

This rubber falls somewhere between a classic Chinese and a classic German, and as a result, it falls short of both types in the important categories.

I’ve been using this rubber on my backhand for the last five months. It is excellent for looping, chopping, and serving. I will definitely be sticking with this one for a while.

I bought this rubber over a year ago while searching for my “game style.” At the time, I didn’t think it suited my then style due to its weight and hardness. However, I recently dug it out of the drawer and gave it another try.

This rubber has impressive speed and generates nice spin, particularly with a Chinese-style brush contact loop. I have been using this rubber on my backhand, where it loops, serves, and pushes exceptionally well. Due to its truly tacky topsheet, I must compensate for the incoming opponent’s spin, and I expect it will take me a little more time to master counterlooping with this rubber.

I briefly flipped the paddle over to counter-hit and loop from close and mid-distance. Surprisingly, it played very similarly to my Tenergy 05. The major differences were the medium throw angle of the 729 Faster, compared to the high throw angle of the Tenergy 05, and the fact that the 729 Faster doesn’t offer as many gears as the Tenergy 05.

That being said, the 729’s $14 price point makes it a fantastic value as it performs just as well in the spin and speed categories. I didn’t even have to change my stroke to accommodate this rubber. I plan to continue using this rubber on my backhand.