Friendship/729 Xi EnTing

I’m a novice, I know. However, I’ve been playing for a long time and have experimented with various rubbers and blades. Therefore, I feel qualified to provide the following review:

1. Positive point: This rubber is highly controllable, allowing you to receive almost anything.
2. Negative point: It’s heavy, thick, and hard. I had anticipated more softness from the 2.2 mm sponge. This characteristic may not be considered a disadvantage for some, but it is for me.
3. Observation: The rubber is not tacky. If you prefer topspins, this rubber may not be the best choice.

Review

This rubber is inexpensive, but has some quality issues on the topsheet, particularly around the edges. I purchased it in black with maximum Japanese sponge.

Despite its low price, it offers medium speed, which is significantly faster than most beginner rubbers and comparable to H3 Neo. However, the hard topsheet surface lacks tackiness, making it behave more like a Japanese rubber with a harder surface. The pips have minimal height and, in combination with the medium-hard sponge, prevent the ball from sinking in, resulting in shots with less spin.

On forehand attacks, loops and topspins produce a low throw angle with a flat trajectory. Backhand play is better suited for pushing due to the lack of tackiness, which makes chopping challenging.

Overall, this rubber is above average in quality, provided it does not exhibit problems with topsheet quality.

Japanese Sponge Type

This rubber is an excellent choice for beginners due to its Japanese sponge composition. Its user-friendly nature makes it ideal for those just starting out in table tennis. However, it is not recommended for competitive play as its performance may not be sufficient for advanced players.

I used this on a Stiga Carbon and it works well! It can do many things, but it’s not good at far away shots. But never mind long balls because you can win good points near and mid with this. Like all 729 rubbers, it’s cheap and “low profile” in clubs if you’re using it. But with skills, it is really good.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Japanese sponge provides excellent dwell time for precise control, ball placement, and loops
• Suitable for close-mid court play

Cons:

• Used in combination with an all-wood blade, it lacks speed
• On a carbon blade, performance is notably improved

Overall, this rubber offers a good balance of control and spin for an economical price. It excels in close to mid-range play but may require pairing with a more aggressive blade for optimal speed and performance.

Review

I love this rubber! My style is to smack the ball and ask questions later. This rubber provides great value for the price.

Unfortunately, the store only had it in black, so I ended up buying Yasaka Extend for my forehand.