Friendship/729 Sky Wing

Skywing by friendship is rubber with good manufacturing, especially the topsheet in red has a nice transparent quality to it. Medium-tacky and sponge is medium hardness. I have played 4 sessions with this as my BH on 7ply all wood Yasaka Ma-lin extra special. Verdict: Very unforgiving rubber, just like the H3 on my FH. Skywing will not permit poor technique! It will teach you Chinese style: only Backhand Topspin and Loop! Every attempt, and I mean every attempt at BH push or hitting it flat will result in ball missing the table or hitting the net. This rubber has shown me how poor my technique actually is, and when used right, just H3, your technique as well as the rubber will improve for you. So, please buy for training technique and topspin & loop strokes but definitely not at competitive level. Even with good topspin, the speed and spin is not enough to overwhelm your opponent. 5.8-6/10

Update! Even if the existing approval no. is missing and the rubber is only offered in 2 mm, one is surprised to find such a flawless (slightly sticky) surface on a rubber in this price range. The light yellow sponge, which is specified by the manufacturer as 40 degrees, is also of good quality. The rubber can therefore be cut very easily without fraying My selected, extra light rubber has a size of 166 x 165 mm and weighs 56 g. incl. protective film. It was 85 g in the original packaging and in the end, when cut to size on my offensive blade (with 156 x 150 mm), it weighs 41 g. After playing this rubber many years ago, I remembered its very low weight, which is why I have now ordered it again. Unfortunately the rubber now weighs significantly more (between 3 and 5 g. Cut, ... then 41 g.) and I also remember, the spin level was significantly higher! Conclusion: not very light anymore! Control and speed good, catapult acceptable and spin “not even mediocre!”

This rubber might just be the final piece of the puzzle in my search for the perfect backhand rubber. After trying out numerous rubbers, from hard to soft, tacky to non-tacky, I finally decided to give the 729 Skywing a shot. I'm using a Donic Waldner Championship 89 blade, with a Tenergy 05 on the forehand, which I find to be a perfect match for my aggressive forehand style. The combination with the 729 Skywing is even more ideal, as its soft yet tacky nature allows for both aggressive hits and more delicate shots on my backhand. It's a shame that the 729 rubber hasn't been ITTF-approved yet.

SkyWing from 729 Friendship, one of the rubbers that is suitable for backhand. It is light in weight, the surface is quite tacky, the sponge is medium hardness. Loop and spin are quite easy to do, using a 7 ply allwood blade.

This rubber is maybe a little bit lighter than traditionnal chinese one, but heavier than euro rubbers. It's not so soft, I would say 40°. It's a good choice for defensive and pushes play, but it's hard to loop with that one. I prefer the classic 729 FX Super.