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Good morning all!
I just finished the review of the Sanwei Target National (new grey/silver metallic package) and I know this may be a bit controversial but in my opinion, I still prefer the Friendship 729 Battle 2 as an unboosted alternative to Hurricane 3 (Neo). I used to play with the Battle 2 in the past and I'm now redoing the testing in depth with the normal Battle 2, the blue sponge provincial Battle 2 and the Neo Battle 2, and in all cases I feel better with all Battle 2s instead of with the Sanwei Target National.
I tell you all the reasons why in the full blogpost as always: https://www.tabletennisequipmenthelp.com/blog/sanwei-target-national-review
But as a short summary, even though both the Target National and the Battle 2 have low throws (the 2 blue sponges, orange sponge has a higher throw), Battle 2 has a more balanced speed/spin ratio for my personal taste, it grips the ball better in the different rally situations and it lasts significantly longer due to the long tackiness, but in the Target National that is an issue as other reviewers have also mentioned. Funny detail: some people in China use it on the backhand, I have more details on that in the blogpost.
As always also here is the TL;DR table for those in a hurry:
Next up I'm wrapping up the Xiom Vega China review (spoiler: it has definitely a more D09c, BlueGrip C2, Helix Hybrid taste than H3N) and then I'll publish the big Battle 2 review and after that hope to close the year with the BlueGrip J1 & J2, maybe also with a round of the best hybrids I've tested in 2026, let's see what work allows me to publish
And yes, I'm also testing now a bit of grip tape on my blades to make them more anatomic, I have changed my grip slightly (more towards backhand, less shallow, bit deeper) and this combined to the fact that my finger injury has gotten a bit worse (from being a goalie in the past) means I'm looking for ways to make the handle more comfortable, so ignore the quick and dirty tape job haha I'm testing the W81 ADC soon as I liked the grip 2 weeks ago, I may change toi that as main/test blade, let's see in the coming weeks.
OK that was all good people! Thanks a lot for reading and please ask any questions you may have and drop any feedback, challenges, or comments you may have, let's talk!
Take care and have a nice sunday!
Victor
ps. I have expanded the rubber database with a new cool speed vs spin grid mode, I really like it so let me know your thoughts on it too: https://www.tabletennisequipmenthelp.com/rubber-database?view=grid
ps2. The (Neo) parenthesis thing in the title is because I sometimes felt like the STN is more similar to a classic Hurricane than to a H3N, so I see some use cases for that for sure, I tell you more about it in the blogpost.
I just finished the review of the Sanwei Target National (new grey/silver metallic package) and I know this may be a bit controversial but in my opinion, I still prefer the Friendship 729 Battle 2 as an unboosted alternative to Hurricane 3 (Neo). I used to play with the Battle 2 in the past and I'm now redoing the testing in depth with the normal Battle 2, the blue sponge provincial Battle 2 and the Neo Battle 2, and in all cases I feel better with all Battle 2s instead of with the Sanwei Target National.
I tell you all the reasons why in the full blogpost as always: https://www.tabletennisequipmenthelp.com/blog/sanwei-target-national-review
But as a short summary, even though both the Target National and the Battle 2 have low throws (the 2 blue sponges, orange sponge has a higher throw), Battle 2 has a more balanced speed/spin ratio for my personal taste, it grips the ball better in the different rally situations and it lasts significantly longer due to the long tackiness, but in the Target National that is an issue as other reviewers have also mentioned. Funny detail: some people in China use it on the backhand, I have more details on that in the blogpost.
As always also here is the TL;DR table for those in a hurry:
| Category | Sanwei Target National |
|---|---|
| Weight | 67g uncut (with thin protector), 50g cut |
| Sponge & Topsheet | Hard blue cake sponge with visible pores, 40 degrees but feels harder, medium tacky topsheet that fades fast, boosted 'click feeling' |
| Speed & Gears | Similar boosted H3N blue sponge power, fewer gears than Hurricane 3 Neo or Battle 2, less linear than I expected |
| Spin potential | A lot, but less than H3N and Battle 2, trades spin for speed |
| Throw angle | Low, the main problem, long flat flight distance |
| Drives & Loops | Great counterloops, demanding loops, opening heavy backspin sometimes feels all or nothing |
| Serves | Good long serves, less good shorter serves, worse than H3N and Battle 2, gets worse as the tack fades |
| Flicks | Difficult on the forehand, easier on the backhand |
| Pushes | Very good, short and even better long, a lot of spin |
| Blocks | Good at low and medium speed, better with mini counters against power loops, otherwise easy for the ball to fly away |
| Flat hits | Better than Hurricane 3 Neo and Battle 2 |
| Boosting | Not needed, one layer if you want more throw but also more speed |
| Price & Durability | Around 25 euros, tack almost gone after 1 month, 2-3 months max at peak performance |
Next up I'm wrapping up the Xiom Vega China review (spoiler: it has definitely a more D09c, BlueGrip C2, Helix Hybrid taste than H3N) and then I'll publish the big Battle 2 review and after that hope to close the year with the BlueGrip J1 & J2, maybe also with a round of the best hybrids I've tested in 2026, let's see what work allows me to publish
And yes, I'm also testing now a bit of grip tape on my blades to make them more anatomic, I have changed my grip slightly (more towards backhand, less shallow, bit deeper) and this combined to the fact that my finger injury has gotten a bit worse (from being a goalie in the past) means I'm looking for ways to make the handle more comfortable, so ignore the quick and dirty tape job haha I'm testing the W81 ADC soon as I liked the grip 2 weeks ago, I may change toi that as main/test blade, let's see in the coming weeks.
OK that was all good people! Thanks a lot for reading and please ask any questions you may have and drop any feedback, challenges, or comments you may have, let's talk!
Take care and have a nice sunday!
Victor
ps. I have expanded the rubber database with a new cool speed vs spin grid mode, I really like it so let me know your thoughts on it too: https://www.tabletennisequipmenthelp.com/rubber-database?view=grid
ps2. The (Neo) parenthesis thing in the title is because I sometimes felt like the STN is more similar to a classic Hurricane than to a H3N, so I see some use cases for that for sure, I tell you more about it in the blogpost.
