Palio · Dragon · Short pips

Flying Dragon

Flying Dragon is a short-pips rubber and is never filed as long pips. Its printed 36–38° sponge is soft for a pips-out sheet, which keeps blocking easy while retaining a direct, low trajectory. Manufacturer technology claims such as Biotech sponge and PANA-TETRA are stored as marketing labels, not as measured properties. Short pips generate some spin of their own and give only mild reversal; that is different from long pips, which mainly return incoming spin.

Partially verifiedPips-outListed in the Palio approval inventoryMarket status unknownMade in China

Also listed as: Palio Flying Dragon

Specifications and evidence

CategoryShort pips
SurfacePips-out
SpongePalio sponge
Sponge hardness36–38°
Hardness scalePalio regional scale, printed range
Thickness1.5 mm · 1.8 mm · 2.0 mm
Rubber coloursRed · Black
Country of manufactureChina
Approval nameFlying Dragon
Approval ID55-003
Approval coloursRed · Black
Approval statusListed in the Palio approval inventory
Approval verifiedCurrent list
Market statusMarket status unknown
Market status verifiedCurrent
Market sourceNo verified current source
List priceVaries by retailer

Approval evidence and market availability are recorded separately. A name listed by an approval source is not proof that the rubber is currently on sale, and a rubber on sale is not proof of a current approval. Approval is never inherited by a suffix or edition, and no expiry date is invented.

Market status describes current commercial availability only. Where it could not be verified it stays unknown rather than being guessed from a shop listing.

Printed hardness values and ranges are manufacturer figures on Palio's own regional or printed scale. A printed 54° is not assumed to equal a DHS or ESN 54°, and ranges such as 36–38 are kept verbatim.

No reliable official Palio list price is published per region, so no price is shown rather than an invented one.

TTDNA core profile

Speed
73
Spin
69
Control
86
Arc
60
Hardness
38
Tackiness
4
Block
76
Durability
75
Throw angleMedium-Low
Play stylesShort-pips hitting · Fast blocking · Pace variation
Recommended sideBackhand · Forehand
Speed classALL · OFF-
LevelIntermediate · Advanced

TTDNA values are TTDNA's own editorial 0–100 ratings. They are not official Palio measurements, not laboratory data and not a conversion of any retailer score.

Short, medium and long pips behave differently: short pips hit flat and generate some spin of their own, medium or half-long pips disrupt trajectory with partial reversal, and long pips mainly return incoming spin. Generated spin and spin reversal are separate ratings.

TTDNA ratings

Speed73
Spin69
Control86
Power66
Grip52
Tackiness0
Arc60
Catapult53
Throw angle61
Elastic63
Spin sensitivity55
Short game68
Blocking74
Backhand flip70
Counterloop74
Opening loop70
Chop62
Serve63
Service receive78
Difficulty51
Beginner friendly57
Durability76

TTDNA values are TTDNA's own editorial 0–100 ratings. They are not official Palio measurements, not laboratory data and not a conversion of any retailer score.

Strengths

  • Fast, accurate blocking
  • Direct flat hitting
  • Low spin sensitivity
  • Good serve return

Weaknesses

  • Limited looping
  • Little spin reversal
  • No OX version documented

Best for

  • Close-to-table hitters
  • Backhand short-pips players

Not ideal for

  • Topspin-only players
  • Defenders wanting reversal

Data confidence

Verification tierPartially verified
Specification confidenceMedium
Editorial confidenceMedium-high
Unresolved fieldsedition identities · current market status
Naming and classificationFlying Dragon is short pips, never long pips.
Source prioritycurrent_official_palio_catalogue_or_manufacturer_page → current_authorised_palio_distributor → current_ittf_racket_covering_list → official_packaging_or_technical_sheet → established_specialist_retailer → archived_official_or_distributor_page → independent_specialist_review → multi_user_review_consensus → community_forum → marketplace_listing
Last checked3 August 2026

Variants and configurations

3 variants

Colour, thickness and configuration are variants of one model — never separate products. Colour never changes a rating, MAX and OX stay qualitative labels, and OX carries no sponge hardness.

Black · Red · 1.5 mm

Standard · Sponged · 36–38°

Speed 69 · Spin 66 · Control 90

Black · Red · 1.8 mm

Standard · Sponged · 36–38°

Speed 73 · Spin 69 · Control 86

Black · Red · 2.0 mm

Standard · Sponged · 36–38°

Speed 75 · Spin 70 · Control 84

Known users

Fast-block and hitting players — pen-hold forehands and close-to-table backhands that punish topspin early.

Palio publishes no athlete roster for this sheet, so TTDNA shows the player profile it is built for instead of invented names.

Rest of the Dragon family

Family membership groups related names. It never means shared construction, and family members are never merged into one record.

21 Palio models in TTDNA · Compare the range