chubbychopper's Blade Ratings/Reviews

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Here are chubbychopper's ratings and reviews. These ratings are useful because chubbychopper has his/her own standard and will rate and review the ping pong equipment accordingly, giving you accurate and useful ratings and reviews to aid you in your next online purchase.

Butterfly (6)

Butterfly Joo Se Hyuk

Review of Butterfly Joo Se Hyuk

To be clear here... this is a FAST defensive blade!

It's essentially an over-sized offensive setup. Very hard, very stiff.

If you're used to playing with any of the slower defensive blades (donic defplay, matsush*ta, xiom aigis, etc.), then be prepared for a real shock! This plays very little like those.

Not to say anything negative about the Joo blade. I simply want to inform potential buyers of what to expect. If you attack more than you chop or about break even, then this blade will probably work for you. If you enjoy doing opening loops and having enough fire power to drive back even the most stalwart attacker... this will do!

If you prefer doing classical defense and chop, chop, chop all day long -- then you might want to look elsewhere. The Joo blade sacrifices some control for a more potent offensive gear. Blocks well also as a result. Stiff! Relatively heavy blade by itself, coupled with the over-sized frame, and you can imagine how heavy it will be with dense rubbers. For reference -- the Joo blade with Tenergy 05 fx on both sides weighs in at about 198 grams. Now you can see why they generally use pips on one side of this! :p

Mar 26, 2016

Butterfly Garaydia ALC

Review of Butterfly Garaydia ALC

It's tough to give proper ratings on here, as they're all subjective based on what you've used before.

I own the Garaydia ALC & the ZLC. The ALC is definitely a bit slower and slightly less stiff/hard. They're both fairly hard and stiff, as far as blades go. Not quite as solid as, say, a 7 ply all-wood blade (timo boll w7, ebenholz 7, or mazunov). These garaydia are a tad bit lighter in comparison, and so feel a bit more flexy. I would say if you block more than you loop or hit, you're better off with a stiff 7 ply.

The garaydia alc is my new favorite blade-from the thicker handle to the superb feel and quality, it seems to excel in every aspect of the game (aside from chopping). It feels a bit weaker off the table than some other power blades, though far from a kid's toy!

I was using the Liu Shiwen blade. The ALC has fixed all the issues I had with the LSW! Slight more speed, slight more stiffness, thicker & heavier! In truth, the butterfly blade comparison chart that they released is pretty accurate. Consult that page before buying any butterfly blade.

I've put OX long pips (d.techs) on the ALC... and man, the amount of reversal it gives off is incredible! Blocked top spins go back with a heavy amount of backspin, resulting in great trouble for your opponents. The only downside here is that the overall blade weight is VERY light! Around 140 grams with inverted (tenergy 25) on one side. Wonderful for looping near the table and back to mid-distance. Blocks are stable and consistent with a bit of pace behind them. Probably a bit too fast for passive defending, unless you've got the skill to handle it.

The garaydia is definitely a step up from the Innerforce Layer. Harder, faster. I'd say the garaydia fits the block and drive style quite a bit, as opposed to stepping back and power looping most balls. If that is your preference, you're most likely better off with something from the innerforce layer series or a timo boll spirit/boll alc/zhang jike alc.

May 08, 2016

Butterfly Innerforce Layer ZLC

Review of Butterfly Innerforce Layer ZLC

Nice blade, great quality and pretty good playing characteristics.

Having said that... there is nothing about this blade that justifies the insane price! Innerforce Layer ALC is about $100 cheaper and plays better in all aspects. I can't think of one reason to recommend this blade over a cheaper blade of similar style -- unless maybe you have a fixation with the yellow handle!

Aug 21, 2016

Butterfly Garaydia ZLC

Overall

9.0

Review of Butterfly Garaydia ZLC

Once you learn to tame the beast, so to speak, blocks are much easier! Really being able to utilize that "airiness" comes in handy, and soon the true control of this blade is unearthed! So, it may feel too fast to begin with for most.

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Loops are stupendous! Heavy, loaded, and not super speedy. A good amount of dwell time really lets you load up on the ball. And despite its thickness, the ball doesn't actually rocket out all that fast. Sure, it has a quicker kick than defensive blades such as the innershield ZLF. But nothing like a hard 7 play all wood blade, where you feel as if you're playing with a 2x4 plank!

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The short game, again like the blocks, is really fantastic! The backhand flick feels like a dream! Great touch over the table. I've never been a great pusher, so my opinion here isn't worth too much weight. Having said that, I didn't fare any worse with this blade than any other.

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Smashes - not ideal, due to the airiness I keep mentioning. If that is your game, you may want to look elsewhere.

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Chops - doable, yet not too forgiving as the blade is fairly fast

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All in all, a truly magnificent weapon!

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Pros: Light weight, spinny with good dwell, very controllable once tamed, large grip, solid blocking, soft 'airy' feel

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Cons: price, too fast for some styles or experience levels, doesn't chop or smash very well, unforgiving during initial uses, you have to enjoy fast blades

Jan 27, 2017

Butterfly Innershield ZLF

Speed	6.0
Control	9.0
Stiffness	3.0

Hardness	2.2
Consistency	10.0
Overall	8.0

Review of Butterfly Innershield ZLF

Very nice blade for chops and lobs. Somewhat slow speed, lots of flex. It has a strong deadening effect as well. Due to that, the ZLF doesn't seem to play passive shots very well. You need active, spin-based strokes for it to really shine. Blocks go back shorter than imagined, so not a great choice for any power blockers out there. It does have a number of gears and can attack relatively well. It's made more for spinning the ball, rather than smashing it of course. Having said that, even loop drives feel a bit flimsy at times. It has such high flex and "give" to the blade that your attacks can often feel too mushy in essence. You don't get any crisp sensation as you would from an attacking minded blade. Something like a Joo Se Hyuk for example, with a much harder feel. The innershield ZLF has TONS of vibrations! Almost like those old cartoons where the bully cat runs into a pole and becomes a tuning fork... I'm surprised people aren't getting carpal tunnel from all the vibrations! If you chop more than you attack, this is yet another defensive blade to get the job done. Is it the best...? It's kind of an in-betweener. There are better pure chopping blades and better blades that chop and attack with more lethality.

Jul 19, 2017

Butterfly Garaydia T5000

Speed	9.0
Stiffness	10.0

Hardness	6.7
Consistency	10.0

Review of Butterfly Garaydia T5000

Very speedy blade with a nice, thick handle (ST). It is extremely stiff, with almost no give to it. However, it is not the hardest blade out there. With the substantial hinoki wood layers on the outside, it does have a relatively medium hardness despite the high speed and very fast, direct rebound effect. A tremendous blocking weapon! If you like stiff and fast blades, the blocks will be returned as bullets! That being the case, the looping ability is sacrificed some. Harder to play soft shots over the table such as pushes. You can use less power to get more effect, though. It feels quite touchy as a result. You need to enjoy a powerful style of play. Not delicate touches or even really spin based games, since other blades do that better. It does spin wonderfully, still, just using a different approach to the game. Flicks over the table are terribly lethal! Chops are difficult to do yourself, as expected. But you can loop them back with tons of power!

Favors a forceful kind of player, one who either likes to attack with great gusto -- or for players who don't have big strokes, and want to utilize the blades built in speed to make up for their own small movements. The consistency is brilliant! Every hit does as you think it will. This is not to say the t5000 is easy to control... only that it behaves the same way each time, for better or worse.

Jun 28, 2017

Donic (3)

Donic Defplay Senso

Review of Donic Defplay Senso

Wonderful control blade!

Lightweight despite being a little oversized. Amazing touch and feel.

Let me first emphasize this is not an attacker's blade by any stretch of the imagination! With a fast rubber you can make effective power shots but others do it far better. The bread and butter of this blade is in the defensive game.

Chops, pushes, blocks all shine when performed. Counter top spin loops ala the modern defense style can be performed with great control.

Comfortable flared handle. You take hold of the grip and never want to let it go! As if you just yanked excalibur from the stone... you stand in awe of the innate power now coursing through your hand.

In conclusion: A fantastic blade for defenders, control oriented players, or beginners due to the high control and soft feel.

I will state be mindful of putting overly slow rubbers on this weapon... Yes, they may work for you such as reflectoid and geospin tacky. Even for control oriented games you will eventually begin to feel the lack of power. Anyone other than a beginner should opt for a quicker setup. I can guarantee your game will improve by leaps and bounds simply by slapping a slightly faster rubber on.

Skilled hands capable of wielding this wonderstick will doubtlessly break wills and steal souls!

A number of professional players use this blade. My favorite being the female defender Wu Yang.

Mar 07, 2013

Donic Waldner OFF World Champion 89

Review of Donic Waldner OFF World Champion 89

I don't think it has been commented on, so I will give a different perspective...

The handle (ST) is shaped quite oddly. It tapers down toward the head of the blade, so in essence you feel as if your hand is "falling" into the top end of the grip. Also, it seems pretty small in size. Not something I personally enjoy. If you're used to thicker handles, this one will certainly feel a bit flimsy.

Other than that, the blade is fairly stiff itself. Not a whole lot of feel. I've got about 10 other blades, and this new Waldner one sits at the very far back! Nice quality and all. It didn't fit my preferences or playstyle. If you enjoy fast, light, and hard blades with little feel -- you might give this one a go.

Apr 18, 2016

Donic Shiono DEF

Review of Donic Shiono DEF

Slightly oversized blade, not the standard increase that most defensive blades use. Terrific for defensive play, namely chops. Quite similar to the donic defplay senso, although the shiono is a bit stiffer and a tad quicker. It has great control during all shots, the downside is it struggles to find a very high top end gear for attacking. But let's be honest here, ANY blade is capable of hitting winners. The point being, if you like to chop and chop with an attack now and again... this will be a fantastic fit for you! Feel wise, there is a kind of 'deadness' to the blade that I haven't found in others. Vibration is there, yet a persistent dead contact remains.

Sep 27, 2017

Nittaku (1)

Nittaku Kim Kyung Ah

Speed	6.0
Control	9.0
Stiffness	0.0

Hardness	2.2
Consistency	10.0
Overall	9.0

Review of Nittaku Kim Kyung Ah

A supreme chopping blade, indeed!

This one is quite slow, over-sized, and equipped with wonderful control. It is one of those blades where you can essentially just stick your hand out there and the ball returns itself. Everything is dampened upon impact. I've never felt an easier chopping blade than the KKA. Even with tenergy 05 on both sides, it still has more control than you could ever hope for! Slap on defensive rubbers like Tackiness Chop... for even more comical control.

The only downside is the slow speed. It feels very flexy, with a lot of vibrations and a distinct "doink" sound with each hit. Having said that, my offense proved more consistent and in effect, more games were won. My attacks weren't as fast, but they were accurate and rarely missed the table. It does have a somewhat mushy feel when being aggressive. Great dwell time on the chops for some HEAVY backspin...

But, if defense is your game -- look no further! Chops are a breeze, blocks are relatively slow but very precise.

I was actually laughing aloud during rallies, as it seemed any ball I hit would find its way onto the table. Quite a bit more flex than the defplay, xiom aigis, matsus*ita, and the JSH blade. If you like to chop more than attack, this blade is perfect. If you like to attack more than chop, I'd recommend a faster one. Having said that, for a controlled game all around it will do a more than adequate job. It doesn't feel that "manly" to use such a slow blade, but the results speak for themselves when my win ratio shot up! In the amateur level, just getting the ball back on the table is usually enough to win -- and it seems to hold true here! While perhaps not as "cool" to win through basic control and consistency, I'd recommend a slower blade to most players, even if only for a test.

May 24, 2016

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