Browsing: Butterflys

Released in 2023, Butterflyâ€s Glayzer has become one of the most popular modern table tennis rubbers currently in production. It promised to be a very special rubber and one that piqued my interest the moment it was released.

Butterfly is a brand thatâ€s known for its cutting-edge equipment. They produce the best of the best: Tenergy, Dignics, all of their excellent blades, shoes, robots, you name it.

Their pricing is generally quite high because they produce extremely high-quality products. If you choose Butterfly, you usually have to pay a premium.

However, this Glayzer rubber and the Glayzer 09c are both priced at around USD $45, the price youâ€d pay for a modern offensive offering from any other brand.

To clear all the doubts we had about the Glayzer, we bought a sheet specifically for this review to see exactly how it performs.

BUTTERFLY GLAYZER REVIEW SUMMARY

The Butterfly Glayzer is a superb rubber, as long as you pair it with the right blade for your purposes.

The Glayzer features 2 main technologies, the Spring Sponge X (present in the Dignics series), and the 05 topsheet, present in the Dignics 05. The sponge is medium-hard and it has a very high maximum speed, but it isnâ€t too bouncy. The Glayzer is medium-fast, and it focuses more on control than speed. Its throw is medium-high and it provides plenty of clearance over the net.Â

The strongest attributes of this rubber are its control and its safety in offensive play. In addition, its power reserves are nearly limitless, while being very controllable and not too bouncy. The topsheet provides plenty of grip and its spin levels are quite good.

The Glayzer is a superbly balanced offensive rubber, and it is good for loops, blocks, flicks, serves, and the short game. Itâ€s a very stable and controllable offensive rubber.

Perfect for anyone with ‘The Controller†playstyle.

Perfect for:Attackers of all levels on either side of the racket (depending on the blade used and what they want out of the rubber), and advanced all-rounders on either side of the racket. 1-10+ years of playing.

Benefits

Limitless power reserves while not being too bouncy.

Ball slippage is non-existent.

Great balance of speed, spin, and control.

Very stable.

Easy to use.

Lots of safety over the net.

Good for backhand exchanges.

Good for serving and excellent for receiving.

Good value for money.

High quality and durability.

Drawbacks

Not the best rubber for hitting outright winners.

It wonâ€t provide the highest shot quality in terms of speed and spin.

Needs to be played actively because of its medium-hard sponge.

About the Reviewer

Alvaro brings 7+ years of playing experience. He’s tested 20+ rubbers for Racket Insight and his style is The Controller.

About the Review

Blade Used: Stratus Power Wood
Rubber Thickness: MAX
Hours Tested: 10+

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Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Glayzer to players who want a solid all-round rubber at a reasonable price. Especially if pairing with an OFF/OFF+ blade.

Design of the Butterfly Glayzer

The Butterfly Glayzer comes in a high-quality sealed package.

Upon opening the package, we find the rubber. The version we ordered is a black 2.1mm sheet of Butterfly Glayzer.

The topsheet of the Glayzer is very grippy and almost non-tacky, and its sponge is dark gray.

The rubber itself is medium-hard, somewhere around 47.5-50 degrees ESN. Butterfly states that its hardness is 38 degrees in their scale, which would also correspond with this estimated ESN value.

The Glayzer promises to be a very special rubber for 3 main reasons:

1. It is equipped with Butterflyâ€s Spring Sponge X, used in the Dignics line. However, the sponge in the Glayzer is 2° softer than that of the Dignics 05.
2. It is equipped with a top sheet with identical technology to that which is used in the Dignics series, and
3. It is much cheaper than any of the Dignics rubbers. In fact, itâ€s almost half the price of a Dignics rubber.

According to Butterfly:

“We have a strong desire to help a broader range of players improve, whilst also responding to the demands of top athletes. Therefore, we developed the Glayzer series which provides ease of use and retains high performance.

We proudly deliver the Glayzer series as a rubber that will help to expand your possibilities.â€

As you can see, the Glayzer was designed to be controllable enough for the average player and offensively capable enough to be used by high-level players.

Taking into account all of the above, my expectations of the Glayzer were sky-high.

In addition to this, we also have to consider the Glayzerâ€s price point and durability. In my opinion, this is what makes the Glayzer stand out even more as a great product.

The Glayzer claims to have an identical topsheet to that found on the Dignics 05, and the Dignics 05 is one of the most durable rubbers ever created.

When we reviewed the Dignics 05, I ended up gluing it to my main racket and I used it as my forehand rubber for that season. The Dignics 05 held up incredibly well, to the point that I can confidently say that itâ€s one of, if not the most durable rubber in the market, together with the Nittaku Fastarc G-1.

I used it for 6 months training anywhere between 10 and 15 hours per week, plus tournaments. That comes out to at least 240 hours if you do the math.

After that, I gifted it to a clubmate whoâ€s a beginner and itâ€s still holding up incredibly well for another few hundreds of playing hours.

Now, we only tried the Glayzer for 10 hours, so we canâ€t say for sure what its durability is like. However, if Butterfly isnâ€t lying and the Glayzer has the same topsheet as the Dignics 05, it should be just as durable.

This would make the Glayzer one of the best value rubbers out there, rated among the most durable rubbers in the market while being priced at just $45 per sheet.

In terms of weight, the Glayzer weighs in at 48 grams when cut to my Stratus Power Wood, a very good weight for a medium-hard rubber.

Playtesting the Butterfly Glayzer

After reading about its characteristics, my expectations for the Glayzer were very, very high.

I glued the Glayzer to my Tibhar Stratus Power Wood and for the first few hours I was quite underwhelmed. Iâ€d use the words ‘dead†and ‘dull†to describe my experience.

I was met with a very non-dynamic rubberthat needed much physical effort to get adequate speed levels out of it.

I didnâ€t want to write this review before trying it on a faster blade, so I glued it onto my other test blade, the OFF+ Donic Original Carbospeed. Suddenly, the rubber came to life and Iâ€m very glad I gave it a second chance.

This experience makes sense when I think about it, as the Dignics 05 is a more powerful and spinny version of this rubber, and even the Dignics 05 isnâ€t too bouncy or explosive. Both the Dignics 05 and Glayzer rubbers need to be played actively to deliver high-quality shots.

On the 5-ply, OFF- Stratus Power Wood, the Glayzer feels very controllable but not offensive at all. I couldnâ€t get any kind of pace or explosiveness on the ball. I just needed more base speed.

After gluing it on the Original Carbospeed, my experience was completely different. The Glayzer suddenly felt alive, explosive, and capable of hitting winners with relative ease.

In fact, the Glayzer has a very grippy topsheet and quite a hard sponge. It has the characteristics to hold up very well on even the fastest blades.

When you stick some rubbers onto a very fast blade they wonâ€t have the touch and control needed in the short game, or they wonâ€t have enough spin and dwell to make the ball dip safely onto the other side when looping. The Glayzer has both.

If I had to say, I would recommend that you try the Glayzer on faster blades. I donâ€t think the Glayzer is a good rubber to use on OFF- blades and below if you want to play an offensive game with it.

The Glayzer feels just perfect on the Original Carbospeed, and I think it would suit a Viscaria or a Timo Boll ALC like a glove.

On these latter blades, typical 5+2 OFF/OFF+ blades, the Glayzer behaves perfectly well in the short game and when blocking, and it has more than enough power when looping.

Driving and Looping

The Butterfly Glayzer is a great rubber for driving, looping, and punching the ball.

It delivers a quite muted and relatively hard feel in the hand. Even though it isnâ€t too bouncy, it has a medium-high throw angle.

The Glayzer works very well for driving the ball. Itâ€s a medium-hard, firm rubber, and it isnâ€t too bouncy, so itâ€s stable and firm when playing drives, flat hits, and smashes.

As for looping, the Glayzer will behave very differently depending on what blade you pair it with.

I found that there are tons of power reserves that you can call upon if you hit harder and harder, though its base speed will depend on what blade you pair it with.

Thatâ€s why I recommend using faster blades with this rubber to neutralize this lack of bounciness when compared to other faster rubbers in this hardness range, such as the Rasanter R47, the Tibhar MX-P, the Tenergy 05, and others.

When paired with a fast blade, the Glayzer is a great rubber for looping.

Loops clear the net wonderfully because of its medium-high throw, and, when you hit harder and harder, the rubber doesnâ€t bottom out and it stays stable and predictable throughout all of its top gears. In other words, it is a very linear rubber.

In this video, especially in the second clip we recorded, you can see that, if you hit hard, the Glayzerâ€s top gears are incredibly fast as the rubber just wonâ€t bottom out.

In addition, due to it not being as bouncy, the Glayzer has great dwell time and it does instill a good feeling of “holding the ball†for a longer time before releasing it.

The ball doesnâ€t go in and out as with a Tenergy, for example. With the Glayzer you get much more time to spin and control the ball, at the expense of some explosiveness.

This is also why the Glayzer is great for counterlooping: you have a nice throw angle paired with good dwell time, a stable, firm sponge, and a very grippy topsheet. Counterlooping with this rubber is very safe for the player using it, and dangerous for the opponent.

As for counterlooping away from the table, your mileage may vary. As we tried it on the Donic Original Carbospeed, the Glayzer feels lively, firm, stable, and powerful.

The Glayzer will feel firm and stable on all blades, but whether it has enough base speed to play an offensive game away from the table, depends on the blade.

Iâ€d say that any blade as fast as a Viscaria or faster will make the Glayzer perform very, very well away from the table.

My experience was great. I was able to generate effortless power, good spin and clear the net easily with the Glayzer away from the table.

As for opening up, the Glayzer is very good as it gives us great grip and very good dwell time with the ball. The arc is also quite good for opening up.

It isnâ€t the spinniest nor the fastest rubber there is, so you wonâ€t get as much quality on your open-ups as you would with top ESN, Butterfly, or Chinese rubbers.

This rubber is more about consistency and stability than everything else.

Serve and Receive

Serving and receiving are very good with the Butterfly Glayzer. I particularly liked receiving with it.

In terms of serving, it produces the amount of spin youâ€d expect from a modern offensive rubber. Itâ€s not on par with higher-end rubbers such as the Tenergies, the Dignics, and other high-end ESN rubbers, but the spin you get is quite good nonetheless.

However, a great attribute of the Glayzer when serving is that it isnâ€t too bouncy, so you can control your serves a lot better than with a Tenergy 05 or an MX-P, for example.

As for serve receives, the Glayzer is excellent. It is a very good rubber for touching short, pushing fast and long with great control, and also, for opening up against long serves.

Starting with passive serve receives, the Glayzer is not as bouncy as top-tier offensive rubbers, so you can push wherever you want, with any speed or depth. Touching short is also comparatively easy.

In terms of active receives, it is a very good rubber for opening up against long serves because of its safe arc and its dwell time. Itâ€s a lot easier to attack long, spinny serves with this rubber compared with a Tenergy 05, for example. You simply get a lot more time with the ball.

As for flicks, I feel like the Glayzer is probably not the best rubber you can find. You can produce high-quality flicks and also you can land them on the table consistently, but it does lack that explosiveness and that ease of spin generation that higher-end rubbers have.

In the end, I believe that itâ€s a lot more sensible to touch short or play high-quality long pushes with this rubber because you wonâ€t get as much power on your flicks, and the Glayzer is extremely good at passive serve receive.

If you want to play backhand flicks often, I think a better offering with the same control as the Glayzer is the Rozena. Its sponge is much softer and bouncier so you get a lot more sink, bounciness, and more spin with short strokes such as flicks.

Blocking and chopping

Blocking with the Glayzer was great.

The Glayzer instills a great sense of confidence when blocking. Itâ€s not too fast and itâ€s medium-hard, so you always feel a sense of control of the ball.

The topsheet is quite grippy though, so blocking spinny loops may prove a bit difficult if you donâ€t angle your racket correctly.

I think the Glayzer is a great blocking rubber, especially on faster blades. On a blade like the Viscaria, the Glayzer will feel very firm, stable, and itâ€ll have just the right amount of speed to be very controllable when blocking passively but also dangerous when blocking actively.

On slower blades, you may find that blocks with the Glayzer will just be too slow to trouble your opponents, as the rubber isnâ€t too bouncy.

Chopping is quite good with the Glayzer. I was able to control the ball pretty well and generate good amounts of spin.

The Glayzer is great in terms of controlling the ball and giving the player more dwell time, so Iâ€m sure itâ€d be great to chop with if you paired it with a slower blade than the OFF+ Original Carbospeed we used for testing it.

Glayzer vs Glayzer 09C

The Butterfly Glayzer differs from the Glayzer 09c in the sponge and the topsheet.

In terms of the sponge, the Glayzerâ€s is 38 degrees, while the Glayzer 09câ€s is 2 degrees harder at 40°.

And, in terms of the topsheet, the Glayzer 09câ€s topsheet is medium tacky like the one present in the Dignics 09c.

Both rubbers are quite control-oriented, but I found the Glayzer to be more powerful and direct, with the Glayzer 09c being the more controllable one of the two. The Glayzer 09c also has a higher throw.

If you want to learn more about the Glayzer 09c, you can check out our full Glayzer 09c review.

Alternatives to The Butterfly Glayzer

Overall Reflections on The Butterfly Glayzer

The Butterfly Glayzer is a great rubber, you just have to pair it with the right blade.

In my opinion, the Glayzer is a very “standard†rubber, in a good way. It has plenty of grip, a medium-hard sponge with great power reserves, and it isnâ€t too bouncy.

It is a very versatile rubber, and it can be virtually anything you want it to be.

• If you pair it with a defensive blade, you can use it to chop with, as it has plenty of grip and control.
• If you pair it with an all-round blade, youâ€ll be able to play virtually any stroke you want to a high standard.
• If you pair it with a fast offensive blade, youâ€ll compensate for its lack of base speed and bounciness with the speed of the blade, and youâ€ll get a fast, spinny, and controllable setup to play a modern offensive game based on loops and counterloops.

In addition, because it has the same topsheet as the Dignics 05, it should last seemingly forever, and, due to its price, the Glayzer is probably one of the best value-for-money rubbers out there.

In my opinion, the Glayzer is a great rubber, and I could see myself using it on the forehand side of my Fan Zhendong ALC.

It is also a good backhand rubber because of its stability when blocking, its strengths in the serve receive and its overall control, but you may find youâ€ll lack some “pop†when playing shorter strokes such as flicks or backhand loops close to the table.

On the backhand side, I personally prefer slightly bouncier rubbers such as the Rozena or the Tenergy 19.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

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First introduced in 1967, Butterflyâ€s Sriver rubber has been used by players to win 20 World & 70 European titles. However, this was done in an era where table tennis was played with a 38mm celluloid ball.

Many players would therefore consider the Sriver ‘outdatedâ€, especially as Butterfly have released many new rubbers since 1967. Surely theyâ€ve improved on their rubber design with the Tenergy, Dignics, and Glayzer rubbers?

I first picked up this rubber in 2005, and Iâ€ve come to love how it behaves for my playing style. Let me share my experiences, and help guide you to understand if Sriver might be the right rubber for your game as well.

BUTTERFLY SRIVER REVIEW SUMMARY

Butterflyâ€s Sriver is a classic rubber, loved by hundreds of thousands of players since it was released in 1967 during the speed glue era.

The medium-hard sponge paired with a classic medium rubber provides a linear reaction to adding power (the ball goes as fast as the power you put in). Thereâ€s also excellent ball-gripping ability which gives it a natural advantage when generating spin.

However, the most impressive thing about Sriver is the outstanding control capability, especially in high-speed matches. Itâ€s very easy to manage powerful attacks from your opponents and place returns back into awkward places.

Sriver is an all-round rubber that adapts well to different playstyles, including for offensive players who donâ€t need to rely on all-out power. WIth great durability and a mid-range price point, Sriver is still a fantastic option for many players.

Perfect for: All-round and defensive players, particularly beginners and intermediate (1 – 7 years experience).

Benefits

Excellent control

Decent speed

Great performance in topspin rallies

Quite good in block heavy topspin

Drawbacks

Absolute speed is not as fast as T05

A little bit expensive

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Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Butterfly Sriver for players who need control, either on the backhand for attacking players, or on the forehand for defensive players….

My Experiences With Sriver

Butterflyâ€s Sriver is an incredibly popular rubber, one of the most-used rubbers of all time. In particular, this rubber was highly sought after by many table tennis players for their backhand during the era of small-sized (38mm) balls.

Even famous players like Wang Hao used this rubber for their backhand shots.

I first started playing table tennis in the early 2000s, at a time when the International Table Tennis Federation had not yet introduced the major switch from celluloid to plastic balls. My initial experience with this rubber was in 2005 when I was just 8 years old.

Afterward, I tried various other rubbers as I progressed in my table tennis journey. It wasn’t until I reached university that I picked up this rubber again. By then, table tennis had entered the ’40+’ era, which meant that the balls had become larger.

Compared to my first experience with the Butterfly Sriver, I had made significant improvements in both table tennis techniques and the understanding of different rubbers. Already, people were moving away from Sriver, but it was at this point I realized it was perfect for my game.

Design of the Butterfly Sriver

As Iâ€ve already discussed, Butterfly developed the Sriver when the game of table tennis was in a very different place. The can be seen clearly on their own comparison chart, which shows Sriver to be significantly slower and less spinny than many of its latest range of rubbers.

So, if youâ€re expecting Sriver to be similar to any of the Tenergy, Glayzer, or Dignics rubbers, youâ€d be in for a surprise. The Sriver is very slow by modern table tennis standards.

In this review, weâ€re focusing on the original Sriver rubber, which has a medium-hard sponge and is designed as an all-round rubber. However, there are a couple of Sriver variations:

Sriver FX– Introduced when speed glue became popular, so Butterfly made a softer version of the original Sriver rubbers that allows the speed glue to penetrate throughout the rubber more easily.

Sriver EL – The ‘latest†Sriver rubber, this was designed to behave like the original Sriver, whilst still having a softer sponge that was suitable for speed gluing.

In the Sriver range, all rubbers have the same topsheet and vary only based on the sponge.

Specifications

• Speed: Medium
• Spin: Medium
• Control:High
• Tackiness:None
• ITTF Approved:Yes
• Sponge Thickness:1.3mm – MAX

Summary: Sriver is a classic rubber which still performs well in the modern era. Perfect for anyone looking for lots of control or playing a more defensive playstyle whilst still wanting some counter-attacking options.

Performance Review of Butterfly Sriver

Before I dive into the playing review, I want to celebrate Sriverâ€s durability. Compared to similarly priced German-made rubbers, I have found that a single sheet of Sriver can last me a full year of playing a few times a week.

Considering the mid-range price of Sriver, this makes it exceptional value. If you use speed glue, or switch the rubber on to different blades, you might find the rubber degrades quicker.

Sriver is a well-rounded rubber which is strong in every area without being perfect in any specific area. The overall feel is of playing clear and crisp shots, with good feedback when you donâ€t quite get your technique right.

When playing with Sriver, I have a lot of confidence that the rubber will behave exactly as I expect, providing me with a big margin for error. Thatâ€s why itâ€s been my primary forehand rubber for over a decade.

Driving and Looping

Due to the medium-hardness of Sriverâ€s rubber, itâ€s easy to perform high-quality and consistent drive shots. Adding a little extra power makes the ball speed up instantly.

Used across either the forehand or backhand, Sriver gives stable performance which brings a feeling of immense control. Especially for beginners looking to develop their technique, Sriver is very forgiving and helps build confidence.

Of course, the biggest debate revolves around whether Sriver maintains its performance, especially in terms of looping, in the era without speed glue. During the speed glue era, the sponge would rapidly expand through gluing, resulting in impressive speed and spin during hits. Shots were extremely powerful. However, without gluing, many players felt that the ball speed decreased, especially compared to the emergence of pre-glued rubbers.

In reality, based on my experience and testing, this claim has some validity but isn’t entirely accurate. Compared to newer-generation rubbers like Tenergy 05 or Dignics 05, Sriver’s absolute speed without glue indeed falls short of their level. However, compared to most other rubbers, the difference in speed for Butterfly Sriver during looping is not as pronounced.Â

Even without gluing, it still offers very high speed for close-to-the-table shots. In mid-to-long-distance topspin rallies, professional players might notice some differences with a decrease in speed and support. However, for the vast majority of amateur players, these subtle differences wonâ€t have a significant impact on your game.

Of course, there’s a simple remedy that involves pairing Sriver with an OFF+ (Offensive Plus) blade, which effectively compensates for the shortcomings in mid-to-long-distance play while maintaining Sriver’s excellent control.

Serve and Receive

Sriver’s rubber surface has a slightly grainy texture, resulting in a high friction coefficient. Even with minimal force, itâ€s able to generate spin without relying solely on the sponge like other comparable rubbers.

When experimenting with the Sriver rubbers, Iâ€ve noticed the most effective spin it generates is backspin. When cutting down under the ball, the rubber really grips and bites onto the ball which creates strong spin. Thatâ€s why my most common serves have some form of backspin component, which my opponents often struggle with.

Dealing with incoming, high-spin serves is an area where Sriver performs reasonably. The grippy topsheet does result in needing to adjust your racket angle based on the incoming spin, which can take practice.

Instead, I recommend playing more attacking strokes with the Sriver and mitigating your opponentâ€s spin by adding your own. Push and flick returns are easy to play, and effective as the Sriver adds a strong amount of spin.

Blocking and Chopping

As a defensive player, speed is not my primary concern when choosing my forehand rubber. Instead, I care about how the rubber performs when Iâ€m defending against strong attacks coming from my opponent.

Itâ€s an area where Sriver is very strong.

You donâ€t need to just rely on my experience, if you visit China youâ€ll find many defensive players with a Japanese-style penhold grip will use Sriver on their forehand. It allows them to comfortably play both attacking and defensive shots with the same rubber.

Sriver is incredible at handling regular pushes, however I need the rubber to deal with more aggressive attacking shots coming my way. With just a slight adjustment to close the racket angle, itâ€s also easy to control and direct these spinny topspins. Sriver does not add a lot of speed by itself, which makes it easy to block consistently.

Moreover, itâ€s possible to play active blocks where you provide some speed through arm movement. I find this an easy, safe way to move my opponent around and force mistakes. Whether blocking actively or passively, I find that Sriver feels very intuitive and effective.

When chopping, the medium-hardness sponge provides a reasonable amount of control. You can feel the rubber compress and bite into the ball, although itâ€s still quite a hard contact compared to some more defensively-minded inverted rubbers.

If youâ€re reliant more heavily on chopping away from the table instead of counter-attacking shots, itâ€s worth considering the Sriver FX variant which comes with a softer sponge. That softer sponge allows for stronger spin and greater control when chopping.

Overall impressions of Butterfly’s Sriver Rubber

For defensive and control-oriented table tennis players, Sriver remains an excellent choice despite its age.

Manufacturers have focussed on creating rubbers with more of everything, which isnâ€t actually what every table tennis player needs. Thereâ€s a reason Sriver is one of the best selling table tennis rubbers of all time.

In China, despite the popularity of DHS Hurricane, there are still many table tennis enthusiasts who prefer this classic rubber. Especially for defensive players, the demands on rubber are high—it can’t be too soft or too hard. Finding a well-rounded rubber that is suitable for blocking while also aiding in offense can be quite challenging.

For choppers, it’s always more difficult to chop with the forehand than the backhand, especially when using an inverted rubber. Dealing with those highly spinny and heavy topspins can be a headache, often resulting in balls going out of bounds. Sriver offers us more options.

You can choose to block near the table, counter-attack from mid to long-range, and if the ball isn’t too fast (and you have enough preparation time) you can easily play an effective chop. The chopped balls will have tremendous spin, making it difficult for your opponent to adapt or lift up.

If youâ€re a defensive or control-centered player and haven’t tried this rubber yet, I strongly recommend getting one and giving it a try.

Alternatives to the Butterfly Sriver

Butterfly Sriver G3

The perfect combination of Butterfly’s new High Tension Technology with the legendary Sriver has made this rubber even more adaptable to the changes in the non-speed glue era, resulting in enhanced speed and spin.

Yasaka Mark V

Yasaka Mark V is also renowned worldwide for its exceptional control, and it offers speed and spin that are just as impressive as Butterfly Sriver. This rubber’s also suitable for table tennis players with different playing styles.

Xiom Vega Europe

XIOM Vega Europe is quite soft and offers strong spin, making it particularly suitable for choppers and players with a controllable playing style. It provides a clear feel when in use and its offensive capabilities are also impressive, making it a well-rounded rubber.

Xinyu started playing table tennis when he was 8 years old in China and he’s also the owner of popular table tennis blog ppongsuper . He has trained with the Chinese provincial team and now plays competitively in the Spanish national league. He’s constantly striving to improve his skills and tactical abilities, as well as deepen his understanding of table tennis. He joined the Racket Insight team to share his passion and promote table tennis to more people!

Blade: Nexy Joo Sae Hyuk | Forehand:Butterfly Sriver FX | Backhand: Dawei 388d-1
Playstyle: The Defender

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Iâ€m not exaggerating when I say that Butterflyâ€s Dignics 09c is the best forehand rubber in the world. In true Butterfly fashion, they have been able to engineer the unthinkable.

In 2008, Butterfly released the Tenergy 05, which took the world by storm. It was decadesahead of its competition. 15 years after its release, most other manufacturers havenâ€t yet caught up to the Tenergy 05â€s quality.

It had a level of grip that was unparalleled at the time and a unique high arc that granted it great control for looping despite its blazing-fast speed.

Now, Butterfly has seemingly tricked the laws of physics once again. They have achieved nearly optimal speed, spin, and control all in the same rubber.

In this review, weâ€ll go over why I think the Dignics 09c is objectively the best rubber in the market. This isnâ€t to say that itâ€s the right choice for everyone, I simply believe that it has the best, most advanced design out of all the rubbers currently available.

I have used the Dignics 09c for around 140 hours across 3 months of training, and Iâ€ve fallen in love with it. But is it the right rubber for you? Letâ€s find out!

BUTTERFLY DIGNICS 09c REVIEW SUMMARY

Released in 2021, the Butterfly Dignics 09c is Butterflyâ€s new flagship rubber. It is a direct upgrade to their most popular rubber of the last 15 years, Tenergy 05.Â

As for its design, its crimson Spring Sponge X is very hard at 44 degrees and it has lots of inbuilt tension. The topsheet itself is medium tacky and extremely grippy. The Dignics 09c is a very fast and spinny rubber with a high arc and a very pronounced parabola.Â

The strongest attributes of this rubber are its control, its spin, and its maximum speed when looping. It excels at all kinds of loops, be it open-ups, counters close and away from the table, brushed loops, and power loops.

The differentiating attribute of the Dignics 09c is that its tacky topsheet and hard sponge make it a lot easier for the player to control the ball, as the rubber is noticeably less bouncy compared to most modern offensive rubbers. All of these attributes make it a superb rubber not only for rally play but also for 3rd ball attacks. In addition, its durability is very high.Â

The only con I could find of the Dignics 09c is its steep price. However, considering its durability, Iâ€d still say that the Dignics 09c is good value.

Perfect for:Intermediate and advanced attackers on the forehand side, advanced offensive players on the backhand side. 4-10+ years of playing.

Benefits

More control than any other rubber with this amount of potential shot quality.

Unparalleled grip and spin.

Very high potential speed.

Not bouncy.

More dwell time than most modern offensive rubbers.

Excels at all kinds of loops.

Very confidence-inducing.

Great at the short game.

Serves carry tons of spin.

Safe, high arc.

Good for blocking.

Ball slippage is non-existent, even after months of use.

Durability.

Drawbacks

Needs to be played actively.

Canâ€t fully take advantage of it unless you have high swing speeds.

Price.

About the Reviewer

Alvaro brings 7+ years of playing experience. He’s tested 20+ rubbers for Racket Insight and his style is The Controller.

About the Review

Blade Used: Stratus Power Wood
Rubber Thickness: 2.15mm
Hours Tested: 40+

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Recommended Playstyles

We recommend the Butterfly Dignics 09c for high-level attackers who want to use the best of the best out there.

Design of the Butterfly Dignics 09c

The Butterfly Dignics 09c comes in the typical Butterfly packaging weâ€ve seen time and time again.

I think it wouldâ€ve been nice if Butterfly did something different for the Dignics line considering itâ€s almost $100. In hindsight, however, I can see that our money was very well spent elsewhere, so I canâ€t complain.

Upon opening the package, we find the rubber. The version we ordered is a deep black 2.1mm sheet of Dignics 09c.

Durability and value

This is how the Dignics 09c is looking after 3 months of veryintensive use:

Both pictures were taken on the same day, under different lighting.

As you can see, the Dignics 09c is holding up wonderfully. Signs of wear are evident when the light hits it at the right angle, but it still plays at 90% of its initial capabilities and it looks perfectly fine in other lighting scenarios. Ball slippage is still non-existent if there isnâ€t too much humidity.

Other rubbers, such as the Donic Bluestorm Pro AM, or the Tibhar Evolution MX-P would have needed replacing by now (Iâ€d probably be on my 3rd MX-P by now), and the Dignics is still in very good condition.

Because of this, and because of the Dignics 09câ€s incredibly high performance, I believe that the Dignics 09c is an acceptable value despite the high price.

If it lasts around 5-6 months at around $80-90 per sheet, I donâ€t think itâ€s as expensive as it may initially seem. Assuming it lasts me 6 months, itâ€s an even better value proposition than a $50 rubber with average durability (3 months of intensive use).

$90 may seem outrageous for a table tennis rubber, but we have to keep in mind that Butterfly does all of the R&D and manufacturing by themselves, while most other manufacturers outsource these processes to a German factory (ESN).

Key design attributes of the Butterfly Dignics 09c

The topsheet of the Dignics 09c is extremely grippy and medium tacky, and its sponge is an intense crimson color. The spong definitely rates as ‘hardâ€.

Butterfly states the Dignics 09câ€s hardness to be 44 degrees. In ESN terms, thatâ€d be well above 55 degrees, maybe even above 60.

In practice, the Dignics 09c plays at around 50-52 degrees ESN. I didnâ€t feel that it plays as hard as Butterfly states its hardness to be.

The Dignics 09c features an absolutely groundbreaking design. Butterfly states that it was designed together with Timo Boll, who tested many prototypes until they settled on the current iteration.

About the Dignics 09c, Timo stated: “(itâ€s) a rubber of a totally new type. I have long wished to play with such a rubberâ€, and “Iâ€m very happy to play with this rubber, because this is for sure the best rubber I ever hadâ€. (source: Butterfly)

I have to say I completely agree with Timo. It is indeed a completely new rubber, and itâ€s also, in my opinion, the best rubber available.

The Dignics 09c managed to blend the sponge and topsheet wonderfully. With hybrid rubbers, itâ€s hard to get the balance quite right. Butterfly absolutely nailed it with the 44-degree Spring Sponge X and the 09c topsheet.

What makes the Dignics 09c truly special is that it has the dynamismof the fastest European rubbers together with the spinand controlof the best Chinese rubbers.

European rubbers and Chinese rubbers have always been thought of as complete opposites. We even wrote an article explaining how different European and Chinese rubbers are.

The Dignics 09c was released to bridge the gap between these two worlds, and it has the advantages of both types of rubbers.

In fact, Butterflyâ€s slogan for the Dignics 09c is: “An advantage from overcoming a paradoxâ€, the paradox being that the Dignics is a very fast and dynamic rubber while having tons of dwell time and control.

This is why I said that Butterfly “tricked the laws of physics†in the introduction of this article. How does the Dignics 09c achieve this effect?

There are two factors that make it possible, the very hard and fast sponge, and the medium tacky topsheet.

Starting with the sponge, 44 degrees is so hard that itâ€s difficult to wrap our heads around that number. Itâ€s such a high number that itâ€s hard to believe, honestly, especially considering how it plays.

For reference, Ma Longâ€s forehand rubber is 42 degrees (on the same scale), and itâ€s said to be one of the hardest rubbers there is.

It seems completely outrageous to me that Iâ€m playing with a harder rubber than Ma Long, but according to Butterfly, thatâ€s whatâ€s happening. However, DHS rubbers play a lot harder because of their spongeâ€s high density.

My theory is that because of the very porous design of the sponge, its advanced technology, and its very fast nature, the rubber plays a lot softer than it actually is.

If it is indeed 44 degrees (weâ€d have to test it with a durometer), in theory, weâ€d get access to more gears than with virtually any other rubber in the world. In practice, it certainly does have plenty of gears.

This is the genius behind the Dignics 09câ€s design. Butterfly thought outside the box.

They created a very fast, incredibly hard sponge that doesnâ€t play that hard because of its speed and its design while retaining the gears of an extremely hard rubber.

In addition, the tacky topsheet helps slow down the ball, granting the player much more dwell time with the ball when performing difficult shots.

In practice, the Dignics 09c is very controllable in the short game because of its hardness and how the topsheet kills speed.

Itâ€s also very controllable for countering and opening up, as its safe high throw gives a lot of clearance over the net, itâ€s very stable and predictable due to its hardness, and again, we have a lot of dwell time due to the tacky topsheet.

And, when you swing hard, the very fast and insanely hard sponge shows its true colors: You can get tons of speed and spin behind your powerloops.

These are the attributes that professional players like so much about the Dignics 09c.

In terms of weight, the Dignics 09c weighs in at 50 grams when cut to my Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC.

Speaking of the Fan Zhendong ALC, Iâ€d like to mention that the Dignics 09c is best suited for fast composite blades. I wouldnâ€t use this rubber on OFF- blades and below. It pairs best with OFF blades and above.

The Dignics 09câ€s base speed isnâ€t very high, and it isnâ€t a bouncy rubber, even on my Fan Zhendong ALC.

When we say that the Dignics 09c is a very fast and dynamic rubber, weâ€re referring to the power you can get when looping. Looping at 80% power and above yields great results in terms of speed. However, if you donâ€t swing hard, the rubber is very tame and controllable.

Because of this moderate base speed, Butterfly states that “since Dignics 09C is very good at holding the ball, it will be a well-balanced racket when combined with an outer-ply artificial fiber blade that has a high reaction†(reaction meaning speed).

They recommend the Dignics 09c for fast, outer composite blades, and I agree with them.

I wouldnâ€t pair it with my Tibhar Stratus Power Wood (all wood OFF- blade), as it would suffer from a lack of base speed.

Specifications

• Speed: High
• Spin: Very High
• Control: High
• Tackiness:Medium tacky
• ITTF Approved:Yes
• Sponge Thickness:1.9mm or 2.1mm

Summary:Overpower opponents with serves, receives, loops, and counters with the ultimate hybrid rubber.

Playtesting the Butterfly Dignics 09c

The Dignics 09c is a truly special rubber, and we can feel it from the moment we start playing with it. Its high throw angle, its hardness, and its extreme grip make it a very fun rubber to use.

One feels compelled to swing harder and harder to get more speed and spin, and the safe, high arc this rubber produces makes you feel like youâ€re always in control.

Itâ€s honestly quite difficult to miss wide from mistimings because of how much dwell time we have when looping. This is something that happens to me quite often with faster rubbers, but it never happens to me with the Dignics 09c.

I have exclusively used the Dignics 09c on my forehand side. I can see why professional players also use it on the backhand side, but I donâ€t think Iâ€m at a level in which I can activate its very hard sponge enough to get speed on the backhand side.

Iâ€d only recommend the Dignics 09c for the backhand side for very advanced players who can powerloop consistently on that wing. Otherwise, you wonâ€t be able to produce as much speed as with bouncier rubbers that have more base speed.

Driving and looping

Once you start driving the ball with the Dignics 09c, youâ€ll notice the rubberâ€s moderate base speed. The Dignics 09c isnâ€t a fast rubber when driving. The tackiness of the topsheet plays a major role in the stroke because the sponge isnâ€t activated much in this type of shot.

When driving, the Dignics delivers a relatively neutral, very hard feel on the hand. The trademark high throw is also present on these forehand drives.

It is only when we start looping that we can understand why the Dignics 09c is such a special rubber.

The Dignics 09c is the best looping rubber in the world according to many of the best loopers in the world.

Fan Zhendong, Timo Boll, Tomokazu Harimoto, Kristian Karlsson, Marcos Freitas, Dimitrij Ovtacharov, and Dang Qiu are some of the best players in the world, and they are currently using the Dignics 09c.

Looping with the Dignics 09c is all about managing how much you brush the ball versus how much you hit into the sponge.

If you activate the sponge and hit through the ball more, the harder sponge is activated to a higher extent, resulting in tons of speed. If you graze the ball more, the spin of the tacky topsheet takes over.

This is not only applicable to the Dignics 09c, it is also the case with most other rubbers. The more you activate the sponge, the more power you get, and the more you graze the ball, the topsheet plays a bigger role.

The difference with the Dignics 09c is that this effect is taken to an extreme.

The sponge of the Dignics 09c is hard and fast like no other sponge, and the topsheet of the Dignics 09c is grippy and spinny like virtually no other topsheet.

This is why its maximum speed and spin values are so high.

However, if you graze the ball and you donâ€t activate the sponge that much, you get more of the dwell time of the tacky topsheet, instead of activating the fast sponge. This gives much more control when playing open-ups and spin shots.

Itâ€s almost like you have two different rubbers in one. When opening up, when brush looping, and when counterlooping, you have the dwell time, the control, and the spín of Chinese rubbers.

When you powerloop and you hit through the sponge, you get the dynamism of European rubbers.

Here are some clips of myself looping for speed with the Dignics 09c in a recent league match:

In this video, we can see 2 of the key points weâ€ve talked about before:

1) That the Dignics 09c is actually very, very fast provided that you swing hard enough, and

2) That the Dignics 09c doesnâ€t play as hard as its 44-degree rating would indicate, given that with a non-professional swing speed, we can activate the sponge enough to get very fast shots.

Here are some clips of myself looping for spinwith the Dignics 09c in tournament and league games:

In these clips we can see how simple it is to win points out of sheer spin when we utilize the grip of the Dignics 09c to our advantage.

The main downsides to the Dignics 09c when looping are 2:

1. To reap these benefits, you need a high swing speed.

Even though the sponge of the Dignics 09c plays softer than it is, itâ€s still very, very hard. In addition, its base speed is not very high so in order to activate its sponge to get high-speed loops you need a relatively high swing speed.

The same happens when opening up and when brush looping, in order to get the monstrous spin this rubber is able to generate, you need to swing fast enough.

Otherwise, you wonâ€t be able to get the incredible speed and spin this rubber is able to generate, and you might be underwhelmed by the Dignics 09c.

2. It needs to be played actively.

Players using the Dignics 09c wonâ€t be able to just flick their wrist and get good quality on their shots like you can with the Tenergy 05 and most fast European tensor rubbers. This is also why I canâ€t use it properly on the backhand side.

If you want to utilize the Dignics 09c to its fullest potential, you need to move and execute the weight transfer properly.

If you do all of this, I think that the Dignics 09c is a very forgiving rubber because of its high grip, its safe, high arc, and its moderate base speed.

Because of its arc, grip, and lack of bounciness, the Dignics 09c is ideal for opening up and counterlooping.

Open-ups are made very easy with this rubber, and they carry tons of spin. It is very easy to clear the net and the ball then dips down a lot more than with less grippy rubbers.

As for counterloops, the Dignics 09c is ideal because of its hardness, its arc, and its dwell time. You get a lot of time with the ball, a lot of safety over the net, and very good stability.

Playing away from the table requires a bit more effort but itâ€s great nonetheless. When you swing hard, you can get tons of speed and spin on the ball.

Another factor to keep in mind is that, when youâ€re at mid and long distances, you have a lot more time to set up your strokes.

Using this rubber, I find that Iâ€m very comfortable looping at mid-distances since I have more time to set up a higher-quality loop, resulting in more speed and spin.

As for flat hitting, itâ€s more than good enough. Tacky rubbers are usually terrible at flat-hitting, but this isnâ€t the case with the Dignics 09c.

With the Dignics 09c, if you hit into the hard sponge and the blade, youâ€ll get more of them than youâ€ll get off the tacky topsheet.

Flat hitting with the Dignics 09c and the Fan Zhendong ALC is actually very good. I can just hit into the hardness of the rubber and the blade and get very good speed and stability.

Serve and receive

Serving and receiving are two of the differentiating attributes of the Dignics 09c. Lots of professional players are using it because of how easy it is to play out the short game.

Starting with the serves, though, it is excellent at generating spin. Serves carry a lot more spin than your average rubber.

In addition, it isnâ€t very bouncy and it has a medium tacky topsheet. It is the ideal rubber for serving because of its high grip and its high dwell time.

With the Dignics 09c, you can load serves with spin and place them wherever you want easily.

Active serve receives are great with the Dignics 09c. I liked forehand flicking with the Dignics as its hardness instills a very nice sense of confidence.

Passive serve receives with the Dignics 09c are better than with most other high-performance rubbers. It is a bit strange at first, but, when you get used to it, itâ€s one of the best rubbers in the market in terms of maximum speed compared with the ease of playing out the short game.

The Dignics 09c may be sensitive to incoming spins but its lack of bounciness makes every passive serve receive a lot easier.

Touching short with the Dignics 09c is superb once you get used to the topsheet and sponge combo.

I found that when my opponent served backspin and I didnâ€t activate the sponge enough, that is, I grazed the ball with low acceleration, the ball would fall into the net because the tacky topsheet absorbed the spin.

And, when I contacted the ball slightly too thickly, the sponge would get activated more and its high throw would show more, resulting in me popping up the ball.

Touching short is stranger than with other rubbers, but, when you get used to it, itâ€s definitely easier than with other offensive rubbers.

Pushing long is not an issue because I consistently use roughly the same swing speed and I already know how to angle the racket and how to hit the ball to get the result I want.

Blocking and chopping

Blocking with the Dignics 09c is quite good.

It isnâ€t as good as grippy rubbers because itâ€s slower and more spin-sensitive, but itâ€s actually very easy to control and fast enough to trouble opponents with active blocks. I think blocking with the Dignics 09c is quite underrated.

Its main strength when blocking is that itâ€s easier to control fast shots with this rubber than with most other high-performance rubbers. For that, the Dignics 09c is excellent.

As for chopping, the Dignics 09c is quite good. I donâ€t chop too often, but when I do, Iâ€m able to put a lot of spin on the ball and control it properly.

You get quite a bit of dwell time with chopping and the grip is superb. I wouldnâ€t really recommend it to choppers but itâ€s a good rubber for chopping every so often if the situation arises.

Alternatives to the Butterfly Dignics 09c

Overall reflections on the Butterfly Dignics 09c

The Butterfly Dignics 09c is, in my opinion, the best rubber currently available because of its incredible design. Itâ€s very hard to fathom how the Dignics 09c is one of the best rubbers for power looping and touching short at the same time.

In fact, the Dignics 09c is one of the best rubbers for looping, counterlooping, opening up, serving, and playing out the short game.

Itâ€s one of the spinniestrubbers available, it has one of the highest maximum speeds you can find, it has tremendous control, more than adequate dwell time, and a safe, high arc.

I still find it hard to believe that Butterfly managed to combine all of these advantages into one single rubber.

The main disadvantages of the Dignics 09c are that itâ€s very, very expensive, it needs to be played actively, and it needs relatively high swing speeds to be utilized properly.

Hence, the Dignics 09c is the perfect choice on either wing for offensive players who have high enough swing speeds, play an active game, and can afford to pay for it.

Alvaroâ€s a qualified ITTF Level 1 Coach who’s been playing Table Tennis since he was 15 and is now ranked within the top 50 in his native Argentina. He loves to compete in provincial tournaments and is always looking for ways to improve. Alvaro made his favorite memories with a racket in hand, and he joined the RacketInsight team to share his passion with other players!

Blade: Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Forehand: Butterfly Dignics 09c | Backhand: Butterfly Tenergy 19
Playstyle: The Controller

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