Butterfly Garaydia ZLC

Review:

The blade is perfect with Digincs 05 on both sides. It excels at all aspects of table tennis, providing excellent quality for every shot. Flicks are exceptionally lethal.

I have experimented with different rubbers, and D05 remains the best choice. Tenergy 05 and 09c lack the desired shot quality, while ESN rubbers lack sufficient grip.

The only potential downside is the blade’s thickness, but this is a minor issue given its overall exceptional performance.

I own many awesome blades and this one sits there at the top along with my Donic Waldner World Champion '89 blade (both with different characteristics but with the same results). Paired the blade with Tibhar Evolution FX-P MAX on both sides.

Very powerful when hitting hard and the sound is music to the ears. Great combination for blocking and ball placement. Very nice control with a medium trajectory as long as proper technique is used.

The blade is well constructed with thick Japanese Hinoki outer plies, ZLC, and Kiri center ply. The blade without rubber weighed 91 grams and when the rubber and side tape was added the total weight is 186 grams (perfect) using 2 digital scales for accuracy and both had equal numbers.

When comparing the Garaydia ZLC to the Donic Otvcharov Carbospeed blade with the same origin and make-up they almost sound identical with the same great characteristics and playing ability. The one feature I do like with the Garaydia ZLC is how well the flared handle sits in my hand (very comfortable). Great looking blade, give it a try. Five-star blade with a 10.

I use the T5000, and I recently purchased a ZLC after the Garaydia model was discontinued. I don’t believe there will be another Butterfly model with such thick Hinoki on the outer leaf.

When compared, both blades are similar - they are both rated as OFF +. The ZLC is slightly slower with a slightly higher arc. However, due to the ZLC, the control and block on the table are much better, and the contact time with the topspin ball is longer. This allows me to attack underspin services with ease. My services have more effect as well.

Overall, the ZLC model is undoubtedly better. The energy dispersion of the ZLC material on the topspin blocks is incredible. In such fast wood, it is easy to block aggressively but also to perform a soft block with the ball bouncing two or more times on the opponent’s side.

In short, the ZLC is an OFF + blade with very thick, good quality Hinoki wood in the outer sheet. This produces surprisingly good control in the block and in the short game. I currently use the ZLC with Tenergy 05 (FH) and 05FX (BH), and my game is still fast and aggressive, but I have better control.

What a powerful blade! It is very fast and also has a nice throw angle. Plus, the ZLC carbon and the thick hinoki outer ply give it a nice touch. It is not balsa in the center; it is Kiri. For me, it was too powerful, so I gave it to my coach for a better usage.

Amazing blade! Superb control and touch!

The blade is fast, but with feeling.

Great blade with Tenergy 05 FX max on both sides. The topspin is very powerful and the rotation is awesome. Control is good for me with these rubbers.

Very well balanced in terms of speed and control. I’ve used many blades, including Viscaria, Schlager, Innerforce Layer ALC.S, Rosewood NCT VII, Intensity VPS V, Clipper Wood, and maybe only Viscaria comes close to such balance.

Close to the table attacks are very efficient with strong support for away from the table counterattacks. It has good dwell time to generate powerful spin.

The short game gives all-wood-like control, making it the best blade for my style of play.

Once you learn to control the blade’s speed, blocks become much easier to execute. The blade’s “airiness” allows for precise control, making it a great choice for experienced players. However, beginners may find the blade’s speed initially challenging.

Mine is a Chinese penhold with 05 fh and rzkza x on the back. It has excellent power with so many gears, especially so much power on the forehand with a soft feel. I also have the alc, which is also good but has less power. Still, it is a very good blade. I have nittaku h3 neo national on the forehand and provincial on the back. I have tried about 25 blades in 5 years. I really like these two. They are worth every penny I paid.

Just bought this marvelous product. Played once, and just one word for it - ASTONISHING! Due attack acts almost like off+. Exceptional spin and flat smash. Spin can be made far, close, or even from the table. During passive games, you feel able to continue or attack at once (as you wish). Flip goes easy, so I disturb my opponents quickly. In defense, it feels smooth, mild, and very precise. I just love this one. In block, chop, and spinning is very forgiving. Comparing to TBALC, everything is twice better, even sound. Craftsmanship - I think BTfly just scored! The blade looks like a piece of jewelry… My Garaydia weighs only 81 grams, with rubbers exactly 180 g. I use Xiom Omega IV Pro max. Maybe with T05 would act even better, but I don’t know how it is possible?

Update:

Was too amazed with speed that I was not thinking well about control. So, control is zero! I had at the same time Innerforce ZLCZLC (old version), with the same rubbers (T05) - 5 times better blade is Innerforce in all aspects of play… Be very attentive if you want to buy Garaydia - does not worth the money Butterfly asks (180eur). I switched to Xiom Vega Tour and just now I see what is true quality of the blade.

Such a beautifully crafted blade. Of the 15+ nice blades I’ve owned, this one (along with the ALC version, which I also own) feels by far the most premium. I thought that a control rating of 9 had to be exaggerated before I purchased it. However, the level of control and feeling is remarkable in such a quick blade.

While promotional material describes it as ideal for close-range play, I find that it is a fantastic mid-distance weapon as well. While I love my Garaydia ALC as well, the ZLC has that lethal extra kick away from the table that makes a difference in a tight match. I play with T05 FH and T80 BH, and aggressively looping underspin is a breeze with this setup.

While the short game will never be my strong point, I was pleased with this blade’s performance in the short game. I am undoubtedly honeymooning with this blade, but I simply love it so far. The only caution I would give is that the Garaydia ZLC would probably be a little aggressive for anyone under a solid intermediate level.

I was hesitant to switch to this paddle, as I was satisfied with my Donic Black Devil Carbon, which was the fastest blade at the club. However, I felt like my game was restricted by the blade’s playing characteristics, so I was tempted to try the Garaydia T5000. I realized that speed wasn’t the most important factor, or else I would still be using the Black Devil.

After switching to this paddle, I understood why it was so expensive. It is highly dynamic and controllable, with a light touch in the short game. For shots away from the table, it has enough power to hit the ball hard, and best of all, it is flexible enough to generate tremendous spin and allows for easy looping.

My game has now been able to evolve in all categories, as this blade excels at everything.

Brand spanking new for 2015 is a very fine and exquisitely designed blade from Butterfly’s latest offering. It has the latest cutting edge design technology with ZLC, and this blade is absolutely gorgeously stunning as well. I really like the green jade jem placed on the lower part of the backhand side of the handle - such a beauty to behold!

The 1.6 mm thick outer Hinoki plies on both sides feel like heaven and provide very little vibration. You can really feel like you’re gripping the ball. I don’t believe outer plies this thick are even available on any other blade in the market - let alone in Kiso Hinoki.

For me personally, it is just a bit fast and harder to control when paired with Tenergy’s. However, if you’re over 2200, you’ll probably do just fine. That’s when you can make the speed really shine.

Try one out at your local club if you can, or you can purchase mine here -> goo.gl/N68FrN for a deal on eBay if you’re interested. Thanks :).