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Butterfly Harimoto Innerforce ZLC
Blade description:
The Butterfly Harimoto Innerforce ZLC is a remarkable table tennis blade designed to deliver an exceptional level of control and spin, making it a favored choice for both amateur and advanced players alike. This blade features a unique combination of seven plies, including a layer of ZLC (Zylon Carbon), which enhances its performance by balancing speed and control. It is characterized as an OFF- blade, striking a fine equilibrium between powerful strokes and precision.
With a weight of approximately 89 grams and a thickness of 5.7mm, the Harimoto Innerforce ZLC falls into the medium weight category. This weight provides players with a solid feel while ensuring maneuverability for swift shots. The blade’s stiffness rating of 3 and hardness of 3.7 contribute to its flexibility, allowing for rich feedback on strikes and enabling controlled spins. Players often commend the blade’s grip and its responsiveness to different playing styles.
For those considering alternatives, popular options include the Harimoto ALC and the Harimoto Super ZLC for players seeking different characteristics in their blades. However, the Innerforce ZLC stands out for its unique touch and sound, with vibrations measured around 1350 Hz, providing exceptional feedback during play. Players recommend pairing it with high-performance rubbers, such as Tenergy 05 or tensor rubbers to maximize its potential. Overall, it is a blade that not only garners high ratings for its consistency and control but also enhances the player’s ability to engage in varied strokes while enjoying the game.
Recent Reviews
#1 — September 2022
Love this blade! I paired it with T05H on the forehand and D09C on the backhand. It’s great for countering loops from any distance and provides an excellent feeling with minimal vibration. Backhand flicks are effortless.
However, it’s important to note that both the blade and rubbers are heavy, with the raw blade weighing over 80 grams. This may be too heavy for younger players, who risk wrist strain.
Despite this, I highly recommend this blade. With consistent practice, you’ll notice significant improvement in your skills within a few months. Remember to use fine sandpaper to smooth the grip edges and prevent blisters on the sides of your thumbs.
#2 — April 2022
I used the Apolonia ZLC, Layer ZLC, old Innerforce ZLC, Innerforce ZLC PRO, and from my perspective, this is the best blade. I had perhaps better blades than the Harimoto ZLC. The Harimoto ZLC has a great grip, and it is very easy to open with the banana-chiquita. Of course, it has cons, such as problems with no-spin serves, overshooting, and nets, which are my mistakes. This is an amateur-friendly blade, with a great grip, hard feeling, and slow tempo. It is a special choice for amateurs who do not want to play worse with an expensive blade than with a cheap all-wood 5-ply OFF- blade. So I consider all kinds of strokes for amateurs to receive great feedback in every area. This is definitely a premium OFF- blade, you do not need anything better with a ranked “reputation”. You do not need to read the opinion of a snake oil salesman. You will be very happy with G1 on BH and Sieger PK50 on FH or Tenergy 05 like Dan from TableTennisDaily.
EDIT: It is sometimes too slow with Sieger PK 50, so I recommend tensor rubbers, not hybrids, because the blade has too much grip. Therefore, it needs bounce. From my perspective, MXS? MXP? VII PRO, V15 Extra, everything with a catapult around 42-50 degree sponges. Do not consider this blade if you are an amateur and want to play with a hybrid; you will not generate the high power. Spin is one of a kind, no lie, but it works like this with the hybrid: medium hard, slow, flexy composite blade + harder rubber = bigger surface of blade (flex and control) + heavier rubber (longer trajectory and more spin from further area) ==> the setup is head-heavy ==> slow gears, good in a short game, but a lot harder to play after bounce, and you need a lot of brushing motion, so if you are good at brushing, you need a lot of muscles. I am sorry, it is too hard after 3-4 trainings with Sieger PK50. So it is still 9.9 overall, but smashing is not good, and the slow nature is the base for other rubbers. The tempo is near Timo Boll Spark, so you understand me…
#3 — January 2022
This blade is exceptional, surpassing the performance of Harimoto ALC and Harimoto Super ZLC. It functions as an unparalleled blocking machine, providing an exclusive touch and exceptional control. The blade excels in spin production, making every shot extraordinary. Its specifications include a weight of 85 grams and a frequency of 1320 HZ.