Butterfly Innerforce Layer ALC

Just got this blade and tested it for 2 hours. (My previous blade was 1st ver Mizutani ZLC.) My first impression is that this blade is very slow and it feels very 'trapped' and its not letting go for some reason. However, the control and forgiveness is exceptional. After an hour or so, trying to throw more power into each shot, this blade suddenly taps into this power and unlocks itself like turning Super Saiyan. It will shoot a laser if you hit hard enough with the correct timing.

If you compare this to a car, its like Turbo lag and when the Turbo comes in, it shoots off or like Vtec kicked in when certain RPM is achieved (the ALC carbon kicks in), which is actually a very nice feeling and will make you a player that can do sudden explosive shots when needed while also defend as much as possible when necessary.

This is not a super fast blade, but fast enough with the right strokes and rubber, but with its amazing control the trade off is not so bad. It gives you massive confidence to do what you want to do. It isn’t like an open buffet free for grab for its power like the ZLC, but a 3-course balanced meal that you tap into as it goes.

The best blade for an amateur who wants something more soulful than Korbel and wants to try artificial fiber is one that offers specific, yet good rotation. This will provide the player with a balance of control and power, allowing them to develop their skills and improve their game.

Some good options to consider include the Butterfly Timo Boll ALC, the Stiga Carbonado 145, and the Yasaka Sweden Extra.

I have this as my primary setup paired with T05 on FH and T80 on BH. This is an amazing bat, with excellent feeling and touch, good dwell time, and fast enough on harder stokes. I can only recommend it; it’s worth the price, no doubts.

The blade speaks for itself; give it a try. It has nice speed and control with Tenergy 05-FX.

I played with Viscaria before, and in my opinion, IFL ALC is an overall better blade. It has lots of control with practically the same speed.

Amazing blade, very fast at high speeds, very controllable in passive play. Nice wood feel and all the flex needed for power topspins.

The blade is an incredibly well-made piece of equipment. It has a nice weight and balance and feels very solid in the hand. The handle is also very comfortable to grip, and the rubber is of high quality.

The blade is very responsive and gives excellent feedback. It is also very forgiving, making it a good choice for players of all levels. The blade is also very durable and should last for many years with proper care.

Overall, I am very impressed with this blade. It is a well-made, high-quality piece of equipment that is perfect for players of all levels.

I used to play with all-wood blades in my earlier years, with my last one being the Stiga Clipper CC. I decided to switch to an ALC blade.

I happened to have a friend who used the Viscaria, and I can definitely say that it was way too fast for me.

Getting the Innerforce Layer ALC was the best decision I’ve made. It maintains a woody feeling for lower gear and soft touches, while boosting my strength at higher gear. It didn’t take long to get used to this blade, and I really appreciate the control. I recommend this blade for all-round to spin-oriented offensive playstyles.

Great blade! Excellent control in everything you want to do: short game, mid and far distance game as well, when you give more strength to your hit. The first feeling is pretty bouncy and gives you a feedback that makes you better feel the ball, increasing your touch and sensations right after your hit, which helps you better feel and quickly and easily master your blade. But once the beast is mastered, you will be able to put the ball anywhere you want and how you want on the table thanks to its great precision and huge turbo acceleration skills (thanks to the famous Innerforce Layer ALC!).

Enough dwell-time and flexibility to easily produce a lot of spin with, of course, the required technical skills to be able to perform it with efficiency. Loop, underspin, topspin, and even counter topspin become so natural and easy to perform. Also perfect to block after little blade angle modifications and/or adaptations. Smashing is now a piece of cake that gives you even more self-confidence in your play! And last but not least: the service becomes a lethal weapon thanks to the amount of spin you are now able to give with this magnificent blade!

And of course, like always, you have to take into consideration which rubbers are used in FH and BH and your own level and skills as a player.

My blade weight = 84Gr. (naked!)

This blade is a MUST!

Although the blade has a pure OFF profile, it’s not hard but has some flex and springiness. It’s rated 10 for offensive control and 8 for defensive control.

The 84-gram Layer ALC can’t hold two Tenergy non-fx rubbers without becoming head-heavy. It’s less important than finding the right setup, including the blade and rubbers.

While the blade is excellent for looping, blocking can be challenging, but spinny topspins can be blocked. Rubbers play a crucial role, with T80/T80fx recommended, though the reviewer uses T05fx and Acuda Blue P2. T80 offers consistent shots but makes the blade head-heavy, while T05fx allows for fantastic loops but requires skill for pushing and blocking.

Acuda Blue P2 is a perfect backhand rubber for safety rather than looping. For the forehand, no ideal rubber was found to balance the low weight of Acuda, as most were too heavy. Starting with T80 on the forehand and Acuda P2 on the backhand is recommended.

It is a good blade, but a bit too soft and slow. There is another Innerforce kind of blade that is faster and better, like the Liu Shiwen ZLF blade. It is also a shame for Butterfly, but DHS now has this type of blade, only better, and costs one-quarter of the price of this one in the DHS301.

If you adore the sensation, dwell, and control of a limba/ayous wood blade but also value the amplified stability and sweet spot of ALC, this blade is tailor-made for you. Butterfly’s innovative approach with the Innerforce layer blade involved strategically positioning the ALC layers closer to the blade’s core. This design decision translates into enhanced sensation and feel from the two limba layers upon ball contact, coupled with increased stability and precision for both blocking and hitting, empowering you with additional power from a distance. When comparing it directly to an all-wood blade, its short game shines with great control, but when executing powerful swings, the ALC takes center stage, delivering an extra boost. While slightly slower than a Viscaria or Timo Boll ALC, it compensates with superior control, feel, and sensation. The sole drawback I’ve encountered is the thinner handle, which prompted me to seek customization from a friend. They adeptly fitted it with a sizable, meaty Tibhar Force Pro black handle, rendering it an ideal fit. Undoubtedly, an exceptional blade.

This blade exhibits excellent control and provides a decent amount of speed. I have decided to retain both this blade and the Barwell Fleet indefinitely. It offers a wide range of possibilities in gameplay. Compared to the Viscaria, it boasts superior speed and control. Additionally, the handle is more comfortable, featuring a rounder and slightly smaller design.

Great blade for all-around play. It performs exceptionally well with inverted rubbers featuring medium-hard sponge. You can execute both delicate and soft strokes, as well as rapid and forceful top-spins and flat shots. This versatility is attributed to the ALC layer’s placement beneath two layers of softwood, enabling effortless play without utilizing the ALC layer or effortless power shots by applying slightly more force to incorporate the carbon layer.

Remarkably, I’ve achieved notable success playing with long pips on this blade. However, it truly excels with short pips. Currently, I am transitioning to using inverted rubbers and have found this blade to be equally impressive.

I have considered exploring the Butterfly Apolonia ZLC blade, but it’s more for curiosity than necessity. I genuinely appreciate the Innerforce Layer ALC blade and cannot fault it. In fact, I value it so highly that I own two examples – one as my primary blade and the other for experimentation with different rubbers (they occasionally swap roles when experiments prove fruitful).

Given so many good reviews, I’m not going to over-praise it. Just to mention one thing for this classic blade is that if you try to passively block a topspin, the ball is more likely to return down to the net. Besides, it’s one of the best blades to keep.

Like no other composite blade! If you find TBS/VIS/other ALC blades lack the feel of balls, Innerforce is an answer!

It dwells like no other ALC, has a soft woody feel like no other ALC, and has a kick in the mid-distance. It really has a high throw with T05, almost too high (I am thinking about T64 for BH). It works well with hard tacky rubbers. It’s quite springy due to the limba outer. It’s a half step down from ALC blades with different placement of ALC layers, such as VIS/TBALC/ZJK/MM/TBS. If these are too “composite”, Innerforce Layer ALC has enough power, great stability due to Arylate/Carbon layers, a great woody feel, long dwell, and good control.

I tried blade with Tenergy 05 64, rasant, and it is good in speed, control, close to the table as well as away from the table. If you compare it with Timo Bol ALC, it is a bit slower with a bit more spin and a little more sense.

Easy to play with lots of control. Good speed, and very good for looping and smashing. I found the best combo for this blade to be T05 FH and T64 BH. Perfect combo! For me…Try it…

What a wonderful blade! It beats the old Innerforce alc. It’s fast with good control. I use it with Sriver FX on both sides.

There isn’t a noticeable difference between the Innerforce-Layer ALC and the old Innerforce ALC. It feels good in the hand and plays pleasantly fast and controlled. Great blade for a lot of money. Fits perfectly with T05 and T05FX.

This is my first ever review. Once I got this blade and played a few practice sessions with it, I wanted to share my unforgettable experience. Overall, it’s a perfect fit for my playstyle.

My Innerforce Layer ALC weighs 89 grams. The FL handle is perfect for my small hand. I use Xiom Vega Pro for my forehand and Donic Acuda S2 for my backhand.

Before this purchase, I played with the Xiom Ice Cream AZX. I lacked ball feel and disliked the “glassy” feeling. Now I’ve found what I’ve been looking for: very good touch, great dwell (compared to any outer carbon blade), and exceptional spin on slow openings. The blade also allows for controlled active blocking.

Overall, the speed of topspins is slightly slower than Viscaria, but with better control and ball placement. The only drawback is that it requires more effort to hit through-ball style winners.

In summary, it’s not a cheap blade, but I believe it’s worth the investment.

Innerforce Layer ALC blade, 2023 model, 5+2 layers, 95 mm x 25 mm FL handle, 90 gr. Paired with Vega X Max forehand and Hexer Duro 1.9 backhand rubbers.

This combination excels in close to medium distances from the table, providing excellent control for soft rotations as well as ample power for more forceful shots. Highly recommended for players seeking a well-balanced blade with impressive versatility.

One of the thicker Butterfly woods, the [blade name] feels softer due to its inner layers. However, it is surprisingly stiff and stable, providing excellent control while being fast enough for offensive gameplay. It is slightly faster than the Apolonia ZLC, with a softer feel. The [blade name] is highly recommended for versatile attacking play. Harder rubbers perform well with it, making it one of the best blades I have ever used. My backhand rubber of choice is the Dignics 09 °C.