(by: Logan Rietz)
With all of the options Butterfly offers, sometimes it can be daunting to determine which rubber sheet is right for you. We offer a wide variety of price points and performance capabilities to accommodate as many players as we can. Ranging from one of the few official hardbat rubbers still in production to top-tier technical rubber used widely by professionals all over the world, we have something for everyone. As a self-identifying equipment junkie with a USATT rating just under 1800, I’ve tried a vast array of rubber sheets and have learned a few things along the way:
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- Figure out the game you want to play, then figure out the equipment that helps you do that best. I often speak to customers asking for our “best” rubber/blade/paddle. Unfortunately, it is never that simple, as that answer is different for everyone. Budget, playing style, playing level, past equipment usage/likes/dislikes, and goals all factor into this decision.
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- If you decide to make an equipment change (not just to try it out), play with it for at least a few months to really give it a chance.
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- Stop looking for that rubber that has 10/10 in speed, spin, feel, and control.😊 Everything is a trade off when it comes to these factors. If the rubber is faster, it can be harder to control. If the rubber is capable of generating a lot of spin, it is that much more susceptible to incoming spin. Softer sponge has great feeling but will lower your overall spin and speed potential. And so on, and so on….
All that being said, it is important to find rubber that fits your playing style and playing level. With that information in hand, you need to honestly and practically prioritize what you want your rubber to do for you. Just starting out and need something you can keep on the table easily? Take a look at some of the slower rubber options. Need your rubber to generate easy power so you don’t have to? Look for a High Tension rubber with a soft to medium sponge density. For most people, several options are realistically viable for them to use.
For players who value control or are just starting out on their table tennis journey, most will be well suited to consider the bottom left corner of our Rubber Matrix. This includes Flextra, Sapphira, the Tackiness/Tackifire lines, and the ever-popular Sriver rubbers. The options in this area of the matrix are easy to control and offer a variety of sponge thicknesses and densities. While they do not have the elasticity of High Tension rubbers, they are perfect for developing players and anyone seeking a solid allround or defensive game.
Someone seeking rubber reminiscent of simpler times when spin wasn’t the biggest factor in the game still has a few to choose from. The Roundell line (Soft, Hard, or regular) and Bryce Highspeed focus more on speed capabilities. For someone that wants to focus on just hitting through the ball instead of looping with heavy spin, these are great options. Bryce Highspeed is the fastest Butterfly rubber currently in production.
Over the last several years, Butterfly has developed several options for players heading towards the Tenergy and Dignics lines but aren’t quite ready to pull that trigger. Rozena, Glayzer, and Glayzer 09C are more user-friendly versions of Tenergy 05, Dignics 05, and Dignics 09C respectively. Rozena and the Glayzer line are designed for players seeking High Tension rubber without going all the way to the technical Tenergy and Dignics lines. For many, this makes this style of rubber more accessible, both in terms of performance and budget.
Tenergy rubber brought table tennis out of the speed glue era and has been a mainstay on the world stage in its various forms for close to 15 years. With great spin potential and easy power, Tenergy gives players all over the globe the ability to swing with confidence. This is achieved due to the combination of High Tension and Spring Sponge technologies, both of which have changed the game and what players can expect from their rubber. The different models (05, 19, 25, 64, and 80) and sponge options (regular, FX, or Hard depending on the model) give a wide range of playing levels and styles what they need from a high performance rubber sheet.
The Dignics rubber line is an update on the world-renowned Tenergy series. With a higher density sponge (Spring Sponge X) and new, more durable top sheet, Dignics rubber really shines for players with medium to fast swing speeds. However, this also can make it easier to push short, since it has less of the catapult effect Tenergy is known for. As a result, Dignics rubber will be a bit more versatile than Tenergy. 3 of the Dignics models (05, 64, and 80) follow their Tenergy brethren in terms of speed, spin, and arc in relation to each other. The outlier is Dignics 09C; with a hard sponge and tacky top sheet, 09C is a more technical rubber than the others.
Tune in later for a breakdown on the rubber table tennis players love to hate: pips. 😶
