November 22, 2019

The Latest Butterfly Combination: Lin Gaoyuan ALC, Dignics 80, and Dignics 64 Review

(By Truong Tu)

There are many separate reviews for the Lin Gaoyuan ALC Blade, Dignics 80, and Dignics 64. This post will review these three items used in combination  – as this is one of the latest product pairings offered by Butterfly.

I chose the straight handle and the first feeling when holding the blade is that it really fit my hand; the grip is comfortable. I applied two layers of Free Chack II to each of the Dignics rubber sheets and applied one layer to the blade. After attaching the rubber sheets and the blade, I applied pressure and left the blade overnight to make sure they fit nicely together. The total weight of the blade with the two rubber sheets is 173 grams.

I have been playing with Viscaria and Dignics 05 for a while. My first impression after bouncing a ball is that the combo feels softer and that it should be slower than what I am using now. However, the full swing gave me a totally different feeling; the soft feeling is still there but the speed is a little faster than my current combo. It is an amazing feeling as the ball stays on the paddle as it sinks in and then shoots out with high speed and spin. The combination of the Lin Gaoyuan ALC Blade with Dignics 80 and Dignics 64 produces the feeling of control without losing power or spin.

Blocking is not my strength; however, with this combo, blocking is enjoyable thanks to long dwell time enabling me to direct the ball to the desirable location with ease. The stronger the loop, the faster the ball comes back without losing any control. The same concept applies to the counter loop against a spinny ball; I can feel the paddle grab the ball then spin back with such a speed that appears to accelerate immediately after touching the opponent’s side.  This is almost the same feeling as a Chinese rubber. Returns that drop short and short serves are also easy with the soft feeling of the Lin Gaoyuan blade combine with the spin of Dignics 64 and Dignics 80. Moreover, the Banana flip – one of the latest and most effective techniques in the model table tennis era – is so much easier to perform and more lethal as a majority of my flips send the ball to the back line of the table.

In my opinion, Dignics 64 is better suited for a close-to-the table style as it feels softer and has a lower angle compared to Dignics 80. The Dignics 80 provides more kick to the ball off the paddle with a higher angle throw which is better suited for a middle-distance style.