Customer review for Butterfly Timo Boll ZLF

External Review for Butterfly Timo Boll ZLF on November 3, 2023

My level is around 1500 TTR (around 1800 USATT). I can compare this blade with a standard 5 ply wood and Timo Boll ALC. My TB ZLF is 86 gramm, 1400 hz. I am playing with 2x Vega Pro (2.0mm). It is not head heavy at all, and well balanced. Comparing the TB ZLF to TB ALC, the ZLF is much for forgiving. Biggest difference you can feel is that there is alot more dwell time on the ZLF, and more vibrations. You can feel the ball more, and even if you are not perfectly in position and your stroke wasnt clean, the ball still has a high chance to go on the table. At the same time, short game and loops with the ZLF are easy to do and confidence inducing. Comparing the ZLF to a 5ply wood: With 5 ply, loops are automatic, and it works well if you dig into the ball or go for thin brush contacts. For me, on the ZLF, it took some time to adjust with loops because digging into the ball gave me a lot more quality on spin and speed. With thin contact, opening up on backspin was difficult and the quality was lower. Adjusting to this was no problem though, took 2 training sessions. Away from the table, the ZLF felt alot better than 5ply wood. Just more power but same full confidence. Short game was easy with both, smashing was better with the ZLF for me. Flicking was way easier with 5 ply than with the ZLF at first . Once I opened my racket angle more, I was able to produce nice trajectories on the ZLF also. On blocking, it felt a little bit like the ZLF had some extra catapult, so at first everything went out. After some adjustment however, blocking is super easy and comfortable, passive and active blocks that is. To summarize, if you are currently using a 5ply wood, sticking to it is just fine. TB ZLF however can be an upgrade if you want to try something new. For me, the ZLF is my new blade. It offers me the same safety a 5ply wood has, but the shoot feeling is much more crisp. This crispness that is offered makes table tennis more fun than with a 5ply for me personally.

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