Reviews by TableTennisNow

Butterfly Garaydia ZLC
Composition: Hinoki-ZLC-Balsa-ZLC-Hinoki
Head size: 157x150mm
Thickness: 7.1mm
Handle: Straight
Weight: 83g
Rubber used: STIGA Genesis M and STIGA Mantra M

First of all, I have to say that I really like the look of this blade. The surface is smooth and I think the natural wood in the handle looks great together with the lens.

If you look closely on the handle you can see that it’s build from two pieces but together which gives the handle a line in the middle, except from that the handle is super smooth and feels great in my hand. The other side of the handle got a light green holographic lens that really gives the blade a high-quality look.

Speed/Control: The blade fits in Butterfly’s offensive category and I must agree with that. It’s a fast blade but nothing extreme. It has a good balance between speed and control which makes the blade easy to tame even in the short game. I did not feel any vibrations even in my hard strokes away from the table, and in some strokes, it could be a little hard to feel the touch.

The control in loop against loop away from the table was good even if the blade got a lot of power, I think that must do with the soft Hinoki on the outer ply.
It felt good in the block and I think it would work good for players who prefer to stand close to the table. The blade got a large sweet spot which you really feel in the loop from mid-distance.

I think the blade feels good in the short game due to the soft feel from the Hinoki. I felt a much better contact with the ball in the short game compared to my stroke from mid to long-distance.

My conclusion:

What I like the most of this blade is not how it plays but how it looks and feels in the hand. I really love the look of natural wood and the finish of the blade is super.

I also like how it plays but I’m not as impressed of how it plays as I am about the look. I would recommend the blade for offensive players who can handle offensive blades and for players who prefers the feel of soft wood. I think it suits close to mid-distance players best but of course that is very individual. Over all I’m satisfied and even if it won’t be my first blade it will surely be a nice blade to have in my collection.

STIGA Mantra M
Thickness: 2.1 mm
Style: Offensive
Hardness: Medium sponge
Blade used: Garaydia ZLC
Made in JAPAN

Look and first impression: The rubbers comes in a high quality looking package which gives me a great first impression. When opening the package, I notice that the topsheet of the rubber is covered with a thin paper with the big Mantra logo on it.

The top sheet feels spinny but not quite as grippy as the Genesis topsheet. The sponge looks like a classic red sponge with small air pores when looking at if thru a magnifier.

This is the fastest Stiga rubber I have tried and I directly loved the power in these rubbers. I really liked the feeling and sound in loop from mid and long-distance and Mantra got a high arc compared to many other rubbers.

Compared to Genesis this rubber is faster but does not have as much spin when looping against heavy underspin.

The feeling and high arc remind me of Tenergy and this rubber exactly like Tenergy is suited for experienced players who can handle great power.

Even if the rubbers are very fast I still think the control was okay due to higher arc. I usually prefer medium to hard rubbers and I think the sponge of Mantra gave the ball a nice catapult effect in hard strokes due to the small air pores I think. The feeling and control in the returns and serve felt great in the combination of the Mantra rubbers together with the Garaydia blade.

My conclusion: I’m really impressed with the Mantra rubbers overall, everything from sound and feel to power this rubbers can generate. I really like that Stiga has made two kind of different offensive rubbers, Genesis with tremendous spin and Mantra with extreme power.

I have only played with these rubbers for a couple of practices and my first impression is that these two rubbers are really a great step forward for Stiga. It will be hard to choose but I think I will keep the Mantra on forehand for speed and Genesis on my backhand for spin in my backhand loop against underspin.

STIGA Genesis Rubbers M
Thickness: 2.0 mm
Style: Offensive
Hardness: Medium sponge
Blade used: Butterfly Garaydia ZLC
Made in CHINA

Look and first impression: The package and design looks good and the rubbers got a thin plastic protection film which you must remove. I was surprised by the grippy topsheet and the great looking surface, almost the same like Tenergy where the sponges is visible thru the surface even without booster/speed glue.

The rubber is made in China but does not have the super tackiness like many other Chinese rubbers. Stiga is marketing the rubber as a combination between Chinese and Europeans feel.

Genesis is fast but not super-fast. I think it suits offensive players who prefers control the best. What I really like is the spin, extreme spin when looping against underspin, very easy to put heavy underspin on the table compared to many other European rubbers.

The spin also make the rubber great in serves and I could easy keep the ball short in returns due to the great ball contact. I have only played with it for three practices so it’s too soon to tell for me but from what I have read the topsheet is very high quality with great durability so I hope that’s true.

My conclusion: This is a great rubber for offensive players who likes control in combination with spin. I think this rubber can also work good for younger players who develop their game since the rubber is offering such a good control (of course it’s important to not match it with a too fast blade).

I can agree that the rubbers feel as a good combination between Chinese and European feel. The sponge is not as hard as a Chinese rubber Hurricane but the topsheet is still much spinner than most other European style rubbers.