I bought this blade because I was looking for something that was easier to master than for example a viscaria, timo boll alc of TBS blade.
I first tried an Innerforce ALC but didn't like it because I felt like the loss in speed was too big for me.
So then I tried the Freitas and it was a very good compromise.
Since this is still a pretty fast blade, I paired it with the forgiving Rozena, and indeed I felt like I had that extra bit of control, without giving up too much power.
From an offensive point of view, everything works very well from all distances.
It packs a punch, but you don't accidently go over the edge, as with a harder/faster blade.
I also like it if a blade isn't too hard, so the limba outer ply is a good fit there as well.
I would have hoped that the softer touch would also help me during short play, but that's where I am truly disappointed.
For some reason, the gained control doesn't shine through when playing over the table, or doing service returns or blocking heavy rotation close to the table.
Recently, I got curious and paired the blade with a Hexer Grip, which also isn't the most aggressive rubber out there, and the result was even worse :-(
I know things like block and service return are my weakness, and that it is even worse when playing with a TBS or something.
I'm just trying to say, after 6 months of trying, I still couldn't fix these issues and I must admit that the blade is still too lively for me, even though it has a softer touch than a Boll ALC or something.
So, although a bit more forgiving, this blade is still up there in the same league as TBS, Boll ALC, Viscaria, ...
My conclusion:
For me, this is the best overall Butterfly blade I've tried so far (amongst TBS, Boll ALC, Liu Shiwen, Innerforce ALC, Innerforce ZLC).
If a Boll ALC is too hard to master, but you think an Innerforce is not lively enough, this may be what you're looking for.
But remember this is still a pretty fast blade and subtle strokes will cost a lot of training, especially if you pair it with faster rubbers.
Because of this, I will be selling my Freitas ALC.
Please have a look in the 2nd hand section of the forum...
