Butterfly Zyre 03

[tzifos]

Everyone plays best with what they can use (I heard a rumor that Ma Long doesn't even use max sponge), but what I have heard consistently is that once you have ball catching skills, the extra sponge always helps.

Yes, because it was so much boosted that max sponge with so much boost would have been more than 4mm, thus against the rules.

 

[disaster3]

Best review i have seen so far. He actually discusses at length ehat he thinks will happen with the rubbers. Based on the review, it is unlikely I will be able to play naturally with it so it will be interesting. That said it does remind me of some rubbers that Nexy eas trying to make back in the day but it is just much faster

2nd this! The best one I've seen so far and compare to D05+D09C live...

maybe I wrote a bit of an exaggeration (but sometimes it's worth it), apart from the curiosity and fun of long shots from the second or third zone, in match conditions I would like to see all those "pro" amateurs who have tamed this rubber
I left it at that time I posted it patiently waiting for other comments.... having fun reading them

 

[NextLevel]

Review Update: Z3 vs D05 – After Another Session​

After another gaming session, I can confidently confirm my initial impressions of the Z3. This rubber demands constant, active engagement — every stroke, every situation. There’s absolutely no room for hesitation, late blocks, or passive returns on semi-dead serves. The moment you relax or go passive, the rubber just doesn’t forgive you.

That said, I’m not claiming the Z3 is a bad rubber — far from it. It’s clearly an excellent choice for players with a more aggressive and technically refined playing style, probably more competent than myself.

In comparison, the D05 now feels noticeably easier to handle. Honestly, I think the D05 is a masterpiece from Butterfly’s R&D team — a rubber that can literally do everything. I’ve already written about it before, so I won’t go over it again, but to summarize: it offers an exceptional range of speeds, outstanding spin, and remains surprisingly stable and less sensitive to incoming spin.

One thing that still really puzzles me is how differently people perceive the catapult effect. The Z3 feels half-dead compared to the D05. The D05 is incredibly dynamic and allows for those unbelievable shots even from awkward positions — especially when the player is late getting into proper position.

D05 is a bit slow to me and its blocking leaves a bit to be desired for me. I am still surprised that many people use D05 over D80 and I credit that to the order in which the rubbers were released and legacy of T05

 

[tzifos]

On topic: I was very curious to try one, (a used one, I can afford spending 90E for a piece of rubber), now my curiosity is dead.

Off topic:

Spoiler

Ok about Zyre03. We have reviews, reports from advanced and not-so-advanced players.

Now, what about Zeed (Zyre Extreme EDition) ???

 

[mamedium]

Zyre shows up and all of a sudden Dignics 05 is slow?

 

[Oliverpool]

One thing that still really puzzles me is how differently people perceive the catapult effect. The Z3 feels half-dead compared to the D05. The D05 is incredibly dynamic and allows for those unbelievable shots even from awkward positions — especially when the player is late getting into proper

This has also puzzled me
To no end. I put it down to the natural angle and touch of each player. I feel the dignics series including the d09c has too much catapult. While the zyre 03 2.5mm which I have been testing on both backhand and forehand feel
More dead and way easier to control on underspin
And especially short ball.

Same for blocks with one exception. If you do counter or try to go forward a little even slightly wrongly, the ball can fly way out of the table compared to any Dignics or for that matter any other rubber I tried so far.

So depending on how you block, zyre 03 could be a much easier and less
Spin sensitive rubber or
The opposite. Guess that’s why this rubber seem
To be having so much differing opinions from
Those who has tested it so far.

 

[NextLevel]

we have players that are TTR 2000 using G1

Samson Dubina used G1 pretty much forever (unless he switched to P1).

 

[BobFL]

This has also puzzled me
To no end. I put it down to the natural angle and touch of each player. I feel the dignics series including the d09c has too much catapult. While the zyre 03 2.5mm which I have been testing on both backhand and forehand feel
More dead and way easier to control on underspin
And especially short ball.

Same for blocks with one exception. If you do counter or try to go forward a little even slightly wrongly, the ball can fly way out of the table compared to any Dignics or for that matter any other rubber I tried so far.

So depending on how you block, zyre 03 could be a much easier and less
Spin sensitive rubber or
The opposite. Guess that’s why this rubber seem
To be having so much differing opinions from
Those who has tested it so far.

What blade do you use for test purposes?
Is it the same blade you used with D05/09c?

 

[NextLevel]

Zyre shows up and all of a sudden Dignics 05 is slow?

Come on, Dignics 05 being slow is why many players still use Tenergy on forehand and is also what drove the creation of SALC. It's a preference/evaluation based on may things and 05 definitely holds and arcs the ball longer than 80 and 64 in the same series. It's nothing to do with Zyre 03.

 

[NextLevel]

I'm really curious who it was made for? I'm always 1st to check the "hot cake" and but this time I'm stopping my inner EJ. Tenergy were really demanding... when Dignics was introduced, Tenergy became user(amateur) friendly, Dignics was for Pro's and really good amateurs.... now Zyre is for Pro, and Dignics is for amateur.... lol.
Based on all descriptions and so far tests on YT, it seems that Zyre-03 is somehow updated/tweaked T05h with Dignics Body.... if this is the case, for us mortals it will be difficult to forced this rubber to present everything it was made for. It will be more demanding than D09C, you will need to really hit hard, have good footwork and to be in position everytime to do proper shot..... hehehe Good Luck....
That's why I..... one of the many biggest EJ'er's on this forum has not yet ordered it yet
Before it was available I was in the starting blocks waiting to pull the trigger (my CC) but then realized what side/which rubber I currently play it might replace? Common sense kicked in.
Seems of course just from description of course narrowing to BTY products, if someone was playing D09C on BH will stay with D09C as Zyre-03 is completely different in characteristics. if someone was playing D05 on BH it might give it a try but still more likely will stay with D05, the only thing is for those who were playing T05H on FH where Zyre-03 seems to be natural upgrade.... of course in Pro or semi-Pros it might be a big group but on amateur level, I know nobody who plays T05H, nobody... so it will be only for those who would like to satisfy inner-curiosity.... but it will be expensive test... going forward, that's why I still don't have it

I think your post hit a lot of good points. IMHO, the reason people don't use T05H as amateurs is a durability issue. If T05H played the way it played for a full year instead of at most 4 months as an amateur, I would use it more. For pros, durability is less of an issue so it is more popular at that level with pros who don't like D09C ball holding and who don't want to go SALC though i know some pros who both went SALC and T05H. But the durability improvement if it shows up with Z03 will make it popular with amateurs over T05H. To be clear, when T05 lost topsheet performance, the sponge still kept it quite playable even as it got worse. But you didnt get quite the same performance and playability from T05H once you had topsheet wear.

 

[zeio]

Zyre shows up and all of a sudden Dignics 05 is slow?

No surprise. It's been shown in Takkyu Labo's rather rigorous bounce test that D05 is "slower" than T05. In the rudimentary bounce test below, D05 is "slower" than Z03 at a higher drop height (a bit closer to the speed of a typical rally in reality) but "faster" at a lower drop height, which suggests Z03 should be even less reactive at receiving than D05.

「試打」ザイア-03
https://youtu.be/wa7AFzMk4kc?t=88

 

[BobFL]

The test itself is quite trivial, and it’s impossible to draw any meaningful conclusion because it doesn’t take into account one critically important variable — the incoming ball’s energy, speed, and spin.

In my opinion, the D05 is clearly a class faster than the T05. The only requirement is to properly activate the sponge, whose maximum speed is, without question, higher than that of the T05.

I also agree with the assessment that the Z03 is less sensitive to incoming spin and bites the ball less at low and medium speeds.

 

[merlin el mago]

Guys ZYRE-03 have a lot of more gears, if you can have the skills.

Also if not boosted needs playing time to soften de sponge so it's more easy to engage the sponge.

 

[kindof99]

The Overall thickness is the same.
Just like 2.1. The sponge is thicker and the rubber layer is really thin.
2.7 is just another slick move from marketing dept.

The pips is short, not the rubber top.

 

[kindof99]

Come on, Dignics 05 being slow is why many players still use Tenergy on forehand and is also what drove the creation of SALC. It's a preference/evaluation based on may things and 05 definitely holds and arcs the ball longer than 80 and 64 in the same series. It's nothing to do with Zyre 03.

Sound transports slower than light. But is it really that slow?

 

[NextLevel]

Sound transports slower than light. But is it really that slow?

Not sure what your question is. I loop with 05 and 80 and arguably if you have a full loop, 05 might have more quality but the trajectory of 80 is usually lower and faster. So with 80 I can hit the ball past my opponent a little easier than I can with 05. There is a reason some players like 80 and 64 more, obviously the current top players focus on their short push and ability to open over the table and even with all that there was always Mizutani. But I also know players who switched back drom Dignics to Tenergy because they just found it easier to get the ball moving. There are no single correct answers in table tennis, especially at the lower levels.

 

[Oliverpool]

What blade do you use for test purposes?
Is it the same blade you used with D05/09c?

A TB ALC. yes for the d09c but its been some time since I tried d05.

 

[sebi]

D05 is not slow, its a rocket. I think it´s not slower then D80, I have used them and D05 is defenetly not slower and the arc makes it a lot harder to block. D05 and T05 are the same speed you just need good technique to activate and use D05, Z03 apperently is faster.

 

[NextLevel]

D05 is not slow, its a rocket. I think it´s not slower then D80, I have used them and D05 is defenetly not slower and the arc makes it a lot harder to block. D05 and T05 are the same speed you just need good technique to activate and use D05, Z03 apperently is faster.

In the immortal words of Paul Drinkhall, everyone does this a bit differently. I can accept the arc makes it harder to block but that arc also makes it slower. There are no free lunches in the sport, that arc is what a more direct or less curved path means for ball travel speed. D80 is more direct than D05 so I will take the directness of D80 over the extra spin from D05. It is easier to get faster shots from D80 than D05 unless your output and quality is consistently high.

 

[po-stit]

Review Update: Z3 vs D05 – After Another Session​

After another gaming session, I can confidently confirm my initial impressions of the Z3. This rubber demands constant, active engagement — every stroke, every situation. There’s absolutely no room for hesitation, late blocks, or passive returns on semi-dead serves. The moment you relax or go passive, the rubber just doesn’t forgive you.

That said, I’m not claiming the Z3 is a bad rubber — far from it. It’s clearly an excellent choice for players with a more aggressive and technically refined playing style, probably more competent than myself.

In comparison, the D05 now feels noticeably easier to handle. Honestly, I think the D05 is a masterpiece from Butterfly’s R&D team — a rubber that can literally do everything. I’ve already written about it before, so I won’t go over it again, but to summarize: it offers an exceptional range of speeds, outstanding spin, and remains surprisingly stable and less sensitive to incoming spin.

One thing that still really puzzles me is how differently people perceive the catapult effect. The Z3 feels half-dead compared to the D05. The D05 is incredibly dynamic and allows for those unbelievable shots even from awkward positions — especially when the player is late getting into proper position.

Final Thoughts, kind of​

After spending more time with both rubbers, I can say that Z3 is a high-performance, yet demanding rubber that rewards precision, timing, and full commitment. It’s not forgiving, but in the right hands, it can be extremely effective.

The D05, on the other hand, strikes that perfect balance between power, control, and forgiveness. It feels more versatile and playable in real match conditions, offering both explosiveness and stability when needed.

For my style and level, D05 clearly fits better — a true all-round offensive rubber that allows me to focus more on tactics and less on constant micro-adjustments during rallies.

I don't want to sound rude but does this conclusion relate to the fact that you have a fast and stiff outer carbon blade? Z03 being so fast compared to D05 which is slow by comparision even to T05, maybe that's why you are saying that the D05 is more balanced, because it is indeed slower. FYI, i play with D05 on my Hugo Hal.