Butterfly Outerforce blades

[zhzhzhz]

Butterfly just announced a new series called outerforce it’s like inner force but with the carbon as a regular racket. They also announced the rubber that I had talked about previously.

This is the first time we have gotten an out carbon zlc racket without a player’s name on it. Will zlc become more popular?

What are your opinions and theories about the new series and rubber?
(FYI the rubber is pips out)

 

[disaster3]

there is already such topic

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/butterfly-2025-new-blades-outer-force-alc-caf-zlc.36542/#post-508181

there is no reason to duplicate the same one. Admin/Mod can close it.

 

[zhzhzhz]

We also got a new CAF blade

 

[khadjeh]

Hey guys, I made a review about the Outerforce Blades:

 

[MarekD]

I've read that Outerforce blades are generally considered slower than classic Butterfly blades. Do you know why this is and if this is true?

 

[steve888]

I have an outerforce alc, find it just a little slower than FZD alc etc however with more control, the outer ply is a little thicker which I think creates more dwell and the blade is thicker 6.2 vs 5.8. It's more ayous timber on outer ply than the other butterfly blades - which is either limba or koto- they tend to be more bouncy and responsive. Overall more stable and controlled but a little slower than other outer carbon butterfly blades.

 

[Tyce]

I've held the ALC and CAF in my hands next to a Timo Boll ALC (all with rubbers) in the same store and they are all basically "lite" versions. My very limited experience:
- less feeling
- less bounce
- easier to control (stable response)
I don't like the thickness, but it's not as bad as the numbers make it out to be once you are actually playing it. However, the thickness drowns the feeling as it is absorbed into the fibers of the wood rather than transferred to the hand. They lack the sharpness of their "grown up" counterparts in my opinion, the sensation is muted. I personally don't think that makes for a better learning experience.
But, that being said, they still feel like good quality blades. Plenty of brands making blades with less feeling.

 

[steve888]

The outerforce alc (88g) , in play I find it has similar feeling like my FZD, the FZD I find is a more attacking blade , the outerforce more an allrounder.

 

[Tyce]

The outerforce alc (88g) , in play I find it has similar feeling like my FZD, the FZD I find is a more attacking blade , the outerforce more an allrounder.

I mean this sums it up pretty much.

I played side by side with Fzd ALC and Outerforce ALC tonight. Both had Hurricanes on FH and something else tacky on the BH.

The sensation when picking up the first couple of balls is definitely like "oh, this is basically the same thing but toned down". You can hardly even tell that it's not the same wood on the surface, that's how familiar the feeling is.
I am not quite sure yet if I like it enough to prefer it over the Fzd, but if I didn't have a choice that would be OK. It's mostly the thickness that feels different, and that results in different grip just feeling a bit unusual. But I had a similar experience getting used to the Fzd so I don't think it will be a long term problem.

Sensation wise, this Outerforce is much closer to the big brother than to Innerforce Layer ALC. IFL is more like a cousin. Definitely related, but not close.

Where Outerforce shines over Innerforce, for me, is the crisp, direct, predictable response. The power of the fiber layer is almost always accessible and that just improves control for me.
What it has over Fzd ALC is a bit more control, easier to apply spin, and just less speed in general. It's not lacking power though, not at all.

If you prefer the Limba feel on soft shots, and you like having a two gear blade, Innerforce is still highly powerful and very good in the slow game.
If you want crisp to be really really crisp and you like having plenty of power throughout the full range of strokes, the Viscaria family is a better option.
But Outerforce is filling a pretty good place here for people who feel like a Viscaria family blade is just a little bit too much, but would like to have a little more pop all around than Innerforce Layer ALC has.

Lastly, I don't think Innerforce Layer ALC is a good match for Hurricane players. Outerforce handles it beautifully.

 

[steve888]

I mean this sums it up pretty much.

I played side by side with Fzd ALC and Outerforce ALC tonight. Both had Hurricanes on FH and something else tacky on the BH.

The sensation when picking up the first couple of balls is definitely like "oh, this is basically the same thing but toned down". You can hardly even tell that it's not the same wood on the surface, that's how familiar the feeling is.
I am not quite sure yet if I like it enough to prefer it over the Fzd, but if I didn't have a choice that would be OK. It's mostly the thickness that feels different, and that results in different grip just feeling a bit unusual. But I had a similar experience getting used to the Fzd so I don't think it will be a long term problem.

Sensation wise, this Outerforce is much closer to the big brother than to Innerforce Layer ALC. IFL is more like a cousin. Definitely related, but not close.

Where Outerforce shines over Innerforce, for me, is the crisp, direct, predictable response. The power of the fiber layer is almost always accessible and that just improves control for me.
What it has over Fzd ALC is a bit more control, easier to apply spin, and just less speed in general. It's not lacking power though, not at all.

If you prefer the Limba feel on soft shots, and you like having a two gear blade, Innerforce is still highly powerful and very good in the slow game.
If you want crisp to be really really crisp and you like having plenty of power throughout the full range of strokes, the Viscaria family is a better option.
But Outerforce is filling a pretty good place here for people who feel like a Viscaria family blade is just a little bit too much, but would like to have a little more pop all around than Innerforce Layer ALC has.

Lastly, I don't think Innerforce Layer ALC is a good match for Hurricane players. Outerforce handles it beautifully.

Well said, a good allrounder blade with stability and control. It feels in the middle between inner and outer carbon blades - . Has more dwell than most outer blades and a little more direct and pop than most inner blades.

The other blades that I like that are outer carbon that are a touch faster than the outerforce that has that stability/control - Marcos Freitas alc (good feeling) and Timo boll spirit (stable).

 

[steve888]

Found the right combination now with the outerforce, Nitakku hammond z2 2 mm FH and battle 2 (39) backhand. Its quite fast with the hammond rubber and still very controllable.