Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC vs Butterfly Timo Boll Allround: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Fan Zhendong ALC | Butterfly Timo Boll Allround | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.8/10 | 8.3/10 |
| feel | Crisp and direct with noticeable dwell on contact; slightly softer arc than Viscaria Super ALC | Medium-soft, classic all-wood dwell with good tactile feedback |
| handle | Flared (FL), Straight (ST), Anatomic (AN) — notably thicker grip than Viscaria | FL/ST/AN/XXS |
| plies | 5 wood plus 2 arylate-carbon (ALC) — Koto / ALC / Limba / Kiri / Limba / ALC / Koto | 5-ply all wood (koto outer) |
| speed | OFF | ALL+ |
| thickness_mm | approx 5.7mm | 5.5 |
| weight_g | 87-92g typical | ~85 |
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Fan Zhendong ALC (8.8) is a Viscaria-class outer-ALC blade delivering proven offensive performance, outstanding dwell, and a thicker handle ideal for larger hands. Butterfly Timo Boll Allround (8.3) is a lightweight all-wood blade with koto outer, focused on control, placement precision, and technique development at close-to-mid-distance. These serve fundamentally different skill levels.
Fan Zhendong ALC is for intermediate-to-advanced shakehand players playing topspin-heavy loops; Timo Boll Allround suits beginners and lower-intermediates building technique and consistency before stepping up to faster blades. Timo Boll’s lightweight construction reduces fatigue and supports technique learning; Fan Zhendong’s weighty construction and carbon layers demand developed swing mechanics. Fan Zhendong is current production; Timo Boll is discontinued. Choose Timo Boll for foundational development and control focus; Fan Zhendong for advanced offensive play.
FAQ
Which is better for beginners?
Timo Boll Allround is designed for beginners and lower-intermediates; Fan Zhendong ALC requires intermediate-to-advanced technique.
Which is lighter?
Timo Boll Allround is lightweight; Fan Zhendong ALC weighs 87-92g typical.
Which is faster?
Fan Zhendong ALC (OFF speed) is significantly faster than Timo Boll Allround (ALL+ speed).
Are both still available?
Fan Zhendong ALC is current production; Timo Boll Allround is discontinued, requiring secondary market sourcing.