Butterfly Garaydia ALC vs Butterfly Lin Gaoyuan ALC: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Garaydia ALC | Butterfly Lin Gaoyuan ALC | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.5/10 | 8.7/10 |
| control | — | — |
| feel | Crisp, hard and stiff with a direct, low-vibration touch and a notably low throw arc | Soft — flexible ALC gives a more wood-like feel than other carbon blades; high dwell time |
| handle | FL | Shakehand (FL, AN, ST options); shorter anatomic handle than Viscaria |
| plies | 5-ply total: 3 wood + 2 Arylate-Carbon (ALC) layers, with an outer carbon construction under a Japanese hinoki surface ply | 5 wood + 2 arylate-carbon (ALC) — 7-ply construction with koto outer layers and inner arylate-carbon fiber |
| speed | OFF | OFF (Butterfly rates Reaction 118, mid-fast; equivalent to OFF/OFF+ class) |
| spin | — | — |
| thickness_mm | 6.9 | 5.7mm |
| type | OFF | — |
| weight_g | 83 | 84-87g typical (Butterfly spec approx 87g) |
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The Butterfly Garaydia ALC (8.5 rating) is a niche specialist: its crisp, damped feel and very low throw arc excel at blocking, flicking, and counter-topspins for advanced topspin attackers at mid-distance. The Butterfly Lin Gaoyuan ALC (8.7 rating) is the more versatile option with soft flexible feel closer to wood, large head size for margin-of-error forgiveness, and superior spin generation across all strokes. The Garaydia demands precise technique and suits close-table specialists; the Lin suits broader attacking styles. The Lin offers better range and feel; the Garaydia offers specialized precision. Most players prefer the Lin’s versatility, but advanced control-attackers may gravitate toward the Garaydia.
FAQ
Why is the Garaydia low-arc a limitation?
Low throw requires precise technique to reach maximum speed. It pairs poorly with tacky Chinese rubbers, limiting rubber choices. The Lin’s higher arc accommodates more rubber types and styles.
Which blade has better feel?
The Lin Gaoyuan. Its soft, flexible ALC feels closer to wood with high dwell, offering feedback-rich play. The Garaydia is so damped that vibration feedback is minimal, which some dislike.
Which is easier to find and buy now?
Neither is in production currently, making both rare and expensive. The Lin may be slightly easier to source and comes with modern Japanese build quality advantages.