Butterfly Timo Boll Allround vs Butterfly Zhang Jike ALC: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Timo Boll Allround | Butterfly Zhang Jike ALC | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.3/10 | 8.7/10 |
| feel | Medium-soft, classic all-wood dwell with good tactile feedback | medium-hard but flexible, crisp carbon with long dwell |
| handle | FL/ST/AN/XXS | FL/ST/AN |
| plies | 5-ply all wood (koto outer) | 5W+2 Arylate-Carbon (5 wood plies with 2 Arylate-Carbon layers) |
| speed | ALL+ | OFF |
| thickness_mm | 5.5 | 5.8 |
| weight_g | ~85 | 88 |
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Learn more.
The Timo Boll Allround (8.3) and Butterfly Zhang Jike ALC (8.7) serve different player levels. The Allround is an all-wood blade for beginners, offering outstanding control, placement precision, satisfying tactile feedback, and safe speed (ALL+) to build fundamentals. The Zhang Jike ALC is an arylate-carbon blade with OFF-class speed, soft flexible non-stiff carbon feel, long dwell time, and strong control relative to other ALC blades — ideal for intermediate-to-advanced loopers.
The Allround is lightweight and explicitly targets learners transitioning from pre-made paddles; it supports technique development with good tactile feedback and koto outer slight crispness. The Zhang Jike ALC is faster (OFF vs ALL+), softer and more flexible than stiffer carbon alternatives, and excels at looping and imparting spin with away-from-table capability. Both offer strong control relative to their speed class, but the Zhang Jike’s premium ALC construction delivers higher performance ceiling and versatility with both tensor and tacky Chinese rubbers. Weight is similar (85g vs 88g, not significant). The Zhang Jike commands premium ALC pricing and is heading toward discontinuation; the Allround is discontinued and requires secondary market sourcing. For building fundamentals, the Allround; for intermediate players ready to advance into spin-friendly offensive play, the Zhang Jike is excellent.
FAQ
Which is faster?
The Butterfly Zhang Jike ALC is OFF speed, much faster. The Allround is ALL+ speed, safe for beginners.
Which is better for beginners?
The Timo Boll Allround is explicitly for beginners and lower-intermediate players. The Zhang Jike ALC demands experienced technique.
Which spins more?
The Zhang Jike ALC excels at looping and imparting spin with long dwell time. The Allround provides good spin relative to its control focus.
Which is available?
Both are affected by availability: the Allround is discontinued, the Zhang Jike ALC is heading toward discontinuation. Both require sourcing carefully.