Butterfly Timo Boll W7 vs Nittaku Violin: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Timo Boll W7 | Nittaku Violin | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 7.8/10 | 8.4/10 |
| feel | Hard, stiff, direct | Soft, warm and flexible with long dwell, premium hand-crafted Japanese all-wood feedback |
| handle | FL, ST | FL |
| plies | 7-ply all wood (Limba / Ayous / Kiri) | 5-ply all wood (Kiri core with White Ash outer plies) |
| speed | OFF | ALL+ |
| thickness_mm | 6.7 | 5.3 |
| type | — | ALL+ |
| weight_g | 94 | 86 |
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Butterfly Timo Boll W7 is a stiff, premium 7-ply all-wood blade delivering near-carbon OFF pace with huge sweet spot. It is optimized for advanced flat-hit attackers and flicks.
Nittaku Violin is a soft, flexible 5-ply all-wood blade prized for exceptional control, warm feel and long dwell. It excels at looping and close-to-mid distance play. W7 is the speed specialist; Violin is the touch and control specialist. W7 unforgiving; Violin forgiving and technique-friendly.
FAQ
Which is faster?
W7 at OFF versus Violin’s ALL+ speed. W7 is significantly quicker for drives from distance.
Which suits looping better?
Nittaku Violin. Its soft, flexible feel and long dwell excel at topspin loops close to the table.
Is Violin slower than the ALL+ rating suggests?
Yes, some reviewers note Violin plays slower at long distance. It is optimized for close-to-mid range, where it shines.
Which pairs better with Tensor rubbers?
Nittaku Violin. Its flexible construction comes alive with Tensor rubbers and is praised for that pairing.
Can beginners handle W7?
Not well. W7 is very stiff and demanding. Violin is an ideal first custom blade for intermediates learning all strokes.