Have you heard Butterfly Innerforce layer alc.s? Butterfly Company has been famous for its outer carbon fiber blades, which have been sought after by fans from all over the world, including the most popular Zhang Jike series and Timo Boll series, which are typical outer carbon blades.
But both Zhang Jike and Timo Boll are not as popular as in the past. One has retired, and the other is on the verge of retiring. As the star effect has gradually weakened, Butterfly Company has to launch a new classic masterpiece to replace them.
At the same time, the material of table tennis has changed to plastic, and the size has also become 40+. So the speed of the ball has slowed down, and the multi-strokes in the game have become the norm, which means that a stronger force is required to increase the spin and speed.
In the case of insufficient strength, another style of play will be derived, that is, close-to-table fast hits with a defensive counterattack.
This kind of playstyle in the era of the big ball calls for a matching blade. For this reason, the Japanese giant is also continuously upgrading the inner carbon blade and has launched this classic Butterfly Innerforce layer alc.s.
Table of Contents
What does “s” mean?
Butterfly’s this new blade added a letter s after the traditional alc, which confused fans on many forums. So loads of people discussed what on earth does this s mean. In theory, s may represent “spruce” or “speed“, and it may also stand for “spin“.
After all, Innerforce alc.s is a sharp weapon in the middle and short court and quite suitable for flicks. My personal guess is that this should be the last idea and also to distinguish it from the ordinary alc series. The rotation when playing at a near-to-mid distance at the table is stronger, which makes it more dominant in the topspin rallies.
Overview of Butterfly Innerforce layer alc.s
Appearance and Data
In terms of appearance, the light blue handle and the logo blessing of the font in high-grade gray make the blade look quite noble. In terms of the data, Innerforce layer alc.s weighs 87 grams and is 5.5 mm thick. It can be seen that the racket is thin and relatively light.
This blade itself is with a 5+2 classic inner fiber carbon structure, with a shakehand blade surface of 160*149mm and a penhold blade surface size of 157*149mm. In the elasticity test, the bounce height of the ball on the blade is 36cm, which is quite similar to other paddles.
Speed 4.5/5.0
The feel is not very clear and I feel that the blade is relatively soft. But the speed is quite fast both in forehand loops and the backhand flash hits. The speed is even faster than Stiga Dynasty Carbon Xu Xin Edition when playing at a close distance at the table.
Moreover, Innerforce layer alc.s is very light which guarantees the fast conversion between forehand and backhand. From this point, it’s more friendly than Stiga Dynasty Carbon Xu Xin.
But the forehand with Hurricane rubber is not very suitable for this blade, as Hurricane will sacrifice the advantage in speed of this blade although Hurricane really has super great performance in friction and control. Thus, it is recommended to use a non-tacky rubber with Innerforce layer alc.s.
However, it can be clearly felt the speed reduces a lot when playing in the middle or back court as the blade fails to give enough support at a far distance from the table. So it’s not advised to attack far from the table.
Spin 4.2/5.0
The deformation ability of Innerforce layer alc.s is quite good. When lifting up backspin balls near the table, it can be felt sufficient toughness of the blade.
It wraps and holds the ball well so can generate huge amounts of spins with ease. Especially in consistent topspin or counter loops, the blade has great performance in the short court.
But in the same way, when retreating to the middle court or even further from the table, is not the strength although the deformation ability is quite decent, the whole blade is very thin it’s not its strength in this field.
Innerforce layer alc.s is too thin and lacks sufficient top power, so it’s definitely not suitable for players like Xu Xin who prefer to loop with long and magical arcs.
Control 4.0/5.0
Innerforce layer alc.s enjoys a soft feel and has a comfortable experience in controlling. It’s easy to control the placement no matter in drop-shots or short pushes.
I suppose that this blade is more suitable for Liu Guoliang because he controls the first three strokes in net zones and does fast attacks near the table. Thus I believe this blade is more suitable for players who have a traditional penhold playstyle and attach great importance to the control of the small ball.
Defense 4.5/5.0
Innerforce layer alc.s has an amazing and surprisingly stable defense. The performance hasn’t become worse because of its thinness. Instead, it absorbs power well, and the vibration during blocking can be almost ignored.
It is quite easy to change lines and block back the ball, whether it is the opponent’s heavy loops or drives with high arcs. Generally speaking, a good defense blade will be thicker, but this one is very light and thin, which is extremely incredible for us.
Match suggestion
1)Offensive Version
Forehand: Butterfly D05, Andro Ranster R47
Backhand: Donic F1 Plus, Xiom Omega V Euro
2)Ordinary Version
Forehand: Tibhar Evolution MX-S, Donic Coppa JO Platin, Butterfly T05
Backhand: Donic F3, Tibhar Evolution EL-P, Yasaka Mark V AD
Conclusion
The biggest highlight of this blade is its thickness. WhyButterfly makes it thinner in the era of big balls? We all know that the speed of the ball becomes slower, there are more strokes, and a defensive counterattack is a fact the majority of players must accept.
With more rounds, players who want to hit the ball faster must get closer to the table. So that’s maybe why Butterfly Company launches this new product. So if you are willing to pursue the trend of the times, as well as close-to-table fast strokes along with a defensive counterattack, then Butterfly Innerforce layer alc.s is a great choice.
