Butterfly Dignics rubbers are pretty expensive but offer excellent performance. In order to get the most out of Dignics, you’ll need to pair it with a blade which complements the rubber and suits your playing style. In this article, I’ll take you through some of the best blades to pair with all the Dignics rubbers in Butterfly’s line-up.
Best Blades for Butterfly Dignics
- SK7 Classic
- Innerforce Layer ALC
- Timo Boll ZLC/ zlf
- Zhang Jike Super ZLC
- Mizutani Jun Super ZLC
Blades for Dignics 05
Butterfly Dignics 05 is a high performance rubber in terms of spin and is recommended for offensive players. It’s pimple structure is designed to provide more grip and help the player feel like they are holding the ball for longer on the rubber.
Dignics 05 IS suitable for:
- Generating spin
- Close-mid distance playing
- Looping
- Players with a longer stroke
Dignics 05 IS NOT suitable for:
- Flat-hitting and blocking predominantly
- Defensive players or beginners
- Players looking for maximum speed
- Players with a shorter stroke
Blade Pairing for Maximum Spin and Feeling
Best Choice: SK7 Classic
If you are looking to really perfect your technique by increasing the amount of feeling your paddle has, then going with an all-wood blade is the best choice. The SK7 works very well for intermediate as well as advanced players who are looking to take advantage of the spin and control that Dignics 05 offers.
- Reaction: 11.1
- Vibration: 9.3
- Weight: 95 g
- Thickness: 6.8 mm
- Hardness: Medium-Soft
- Stiffness: Moderate
Blade Pairing for High Performance
Best Choice: Timo Boll ZLC
The Butterfly Timo Boll ZLC pairs with Dignics 05 by offering great control and speed. It allows experienced players to play with fast topspins making it a great combination for looping. The blade offers good control for a 7-ply wood and carbon blade, but may feel a bit too quick for beginners who prefer to use a softer touch.
- Reaction: 11.7
- Vibration: 10.8
- Weight: 86 g
- Thickness: 5.5 mm
- Hardness: Medium-Hard
- Stiffness: Moderate
Other blade recommendations for Dignics 05:
- Innerforce Layer ALC
- Innerforce Layer ZLC
- Zhang Jike ZLC
- Timo Boll CAF
Blades for Dignics 09c
Butterfly Dignics 09c is a harder and tackier rubber compared to the rest of the Dignics range. It is designed to feel more like a Chinese-style rubber. It feels slow when flat-hitting but provides excellent spin when looping.
Dignics 09c IS suitable for:
- Offensive players
- Playing close to the table
- Looping
- Players who like a lot of spin
Dignics 09c IS NOT suitable for:
- Defensive players or beginners
- Playing far away from the table
- Flat-hitting
- Players who like a lot of speed
With regards to the blade choice, it really depends if you are looking to emphasise the spin and control with a slower blade or looking to speed up the rubber.
Blade Pairing to Complement Spin and Control
Best Choice: Lin Gaoyuan ALC Blade
The Butterfly Lin Gaoyuan ALC Blade is composed of 5 wood layers and 2 carbon fiber layers and is relatively soft feeling. This complements the Dignics 09c rubber by emphasising the spin capability which is made possible by a fuller stroke. This blade and rubber combination suits players who play close to the table and prioritise spin over speed. It works well for advanced players who have mastered their technique more, but also works for beginners as it is easier to control.
- Reaction: 11.8
- Vibration: 10.3
- Weight: 87 g
- Thickness: 5.7 mm
- Hardness: Medium-Soft
- Stiffness: Moderate
Blade Pairing to Increase Speed
Best Choice: Zhang Jike Super ZLC Blade
The Butterfly Zhang Jike Super ZLC blade has a 7-ply composition (5 layers of wood and two layers of ZL-fiber). It feels very fast when playing close to the table which helps to speed up the paddle a bit more for players who find the Dignics 09c rubber a bit slow at times. Despite being a very offensive blade, it still offers plenty of control as well as power so works well to complement the characteristics of Dignics 09c.
- Reaction: 12.3
- Vibration: 11.1
- Weight: 85 g
- Thickness: 5.6 mm
- Hardness: Medium-Hard
- Stiffness: High
Other Blade Recommendations for Dignics 09c:
- Mizutani Jun ZLC
- Zhang Jike T5000
Blades for Dignics 64
Butterfly Dignics 64 focuses on speed and it’s recommended for high level players who have an attacking style which focuses on topspin and smashes. It still offers good spin and control despite being focused around providing maximum speed.
Dignics 64 IS suitable for:
- Offensive styles of play
- Players looking for high speed
- Mid-distance players
Dignics 64 IS NOT suitable for:
- Defensive players or beginners
- Players looking for a high-arc
- Players who prefer a softer sponge
Blade Pairing for Increased Control
Best Choice: Innerforce Layer ALC
The Innerforce Layer ALC blade when paired with Dignics 64 works great for offensive players who still want to maintain a good level of control. This blade offers great touch and control to help tame Dignics 64 but without really limiting its potential for fast attacking play.
- Reaction: 10.7
- Vibration: 9.4
- Weight: 90 g
- Thickness: 6.0 mm
- Hardness: Moderate
- Stiffness: Moderate
Blade Pairing for Maximum Speed
Best Choice: Zhang Jike Super ZLC
Butterfly Super ZLC blades work well with Dignics 64 for high-level players who are looking for maximise performance. This blade offers exceptional speed to complement the rubbers speed capability. It offers less feeling than an all-wood blade though and can be harder to control so does not suit beginners well.
- Reaction: 12.3
- Vibration: 11.1
- Weight: 85 g
- Thickness: 5.6 mm
- Hardness: Medium-Hard
- Stiffness: High
Blades for Dignics 80
Dignics 80 is considered the all-rounder in the Dignics line-up. Like with the rest of the Dignics rubbers, Dignics 80 is designed for offensive players who stand close-mid distance from the table. It offers really good stability and control as the ball clings to the rubber for a bit longer due to it’s grippy feel. It offers plenty of spin but only excels when using a fuller stroke.
Dignics 80 IS suitable for:
- Advanced players with fuller stroke
- Offensive playing styles
- Players who are looking for speed
- Counter top spin and looping
Dignics 80 IS NOT suitable for:
- Players with a slower/ shorter stroke
- Defensive playing styles
- Flat-hitting and blocking
- Beginners
Blade Pairing for Balanced Playing
Best Choice: Timo Boll ZLF
The Butterfly Timo Boll ZLF is a great fast blade which works well for offensive players when paired with Dignics 80. The blade and rubber complement each other by ensuring a high level of performance in terms of speed and spin. This combination offers good control, but may be a bit challenging for less experienced players to use.
- Reaction: 10.5
- Vibration: 9.4
- Weight: 85 g
- Thickness: 5.4 mm
- Hardness: Moderate
- Stiffness: Moderate
Blade Pairing for Maximum Spin and Speed
Best Choice: Mizutani Jun Super ZLC
If you’re looking to maximise the speed and spin capabilities of Dignics 80 then pairing it with a fast blade like the Mitzuani Jun Super ZLC is a good choice. This combination will likely be hard to control for less experienced players, but for players with very good technique, this blade will help the player get the most from Dignics 80.