Weight
90g
Thickness
9.5mm
Plies
1-ply
Material
AllWood
Head Shape
Custom
Balance
Balanced
Chiang Peng Lung
Butterfly Chiang Peng Lung blade is a specialized offering designed for aggressive yet controlled play, particularly favored by penhold players seeking a blend of power and finesse. Its construction emphasizes a soft feel and excellent dwell time, making it adept at generating spin and executing precise short game maneuvers. This blade is a testament to Butterfly's dedication to player-specific equipment, named after and designed in collaboration with the renowned Taiwanese player Chiang Peng-Lung. The blade's characteristics make it suitable for players who rely on spin-oriented attacks and require a blade that offers ample feedback and control for both offensive and defensive situations.
This blade features a single-ply construction made entirely of Hinoki wood. This classic design is known for its soft feel, excellent vibration dampening, and significant dwell time, which are crucial for generating spin and maintaining control.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Chiang Peng Lung blade offers a good balance of speed, particularly for a one-ply Hinoki blade. While not in the fastest OFF++ category, it provides sufficient power for aggressive strokes, especially when paired with fast rubbers. Its speed is optimized for players who can generate their own power through technique and spin.
Control is a significant strength of this blade. The soft feel and ample dwell time allow for exceptional touch and precision, making it easy to place shots accurately. This makes it ideal for close-to-the-table play, blocking, and delicate short game maneuvers.
The blade has a soft feel, which is characteristic of single-ply Hinoki wood. This provides excellent feedback to the player, allowing for a deep understanding of the ball's contact and trajectory, which is essential for advanced spin play.
The combination of Hinoki wood and the single-ply design generally results in a medium-high to high throw angle, which is beneficial for looping with heavy topspin and clearing the net comfortably.
The extended dwell time is a hallmark of this blade. It allows the ball to sink into the wood, enabling players to generate maximum spin on serves, drives, and loops. This characteristic is highly valued by players who focus on heavy topspin.
Hinoki wood is known for its natural flexibility, which allows for good ball pocketing and spin generation. The single-ply construction emphasizes this natural flex, contributing to the blade's dwell time and soft feel.
Single-ply Hinoki blades typically offer a moderate level of vibration, providing enough feedback without being jarring. This characteristic contributes to the blade's overall control and feel, allowing players to sense the ball's impact clearly.
Butterfly is renowned for its high manufacturing standards, and the Chiang Peng Lung blade is no exception. The use of premium Hinoki wood, combined with Butterfly's expertise in blade production, results in a durable and well-crafted product that offers consistent performance.
Technology
Butterfly Chiang Peng Lung blade embodies a traditional approach to blade construction, relying on the inherent qualities of a single-ply Hinoki wood. Butterfly's expertise in selecting and processing high-quality wood is crucial here. The manufacturing process, likely centered in Japan, focuses on precise shaping and finishing to ensure consistent performance and durability. While not incorporating modern composite materials, its technology lies in the optimal utilization of a natural material to achieve specific playing characteristics like exceptional dwell time and soft feel.
Pro Players Using This Blade
Chiang Peng-Lung
Chiang Peng-Lung is a highly accomplished professional table tennis player from Chinese Taipei. He has represented his country in multiple Olympic Games and World Championships, achieving significant success in doubles events and winning numerous Pro Tour titles. The Butterfly Chiang Peng Lung blade was designed in collaboration with him to suit his powerful, spin-oriented playing style. It is tailored to his need for a blade that offers both significant dwell time for heavy spin generation and excellent control for precise shot-making, particularly in the short game and looping rallies.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Innerforce Layer ALC.S
While the Chiang Peng Lung is a single-ply Hinoki blade, players seeking a modern blade with a soft feel and excellent dwell time, but with added speed and a composite layer, might consider the Innerforce Layer ALC.S. The 'S' designation in Butterfly's Innerforce series often indicates a softer feel and increased dwell time compared to their standard ALC blades. This offers a more forgiving and spin-friendly experience, akin to the Chiang Peng Lung, but with the added benefits of Arylate-Carbon for more power and a slightly different feel.
Darker Speed 90
Players report the Chiang Peng Lung being on par with the Darker Speed 90. The Darker Speed 90 is another highly regarded one-ply Hinoki blade known for its excellent feel, control, and spin capabilities, making it a direct competitor and a suitable alternative for players who appreciate similar playing characteristics.