Weight
87g
Thickness
5.75mm
Plies
7-ply
Head Size
157x150
Handles
FL / ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Jun Mizutani ZLC
Butterfly Jun Mizutani ZLC is a premium offensive blade developed with Japanese star Jun Mizutani. It masterfully blends the raw power of carbon with the nuanced feel of wood, creating a versatile weapon for aggressive, spin-oriented play. The advanced ZL Carbon technology delivers a lightweight yet powerful construction with an exceptionally large sweet spot. This design enables dynamic topspin loops and powerful counter-attacks from mid-distance, while providing excellent ball feedback for precise placement and touch shots. Its high-quality Japanese craftsmanship ensures consistent, tournament-ready performance for advanced and professional players.
The 7-ply construction uses a symmetrical 5-wood + 2-ZLC fiber layout. Limba outer plies provide a softer touch and feel, while the inner Kiri core adds lightness. The two ZLC fiber layers are strategically placed to inject power, enlarge the sweet spot, and add stiffness, creating a blend of flexibility from the wood and explosive potential from the fibers.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Jun Mizutani ZLC is a very fast blade built for aggressive offensive play. The ZL Carbon layers deliver a significant power boost, enabling explosive drives, smashes, and heavy loops. While it ranks among the faster blades available, its clever construction retains a surprising degree of control, making its speed manageable for players with developed technique who seek a powerful attacking tool.
For a blade with such high speed, the Jun Mizutani ZLC offers commendable control. The softer Limba outer plies and the distinct feedback from the ZLC fibers contribute to a feel that allows for precise ball placement and confident touch shots when a player is dialed in. However, its inherent speed means delicate short-game maneuvers require a refined touch and may present a challenge for those still developing their feel.
Jun Mizutani ZLC provides a medium-hard touch with excellent, informative feedback. The ZLC layers contribute a direct, crisp sensation upon impact, while the Limba outer plies soften the initial contact and add a pleasant wood-like resonance. This avoids the completely muted or dead feeling sometimes associated with stiffer carbon blades.
It produces a medium-high throw angle, which is highly advantageous for offensive play. This arc helps looping shots clear the net with safety and dip aggressively onto the opponent's side, making topspin attacks and counter-loops more effective and threatening.
The blade offers very good dwell time, allowing the ball to sink into the stringbed. This characteristic is crucial for imparting heavy spin on serves, creating powerful topspin loops, and executing controlled counter-loops. The combination of ZLC fibers and wood plies creates a pocketing effect that enhances spin generation.
For a carbon blade, it possesses a good amount of flex. This flexibility, more than found in many stiff carbon alternatives, aids in creating dwell time for spin and provides a helpful catapult effect for looping. It prevents the blade from feeling overly rigid, adding a dynamic quality to offensive shots.
Players will feel a noticeable but not overwhelming vibration upon ball contact. This sensation contributes significantly to the blade's excellent feedback, providing clear information about the quality of each shot. Players who prefer a very dampened feel might find it pronounced, while others will appreciate the connected sensation.
Butterfly's reputation for exceptional craftsmanship is fully realized in the Jun Mizutani ZLC. The blade features premium materials, precise construction, and flawless finish. It feels solid, well-balanced, and built to last, ensuring consistent performance shot after shot. This high level of quality control makes it a reliable and worthwhile investment for serious competitive players.
Technology
The core technology is Butterfly's proprietary ZL Carbon, a composite where ZL fibers are bonded with carbon. This creates a blade that is exceptionally lightweight yet provides high rebound and enhanced elasticity. The technology is engineered to significantly enlarge the blade's effective sweet spot, leading to more consistent power and ball contact across the racket face. The strategic placement of the ZLC layers aims to boost speed and spin potential while maintaining a refined, controllable feel that distinguishes it from blades using traditional carbon alone.
Pro Players Using This Blade
Jun Mizutani
Jun Mizutani co-developed and used this blade to complement his versatile offensive style. Its blend of speed, dwell time, and precise feel allowed him to execute powerful topspin loops, sharp counter-attacks, and controlled placement from all distances, forming the foundation of his aggressive yet tactical game.
Jonathan Groth
Jonathan Groth has utilized this blade to support his aggressive playing style. The blade's speed and spin generation empower his powerful forehand attacks, while its consistent feel and large sweet spot provide reliability for his solid backhand play and during fast offensive rallies.
Nima Alamian
Nima Alamian's association with this blade aligns with his all-around offensive game. The Jun Mizutani ZLC's capabilities in generating both speed and heavy spin benefit his powerful topspin shots, while its control aids in effective blocking and varied attacks.
Harmeet Desai
Harmeet Desai has been seen using this blade, leveraging its characteristics for an aggressive game. The blade's speed and spin potential enhance his looping and driving attacks, and the large sweet spot helps maintain consistency and power during demanding, fast-paced rallies.
Lubomir Jancarik
Lubomir Jancarik's use of the blade complements his offensive style. The Jun Mizutani ZLC's speed and spin characteristics are well-suited to applying pressure with powerful topspin shots and quick, decisive attacks, allowing him to dictate the pace of play.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Viscaria
Butterfly Viscaria is a frequent point of comparison. Both are high-performance carbon blades for offensive play. The Viscaria, with Koto outer plies and ALC fibers, often feels more direct on impact and offers slightly better control for blocking. In contrast, the JM ZLC's Limba outer plies and ZL Carbon may provide a larger sweet spot and more dwell time, favoring spin generation.
Butterfly Timo Boll ALC
Timo Boll ALC is another popular offensive alternative. While both blades excel in attack, the TB ALC generally offers a slightly softer feel and more flex due to its ALC composition. The Jun Mizutani ZLC is typically faster with a larger sweet spot, making it particularly suited for players who rely on spin and power generated from mid-distance rallies.