Weight
95g
Thickness
5.5mm
Plies
5-ply
Head Size
166x155
Handles
ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Oversized
Balance
Balanced
Matsushita Pro
Butterfly Matsushita Pro Special is a professional-grade defensive blade designed in collaboration with master defender Koji Matsushita. It combines Willow wood outer plies with Arylate-Carbon fiber layers to create a unique hybrid construction. This blend delivers exceptional control and vibration dampening for absorbing powerful shots and executing precise chops, while providing enough stability and speed for effective counter-attacks. The blade is known for its oversized head, balanced feel, and versatility, making it a top choice for intermediate to advanced players who employ a modern defensive style with offensive transitions.
The blade features a 5-ply construction with Willow wood as the outer plies, providing a soft feel and good control. Sandwiched between the Willow plies are Arylate-Carbon composite layers, offering increased stability, a larger sweet spot, and enhanced speed, while the Kiri wood core contributes to the blade's overall feel and lightness. This hybrid construction is designed to balance defensive stability with offensive capabilities.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Matsushita Pro Special is rated as a mid-speed defensive blade. Its construction with Arylate-Carbon provides a noticeable speed boost compared to all-wood defensive blades, allowing for effective counter-attacks and offensive plays. However, its primary focus remains on control and stability for defensive maneuvers, placing its speed in the ALL to OFF- category rather than full offensive.
Control is the paramount feature of the Matsushita Pro Special. Its design excels in defensive play, offering exceptional feel and precision for chops, blocks, and pushes. The combination of soft outer wood and internal composites helps absorb incoming power, allowing players to place the ball accurately. Players consistently rate its control very highly.
The blade offers a medium-soft feel due to its Willow outer plies and internal Arylate-Carbon layers. This provides a good balance between feeling the ball's contact and absorbing vibrations, which is crucial for defensive players who rely on precise touch for their strokes. It's not overly stiff, allowing for ample dwell time.
Matsushita Pro Special generally offers a medium-high throw angle, particularly when looping. This characteristic aids in lifting the ball over the net with good arc, which is beneficial for both defensive loops and offensive topspin shots. The controlled nature of the blade ensures this throw angle remains manageable and precise.
Matsushita Pro Special provides a good dwell time, allowing the ball to sink into the racket face for spin generation and controlled chops. This is facilitated by the soft Willow outer plies and the blade's overall construction, which encourages longer ball contact. This extended dwell time is essential for defensive players to impart heavy spin on their chops.
This blade offers a good degree of flexibility, contributing to its excellent control and dwell time. The flexible nature allows for effective absorption of pace and for generating spin. While not as flexible as some all-wood defensive blades, its hybrid construction provides a good compromise, enabling a more active defensive game and offensive transitions.
Matsushita Pro Special is designed to have medium-low vibration, offering a dampened feel that enhances control and stability. While it's not completely dead, the vibration is well-managed, allowing players to feel the ball without being overwhelmed by excessive feedback, which is beneficial for precise defensive play.
Butterfly is renowned for its high-quality manufacturing, and the Matsushita Pro Special is no exception. Users report excellent consistency in performance and durability, although some mention the edges may require sealing for longevity, typical for some high-performance blades. The materials used are premium, contributing to its excellent feel and performance.
Technology
Butterfly Matsushita Pro Special blade incorporates advanced material technology by integrating Arylate and Carbon fibers within its construction. This hybrid approach aims to optimize the inherent qualities of traditional wood with the enhanced properties of modern composite materials. Arylate-Carbon provides increased stability, a larger sweet spot, and a unique feel that dampens vibration while maintaining responsiveness. Paired with the soft Willow wood outer plies, this technology allows for exceptional control and dwell time crucial for defensive play, while simultaneously offering the necessary power for offensive transitions. This meticulous design ensures a blade that is both forgiving and potent for a modern defensive game.
Pro Players Using This Blade
Koji Matsushita
Koji Matsushita is the player for whom this blade was specifically developed and is most famously associated with it. As a world-renowned defensive specialist, Matsushita utilized this blade throughout his career to perfect his chopping and blocking game. The blade's design, with its emphasis on control, stability, and the ability to generate heavy spin on chops, perfectly complemented his unique defensive techniques. He favored its large head size and the feel it provided for absorbing pace and controlling the game from the back of the court, while still allowing for decisive counter-attacks.
Similar Blades
Victas Koji Matsushita Defensive
Victas Koji Matsushita Defensive is often considered a spiritual successor or alternative to the Butterfly Matsushita Pro Special, as it was also developed with Koji Matsushita's input. It shares a similar defensive focus, aiming to provide high control and dwell time for chopping and blocking. While specific construction details may differ slightly, both blades are designed to offer a modern defensive player the tools for consistent defense and opportunistic offense.
Butterfly Joo Se Hyuk
Butterfly Joo Se Hyuk blade is another strong contender for players looking for a high-control defensive blade. While sometimes noted as being slightly faster and having a different feel due to its construction, it is still highly regarded for its defensive capabilities, including excellent control and ability to generate spin. It represents a comparable option for players seeking a premium defensive blade from Butterfly.