Weight
75g
Thickness
6.25mm
Plies
5-ply
Head Size
157x148
Handles
FL / ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Photino Light
Butterfly Photino Light is an offensive table tennis blade designed for players who want a lightweight yet powerful weapon. It combines Hinoki outer plies with Butterfly's innovative ZL Fiber technology, creating a unique blend of hardness, flexibility, and reduced weight. This construction delivers a soft feel with a pronounced catapult effect, enabling fast, spin-heavy shots and excellent dwell time. Photino Light suits aggressive topspin players who value precision and control in high-speed rallies, offering a more connected and responsive feel than many traditional carbon blades.
The blade features a 5-ply construction with outer Hinoki plies for a soft touch and feel, sandwiching a Kiri core for lightness. The inner ZL Fiber layers provide a unique combination of hardness and flexibility, contributing to the blade's speed, spin potential, and catapult effect. This construction is designed to offer enhanced dwell time and a softer feel than traditional carbon blades.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Photino Light is categorized as an OFF+ blade, renowned for its high-speed capabilities. The ZL Fiber construction and Hinoki outer plies contribute to a significant catapult effect, allowing for powerful and fast shots. Players report it feels faster than some other advanced ZLC blades, making it well-suited for aggressive attacking play where pace is a priority.
Despite its high speed, Photino Light maintains good control, attributed to its soft feel and extended dwell time. This allows players to accurately place shots and manage the ball effectively during rallies. The lightweight nature also contributes to maneuverability, aiding in control, especially for players with fast reflexes who need to adjust quickly.
Photino Light offers a soft, almost cushioned feel, which is a hallmark of ZL Fiber blades. This provides excellent ball feedback and confidence for touch shots and spin generation. It feels softer than many carbon blades, allowing for more dwell time and a more connected, responsive sensation when striking the ball.
Players report a high throw angle with Photino Light, especially when paired with certain rubbers. This characteristic is beneficial for generating powerful and arcing loops, allowing you to play aggressive topspin from mid-distance with plenty of margin over the net.
The flexibility imparted by the ZL Fiber, combined with the soft wood construction, results in an extended dwell time. This allows players to impart significant spin on the ball and offers greater control during loops and soft shots, giving you more time to shape your strokes.
The inclusion of ZL Fiber contributes to the blade's notable flexibility, which is crucial for generating spin and achieving a softer feel. This flexibility allows for a more elastic response, enhancing the catapult effect and helping you create heavy, arcing topspin with ease.
While specific vibration ratings are limited, the blade's soft feel and ZL Fiber construction suggest a moderate level of vibration that aids in ball feedback rather than being distracting. It's generally perceived as having less harsh vibration than some stiffer carbon blades, providing a cleaner, more informative touch.
Butterfly is known for premium table tennis equipment, and Photino Light exemplifies this with its use of high-quality wood and innovative ZL Fiber. The construction is robust, offering excellent durability for its lightweight design. Players consistently praise the craftsmanship and material quality, though care is advised due to its fiber composition to maintain its performance over time.
Technology
Butterfly Photino Light incorporates Butterfly's proprietary ZL Fiber technology. ZL Fiber is a composite material that is lighter, harder, and more flexible than traditional carbon fiber. This unique combination allows Photino Light to achieve high speeds and a powerful catapult effect while maintaining a soft touch and superior dwell time. The outer plies are made of Hinoki wood, a traditional material known for its soft feel and lightweight properties, further enhancing the blade's characteristics. This advanced material science aims to provide players with a blade that offers a refined blend of speed, spin, control, and feel.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Photino
The original Butterfly Photino shares the same core ZL Fiber technology and Hinoki outer plies, offering a similar playing experience but with a slightly higher weight. Photino Light is essentially a lighter, refined version, providing a comparable feel and performance profile with enhanced maneuverability. Players looking for a slightly lighter option or a different weight balance might prefer the Photino Light.
Butterfly Innerforce ZLF / ZLC
The Innerforce series, particularly those with ZL Fiber (ZLF) or ZLC, are often compared to the Photino line. They also utilize advanced fiber technologies combined with wood plies to achieve a soft feel, good dwell time, and offensive capabilities. While the Photino series might be perceived as having a more pronounced catapult effect and a slightly softer feel, the Innerforce ZLF/ZLC offer a different balance of speed, control, and feel that appeals to many attacking players.