Butterfly Lin Gaoyuan ALC vs Stiga Carbonado 290: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Lin Gaoyuan ALC | Stiga Carbonado 290 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.7/10 | 8.3/10 |
| feel | Soft — flexible ALC gives a more wood-like feel than other carbon blades; high dwell time | very stiff, hard, crisp and direct carbon feel with a high-pitched sound; fast and linear with a low throw |
| handle | Shakehand (FL, AN, ST options); shorter anatomic handle than Viscaria | FL |
| plies | 5 wood + 2 arylate-carbon (ALC) — 7-ply construction with koto outer layers and inner arylate-carbon fiber | 5 wood + 2 carbon (7-ply), TeXtreme carbon |
| speed | OFF (Butterfly rates Reaction 118, mid-fast; equivalent to OFF/OFF+ class) | OFF+ |
| thickness_mm | 5.7mm | 6.2 |
| type | — | OFF+ |
| weight_g | 84-87g typical (Butterfly spec approx 87g) | 95 |
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Learn more.
The Lin Gaoyuan (8.7) is a soft, flexible, dwell-rich ALC option for versatile attacking across distances. The Carbonado 290 (8.3) is a true OFF+ speed monster: doubled TeXtreme carbon delivering extreme power, crisp vibration, and devastating blocking—but it demands aggressive technique and cannot deliver looping dwell.
Choose Lin Gaoyuan if you want balanced looping, counter-looping, and spin generation with a large forgiving sweet spot. Choose Carbonado 290 if you finish points with hard drives, smashes, and aggressive blocking, have advanced technique, and accept a very low throw angle and high stiffness.
FAQ
Which is faster?
Carbonado 290 is rated true OFF+ compared to Lin Gaoyuan’s OFF. The gap is real; 290 is a pace monster while Lin Gaoyuan is balanced.
What about throw angle?
Carbonado 290 has a very low throw that causes netting until you adapt your bat angle. Lin Gaoyuan’s higher throw is easier to control.
Can Carbonado 290 loop effectively?
Not well. Its stiffness limits dwell and it’s designed for hard drives. Lin Gaoyuan loops beautifully across distances.
Who succeeds with 290?
Advanced, aggressive attackers and offensive penholders with excellent technique. Not for loopers or players still developing consistency.