Butterfly Lin Gaoyuan ALC vs Stiga Rosewood NCT V: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Lin Gaoyuan ALC | Stiga Rosewood NCT V | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.7/10 | 8.5/10 |
| feel | Soft — flexible ALC gives a more wood-like feel than other carbon blades; high dwell time | stiff hard feel with organic touch; NCT surface treatment |
| handle | Shakehand (FL, AN, ST options); shorter anatomic handle than Viscaria | flared / anatomic / straight |
| plies | 5 wood + 2 arylate-carbon (ALC) — 7-ply construction with koto outer layers and inner arylate-carbon fiber | 5-ply all wood (rosewood outer) |
| speed | OFF (Butterfly rates Reaction 118, mid-fast; equivalent to OFF/OFF+ class) | OFF |
| thickness_mm | 5.7mm | 6.2 |
| weight_g | 84-87g typical (Butterfly spec approx 87g) | approx 82-86 |
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The Lin Gaoyuan ALC is a soft, flexible 7-ply carbon-hybrid that plays closer to wood than most carbon blades, delivering spin, dwell, and sweet-spot size. The Stiga Rosewood NCT V is a pure 5-ply all-wood blade with hard organic feel and stiff character, endorsed by Xu Xin and optimized for flat drives, flicks, and penhold attack. Both are OFF-class, but they reward entirely different techniques.
The Lin Gaoyuan suits advanced attackers making close-to-mid-distance topspin and counter-topspin work, especially players transitioning from pure wood who want carbon power without losing feedback. The Rosewood NCT V is built for aggressive close-to-table play emphasizing flat drives, flicks, and controlled short game, with exceptional consistency and organic touch that tells you when technique goes wrong.
Choose the Lin Gaoyuan if you want maximum spin generation and an expansive sweet spot from a carbon blade. Choose the Rosewood NCT V if you want a pure, communicative all-wood blade that excels at flat drives and classical Chinese-style attacking, especially if you play penhold.
FAQ
Which blade has more dwell?
The Lin Gaoyuan ALC—its soft flexible ALC construction gives high dwell time, much more than the Rosewood’s hard stiff feel.
Which is better for flat drives and smashes?
The Stiga Rosewood NCT V. Flat drives can match or exceed carbon blade speed, and it has fast flicks with excellent pop. The Lin Gaoyuan is softer and better suited to spin loops.
Which is better for looping?
The Lin Gaoyuan ALC delivers impressive spin on topspin loops. The Rosewood requires precise loose-wrist technique—errors fly off the table, as the hard feel is unforgiving.
Which is better for beginners?
Neither. The Rosewood is not recommended for beginners due to its hard, unforgiving feel. The Lin Gaoyuan is too advanced and expensive for beginners.
Which is better for short-game touch?
The Stiga Rosewood NCT V—it is exceptional at passive touch, soft returns, and short-game control. The Lin Gaoyuan is also good but less specialized in this area.