Butterfly Rozena vs Nittaku Fastarc G-1: Which Should You Buy?

UltraSpin comparison · 2026-06-06 · rubber

Butterfly Rozena

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Nittaku Fastarc G-1

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Read the full Nittaku Fastarc G-1 review →

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Forget the overall rating — look at throw

Butterfly Rozena carries an 8.4 overall rating and the Nittaku Fastarc G-1 sits at 8.8, so on paper the G-1 looks like the stronger rubber. But the number that actually explains what these two rubbers feel like on the table is buried in the axis data: throw. Rozena scores 5.5 for throw, the G-1 scores 8.5 — a 3.0-point gap, by far the largest single-axis difference in this whole comparison and one of the largest you’ll see between any two rubbers in this catalog. A 3-point throw gap is not a subtle difference. It means the G-1 launches the ball on a noticeably higher, longer arc off the same stroke, while Rozena keeps the ball low and flat. That single number is the real reason the G-1’s own pros list opens with “a high, safe throw that makes opening loops against backspin consistent and forgiving.”

Control actually favors Rozena, not the higher-rated rubber

Here is the detail that a simple overall-rating comparison would hide completely: control favors Rozena by 0.7 (8.7 vs 8.0). Despite the G-1 carrying the higher overall score, Rozena is the more controllable rubber of the pair on Revspin’s aggregated data. This lines up with Rozena’s reputation as a control-and-fault-tolerance specialist and with the G-1’s own cons list, which flags a “firm 47.5-degree sponge that rewards a committed, technically sound stroke” — in other words, the G-1 asks more of your technique before it gives control back to you.

Speed also tilts toward Rozena, which will surprise people reading the spec sheets

Rozena leads speed by 0.5 (8.6 vs 8.1) on the independent axis data, even though Nittaku’s own spec sheet rates the G-1 at 15.0 versus Rozena’s 13.0/14 on Butterfly’s scale. Those manufacturer numbers use different internal scales and shouldn’t be compared directly — the aggregated Revspin axis scores, built from real user ratings, are the more trustworthy read, and on that read Rozena is not the slower rubber here.

Spin and tackiness lean toward the G-1, and durability is a wash

Spin favors the G-1 by 0.5 (8.9 vs 8.4) and tackiness by 1.0 (2.5 vs 1.5), both modest but real differences that back up the G-1’s reputation for “heavy spin and real speed together.” Durability, on the other hand, is essentially tied: 7.0 for the G-1 versus 6.8 for Rozena, a 0.2-point gap that is not worth factoring into a purchase decision despite the G-1’s cons noting it can be pricier to replace given its firmer sponge wears through committed use.

Reading the sources: why the G-1 shows up on more specialist boards

Rozena’s citations lean toward mainstream sources — Revspin, Megaspin, and general discussion on Reddit’s r/tabletennis. The G-1’s citations include Tabletennis11’s dedicated Fastarc series review, Megaspin, and Racket Insight’s standalone G-1 review — a rubber that specialist reviewers treat as worth a dedicated deep dive, consistent with its reputation as “a proven, hugely popular all-court attacking rubber for either wing.”

Who actually fits which rubber

Rozena’s bestFor profile is developing and intermediate offensive players, especially on the backhand, who want Spring Sponge feel with maximum control and an easy short game, prizing consistency over outright spin or speed. The Fastarc G-1’s bestFor profile is intermediate-to-advanced offensive players who want heavy spin, real speed, and a forgiving high arc on opening loops, on either wing, with Tenergy-class durability at a lower price. The overlap is thin: one is built around control and low throw for close-to-the-table play, the other around a huge throw and higher ceiling for players opening loops from further back.

Switching from Rozena to the G-1: worth it only if you actually loop against backspin often

If your game is mostly blocking, serving, and short exchanges near the table, the G-1’s 3.0-point throw advantage is largely wasted on you, and you’ll notice the control loss (0.7 points) and the firmer sponge’s demand for a committed stroke more than any benefit. But if you regularly find yourself under-spinning or netting opening loops against heavy backspin, that huge throw gap is precisely the fix — the G-1’s higher arc gives a bigger safety margin over the net on exactly the shot Rozena is weakest at supporting. This is a genuine specialization trade, not a strict upgrade in either direction.