Butterfly Timo Boll ALC vs Sanwei V5 Pro: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Timo Boll ALC | Sanwei V5 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 9.0/10 | 8.5/10 |
| feel | medium | hard, fast, crisp all-wood with strong vibration and a high-pitched ping |
| handle | FL/ST/AN | FL/ST |
| plies | 5W+2 Arylate-Carbon | 7W (all wood) — ash outer plies over an ayous core |
| speed | OFF | OFF |
| thickness_mm | 5.8 | 6.3 |
| weight_g | 86 | 90 |
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These blades reach similar speed by different routes. The Timo Boll ALC is an arylate-carbon build with a near-ideal balance of spin, speed, and control, a large sweet spot, and a solid, low-vibration face that famously matches Tenergy 05. The Sanwei V5 Pro is a seven-ply all-wood blade with an ash surface that delivers fast pace, a high-pitched crisp ping, lively feedback, and surprisingly good short game and control for its speed, at a fraction of the price.
The real difference is feel. The ALC blade is smooth and consistent with little vibration, rewarding a developed stroke. The V5 Pro is hard and vocal, giving clear feedback on shot quality, but it demands solid technique, punishes imprecise strokes, plays closer to OFF than its advertised OFF-plus, and can vary copy to copy in weight and plies.
For an attacking shakehander who wants a refined, balanced carbon blade and does not mind the cost, the Timo Boll ALC is the pick. For an improving intermediate-to-advanced attacker who wants a fast, spinny all-wood blade with strong feel and reliable technique already in place, the V5 Pro is the value choice, provided you like a hard ash surface rather than a softer limba feel.
FAQ
Carbon or all-wood, which should I choose?
The Timo Boll ALC is arylate-carbon with a smooth, low-vibration face. The V5 Pro is seven-ply all wood with a lively, high-pitched ash impact. Pick the carbon for refined consistency, the all-wood for clear feedback and value.
Is the V5 Pro really as fast as advertised?
It is fast but plays closer to OFF than its advertised OFF-plus rating. It still hits and loops through underspin strongly, with surprisingly good control for the speed.
Which is more forgiving for technique?
Both reward solid strokes. The Timo Boll ALC has a large sweet spot but little vibration feedback, while the V5 Pro is mistake-forgiving for its class yet punishes imprecise strokes, so neither is a beginner blade.