Butterfly Timo Boll ALC vs Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Timo Boll ALC | Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 9.0/10 | 8.1/10 |
| feel | medium | medium-soft and flexible for a carbon blade, with clear feedback and a large sweet spot |
| handle | FL/ST/AN | FL/ST/AN |
| plies | 5W+2 Arylate-Carbon | 7-ply (5 wood plus 2 very thin carbon layers) — same outer veneer as the Yasaka Extra |
| speed | OFF | OFF- |
| thickness_mm | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| weight_g | 86 | 87 |
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Both use wood-plus-carbon construction, but they aim at different players. The Timo Boll ALC is an OFF blade with class-leading spin, a large sweet spot and a solid, balanced feel that excels from mid-distance to away from the table. The Ma Lin Soft Carbon is a 7-ply medium-soft, flexible OFF- blade built around control, with an outstanding short game, linear power and unusually clear ball feel for a carbon blade.
Choose the Timo Boll ALC if you have sound technique and want genuine OFF speed and high spin in a balanced premium platform. It gives little vibration feedback and rewards an active stroke.
Pick the Ma Lin Soft Carbon if you are moving up from a premade bat and want a soft, forgiving carbon blade with excellent pushes, touches and serves plus strong blocking, rather than raw far-table speed. Its short dwell makes heavy spin harder without good technique, and it can feel sluggish off the sweet spot, but it offers a strong cost-to-benefit ratio. The ALC carries the clearly higher rating and ceiling; the Yasaka is the gentler, control-oriented upgrade blade.
FAQ
Which is more controllable for an improver?
The Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon. It is medium-soft, flexible and forgiving with an excellent short game, making it a natural step up from premade bats.
Which generates more spin?
The Timo Boll ALC, with class-leading spin on both wings. The Ma Lin Soft Carbon has shorter dwell, so heavy spin is harder to produce without good technique.
Which is faster?
The Timo Boll ALC is rated OFF and is the quicker, more aggressive blade. The Ma Lin Soft Carbon is OFF- and leans toward control and short-game touch.
Do they have the same thickness?
Yes, both are listed at 5.8 mm, but the ALC is a 5-ply-plus-carbon build while the Ma Lin Soft Carbon is a 7-ply with two very thin carbon layers.