Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit vs Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit | Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 9.0/10 | 8.1/10 |
| feel | Medium and offensive with notable flex and long dwell, crisp but forgiving for a carbon blade | medium-soft and flexible for a carbon blade, with clear feedback and a large sweet spot |
| handle | FL / ST / AN | FL/ST/AN |
| plies | 5 wood plies plus 2 arylate-carbon outer layers (5W and 2 ALC) | 7-ply (5 wood plus 2 very thin carbon layers) — same outer veneer as the Yasaka Extra |
| speed | OFF | OFF- |
| thickness_mm | 5.7 | 5.8 |
| weight_g | 87 | 87 |
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Both are carbon blades aimed at offensive players, but the Spirit pushes pace while the Yasaka prioritizes control. The Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit uses 5 wood plies plus 2 arylate-carbon layers for OFF speed, long dwell and easy heavy topspin. The Yasaka Ma Lin Soft Carbon is a 7-ply blade with two very thin carbon layers, staying medium-soft and flexible for predictable power, excellent blocking and a large sweet spot.
Pick the Spirit if you want more inherent speed and long-dwell spin for looping and counter-hitting. Pick the Ma Lin Soft Carbon if you are improving from a premade bat and want a soft, forgiving carbon blade with a strong short game and blocking rather than raw far-table speed.
The two are nearly twins in size, both 87g with the Yasaka at 5.8mm against the Spirit’s 5.7mm. The Yasaka’s short dwell makes heavy spin harder without good technique, while the Spirit generates spin more easily and rates noticeably higher.
FAQ
Which blade is easier to generate spin with?
The Spirit, thanks to its long dwell time. The Ma Lin Soft Carbon has shorter dwell, so producing heavy spin is harder unless your technique is strong.
Is the Ma Lin Soft Carbon a good upgrade from a premade bat?
Yes. It is a natural, controllable step up for improvers, with a forgiving feel and clear ball feedback. The Spirit is a bigger jump aimed at more developed players.
Which blocks better?
The Ma Lin Soft Carbon is praised for excellent blocking and a soft, forgiving feel. The Spirit also blocks very well for a carbon blade with its forgiving touch.