Butterfly Glayzer and Glayzer 09C – Toned-down versions of Dignics 05 and Dignics 09C at a budget-friendly price

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

by ThePongProfessor

A couple of years ago, Butterfly introduced the Rozena rubber as a budget-friendly, softer, and easier-to-use alternative to Tenergy 05 for non-professional players. This year, Butterfly is replicating this approach with the new Glayzer and Glayzer 09C rubbers which are touted as less expensive, softer, and more controllable alternatives of the Dignics 05 and Dignics 09C rubbers that have become the rubbers of choice for many professional players in the early 2020s.

The grey Spring Sponge X sponge of the two Glayzer rubbers are based on the sponges from the Dignics series. At 38- and 42-degrees for the Glayzer and Glayzer 09C, respectively, the sponges are two degrees softer than their Dignics counterparts. While rubbers with softer sponges don’t have the same spin and power-coupling potential as harder-sponged rubbers, they are more forgiving and easier to play with, especially for non-professional players who simply don’t have the swing speeds and technical consistency of the pros to maximize the potential of the Dignics rubbers. Additionally, the topsheets of the Glayzer rubbers have been formulated to display improved resistance against abrasion, which is expected to increase durability and reduce costs, an important factor for many non-sponsored players.

The pimples used in the regular Glayzer rubber are identical to those of the Dignics 05, which according to Butterfly, results in high spin values, a high trajectory, and stable performance. Accordingly, this rubber is geared towards spin-offensive players operating from mid-distance.

The pimples used in the Glayzer 09C topsheet are identical to those used in the Dignics 09C, with a thicker base, and thinner and shorter. According to Butterfly, this allows for generation of powerful shots with heavy rotation, stable counter-topspins, and predictable behavior in the short game. This rubber is geared towards players operating close to the table. Butterfly has assigned speed, spin, and arc ratings of 81/73/82 and 75/87/95 for the Glayzer and Glayzer 09C, respectively. The corresponding ratings for the Dignics 05, Dignics 09C, and Tenergy 05 are 86/85/88, 79/96/96, and 83/76/79, respectively. The ratings suggest that the Glayzer and Glayzer 09C rubbers are toned-down versions of their Dignics counterparts, but comparable to the Tenergy 05 in terms of speed and spin.

Like all Butterfly rubbers nowadays, the Glayzer and Glayzer 09C are packaged inside a shiny black cardboard wrapper that features a holographic Butterfly logo on the front that is surrounded by multiple multicolored concentric circles, i.e., white-light grey-dark grey-yellow for Glayzer and white-light grey-dark grey-red for Glayzer 09C. Rubber-specific information is provided on the back in several languages. The topsheet of the Glayzer 09C rubber - but not of the regular Glayzer - is protected with a transparent adhesive plastic film.

The red Glayzer topsheet is matte and feels grippy but is entirely non-tacky (does not lift the ball). The grey Spring Sponge X has a high density of small pores and a hardness I would characterize as medium-soft. The rubber sheet has a faintly sweet rubbery smell and weighs 68-69 g when uncut (red, 2.1 mm, height x width: 180 mm x 168 mm) and 47 grams when cut to the Viscaria test blade (158x150 mm), which is an average weight for a modern 2.1 mm inverted rubber.

The dark-red Glayzer 09C topsheet is very grippy but only slightly tacky (capable of lifting the ball for a fraction of a second). The grey Spring Sponge X has a high density of small pores and a hardness I would characterize as medium, bordering medium-hard. The 09C has an almondy rubbery smell and weighs 68-69 g when uncut (red, 2.1 mm, height x width: 179 mm x 168 mm) and 49 grams cut to the Viscaria blade (158x150 mm), which is an above average weight for a modern rubber.

Testing protocol

I tested the brand-new Glayzer and Glayzer 09C rubbers (red, 2.1 mm) on a Butterfly Viscaria blade while using a well-used sheet of my usual driving-style short pips in my BH. I attached the rubbers using two layers of Butterfly Free Check Pro II glue. I tested each rubber over 3-4 sessions playing a mix of regular and match-like drills against my regular high-level practice partner (two-winged looper), as well as intermediate level players, using 40+ ABS training balls throughout this test. For context, I have previously reviewed the Tenergy 05 and Dignics 09C rubbers but have not played with the Dignics 05.

Unboxing Glayzer

Unboxing Glayzer 09C

Playing impressions - Glayzer

Driving

The Glayzer/Viscaria combo produces a crisp, relatively soft feeling on FH drives. While the Glayzer is bouncier than the Dignics 09C or Glayzer 09C, it is less bouncy than the Tenergy 05. The inherent speed of the Glayzer on these medium impact shots is reasonably high, sitting somewhere between the Tenergy 05 and Dignics 09C (low-to-mid OFF level). The throw angle is high, resulting in plenty of clearance over the net and good consistency on FH drives.

Looping

The Glayzer is, unquestionably, a rubber for topspin-oriented players. The high throw angle facilitates FH loops and provides plenty of clearance over the net. The loops are accompanied by a confidence-promoting clicking sound and a crisp feeling, but spin levels are lower than with the Tenergy 05. Thus, my high-level practice partner had no problems returning my warm-up loops.

It is very easy to open up against long pushes as the Glayzer is insensitive to incoming spin. But again, the amount of spin that I was able to produce on my FH loops was lower than with Butterfly’s top-end rubbers. Thus, I had to rely on good ball placement and execute my 3rd ball attacks with high swing speed, for them to be dangerous. Being an advanced player (USATT ~2200) with a strong FH stroke, it felt as if I couldn’t fully transfer the energy that my body generated, through the rubber, and into the ball, resulting in less powerful FH loops than usual. However, this will be less of an issue for intermediate level players with slower swing speeds.

The Glayzer offers excellent stability in loop-to-loop rallies far from the table due to its high throw angle, bouncy nature, and mild-mannered speed. While being less dangerous than a Tenergy 05, it is easy to play these shots with good control.

Flicking

FH flicking with the Glayzer works best when using the classic “mini-loop” style rather than the flat pancake-type style. Thus, it is important to let the ball dig into the soft sponge and use a rolling motion to lift the ball over the net. While the resulting flicks are not particularly fast, they can be executed with good consistency.

Blocking

The Glayzer produces a crisp feeling when blocking high-quality warm-up loops. The consistency of my passive FH blocks against these types of shots was good, due to the rubber’s spin insensitive nature, moderate speed, and high throw angle. However – and unlike my observations with the Glayzer 09C below – a greater proportion of my shots careened past the table whenever I tried to execute more active blocks and counter-loops during tense match-like situations. Presumably, this is due to the softer, bouncier, and high-throwing nature of the Glayzer. This will be less of a concern for intermediate level players going up against other intermediate level players, who don’ generate top-end power levels on their strokes.

Smashing

The Glayzer works quite well on flat hits and smashes, due to its soft, bouncy, and reasonably fast characteristics. Once again, however, there are limits to how much energy can be imparted on the ball. Most of the time, however, smashes are plenty fast to finish off a point.

Pushing

I found the Glayzer to be easier to use in the short game than the Tenergy 05 as the former is slower and not quite as bouncy. Thus, my long pushes were relatively fast and surprisingly spinny compared to the spin levels on topspin strokes. The catapult effect did not seem to be activated unless I used ridiculously aggressive stroke motions, in which case the push overshot the table. For the same reason, the Glayzer is quite well-behaved on short pushes, which I was able to play low and close to the net with ease.

Serving

The Glayzer allows for the controlled execution of all types of serves, short or long, slow or fast. Spin levels are noticeably lower than with Butterfly’s top-end rubbers, but still respectable.

Conclusion

Butterfly’s description of the Glayzer rubber is spot-on. It is a control rubber for topspin-oriented players. As a FH rubber, it is best suited for intermediate level players with moderate swing speeds. These types of players will find it easy to attack any type of backspin, as the Glayzer is spin-insensitive and easier to use than the Butterfly Tenergy 05. High level players will likely find that the Glayzer does not offer sufficient power coupling to be used as a FH rubber. However, I expect that the Glayzer will have a broader appeal as a BH rubber, as power coupling is less of a concern on BH shots where less physical power is generated. Its high-throw and bouncy nature should work well for BH loops and flicks.

Playing impressions - Glayzer 09C

Driving

The Viscaria/Glayzer 09C combination produces a crisp and direct feeling on FH drives. The Glayzer 09C is a little slower than the regular Glayzer (i.e., high OFF- level), presumably because the sponge is a little harder, requiring more effort from the player. In other words, the power coupling between player-blade-rubber is more direct, allowing for better transfer of energy. Be it as it may, I enjoyed excellent consistency on FH drives, even though the throw angle is noticeably flatter compared to the regular Glayzer.

Looping

FH warm-up loops with the Glayzer 09C are direct, comparatively flat, and controllable. The Glayzer 09C is a more linear rubber than the regular Glayzer. Thus, there are no surprising catapults that are suddenly activated, which could lead to inconsistent looping trajectories. The spin levels on my FH loops seemed to be a little higher than with the regular Glayzer, but noticeably lower than with the Dignics 09C.

Glayzer 09C’s grippy nature and lack of spin sensitivity renders it easy to execute consistent 3rd ball attacks against long pushes. The shots require slightly more physical effort than with the regular Glayzer, but since the power coupling is more efficient, FH loops end up being more dangerous than with the Glayzer as more power can be controllably imparted on the ball. The flatter trajectory places higher technical demands on the player, but the Glayzer 09C is still a relatively easy rubber to play with. I won more outright points on my 3rd ball attacks than with the regular Glayzer, but still had to be ready to follow up with a 5th ball attacking shot to finish the point.

The Glayzer 09C works well in FH loop-to-loop rallies far from the table, but the lack of a strong catapult, its lower inherent speed, and flatter trajectory become more apparent from this distance. Nonetheless, I was still able to engage in FH loop-to-loop rallies but I had to invest more effort than with the regular Glayzer.

Flicking

The Glayzer 09C feels similar to the Dignics 09C on FH flicks. The crisp feeling that is produced by the Glayzer 09C and Viscaria combination encourages aggressive FH pancake-type flicks against short pushes. The sponge provides sufficient compressive resistance to ensure that the flicks don’t overshoot the table. In fact, the resulting FH flicks are fairly fast, flat, and dangerous. More traditional mini-loop type flicks, on the other hand, are a little harder to execute due to the harder sponge.

Blocking

The most exciting feature of the Glayzer 09C is its performance in the blocking game. Passive FH blocks are crisp, stable, and easy to execute. The rubber easily absorbs the kinetic energy from even high-level loops and redirects it in a predictable fashion as flat and fast blocks. Similarly to the Dignics 09C, the Glayzer 09C shines on aggressive blocks and counter-drives. Thus, my percentage of unreachable kill-blocks was sky-high whilst playing against my high-level practice partner. All that is required to additionally accelerate the ball is a brief tightening of the wrist. The linear, spin-insensitive, and hard-sponged nature of the Glayzer 09C takes care of the rest and helps you land spectacular shots, which are intuitive to execute.

Smashing

While the Glayzer 09C is significantly slower than the Dignics 09C, it is still fast enough to put away most loose balls with commanding flat hits.

Pushing

The Glayzer 09C is more predictable on long pushes than the regular Glayzer since the catapult effect is far weaker. This encourages the use of more aggressive stroke mechanics. Whilst the spin levels of the pushes are lower than with the Dignics 09C, they are still respectable, rendering it challenging to attack them. This, coupled with the excellent blocking characteristics described above, means that it is possible to adopt a slightly more tentative strategy in which you allow your opponent to attack first. Their topspin openers will be compromised by the quality of your pushes, and you can pounce on the weaker loops with aggressive blocks.

The linear characteristics of the Glayzer 09C work well in the short game and pushes and drop shots can be played low and short.

Serving

All types of serves can be executed effectively with the Glayzer 09C but as expected spin levels are lower than with the Dignics 09C.

Conclusion

The Glayzer 09C is a moderately fast and linear rubber that is best suited for players operating close to the table. Akin to the Dignics 09C, the Glayzer 09C excels at high-impact driving shot types, i.e., loop drives, counter drives, pancake-type flicks, and aggressive blocks, whilst also enabling an efficient short game. While it is easy to loop against long backspin pushes with the Glayzer 09C, the higher throw angle of the regular Glayzer likely renders it better suited for prototypical two-winged loopers. The technical demands placed on players using the Glayzer 09C are less than for those using the Dignics 09C, but a little higher than for those using the regular Glayzer. The Glayzer 09C is an excellent rubber that will cater to intermediate level players who want a budget-friendlier version of the Dignics 09C.

Related Links

• Butterfly Glayzer
• Butterfly Glayzer 09C
• Butterfly Rozena
• Butterfly Tenergy 05
• Butterfly Dignics 05
• Butterfly Dignics 09C

About The Author

Patrick "ThePongProfessor" Hrdlicka is a table tennis enthusiast, who was introduced to the sport by his parents at the age of six. He progressed to play in the top national cadet and junior leagues in his native Denmark. With college looming, Patrick quit the sport for nearly twenty years. During this hiatus, he obtained a Ph.D.-degree in chemistry and moved to the US as he accepted a chemistry professor position. Since his return to the sport in 2015, he has been combining his analytical skills with his passion for table tennis by testing and writing about a wide range of table tennis equipment. He is a ~2200-USATT-rated left-handed doubles specialist who counts his 2017 US Open (O40 doubles) and 2018 Portland Open (open doubles) titles and Top-16 finish at the 2018 World's Veteran Championships (40-44 year doubles) among his fondest memories. He has a controlled offensive playing style and currently uses a 7-ply limba/ayous based all-wood blade and DHS Hurricane 3 and driving-type short pips in his FH and BH, respectively.