What’s the Difference Between ALC and ZLC Blades? and What About Super Versions?

Arylate-carbon (ALC) and zylon-carbon (ZLC) are two of the most popular composites used in table tennis blades.

The first ever blade to use a composite layer was the Butterfly Gergely, named after former Hungarian star Gábor Gergely.

This blade used Butterfly’s Tamca 5000 carbon, their proprietary carbon layer. In 1991, the Butterfly Keyshot was released, the first arylate blade.

And, in 1993, Butterfly came up with an amazing idea: mixing carbon fibers with arylate ones to produce an even better effect. They came up with the most legendary table tennis blade ever, the Butterfly Viscaria.

Sometime after, Butterfly experimented with weaving zylon fibers with carbon, and a different effect was achieved.

In this article, we will talk about the effects of arylate-carbon (ALC) blades compared to those of zylon-carbon (ZLC) ones. Let’s start with a quick summary table in case you don’t have time for the full explanation:

How do ALC/ZLC blades work?

Before comparing them with one another and explaining their differences, we’ll give a quick explanation of how these blades work and what players they suit.

ALC Blades

We’ll start explaining how ALC blades perform, as they are the most popular ones, by far.

Arylate is a composite renowned for its control and how it improves the dwell time of the blades in which it is used.

In fact, ALC blades are known for their feeling: they feel as though they “catch” the ball and hold onto it for a fraction more than other carbon blades.

Most ALC blades are also renowned for their balance, even though they are fast offensive blades, most are known for their high balance between speed, stability, and control.

ALC blades are often preferred by high-level and professional players because of just how reliable and well-rounded they are.

In terms of hardness and stiffness, ALC blades are hard and stiff enough to control high levels of incoming and outgoing power, but not to the point that they become hard to use.

In fact, these blades are known for their high ability to produce spin and for their relatively high throw angle when it comes to composite blades.

Zhang Jike, Timo Boll, Fan Zhendong, Lin Shidong, and countless others use or have used ALC blades throughout their career because of all these reasons.

ALC blades are the perfect solution for traditional loopers who value spin, power, control, stability, and touch.

ZLC Blades

ZLC blades are less popular than ALC blades because they aren’t as versatile, but they do have very marked strengths (and weaknesses).

ZLC as a composite is known for making blades play very directly. It makes blades faster, lower throwing, harder, and stiffer.

Most ZLC blades are quite offensive and they cater to players who value speed and stability more than anything else.

These blades are great for hitting, smashing, blocking, and playing fast loops. They aren’t usually as spinny or high throwing but they work perfectly for players who rely on speed and directness more than anything else.

The Differences Between ALC and ZLC Blades

So, we can say that:

ALC blades are generally softer, flexier, and have a more balanced feel. They are better for spinning the ball, they have more control and they are more versatile. Their throw angle is generally higher and they support an offensive, loop-based game.

ALC blades go well with any type of rubbers, be they European, Chinese, or hybrid.

We can think of countless examples of players and combinations.

Timo Boll used his Timo Boll ALC for most of his career. He first paired it with Tenergy 05 rubbers, which are the perfect fit for a spin-based, stable and explosive offensive game.

Then, he switched his Tenergies for Dignics 09c rubbers, which also pair perfectly with ALC blades. This combination excels at looping and counterlooping.

And, on the other end of the spectrum, Fan Zhendong, Zhang Jike, Lin Shidong, and many others have played the Butterfly Viscaria for years, pairing them with National Hurricane 3 rubbers.

This second combination is ideal for the Chinese-style powerlooping game.

In turn, ZLC blades are generally harder, stiffer, and play very directly. They are better for hitting the ball, blocking, and playing direct loops. They don’t have as much control and they require good technique from the player.

Their throw angle is generally lower and they support an ultra-offensive game based on direct loops, 3rd ball attacks, punches, and blocks.

We recommend pairing ZLC blades with high-throwing rubbers to counteract their low throw. Also, we suggest not pairing ZLC blades with hard rubbers unless you’re a very high-level player, or else the combination will end up being too hard.

And What About Super ALC and Super ZLC?

Speaking about Super ALC and Super ZLC, these two composites are more extreme versions of their regular counterparts.

What the “super” words mean is that they have more of that given composite, that is, the ALC or ZLC layer is thicker. This makes their effect much more pronounced.

Super ALC is like regular ALC in terms of feel but faster, harder, lower-throwing, and stiffer. The same holds for Super ZLC and ZLC.

For example, when comparing the Viscaria with the Viscaria Super ALC, the Super ALC is faster, more direct, and more unforgiving. It has more speed but less control.

The same holds true when comparing a blade like the Fan Zhendong ZLC to the Super ZLC. The Super ZLC is faster and more direct.

However, there’s an argument to be made that super versions don’t hit a “sweet spot” when it comes to speed and control.

I struggle to find a case in which a player finds a regular Viscaria too slow.

Regular ALC and ZLC blades are plenty fast and they’re still quite balanced and controllable. That’s the appeal of these blades: They are very fast but retain great feel, stability, and control.

With Super ALC and ZLC blades, some control is traded off for more speed.

I think that it’s only worth it to go for the Super versions if you want the fastest blades for an uncompromising ultra-offensive style.

Who Should Use Which Type?

In my opinion, most offensive players should use ALC blades.

These offer the best balance between speed, spin, and control in the world of composite blades, and countless world champions have used them for more than 20 years.

They are the most popular blades for a reason, and they have the best playing characteristics for the complete modern offensive style.

However, those players who love smashing, punching, and power looping for winners, can opt for ZLC blades for more directness and speed.

If you want even more speed, you can go for the Super versions, though I’d only recommend them for advanced ultra-offensive players.

When in doubt, go for ALC.

And, if you are still a developing player or you value control and spin more than speed, but you want a capable, stable blade with the characteristics of a composite blade, you can opt for the inner carbon variants.

If you choose an inner carbon variant of the ALC or ZLC blades, you’ll get the effect of their composites in a more controllable package.