Customer Reviews

Butterfly 8252 Derek May Table Tennis Racket

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This blade should only be used by those very new to the game who have no intention of playing competitively. I am a strong amateur who read the reviews here and purchased the paddle. When I played against people who used stickier high-spin rubber, the rubber on this paddle was so weak that the rubber could not grip the ball. When this happens, it causes the rotation on the ball to reverse and the ball goes down into the net. At first I thought I was doing something wrong, however I let an 1800+ player use it and he could not get the ball over the net when I was using his own sticky paddle against him due to the spin reversal.

One thing worth knowing on this paddle is that the black side is stickier than the red side. This means if you do use it, you'll definitely want to use black as your forehand.

The weight of the paddle and the handle are both excellent.

This is a very light racket. It has a spin - 50, speed - 50, control - 100. I would prefer a little thicker sponge than 1.8 millimeters.

If you are a beginner, you can buy the cheaper Butterfly 8270 Naifu or Butterfly 8251 Hazinski Rackets for some practice as I am sure you will bang your racket several times on the table and surrounding walls. Once you get a feel of spin, speed and control then you can decide which racket is suitable for you.

The Derek May racket is ideal for defensive players who like putting the ball back in play and not making any mistakes. With the acquisition of this racket, you'll notice a great improvement in control play, as Derek guides your shots precisely all around the table. Derek leads to clean and high - quality play, and is one of the best defensive rackets out there. Points will be extended and offensive players will have to hit some brilliant shots before winning a point. The spin is also not bad at all, despite it saying that it's only 45. The speed is good, superior to Derek's bretheren racket Kassam, which is only a piece of plywood.
If you're an offensive player who likes heavy topsin and attacking play, then, unfortunately, Derek is not for you. And remember: Defense Wins Championships!

Control: 100
Spin: 45
Speed: 50

This racket is great for beginners, due to its low cost and great control. The speed and spin is low compared to other rackets, but it does not claim to have great speed and spin. I got what I wanted out of it.

If you're ready to step up from the simple paddles you got with your table or in a set with a net, this is the paddle to get. The "Derek May" type of Butterfly paddle is thick and squishy. The paddle takes a lot of speed off of the ball so you are able to put the ball where you want on the table. It has nice spin on it too. The paddle teaches you to be a bit more gentel with your shots and more percise with your placement. When switching from this paddle to a more "powerfull" paddle, I noticed that I was able to place the ball on the table easier. It's a great paddle by a great company.

For $25 I thought this was a very nice paddle. I am an amateur player, I didn't want to spend too much, so I was hesitant about buying it. But after I got it, I was glad I got it. The sponge is pretty thick, and the rubber is awesome, a lot of spin!!! Which is what I expect in a paddle. So, buy this it's a very nice paddle.

For the price, I bought 2 for my new table. Its a good racket for beginners and intermediate. Definitely not a competition caliber. But for a casual player like me, its not bad at all.

I enjoy using this racket. I'm basically a defensive player and this racket doesn't do anything crazy when I return slams. I'm still able get a reasonable amount of spin on the ball but I clean my racket before I start play. This is a great all around racket for the intermediate (1400) player on a budget.

I was looking for something to replace my old timo boll mid range racket. I originally tried a range of butterfly rackets from cheap to top end ones. Hated them all. It was either too much spin or too little. Or not enough power / control. I was going to give up and see if i could hunt down my original bat but thought i would give this one a go.

It beat my expectations right from the get go, i felt comfortable during long fast rallies. There was enough spin to produce crafty shots and plenty of power to score easy winners. I found my defensive play was superb and allowed me to switch around and turn the tables taking an offensive stance, even fighting from tight spots and under heavy fire. The control really helped me dictate the pace of the rallies too.

The bat seems to be pretty solid and fits nice in the hand. Its not very heavy and very versatile.

I recommend this bat for anyone who plays with finesse and measured power when it counts. If controlling the ball and defending your corner is key to your game i think this is a winner.

However amazon have got the specs wrong. According to the main site and the bat packaging it is actually. Speed=50, spin=45, control=100. For $30 its nice and easy on the wallet.

Speed: This paddle is a bit on the slow side.
Control: The control is excellent.
Spin: Spin is medium.

I think this is a good beginners paddle for those who don't rely too much on spin.