Customer Reviews

Butterfly Carlos Chiu Table Tennis Racket

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I switched to this because my Butterfly Shikata was getting on in age and was starting to show quite a bit of wear. I was hoping for immediate improvement, but realized that this racket seems quite a bit different than my old Shikata.

First of all, it's got a ton more spin - I can just about wrap it around the net on my serve. I feel like I can start the ball - on any shot - a foot off the table and still spin it back on.

It's also a little more controllable in the power department. Whereas a defensive shot from a smash with my Shikata would often fly well deep of the table, I can fit a little top spin with the Chiu and keep them on the table much more often. It also seems like it has more pop on smashes. This is most likely due to the fact that I can put so much more top spin on the ball.

Overall, it's a pretty good racket. It's not as huge a difference from my old paddle as I'd hoped, but it's definitely not bad.

UPDATE:
Well I've been playing with this racket for about a month or so now and it's not even close to what it used to be. This is by far the cheapest-made racket I've ever used. It started off as a very solid bat with a lot of grip, but the grip has almost completely worn off and the rubber has a ton of holes and scrapes around the edges. If you're going to buy this one, you'll definitely want to buy some glue and a case for it and be as gentle as possible with it. Every other racket I've had has lasted me at least a year and this one is going to be dead by 3 months.

Don't waste your money if you're the type that doesn't take meticulous care of your racket.

To kick this review off, I'm at the high end of the intermediate recreational level. I spin it a lot when the game is slow (not with 'pushes'), but when my opponent loops stuff over, I like to slam. I slam a lot and my defense against slams is particularly good.

In the past I've used this basic type of racket before, but for the past year I've been playing recreationally with the cheap $4 Sportcraft paddles. A week ago, I did some research on the internet on the different types of Butterfly paddles. This Carlos Chiu one seemed the most powerful of the bunch.

This racket is much heavier than those cheap Sportcraft paddles, the rubber is much firmer and much thicker. It also does not change shape after slams or after defending against slams, like with my Sportcraft one.

The amount of control and spin on this racket are amazing. I can spin and still have enough control to send it pretty quickly within 1 cm of the top of the net. Furthermore, I can slam at the ball successfully at much lower 'heights' than with all my previous paddles. At my end of the table, at a 9" height, I can slam it to the other side with much less problem.

I highly recommend this paddle. (I got it off of this Amazon website for $39, which already included shipping costs. Don't get it off EBay, it'll rip you off.)

I have enjoyed the play of the racquet EXCEPT for how delicate it is on it's edges. Just touch it and it blisters. I will continue play with it but will not purchase another one for that reason.

I have seen a mixed bag of reviews about this paddle on Amazon, and I agree with most of them. True the paddle is wicked fast, and true it's one of the spinniest paddles I have played for $50. Also true (the downside to being so sticky) is that it picks up every piece of lint; from clothes, to floors, heck, even stuff from the ball! Also true, the rubber is delicate, I wash mine after each play, and it still has frayed some around the edges where my fingers reach. BUT, on the plus side, I can usually count on 60% of my chops getting returned into the net, and my loops are off the charts! So, good with the bad, this one is what I expected when I bought a 100 speed, 100 spin, 85 control paddle...not a garage hard blade.

Table tennis has never been so fun before. I was surprise when I receive this racket. With this racket I am able to serve some most spiny curve balls I have ever served thanks to the good quality of the rubbers. And the best part about this racket is that it gives me both speed and control. I strongly recommend it for people who just want to get a decent racket for a reasonable price.

One thing few people might not like about it is the weight. It is slightly heavier than some other cheap rackets, and one might need some time to get used to it. However, it gives me a much better speed when I am hitting the ball with it due to the momentum. Also the weight problem is easy to overcome after a week or so of practice and playing.

Some people said that this racket is an offensive racket, but I would say it is more an allround racket. And after I lets my friends at the table tennis club give it a few try, they agreed as well. Thanks to the stickiness of the rubber, I am able to do some wicked defensive strokes, like slice (it is hard for the opponent to attack due to the backspin on the ball), and I have no problem using this racket to block smashes so far. As for the offensive strokes, I am able to use it to put incredible amount of topspin on the ball...trust me, it is so much fun!!! Indeed, it is faster than those cheap rackets, but again you will get used to it after a week or so. It doesn't take long to get used to the speed and control of the racket... You won't look at table tennis the same way after you get used to it.

If I have to say one thing I don't like about this product is that it doesn't come with a carry case. So I have to spend $10+ more on it. I would recommend people who is buying this racket to get a carrying case to protect the racket when you are not playing it. $10 would be worth it as you can use your rackets for a longer time if you protect them well.

Overall, this allround racket has good feel with good speed and control. I love it, and I hope you will too.

P.S.
If you take good care of a racket, it should be able to serve you for years. So don't forget to clean the rubbers from time to time...and never, I mean NEVER throw your racket on the table/floor.

Of all the paddles I have played with this one has noticeable better/heavier top spin. For that reason it is worth the money if you are an aggressive player.

I recently upgraded from a Butterfly Seemiller and have been hitting 2-3 more smash winners per game than I did before as a result of hitting the ball faster with slightly better contol.

The only drawback I found is that I struggle with it when I am on defense. I find that on the points that I can't be the aggressor I lose about 75% of the time, but this may be a weakness of mine, not the paddle.

If you are aggressive and good at getting/staying on offence I highly recommend this racket.

This racket lives up to its claim of incredible spin and speed. I'm very pleased with my purchase.

Originally, I wanted to buy the Butterfly Firehand mostly because of the name, but for half the price I opted for the Carlos Chiu. Not a bad decision. I have not had a single slam returned back to me with this paddle. It took a few days to get used and was leagues better over the sportscraft paddles I originally used. The sticky pad has excellent spin and power. Lacks a little in control but you just need to compensate for that with extra vigilance. Highly recommended for those who want to up their pace a little.

The racket description says Speed: 100 Spin: 100 and Control: 95. And this is exactly how I found this racket. It is blitzkrieg fast and spin is also excellent. I had to get a hang of the bat because I found it a bit top heavy ; But it has turned out to be excellent for my mode of play which is primarily offensive. I recommend buying it with a racket case since the rubber seems pretty fragile. I also put the white tape around it to prevent the rubber peeling off.

Overall an excellent product. Kudos to amazon and fellow reviewers!!

This paddle is pretty much as advertised. It has enough grip to it to enable spinning and will speed up your game. I think it is a great value for someone who wants to get their first racket but doesn't want to spend too much on it. Three of us purchased this and we seem to stay in the game with those that spent $100 or more on their rackets.