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Review: BUTTERFLY Dignics 80

Author: Karel Malík

Butterfly Dignics 80 Review: How does it compare to Dignics 05 and Tenergy 05?

Hi everyone,

Back again to greet all you TT gear enthusiasts. Today, we won’t be looking at a brand-new release, but rather a rubber that has been on the market for nearly three years. I was incredibly curious as to why Dignics 80 is generally overlooked, especially by the pros. So, I bought a sheet, and hitting with it turned out to be quite an interesting experience. I figured it would be a shame not to write a bit more about it, and the result is the review below.

As always, please take my findings with a grain of salt. Every player has a different technique and skill level, so many of you might have different feelings during play depending on your performance, form, or training volume. It’s also important to remember that the blade the rubber is glued to is crucial for overall feel; a district-level player with an all-round wood blade will certainly perceive the rubber differently than a 1st League player using carbon.

According to the Butterfly website, the only big name playing with Dignics 80 is Japan’s Jun Mizutani. So, let’s take a look at what this rubber can and cannot do, and why more pros aren't using it.

I’ll skip the technical specs today—I assume anyone even slightly interested in TT equipment is already familiar with the manufacturing technology and characteristics of the Dignics series. I’ll just add a link to a very well-done presentation of all Dignics rubbers, which is definitely worth a look; even a newcomer can learn everything they need directly from the manufacturer. https://www.butterfly-global.com/en/product/dignics/

For the test, I chose Dignics 80 in 2.1mm thickness, Red. The weight of the packaged rubber was 95 grams, which is essentially the same weight as both Tenergy 05 and Dignics 05 in the same sponge thickness. Trimming with a razor blade using a template went smoothly in one go. The rubber is very easy to cut; no crumbling of the top sheet or sponge occurred. Everything was glued with Free Chack PRO II water-based glue without any additional boosting—two layers on the rubber and one on the blade.

Blades used: Moonbeam, Lin Gaoyuan ALC, and a Mizutani ZLC specially borrowed for this test. The rubber was tested for about three weeks (20-25 playing hours) against both classic attackers and "material" players (long pips, short pips) at a performance level ranging from regional divisions to the 3rd League.

My comparison rubbers are Dignics 05 (which I bought new three times in recent years in the vain hope that I’d eventually master it, totaling about 200 playing hours) and Tenergy 05, which I have played with continuously since 2008.

Manufacturer specs for these three rubbers:

Performance Review

Speed I completely agree with the manufacturer. In my subjective opinion, Dignics 80 is indeed the fastest of these three. I’d even say its speed rating could be higher than what Butterfly states. The higher speed compared to both Dignics 05 and Tenergy 05 is immediately noticeable. It’s not as obvious on passive shots, but once you put power into it, Dignics 80 becomes a ruthless "killer."

Spin Butterfly claims Dignics 05 has the highest spin, but I disagree. Subjectively, Tenergy 05 feels like the strongest in the spin department. There is also a noticeable gap between Dignics 05 and Dignics 80, with D05 being superior in terms of maximum spin.

• Tenergy 05 is strongest when generating your own spin on serves, first topspins, or against "dead" balls with no energy.

• Dignics 05 is the king of spin for topspin and counter-topspin close to the table, played early off the bounce against hard incoming shots.

• Dignics 80 is strongest in power shots from the mid-distance, where the combination of speed and spin is often "lethal" for the opponent.

Regarding spin sensitivity (how much the rubber "eats" incoming spin), Dignics 80 is the clear winner. It doesn't react to the opponent's spin nearly as dramatically as D05, and definitely not like Tenergy 05, which is incredibly demanding in this regard. This lower sensitivity is a huge advantage—it’s much easier to play with and forgives poor positioning or mistimed strokes, something T05 never does.

Hardness Subjectively, it feels slightly softer than Dignics 05. However, keep in mind the sponge is 40° (Japanese scale), which is roughly 51–52° on the Euro scale, so it’s still a relatively hard rubber.

Accuracy (Control) Dignics 80 is an extremely precise rubber—more accurate and controllable than both D05 and T05. This is a massive plus.

Trajectory (Throw Angle) The flight curve is significantly longer and flatter compared to Dignics 05, and "miles" longer and flatter than Tenergy 05.

Durability After a month of play, the rubber looks better than Tenergy 05 does after a week. For a competitive player training 3x a week plus matches, the lifespan of both Dignics 05 and 80 is much longer than T05 and significantly outlasts modern ESN rubbers.

Climate & Humidity Sensitivity I tested this during "laundry-day" weather—high humidity where you’d break a sweat after one quick move. While Tenergy 05 becomes almost unplayable in these conditions, Dignics 80 was a massive surprise. It played consistently well. It handles humidity far better than average; even better than D05, which I already thought was quite resistant.

Overall Feel & Strategy

Dignics 80 is surprisingly easy and pleasant to play with. Despite its speed, it obeys your commands. It’s strong in topspin, service returns, blocking, and even playing against defenders. Like D05, it performs best when you hit the ball early and aggressively, but unlike D05, it’s much easier to use against slower balls or when you are forced to play the ball later.

This makes Dignics 80 much better for mid-distance play. Its mix of speed and trajectory makes it very dangerous from away from the table.

My "Hobby-Fan" Theory: This is exactly why Jun Mizutani chose it. For years, he was known for playing very far from the table. Even though the plastic ball forced him closer, he still plays much more from the mid-distance than other pros, and Dignics 80 enables that perfectly. Conversely, most pros choose D05 because they play a dominant "at the table" game where D05 excels.

Blade Pairings

Butterfly recommends composite (carbon) blades, and I agree 100%. On the stiff but soft-feeling Moonbeam (pure Arylate), it was "good." On the Lin Gaoyuan ALC, it was "excellent." But on the Mizutani ZLC, it was "phenomenal." Composite blades really "kickstart" this rubber. I believe Butterfly designs its top rubbers specifically to synergize with their top-tier carbon blades.

Conclusion & Recommendation

Who is it for? Offensive players with solid fundamentals who play a topspin-based game and often find themselves mid-distance. It’s also perfect for those who found Dignics 05 too difficult to master. D05 is much more manageable for the "semi-pro" or advanced club player.

Final Thoughts: Dignics 80 is an incredible success. The fact that it’s not more popular is likely due to the high price and the lack of superstar endorsements. Otherwise, it’s a top-tier rubber that is much more "usable" for competitive players than Dignics 05.

That’s all for today. Surprisingly short, I know, but I promise to make up for it next time—perhaps with a review of the Fan Zhendong blades Butterfly is launching this autumn.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to vse-na-stolni-tenis.cz for publishing. Have a great summer, and see you next time.

Peace and pong!

Karel Malík