Butterfly Dignics 05 Review

Dignics is Butterfly’s latest ping pong rubber series catered to the modern-day attacker. Previously, Tenergy 05 (T05) had comfortably ruled as their most popular rubber; but, Dignics 05 might knock T05 off its pedestal!

Dignics 05 Table Tennis Rubber

Specifications

  • Speed: 8.9
  • Spin: 9.4
  • Control: 8.7
  • Hardness: Medium-hard
  • ITTF Approved? Yes
  • Thickness (mm): 1.9, 2.1
  • Price: $$$$
  • Our rating :  9.1

Construction

Following the release of Tenergy, Butterfly sought to completely redesign the rubber when they released Dignics. This means the Butterfly Dignics 05 features a completely new top sheet and a new sponge.

The Dignics sponge uses Spring Sponge X technology, specifically a newer version than what the Tenergy used. The top sheet is also a touch grippier; supposedly, it has an enhanced sense of feeling, giving you more feedback on your strokes.

What hasn’t changed is the pimple geometry. Butterfly tested over 200 different pimple arrangements and initially decided to stick with 05, 80, and 64, which are some of the pimple arrangements previously available in the Tenergy series. However, Butterfly has since released a new pimple arrangement: No. 209. This is Dignics 09C.

The sponge of Dignics 05 is a beautiful red and the top sheet is slightly brighter than the Tenergy 05.

Black Dignics 05 table tennis rubber

What Table Tennis Pros Use Butterfly Dignics 05?

Being a new table tennis rubber from one of the most popular manufacturers, the Dignics 05 has received a lot of use by pro players.

Former world number 1, Timo Boll even used the Butterfly Dignic 05 for a while. Being a long-time Tenergy 05 user, he loved the improved control and grip that Dignics gave him. This caused him to switch from Tenergy 05 to the Dignics 05 backhand. The rubber has helped him have an even more deadly backhand loop counter. Timo has since moved on to the newer Dignics 09C on both sides.

Tomokazu Harimoto is another world-class player who loves the Dignics 05. Currently ranked number 4 in the world, he uses it on his forehand, and uses Tenergy 05 on his backhand. Harimoto is well known for being one of the most powerful players, who play at a close- to mid-distance from the table.

Other notable players who use the Butterfly Dignics 05 include Lin Yun-Ju, Lin Gaoyuan, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, and others. To reiterate: Dignics 05 is very popular for top-level ping pong players.

The Positives

Dignics 05 is a super rubber across the board, but it certainly has its specialties. For starters, the grippy top sheet allows you to produce copious amounts of spin. This means shots like serving and banana flicks are strong. The increased level of feeling also improves these shots, and banana flicks in particular feel potent.

The loop game of Dignics 05 might be a little different from what you were expecting. Despite Butterfly claiming that the Dignics has a higher arc than the Tenergy 05, this doesn’t seem to be the case. Loops are very direct and have a much more muted trajectory than Tenergy 05, which can make spins rather deceiving. Many of us are used to playing against relatively high trajectory rubbers, and strong arcs are a tell-tale sign of heavy spin. With Dignics 05, you don’t produce such a strong arc, which will likely cause your opponents to underestimate your spin.

Due to its lower throw angle, it is much more suited at close to medium distance from the table; however, by no means is it weak at a far distance. It is just less suited for it.

The main area that Dignics 05 excels in is its counter-topspin game. The ball doesn’t fly off the bat as easily as some rubbers when returning heavy loops. It also offers a great amount of dwell time. This is a recipe for a lethal counter-attacking game.

Even loop kills against well-executed spinny loop openers are within your grasp with Dignics 05. Of course, you will need excellent technique to be able to perform such a shot. Surprisingly, these loops seem just as viable on the backhand as on the forehand. In fact, most people seem to favor Dignics 05 as a backhand rubber. This is because the grippy top sheet of Dignics 05 produces heavy spin, even on shorter strokes. And, the backhand is a lot shorter than the forehand.

The shortness and grippy top sheet paired with its high levels of control create a great backhand rubber. And, its extended durability increases this appeal. According to Butterfly, the top sheet is twice as resistant to abrasion as with their last series, Tenergy.

The Negatives

The main drawback to Dignics 05 is its price tag. It is easily one of the most expensive rubbers that you can buy. And with such a hefty price tag, we automatically set a very high-performance standard.

Fortunately, there isn’t any one area that Dignics 05 is particularly lacking. Since it’s a top-end rubber by Butterfly, we would expect nothing less.

But its price tag does leave you feeling a little underwhelmed with the rubber given that it costs double than most of its very capable competitors. Sure, its spin is fantastic, but the speed is nothing exceptional. Although it’s very fast, there are a lot of rubbers out there that are faster.

Dignics 05 also seems to have quality issues when re-gluing. Numerous players have reported their sponge coming apart when they attempt to reglue. This is certainly a shame to see. So, if you’re looking into purchasing Dignics 05, perhaps avoid re-gluing it to another blade. And if you do, I would certainly make sure that you have a varnished blade.

How Hard is Dignics 05?

Dignics 05 is medium-hard like many of the most popular rubbers available today. In hardness, it’s comparable to Evolution MX-P and it slots in between Tenergy 05 and the harder Tenergy 05.

Dignics 05 vs Tenergy 05

At this stage, I’m sure the question on everyone’s mind is how does it compare with Tenergy. Fear not: I’ve identified some key differences that will help you choose between the two.

As mentioned earlier, Tenergy 05 has a higher arc than Dignics 05. This makes it more suitable for playing further away from the table. It also has a more explosive catapult effect. Dignics on the other hand is preferably played closer to the table due to its more direct playstyle.

In terms of types of looping, I would say that Tenergy 05 is much easier for looping against backspin. Here, looping is relatively effortless and very spinny. Yet Dignics 05 excels in the counter-looping game. Its grippy top sheet and directness mean you can counterloop kill even the spinniest of loops.

All in all, they’re both great rubbers. Ask yourself which style you prefer to play before purchasing. In my opinion, I would still say that Tenergy 05 is the superior rubber.

About Butterfly

Butterfly is a premium Japanese table tennis manufacturer. Its founder, Hikosuke Tamasu, compares players to flowers. Hoping his company, like the Butterfly, can elegantly fly to the flowers giving them what they need to flourish.

Butterfly produces all kinds of table tennis equipment, with some of its most popular products being the Tenergy 05 and the Timo Boll ALC.

Butterfly Dignics 05 Alternatives

The main alternatives to Dignics 05 are the rest of the rubbers in the Dignics range. These are Dignics 64, Dignics 80, and Dignics 09C. As the newest rubber in the Dignics line, Dignics 09C seems to have the most hype surrounding it at the moment. Like with the Dignics 05, there are a lot of table tennis professionals using it.

If you are not convinced by Dignics and still want to stick to Butterfly, the tried and tested Tenergy 05 may be the better choice. It features the same pimple geometry and has more positive reviews than pretty much any rubber out there.

Dignics 09C Table Tennis Rubber
Dignics 64 Table Tennis Rubber

Pros (Simplified):

  • Counter looping: Loop against loop is very strong on both sides
  • Very spinny: The grippy top sheet produces heavy spin
  • Durability: Lasts a long time

Cons (Simplified):

  • Expensive: A very expensive rubber. Not the best value for money.
  • Trouble with regluing: Numerous players reported sponge issues when trying to re-glue

Conclusion

So where do I stand on Dignics 05?

It is undoubtedly a super rubber. The question is, can Butterfly justify the price tag? In my opinion, definitely not.

It seems that Butterfly, as usual, has charged a premium for their product knowing that loyal fans will pay any price. It’s disappointing, as it prices out a lot of players who would love the rubber but would simply not be able to afford having to keep replacing sheets multiple times per season (depending on how much they play).

There are a plethora of rubbers out there that match the quality of Dignics 05 with half the price. It doesn’t make sense to purchase Dignics 05 unless its specific qualities really resonate with your play style, or if you don’t care abouthow much you spend.

The people who will make the most out of Dignics 05 are those who are topspin obsessed and like to play quite close to the table in a very direct way. If you play at a further distance and love high arcs on your loops, Dignics 05 is not the best choice.

In regards to whether it is more suited for backhand or forehand, I would say it is more of a backhand rubber. The grippy top sheet makes greater use of the shorter backhand strokes whilst maintaining control. This is why players such as Timo Boll were happy to make the switch from Tenergy 05.

Freelance writer. Table tennis enthusiast. Lover of all things online. When I’m not working on my loop game I’m probably binge-watching some fantasy show.