Butterfly Korbel vs Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Korbel | Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.6/10 | 8.5/10 |
| feel | medium, soft and flexible all-wood with long dwell | hard outer + soft core, linear |
| handle | FL/ST | FL/ST/AN/CS |
| plies | 5W (all wood) — limba-limba-ayous-limba-limba | 5W (all wood) |
| speed | OFF- | OFF |
| thickness_mm | 6 | 5.7 |
| weight_g | 88 | 88 |
Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive
Check price on AmazonWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Learn more.
Both are 88g all-wood blades, but they have different personalities. The Korbel is soft and flexible with long dwell, OFF-minus, and very forgiving, which makes it a strong learning blade for looping and the short game. The Ma Lin Extra Offensive is a touch faster at OFF, with a hard outer over a soft core and a linear, no-catapult response that rewards precise placement and an aggressive, technically sound stroke.
The Korbel spreads its strengths across the gears and a wide rubber range, gentle for touch yet capable on offense. The Ma Lin Extra Offensive is more specialized: a superb short game, pinpoint placement and many gears for close-to-mid-table attacking and blocking, but it demands you supply the power.
Developers and all-rounders who still value forgiveness should take the Korbel. Offensive and control loopers, including traditional Chinese penhold players who already have a sound stroke and want unbeatable value for an attacking all-wood OFF blade, should take the Ma Lin Extra Offensive.
FAQ
Which blade is the better beginner choice?
The Korbel. It is forgiving and high-feel, ideal for learning to loop and the short game. The Ma Lin Extra Offensive demands an aggressive, technically sound stroke and is not a beginner blade.
How does the feel differ between them?
The Korbel is soft, flexible all-wood with long dwell. The Ma Lin Extra Offensive uses a hard outer over a soft core and plays linearly with no carbon catapult, so it rewards clean contact and precise placement.
Which is better far from the table?
Neither is a distance specialist. The Korbel is only medium speed so you must supply power, and the Ma Lin Extra Offensive loses out a touch far from the table and can feel effortful there.