Butterfly A40+ Table Tennis Ball Review: The Premium Workhorse
Why You Should Trust Us
The Bottom Line
When you discuss premium table tennis equipment, the name Butterfly is inescapable. From the legendary Tenergy and Dignics rubber lines to the Viscaria blades wielded by World Champions, Butterfly dominates the high-end market. However, when the sport transitioned from celluloid to 40+ plastic (poly) balls, the initial landscape was chaotic, and every manufacturer scrambled to find the perfect formula.
Enter the Butterfly A40+. Designed to be the official ball of the World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) and countless international Pro Tour events, the A40+ had massive expectations to fulfill. In this comprehensive review, we break down everything you need to know about the Butterfly A40+: how it feels, how long it lasts, how it compares to the legendary Nittaku Premium, and whether you should be buying it for your own club matches.
🥈 The Butterfly A40+ Specification Breakdown
- Crisp, hard feel off the paddle
- Very consistent bounce trajectory
- Slightly lower price point than Nittaku
- Excellent visibility under harsh lighting
- Can feel "heavy" to some players
- Durability is great, but slightly trails the very best
Performance and Playability Analysis
The Butterfly A40+ is not a generic, rebranded factory ball. It has a very specific playing characteristic that seasoned players will recognize within the first three hits of a warm-up.
1. Speed and Hardness: The “Crisp” Feel
The most defining characteristic of the Butterfly A40+ is its hardness. Modern ABS plastic balls are generally harder than the older celluloid generation, but the A40+ sits on the firmer end of that spectrum.
When you strike the A40+ directly—such as on a flat smash or an aggressive active block—the sound is sharp, high-pitched, and authoritative. This hardness translates directly to speed. Because the ball deforms slightly less upon impacting the hard wood of the table and the sponge of the paddle, less kinetic energy is lost to compression. The A40+ rockets off the table, making it a dream for close-to-the-table attackers and mid-distance counter-loopers who rely on sheer pace to overwhelm their opponents.
2. Weight Distribution and “Heaviness”
If you browse forums like r/tabletennis, a common sentiment regarding the A40+ is that it feels “heavy.”
To clarify, the Butterfly A40+ is absolutely within the incredibly strict ITTF weight regulations (between 2.67g and 2.77g). It is not physically heavier than other legal 3-star balls. However, perceived weight in table tennis is often a function of hardness and surface friction. Because the ball is so rigid, it requires a powerful, committed stroke to fully engage the sponge of your rubber and generate maximal spin. If your technique is lazy, or if you gently brush the ball without driving forward, the A40+ will feel like a rock, and your shot will likely drop into the net.
This “heavy” feeling is actually a major positive for high-level players. It means the ball feels substantial and grounded. It cuts right through heavy air conditioning drafts in large tournament halls and feels incredibly stable during intense topspin-to-topspin rallies.
3. Bounce Consistency and True-Roundness
Early plastic balls wobbled. Period. They had uneven cooling processes that resulted in thick and thin spots along the circumference.
The Butterfly A40+ utilizes a seamed construction (welding two perfect hemispheres together). Butterfly’s quality control is legendary, and it shows here. The seam is sanded down to microscopic tolerances. When you impart heavy sidespin on an A40+, it draws a smooth, predictable arc through the air without any mid-flight flutter. You can trust the bounce. If you miss a loop, you know it was your footwork, not a defective ball hitting the table and skidding in an unexpected direction.
Durability and Lifespan
Next to roundness, durability is the most critical metric for evaluating a premium ping pong ball. At over $2 per ball, you need them to last.
Crack Resistance (Edge Hits)
The Achilles heel of any ping pong ball is the edge hit. Striking the sharp, hard wooden edge of your paddle at 50 miles per hour will shatter weak plastics instantly.
The strict ABS formulation of the Butterfly A40+ provides excellent impact resistance. While no ball is indestructible, the A40+ absorbs edge hits impressively well. You will rarely hear that devastating “cracked egg” sound during a normal training session. Instead of instantly splitting, the A40+ tends to slowly wear out over time.
Surface Degradation
All poly balls have a slightly matte, textured surface out of the box that helps the rubber grip the ball for spin generation. Over time, friction from the paddle and the table sands this texture down.
The A40+ holds its texture very well. You will find that even after a month of heavy play, while the ball will eventually become shiny and slick (holding less spin), it generally retains its grip slightly longer than cheaper alternatives.
Butterfly A40+ vs. Nittaku Premium 40+
This is the ultimate debate in modern table tennis equipment. Which of these two titans should you buy?
- Origin: The Nittaku Premium is made in Japan, utilizing a proprietary poly material. The Butterfly A40+ is manufactured in China under incredibly strict Butterfly Quality Control standards.
- Feel: The Nittaku feels slightly softer, playing closer to the vintage celluloid balls of the past. It offers more “dwell time” (the sensation of the ball digging into the paddle). The Butterfly A40+ feels harder, crisper, and slightly faster on flat hits.
- Durability: The Nittaku is widely considered the most durable ball on earth, bordering on indestructible. The Butterfly is fantastic, but the Nittaku still holds the crown for absolute longevity.
- Price: The Butterfly A40+ is generally cheaper. You can often buy them in larger quantities (like 3-dozen packs) at a significantly better cost-per-ball ratio than the Nittaku.
The Verdict on the Rivalry: If you have infinite budget and demand the absolute pinnacle of perfect roundness and durability, buy the Nittaku. If you prefer a faster, crisper feeling ball, or if you want a premium World Championship tier ball without the maximum Japanese price tag, buy the Butterfly A40+.
Final Thoughts: Who is the A40+ For?
The Butterfly A40+ is an elite, professional-grade selection. It is not designed for casual basement play, nor is it cost-effective enough to dump 100 of them into a practice robot (for that, we highly recommend the PROSPIN 3-Star).
The A40+ is for competitive club players, tournament competitors, and intense training partners who need a ball that explicitly rewards proper tension and aggressive technique. Its firm, crisp feel is deeply satisfying on hard drives, and its bounce consistency is impeccable. If you string up your racket with high-end offensive rubber, this is exactly the type of ball that will allow you to extract the maximum performance from your setup.
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