Ilius S is the first long pimpled rubber with “Absorber Sponge Heavy” technology developed by Butterfly. The top sheet is quite hard with pimples whose aspect ratio is at the highest limit permitted. The combination of the top sheet and “Absorber Sponge Heavy” makes it easier to push and to return an opponent’s attack with a low defensive shot with heavy or minimal spin. The rubber is recommended for defensive players, enabling subtle changes as well as stability in rallies.
The top sheet is the most important element of long pimpled rubbers, and the same top sheet has been adopted for both the Ilius S and the Ilius B. To bring out the characteristics of these long pimpled rubbers, the pimple shape was designed to be as thin and high as rules allow.
In addition, the durability of the top sheet has more than doubled* compared to the Feint Long III, which has a similar pimple shape, this is due to the compounds used to achieve durability whilst maintaining the performance of the rubber.
* Discovered via the unique tests of rubber strength by the Butterfly Research and Development Department.
Butterfly has developed sponges such as Spring Sponge that have contributed to the evolution of the offensive game. Using knowledge gained through those experiences, during the development of the Ilius series we not only focused on developing new top sheets which are often seen as the important element of long pimpled rubbers, but also focused on the development of new sponges that add to the variation.
As a result, the British green Absorber Sponge Heavy used in Ilius S and the Turquoise green Absorber Sponge Drop used in Ilius B were developed.
The two sponges are hard; the hardness of “Heavy” is 45, and the hardness of “Drop” is 48. If the sponge is hard, the pimples will bend more, thus greater effects will be obtained. Generally, the harder the sponge, the more difficult it is to control as the speed of the ball off the racket gets faster. However, Absorber Sponge Heavy/Drop absorbs the energy of the opponent’s ball well even during hard impact, so you can have high stability while taking advantage of the variation.
The sponge absorbing the impact
Absorber Sponge Heavy: The Sponge absorbs the impact of the ball well whilst maintaining the ease of which the pimples bend. Therefore, the Ilius S equipped with this sponge allows for stable chops and pushes with heavier spin