OC A review of almost all Yonex Z rackets

Arcsaber Z-Slash 3UG4: Honestly, the AZS is one of the more demanding rackets to play with. Because this racket has it's framing issues, I thought that the NF1000Z was much easier to play with than the AZS. I will say that the AZS has much better hold on slow shots being an ArcSaber, but effective power, speed and consistency all go to the 1000Z, which makes sense considering how much newer it is... AZS has been around since 2009(?). Raw power I would say to be around the same as the AZS is quite powerful when everything is in the right environment. Stability is the key problem of the AZS due to the nature of the frame, so I would argue that the 1000Z is much more consistent.

Voltric Z-Force 1 (2012) LTD 4UG5: Now, considering the fact that the ZF1 is a head heavy racket, and a popular one from the past, I've always liked the touch it provides and the ease of power. To me, I feel that from all the Z rackets, this one was the easiest to play and truly a racket ahead of its time. Obviously the 1000Z will be much faster since it is EB/Slight HH, but considering the ZF1 is a bit of a hammer in its own right, I think effective power from both rackets are very similar. Raw power will still see the ZF1 come out on top due to its head heavy nature. Being HH, I also find it to be a lot more stable than that of the NF 1000Z. What the ZF1 sacrifices is obviously, speed.

Nanoray Z-Speed 3UG4: Will update this when I can borrow my friends, as I cracked mine a long long time ago and it now sits on my wall of fame.

Voltric Z-Force II LD White 4UG5: One of my favourite rackets for outright power. I think in a game of doubles, the 1000Z is the clear winner. In singles, a strong wrist and physical capability will see the ZF2 as the superior racket. The 1000Z is obviously going to be much quicker, whereas the ZF2 is much more powerful. 1000Z is much more direct while the ZF2 is slightly numb. ZF2 is more stable due to HH, but touch is not as great. Speed is obvious between the two rackets. Between the two rackets, I feel that the ZF2 is more accurate due to its head weight, but much more demanding to play with. Both rackets are definitely not suitable for beginners.

Duora Z-Strike 3UG4: I’ve liked how evenly balanced the DZS was but I always found that this racket wasn’t too great on touch. It felt quite numb and I could never exactly pinpoint what this racket attempted at accomplishing. It never felt quite as powerful as the Z-Force II, never had great touch of the ArcSaber 11 of the time, and it never had the speed of any Nanoray/Nanoflare. I guess the beauty of this was that even if you mishit, compared to other Z rackets, it would be considered a bit more forgiving than the rest. So speed wise, the 1000Z is much faster, provides more effective power in my opinion, and a more direct feel. The DZS, provides stability and consistency in swings, doesn’t feel as hard to control and provides power more consistently. I will say that the DZS provides more accuracy if you can get around the numbness of the racket.

Astrox 100ZZ Dark Navy 4UG5: The most recent Z racket other than the 1000Z, and definitely very popular among many people right now. The 100ZZ and 1000Z are different ends of a spectrum. One being designed for power and one designed for speed. I find that the 100ZZ can deliver exceptional power due to its natural head heaviness, although it isn’t extremely head heavy and sits between HH and EB. In terms of raw power, I feel that these two rackets excel in their own right. The 1000Z is fast enough to generate power shot after shot, whereas the 100ZZ requires the right setup to deliver massive power. The power ceiling on both rackets are higher, but the applications of how this power is delivered is arguably quite different. One is like a fully automatic assault rifle, whereas another one is a high caliber sniper rifle. Both are effective, but it all comes down to the style of a player to effectively use these rackets. Both require exceptional technique to fully utilize the racket.

To summarize, the NF 1000Z stacks up well in a long line of Z rackets. All of these rackets are not easy to use and should not be picked up by players who are of intermediate level. These rackets have specific applications and should be used when the player has decent technique.

If I had to summarize which rackets I would choose based on my own preference of these rackets, it would look like this:

Nanoflare 1000Z > Astrox 100ZZ / Voltric Z-Force 1 > Voltric Z-Force 2 > Duora Z-Strike > ArcSaber Z-Slash

Do keep in mind that I prefer speed rackets.