[Discontinued]

Everyone's rating [Performance] Touch and Swing rated highly

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Average review score

  • Rating: 9.23 / 10
  • Number of reviews: 62
    • Swing: 9.23
    • Maneuverability: 8.89
    • Control: 8.82
    • Touch：9.5
    "Horizontal - A concept" expands the sweet area and the explosive acceleration force of SBZ fires the shuttle.

    Specifications

    Producer
    YONEX
    Series
    NANORAY
    Model number
    4549317536445
    Grip size
    2U4、2U5、3U4、3U5
    Color
    Lime yellow
    Length
    675
    Weight
    2U,3U
    Shaft stiffness / feel
    Hard
    Head balance
    Even balance
    Recommended tension

    3U: 20-27 2U: 20-28

    Frame material
    High elastic carbon frame + sonic metal + EX-HMG
    Shaft material
    High elastic carbon shaft + X-fullerene + nanometric, new built-in T type joint
    Frame shape
    isometric

    User Review SummaryAI Summary
    A high-performance racket that holds the world's fastest smash record. It receives high ratings for attack-oriented play style, swing speed, and hitting feel, while there is a shared recognition that narrow sweet spots and control proficiency require advanced skill levels.
    ■ Frequently mentioned points
    • Smash speed and power increased dramatically
    • Compact frame provides excellent swing-through
    • Narrow sweet spot requires adaptation
    • Even balance offers good maneuverability
    • Ideal for aggressive doubles play
    ■ Representative voices
    ▲ PositiveLightweight and easy to swing around freely. Smash shots run hard even with light swings. The shaft's flex is excellent, and the feeling of releasing all power at impact after bending maximally is addictive.
    ▽ CriticalShots off the sweet spot don't fly well, and control of soft shots like hairpins is difficult, making it challenging for intermediate and below players or female athletes.

    User reviews

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    All Monthly
    • Yoshiki

      Yoshiki （Experience：6-10 years） Probably not many people can master it?

      Honestly, my impression from using it is that it's for singles players, or even singles-only. Using this racket doesn't mean anyone can suddenly hit fast shots, and since the head is small, the shuttle doesn't seem to fly well unless you catch it squarely. But if you can properly flex this stiff shaft, I think you'll be able to churn out fast, powerful shots.

      2017/08/21
      Overall
      9/10
      Swing
      10
      Maneuverability
      7
      Control
      8
      Touch
      10
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    • College student badminton player

      College student badminton player （Experience：6-10 years） Fastest initial speed

      I used the Z-SPEED in 3U for the first time in a while.
      I usually use a head-heavy 4U, so I could swing the 3U without any problem.
      This racket feels incredibly fast off the face, but since it's an even balance leaning head-light, it doesn't crush the shuttle and send it off heavy. So when I smashed from the very back of the court, it accelerated tremendously at first but felt like it lost a bit of speed toward the end. I think it'd be fine with more power, though..
      Personally, I felt it suits a tactic of firing fast smashes right at the line and then piling on when an opening appears.

      2023/05/05
      Overall
      9/10
      Swing
      9
      Maneuverability
      9
      Control
      8
      Touch
      10
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    • sleepy-panda

      sleepy-panda （Experience：More than 20 years） Every metric is top-notch, yet somehow it's not the best overall.

      Used both 3U and 4U. Looking for a powerful smash from the very back of the court, I ended up with this Z-SPEED. I've used it for a long time, but I used to swing the 3U hard without paying much attention to rally speed. Now my theme is how to increase my swing speed with the 4U. It feels head-light, but if you swing with the intention of reaching maximum swing speed at impact, it doesn't bother you much. For regular game practice and senior tournaments I use the 3U, and it seems more than enough for around division 2 of a city tournament. Above that or at other national tournaments, I use the 4U. If you want to speed up your rallies, of course I recommend the 4U, but since it's originally an even balance leaning head-light, even the 3U isn't that hard to maneuver.
      Added 2024.09. I've been switching between various rackets, and whenever my form drops, I come back to this one. As soon as my stamina drops, I can't swing it. At first I thought it was stiff at 23 lbs, but around 30 lbs the shaft starts to flex, so it's become just right. Still, there's no getting around the heavy feel at the start of the swing, and considering that effort, nowadays I can easily get about the same speed with, for example, the ASTROX 77 PRO or the NANOFLARE 1000Z, so I really feel it may be outdated after all.

      2022/12/03
      Overall
      9/10
      Swing
      10
      Maneuverability
      10
      Control
      10
      Touch
      10
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    • Head-heavy is comfortable

      Head-heavy is comfortable （Experience：6-10 years） A strange feeling…

      I mainly use the Z-FORCE II in 4U for doubles, so the stiff shaft didn't surprise me, but the sweet spot was larger than I expected and it felt like only the strings were flexing. (Is this really a compact frame??) It's 3U, but it doesn't feel heavy and tiring…, and it's easy to swing around.

      But my sense of head balance got completely thrown off. When I swing it like a head-heavy racket, the shots go high, really high… I thought adjusting the height takes some getting used to. The head weight doesn't make it flex, so it doesn't fly easily… (Maybe it's a bit different if a head-light devotee uses it)

      An intermediate player with solid fundamentals can definitely use it, and I think it'll be a good experience. Using it for a while and then keeping it carefully as a backup racket is also an option.
      It's not something you need to brace yourself for, like "Whoa, the world record…!!"

      2022/11/27
      Overall
      9/10
      Swing
      10
      Maneuverability
      9
      Control
      8
      Touch
      10
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    • Aiming for prefecture 1 1st grade junior high school 4th grade

      Aiming for prefecture 1 1st grade junior high school 4th grade （Experience：2-3 years） Decent, and it grows on you the more you use it

      The first time I hit with it, I felt like clears wouldn't go anywhere if I mishit them, but when I played the next day, I'd gotten used to it and could hit them deep, and I realized how easy it is to use.
      Other shots, except hairpins, are easy to hit too.
      Drives especially can really be driven in, so I think it works for both singles and doubles.
      Personally I find hairpins difficult; unless I really push with my body, the shuttle won't clear the net.
      Get your body into the shot. Just using your arm won't send it far. I think you can use it if you have about 2-3 years of experience. (Just my personal opinion)
      3U5G, 24 lbs, first-year junior high student

      2022/04/29
      Overall
      9/10
      Swing
      10
      Maneuverability
      8
      Control
      9
      Touch
      10
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    • TOMO

      TOMO （Experience：6-10 years）

      As expected of the racket that recorded the world's fastest smash, you can hit fast smashes and it feels great. The face is small so it swings easily, but that also makes it harder to hit cleanly. My impression is that receiving is a little difficult. Personally I liked the orange of the old model. I wish they'd re-release it.

      2022/02/08
      Overall
      9/10
      Swing
      9
      Maneuverability
      9
      Control
      8
      Touch
      10
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    • Sakusaku

      Sakusaku （Experience：6-10 years） A racket I love.

      I had it strung with BG80P at 25P.
      I used it mainly for doubles.
      What stands out about this racket is the strength of its flex. It's not that the shaft is soft; rather, the force with which it snaps back from flexing is strong. I love this flex. I recommend test-hitting it before you buy.
      I actually wanted to string it at a higher tension, but it broke when I hit a smash. Around me too, this racket keeps snapping, so I guess it can't be helped.
      It's a racket I really hope they don't discontinue.

      2021/04/23
      Overall
      9/10
      Swing
      10
      Maneuverability
      9
      Control
      8
      Touch
      10
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