I've been using BG-80 for a few years now, ever since I started, really. For the first time last night, I tried the new, red version of the Zymax 67. I use the US-coded Voltric 80 4U limited edition, and I string at 22x24 pounds. Here's my initial thoughts about the Z67 compared to the BG-80. Power/Repulsion Z67: 4.5/5: easier to bend and generate power; about 90% of the time/shots produced, it provides a bit more repulsion and bite BG-80: 4.5/5: has more bounce and repulsion on soft, light shots (block shots, drop shots, etc.); provides a bit more punch on thunderous, Super Dan-like smashes Feel Z67: 4.5/5: softer; definitely feels thinner than just the 0.01 mm difference; very crisp; you can definitely feel the shuttle more as you hit it; wrist friendly and amateur friendly Bg-80: 4/5: ultra hard on impact, and you can definitely feel it with a stiff racket and higher tension; a bit dull and uncomfortable when freshly strung because of the hard feel, but it becomes very responsive as you play more Hitting Sound Z67: 4.5/5: feathery crisp, like a thin slice of bamboo when you whip it like a ninja, if that makes sense BG-80 4.5/5: metallic "ting" sound; loses the sound gradually over time; i'm guessing the Z67 does too like any other string Drop Shots Z67: 4.5/5: needs a bit more bounce sometimes BG-80: 4.5/5: a tad bouncy at times Texture, Grip, and Slice Shots Z67: 4/5: smoother texture but not slippery; less grip; slice shots have less feel, traction, and repulsion BG-80: 5/5: the rough texture is excellent for slice shots because it provides more grip, feel, traction, and repulsion Break-in Period Z67: 5/5: only requires a couple of games for it to perform like a champ BG-80: 4/5: needs more than ten games for the strings to stabilize and achieve peak performance Durability Z67: ?/5: I don't know yet. I've read some posts saying that it snaps easily/doesn't last two weeks, and I've read some saying that it's impossible to break. Hopefully, it's the latter. BG-80 4/5: a solid four out of five stars; very consistent of lasting to a couple of months even with mishits, and playing with the nylon Yonex Mavis 2000 Tension Retension Z67: 5?/5: According to Ashaway, it's the best string for tension retention. BG-80: 4.5/5: By the time it loses tension significantly, the string is about snap. Summary/Overall Value Z67: 4.5/5: There's definitely room for some improvement, but excellent overall if durability holds. It's actually made in the USA. The power is easier to tap. I also like the crisp feel. It's slightly cheaper. The red color looks good with the VT-80 limited, especially if your grip is also red. I'm happy that Ashaway actually did the research and providing somewhat of a competition for Yonex. Sadly, the majority still uses Yonex, and Ashaway's marketing and advertising in the badminton world is almost nonexistent. All I see is Yonex and Li-Ning. It's a bit disappointing, really. I wish more people would give the new Zymax series a try. More market competition for Yonex would only benefit us, the consumers. BG-80: 4.5/5: The string is also excellent, most likely Yonex's best overall string for non-professional players. Compared to Z67, BG-80 might be better suited for hard hitters with superb technique. The string is manufactured everywhere, and some are actually counterfeits. Other Thoughts: Both strings are in the same league, but different in a number of ways. It really boils down to your preference. I'm actually undecided if I will go back to BG-80 because the Z67 is a true alternative. The attributes and their scores above really depend on a lot of things. Your racket, your stringer, and your playing style just to name a few. Also, you should find your racket's stringing pattern online, print it, and tell your stringer to follow that. I know there's not much your stringer can deviate from the actual pattern, but I believe the right pattern for your specific racket adds a little more durability and performance to both your string and your racket. Not to mention, it gives you a peace of mind knowing that it's strung the right way. Other strings I've tried are the BG-65 and 66 Ultimax. BG-65 is nothing special. It's a good go-to, standard string back then. I can't imagine why anyone would still use it today. BG-80 should be the new standard even for the ones just starting out. And for BG-66 UM, the first time I've tried it, I said, "Wow!" The joy was very much short-lived because it snapped moments after my awe, and I didn't even smash or mishit. Whatever the cause may be, I feel that it shouldn't have snapped on first use. Well, never again. What I want to try next is the new Zymax 65 that just came out. Guys, if you have any experience about that string, especially the durability, please share. Thanks.
I'm one of the ones that's having trouble breaking the ZM67. No problem with that as the tension retention has been good so far. I'm going to be trying the ZM65 in hopes it gives a little more feel but overall I've no complaints about the ZM67
Please let us know what you think about the new Zymax 65 as soon as you gain some experience with it. Thanks.
for one, zymax strings are much cheaper than yonex strings. i get them for less than $5 a piece... done deal. and theyre durable as hell
I find Zm67 better than BG80 in pretty every way. I never thought about it, but you're right. I find BG80 takes some time to settle in and then start to perform. Freshly strung zm67 works great from game 1. There is more string movement, but that goes away after a couple days of playing. The lower price of the Zymax strings I think is just icing on the cake. The only strings I've ever broken were zm62,bg85, bg66.
Zymax I have used both Zymax 67 and 70 and it feels good to use but any miss hits cause breakage and I would only advise a stringer to use this on his own rackets as it is not very durable. Many clients have broke it after a couple of games. So I won't be purchasing this anymore as I cannot feel confident that it will last. I prefer bg65ti as a great all round string.
I used to have my rackets strung with Yonex bg65ti or bg68, typically about 24-26lbs. Found them to be excellent for about 5-6 evenings' play, then they lost tension (even with pre-stretch). Since I've been stringing my own, I've been experimenting with Zymax. Have played with a couple of sets of ZM70 & they didn't even fray, though the feel was quite dull. Am currently over 2 months into my 1st set of ZM67 & it has played well. However, it's just starting to fray and I'm starting to notice the tension-loss (though nowhere near as much as Yonex would have). Am debating whether to put a new set of ZM67 or to try ZM65. Am tempted by the 65, because (like madbad) the 67's held on so well.
It's quite fascinating discussing string, I am learning so much, someone was just pointing out not to have string tensions too high when playing with plastic shuttles which is what aI play with all the time as it breaks string quickly. Is this a myth or what ?
