As of this moment, I'm using the arc saber z-slash. And ill be getting another racket, which would be either the TH z-slash or the new Voltric 70. I dont know whether or not i should switch from the Z-slash to the voltric or not. So here the pro's and cons that i found about the z-slash and i hope someone can help me decide. Pro: 1. Functioning Decently well 2. I like the light aerodynamic head of the Z-slash and im quite accustomed to it 3. It drives well and i can do nice drops and tumble shots 4. Its easy to maneuver around with allowing me to do some trick shots and other needed shots 5. Overall light and doesn't feel like a drag on the court (like those really bad wilson rackets) Cons: 1. I dont seem to get the smash power that i do with the conventional isometric head shape. 2. I sometimes hit the edge strings and it returns weakly 3. Lifts all the way to the back court require a lot of energy and are hard to do. 4. Cant place defensive shots where i want it. So pretty much i checked some reviews on the voltric 70 and they say that the Cons i have here will be lessened or erased. But I dont know whether or not the pros i have here will die. Also i dont know if reaccustoming to the conventional isos will be a problem. So yeah, please comment and help me out. Thanks so much -David
Well I have the Arcsaber Z Slash I agree with your pros but I disagree with cons number 1,3 and 4 The Voltric 70 is head heavier than the Arcsaber Z Slash
re:drew My Explanation for the cons... 1. yes i know the smash power is supposed to be a lot better with the Z-slash, but i cant seem to tap into it... So if you can suggest a way for me to do so, the z slash for me will have a weaker smash than it should. 3 and 4. Although a head heavy may be harder to defend with, a bunch of reviews say that the voltric 70 doesn't really get harmed by this and can defend aw well as a head light. However, all i know is that i cant lift easily with the z-slash, and that a lot of people state that the voltric is pretty nice at defending. If the voltric is really harder to lift with, then ill probably stick to the z-slash.
Cons I am an average player (B-C) grade, with your con on the Z-slash I believe the con can turn into Pro once you spend a lot of training time with your Z-slash. Initially when I tried my Z, I put it in the bag for about six months due to how difficult to hit it in the sweet spot. But now my Z is my weapon for single play. I did use the VT-70 and like it as well, but it cannot give the accuracy I desired especially in backcourt.
re:bigfishoz Well the thing is, ive been using it or like 4-5 months already and i still cant manage to generate as much power as i can with the normal isos like Nanospeed 9000 or armor tec 900 power... So is 4-5 months is not enough time? (Another reason may be string tension and/or string? I use 85 with 27lbs...) The thing i fear about switching rackets is that i wouldn't get as much power off of the VT-70 either. And i might even lose some of the pros i got from Z-slash... Well anyways thanks Ill be practicing with the Z-slash for about another month and a half before i get my new racket...
one things you must know about Z-slash the frame of its head which is so thin that its so weak that its tend to sink after 3rd stringing... do u or ur fre notice this weak structure?
one reason that you are not geting the smash as strong as the 900P is because Z do have a very small sweet spot... that why when you can find that spot (80% will do the job) your smash will be accurate and powerful, otherwise your return and lift will be not as good. Training is the most important factor in using a racket like the Z... Because it is unforgiving
... So what your saying is that i should practice a bit more to get the sweetspot right? Ok i have about a month before im going to get a new racket so hopefully there will be some improvements? Would you think that the voltric would smash harder up to some level or would a Zslash smash harder no matter how good i am? @ other guy: my Zslash hasn't warped yet and this is like the 4th stringing... if you have a professional stringer, you shouldn't have any trouble of warping... and if it does, dont string at such a high tension so that you can get yonex to give you their warranty
Different racket have different character. You need to match your style with the right racket / string / lb. Past 2 years I tried the following racket Yonex 9900, 9000, VT-70, 900P , 900T , 700, Z, AS10, AS9 Victor BS10 Gosen 7900, 6900, 8900 Panda Power, PPP And concluded that for single play Z is my racket of choice and double are 9900 & PPP again this is matching my style of play (hard hitter and love to play in the back during double)
Hmm, why are you considering the TH Zslash if you have one already? Got 200 bucks to throw away? I'll take it! From what it sounds like, you are placing too much emphasis on your racket. Buying a new one will not necessarily solve any of your problems above. Instead, practicing your technique will help you much better than a new racket will. Trust me, rackets are psychological. If I gave you a $100 dollar racket and a $200 dollar racket and paint them the same, you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. A lot of beginners make this mistake (if I may call you a beginner). The Z Slash is obviously not an easy racket to tame, so yes, your problems right now are very normal. It has a very small sweet spot, and requires precise technique to fully utilize its monstrous power. Maybe try lowering your tension? Also, don't read so much into the "Smash Speed record" hype for the Z slash and Voltric. That's all just bull and really doesn't help in any way. I hope you didn't buy the Z slash in hopes of getting better smashes. So in short. Keep your Z Slash. The problem right now isn't the racket. It's you. Sure, getting a regular iso may help with your off-center hits, but it isn't worth $200. Instead, improve your technique, something that no racket will cover for you. Good luck with taming the Z slash.
I agree with taco_nada. You should improve your technique instead of finding problems with your racket (which is already top-of-the-line, really).
Re: taco Erm ok, first of all, we both know that the ZSH has a different swing speed than the other rackets out there... So i kinda dont want to stop playing and wait for three days to get a newly strung ZSH every time a string pops, or Use a different racket and have to adjust again and again... the point is that if i cant utilize the ZSH power until like three years from now, then i might as well get a new racket right? Cuz you cant gain precise technique in a night. So by getting a new racket i could practice getting my form right, etc, until i can use the ZSH. Yeah i got about 0.5 months to work with the ZSH before i decide to get a new racket... So iono Ill see what i should get by then... For now i just want to see what the majority says about ZSH and VOLT 70 cuz if Volt 70 doesn't turn out to do half of what people claim it to do, then i dont think i should get it. Thanks for commenting and if you have suggestions plz feel free to post it
Well, that pretty much sums up the cons of the Z Slash ! The question is, why should the poster have to 'work on his technique', when the problem probably lies with the design of the racket ? Why use a racket with such a small sweet spot ? Yes, if you play against weak opposition you can get away with it, but against a good opponent you will struggle to find the sweet spot consistantly enough, making the power of the Z Slash irrelevant. This is probably why the pros are not generally interested in this racket. There are many more user-friendly rackets out there that the original poster could happily wield. Have a look at Victor, for example.
There isn't anything wrong with the racket. What I see is that it's just the technique that needs to be fixed to consistently hit the sweetspot. Or maybe the OP needs to experiment with the string tension, a lower tension has a bigger sweetpot then a higher tension.
There is no way a player playing a good opponent can consistently hit a small sweet spot. Even pros understand this and don't use the racket. IMO if you do consistently hit the sweet spot with the Z Slash, you are not playing a high enough standard of opponent. Why on earth design a racket that gives you less chance of hitting the sweet spot when compared to an Iso racket ?
Im thinking to get Voltric 70 soon. I heard from many of my friends here, the rackets is too fragile? Is it myth or fact?
