Just checked shuttle house catalogue (jpn), no vztf 1. Global website racket matrix also doesn't show vztf 1.
Yes I confirmed this a couple weeks ago. The ZF2 is a replacement for the original ZF and the original ZF is now discontinued. We can't order it anymore from Yonex.
It had been discontinued for quite a while. I managed to get a hold of another 4UG5 in December and already before then most of the stores on Rakuten had run out of ZForces. Just curious why they discontinued it so quickly. It is an 'old' racket, but still one of the better ones I've ever played with. Would it be bad marketing to keep ZF as a step before you go for the ZF2? I mean, if the ZF2 is supposedly so hard to handle that is.
It's just what yonex does. Yonex always needs to discontinue their popular items. If they don't they arnt going to make as much money.
VTZF is far from an "old" racket. After all, it's only 2 years old. Nanospeed 9900 and AT900 were old rackets, that they only discontinued this year because of their popularity. I think they may be trying a new strategy with the Z-Force, to see if the continuation of a racket can be good marketing wise, kind of like how Li-Ning does with their rackets. That may be why they are discontinuing the first racket, offering a ZF1 and ZF2 at the same time doesn't make much sense.
I still feel the ZF2 should not be as difficult to handle as some people may be afraid of. The specs and information given out by Yonex indicate that power should be more easily available, without sacrificing control. Of course, being stiff and a smaller head, it does mean that it wold not be suitable for most players below at least intermediate level. It does however mean that you need to give a couple of sessions to adjust. Going from ZF to ZF2 shouldn't be an issue, though. I don't think Yonex would take such a drastic step as discontinuing the ZF so quickly, if they weren't confident they have a winner in the ZF2. After all, I believe this is the first time they have taken such a step...
If it's the same shape head as the Z-Speed (minus the flexy bits) it's half way to being awesome. Now if only they'd make a less stiff version next for all us normal people..... Maybe that will be the Z-Slash II? Maybe in lime green? Hrm....
VTZFII BG66UM 26/28 Compared to the VTZF, the VTZFII has a slightly slimmer and stiffer(!) shaft. Smaller head than the VTZF (akin to the Z Speed head).
Just got a ZF2 4UG4 (DEMO coded), it has indeed a slightly smaller head than my orginal 4UG5 ZF. Here are a couple other comparisons (both are strung, ZF2 has no overgrip, ZF has one): Balance Point: - Z-Force: 307mm - Z-Force II: 310mm Shaft diameter (measured with a vernier caliper, at the middle of the shaft): - Z-Force: 7.0mm - Z-Force II: 6.9mm Weight: - Z-Force: 85g - Z-Force II: 81g Stiffness (by feeling for now, will be more precise when I receive my stringlab): Original Z-Force seems slightly stiffer Other than that, the new ZF2 looks a little better on the images (the blue looks brighter on pictures), but it does look awesome in real too!