« can't believe how small the [ZSP] head ... is» The tactical effect should be, if I remember correctly: less errors for those who never needed a wide/anti-jerk isometric frame (players of oval frames). A good feature.
i've had owned/still own some of the racquets you mentioned except the BS. the fastest racquet amongst all that you have mentioned is the Gosen Shiden. Hands down, and the repulsion's really good, i feel the Shiden has a livelier repulsion than the Zspeed that i'm using right now. the down side is that the shiden has a bp of 281-282.. vs the Zspeed at 300mm+, and the differences in head weight i found smashing much easier with the Zspeed than the shiden. there are some with good technique that can smash very well with the shiden though. i would put the vt80 arc10 and zspeed in similar stiffness categories. the VT80 due to the more weighted tip and the ultra thin shaft at the 2/3 point results in some bending/flexing. the arc10 does not have the weight advantage, and thus the shaft feels a bit "stiffer". in terms of control, speed, smash power, i feel the Zspeed gives a rather balanced performance subjected to my past few playing sessions with it.
yes.. that is the way experience/try it yourself and see if its for you racquet preference can be extremely "unique" to certain individuals.
I swear I could hear Tago make some mis-hits in the Jap Open final yesterday, but his net play and smashes seemed about the same as he can pull off with the Z-Slash. Still, the Z-Speed matches his shirt better so it's well worth trading across
SW table updated with actual weights vs sw [TABLE="class: t_table"] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]SW[/TD] [TD]G[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]2U4[/TD] [TD]90 [/TD] [TD]93.5 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]91 [/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD] 2U5[/TD] [TD]91 [/TD] [TD]92 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]92 [/TD] [TD]94.5 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]91 [/TD] [TD]93.5 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]3U4 [/TD] [TD]87 [/TD] [TD]88.5 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]86 [/TD] [TD]88.5 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]3U5 [/TD] [TD]88 [/TD] [TD]89 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD] 87 [/TD] [TD]87 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]88 [/TD] [TD]89.5 [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
^ Yep, this is in line with my measurements and experience with it. As I said before, the 3U ZSPD has a swing wt in between 3U and 4U ZF. And the shaft has a mid stiff feel like VT70. So this is no Nanoray.
So can anyone clarify exactly how big/small the Z-Speed head frame is? Is it the same as the Z-Force?
Mis-hits or not, as good net play/smashes or not, Tago looks an improved player overall and I don't think it's related to changing rackets.
Well dur, it's because his racket matches his shirt better! Never underestimate the power of psychology. I am loving Tago at the moment though. He really rose to the occasion last weekend and being able to do that is key in the big tournaments.
Iirc there was a comparison photo by vajrasattva last wk on this thread. Z Speed has smaller and shorter head, but maintains the isometric shape at the top.
Post #577 It looks like they've kept the Z head shape, but managed to make the head narrower at 3 and 9 o'clock. They've probably cut the total surface area of the racket down by about 5-7% over a traditional ISO, which is why it would feel faster than it's frame shape would suggest.... ....which proves my point that aerodynamics is a result of total surface area, not frame shape.
^ To tell you the truth, it sure didn't feel aerodynamic to me when I demoed it. It swung as heavy as it's measured specs. Didn't matter forehand, backhand, attack, or defend.
You did notice the tables are switched around here compared to the ZF one did you? The 3U NRZS has comparable sw numbers to the 4U ZF at most and punches below it's weight by 1-2.5gr. as opposed to the 3-5gr. the 4UZF punches above it's weight. But one thing is for sure: these numbers are different from the rest of the (3U) NanoRays that swing (at least) 4-5gr. below their weight. Any 'head light' printing on this thing? Just noticed NR750 has it on the frame ... Does sorta fall in line with weight centered around t-joint/lower than top vs top of frame for ZF, assuming that is how the machine's measurement would be affected ...
Some more interesting frame size comparisons vs NR800: View attachment 149804 and by someone else vs NR750 View attachment 149805
You tricky bugger! So according to that table, it's tilted to less than balanced to slightly head light. Strange considering dry bp is 300mm, and balanced bp is usually around 295mm (eg. Arc 10/11).
