Delighted to say, I've resolved my dilemmas. It seems like tweaking the grips on the voltric was the way forward. I played half the session with my old racket (AT Technique) to give a frame of reference and then brought out the VT ZF II. Ass-whupping then ensued. It was better in every aspect than the Technique, for me, even at the net and flat game which really surprised me - the extra manouverability of the Technique offset by the solid feel of shuttles on strings. I even pulled off a few Peter Gade-style hold-and-flicks. It was even kind on my shoulder injury, because there's such an abundance of easy power I feel like I don't have to give 100 percent effort on shots. Towards the end of the session, I started unloading some heavy smashes, I have *never* hit anything that hard, and I felt like I was still taking a bit off. I was lucky enough in 2 of my games to be playing with & against some A-grade players in doubles and I was hitting a ridiculous amount of clean winners against them. I especially like how easy and natural steep drop-shots feel with this racket. This is the racket for me. It made me a badminton god today . (At least until I got so tired I couldn't keep bombing away, and it can't make me less of a pudge and quicker round court.) Possibly my joy will last until i finish the process of knackering my shoulder but right now its all good. So, thanks for this discussion around grips and stuff, there was a lot of good stuff in this thread and I feel I got a bit of confidence back.
Do you think my baby will die soon? The frame looks ok, but under the paint-job, there is a second layer which is already broken a little. Somebody has done experience with something like that? Heres some High Resolution picture: http://www.bilder-upload.eu/show.php?file=25e4e0-1440375158.jpg
Its got a few more layers to go.... Seen much worse last for quite some time longer..... So long as you do not clash rackets in doubles again at that same spot, you'll be fine.
I have 4u version. Does anyone enjoying ZM62 , 27.5 LBS for me on this racquet. Lot of balls going out, stroke is often not solid especial when I not hit sweet spot etc. Somehow I find zm66 fire (control) more "proper" for this racquet. Does this racquet has some kind of string preferences depending his stiffness, head size, head heavyness etc. What wouls you suggest? Will ZM65 maybe be more for this racquet. Or ZM66, slightly thicker stuff than ZM62. Or there is nothing wrong with ZM62 and I suck and imagining things. And regarding Yonex, I guess I should try 66um, bg80, bg 80p? btw. I want string to last a little and not go dead after few sessions. Is there any general wisdom regarding string choosing for this racquet or this is just user preference and nothing else?
Yeaah... You were right, thank you. I played before with BG 80P, never tried bg80 and I love it (27 lbs). Much much much better feeling than zm62..
Played doubles with my 4U G5 ZFII last night for the first time! and i totally enjoyed it was one of those nights where i just didn't want to put the racket down or stop playing. String - Carlton Xelerate X67 Tension - 24lbs Grip - Yonex Super Grap Felt clears and blocks to the rear court were effort less. A quick snap of the wrist sent the shuttle flying, defense wise the racket also performed exceptional with speed and accuracy i rarely missed a shot, at the net it was quick and sharp, i guess the slim profile and hidden grommets worked. Smashes were crisp and had that distinct "voltric sounding" boom. All in all i must say that i am very pleased with this racket and is a fan for life, easily the best racket for me from YY. I didn't experience any learning curve nor did i have any of the much expected shoulder/wrist fatigue. I did experience a little soreness this morning but i am going to chalk that up to the fact i was playing with a new racket for hours of relentless hitting 3 1/2 to be exact. By the way we were using Mavis 2000 shuttles (medium). DISCLAIMER: This is in no way meant to be a review but my personal experience. Been playing badminton for over 10 years at the National and club level.
Wow, pretty much you spoke all the words outta my mouth. I wonder how many years before this racket finds a superior successor....
Glad to hear we share the same positive views about this elegant beast . I was thinking the same thing also, and i'm thinking it might be the much anticipated Voltric 90? Going with YY current scheme of racket models, '9" seems to be their endpoint (e.g. Armortec 900, Nanospeed 9900, Nanoray 900) with the only exception of Arcsaber 11. So lets see what they come up with next..
Some Pros did use 4U rackets in the past, but only head heavy once like voltric 80 or something. But i dont have information about the zf2.
So, I used to use a ZF2 3UG4 with my right hand, but after my injury, I swapped out to the Li Ning N50 III (I mean I couldn't use the 3U right or left handed at that point). Now after learning to play left handed for a while, I've gone full circle and am using the ZF2 4UG4. Racket: ZF II 4U G4 Black (Australia coded) String: Li Ning No.1 White at 30lbs Grip: Electrical tape with YY black toweling grip One problem I had with the 3U was with timing, there was no stopping the racket or changing swing speed once it had started. I find that this is much less of a problem with the 4U, with the racket being significantly easier to control. It's not easy though, it's still quite difficult in contrast with other rackets, but it is /easier/ than the 3U. As with the 3U, the racket doesn't perform with sloppy strings. You really need to be north of 25lbs to get good results from the racket. The stiffness is still there and the racket feels fast, while my drives are far from perfect with the racket, I didn't have issues regarding defense. Because the racket is still quite meaty, out of place clears aren't a problem. Backhand drops basically play themselves. It's got enough there that you can generate sufficient power without a kickthrough. The smashes on this racket are amazing just like it's beefier sibling the 3U, and if anything I found that without the racket dragging forward and causing me some difficulty with timing, the angles are much better.
Over the last two years I've gone through a lot of racquets and I've finally decided that I'll stick with the ZF2. Gone through many string setups on this and ultimately I felt the BG80 offered the most out of the ZF2. My setup, 4UG5 ZF2 BG80 - 26 lbs I've had ZM65, ZM66Fire, ZM67, and BG65.
Identical setup as me! 4UG5 ZF2... yep, BG80... yep, 26lbs... yep. Also lives in Calgary... are you my long lost twin?
I'm just asking b/c some people use electric tape. I use a yonex supergrap overgrip personally, but my racket feels super heavy. Was wondering if other people used different overgrips.
