Plays doubles only, I already own the 88s 3u but haven't got the chance to played with it yet.. I was bring my 88s to string when I got the chance to first time holding the 100zz 4u Keeping tabs on this racket for price drop and maybe getting 4u, I am not getting any younger and I am a strong smash type of person.
Well it's page 41 and probably no one cares about my words at this point. I gave the 3U a shot. Feels 'moderately fast' but it doesn't swing that fast. Not sure if it's the counterbalance that's giving the feeling. Got decent power although as others have mentioned it doesn't hit that hard compared to the ZF series. Got good control with a somewhat large frame. Kind of an all rounder like the astrox 77 but with a little more punch. It's a good racket for all levels to use. Defense is solid, net is solid, but it isn't exceptional in any way. There isn't anything that is particularly weak nor good about the 100ZZ. It doesn't have lopsided specs so while I think it's good it wouldn't suit my own style. But then again, there isn't a racket that can be produced where I can beat my coach so I guess rackets don't matter. Whilst I haven't tried it, I suspect the 4U would be too light for most people playing doubles in attacking. Might ok if you are the front player and 'smash one and run forward' kind of thing.
It's hard to judge from that clash alone, may be the that racket already went through a few other clashes. Some harder ones. May be the player uses a very high tension too true.
I was doing footwork drills on court today and by chance I got to try another player's 4U 100 ZZ. I have little sore rotator cuff so no full smashes today, and clears were also done mostly with wrist and fingers. String tension was little lower than my usual. My observations on 100 ZZ (comparing to my main racket 3U Z-Force II): - easy to use right away. Accurate. I could place the shuttle where I wanted with mainly wrist and finger power. - felt surprisingly powerful, especially for a 4U racket - drops were accurate and much easier to disguise - drives needed more work but still good - in defence, both blocks and lifts were easy - the shaft is nothing extra stiff. Not too stiff, not too flexible... Felt comfortable. - in mishits the stability is somewhat lacking Overall, I didn't really get to try full power shots today but otherwise it was so nice to use that I'm thinking of ordering one in 3U.
I could get my hand on 4U version to test. I usually play with an astrox 99 4U. The racket was surprisingly easy to use. It is less powerful than the 99 though. My shots are crisper with the 99 but I find myself struggling when I am late. Not with the 100ZZ. Too bad it is so expensive
Moved from 88S to ZZ. Overall handles easier than the 88S. Its quicker and a little bit punchier. The shaft isnt that stiff for an extra stiff as it felt softer than the 88S. Maybe due head weight or flex point, i dont know. The touch is definitely there. I like it. Ooh and i like the extra length of the handle for front court usage.
I wouldn't be "too" fearful of it being a fragile racket (eluding to the clash video). Hit my TK Dong head on with a clash while attempting a sudden lift and besides the paint chip, it stood just fine on a hard clash. 80p at 29lbs. As for the racket itself, feels bizarrely flexible, not really that head heavy (tried 3 different ones) and fails to really stand out in any department.
If you are afraid to kill a highend racket in doubles, buy only rackets at a price whose loss is more acceptable for you, don't play doubles with it, play with fixed and familiar partner or just have an old and cheap racket in your bag if you need to partner somebody who is prone to break the rackets of his partners. Just a clash at a weak spot of the frame and it is gone.
It's possible to defend this kind of shot without clashing. Even when a lefty partner a righty. Both player must just be clear who take/defend it. Normally the smash to the middle comes seldom from the middle. You normally lift to corners during defence. The shuttle need to travel with an angle to the middle, so it will flew from one defender away and to the other defender. The defender who get target with the shuttle will defend it. That's how I play with my fixed partners. That's the same method which got explained by Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng. It was chinese so I can't find it. It was part of the series where Fu Haifeng teaches the smash but not the FedEx episodes. Maybe somebody can share.
Clashing is unavoidable, even on Pro level, they sometimes miss comunication & had some clash. But the worst always on beginner to intermediate where their sense for their surounding are pretty bad. Or an advance with broken radar i guest. I guest having racket that could handle high tension could ease our heart abit. But well... Yonex still like to play safe with (as far as i know) the lowest tension limit (on paper) among known brand.
For the circumstance that these players are sponsored, don't need to buy anything and their matches are very meaningful the clash rate is damn low even if they couldn't care less about clashing. In the worst case they loose the rally and no money. Period. How often do you see in club nights (meaningless matches) that people clash just out of stupidness and arrogance to learn doubles properly and one person go home with a broken 250$ racket which was bought from hard earned money? I think for such people clashs have a different importance. Everybody will know somebody of these people who make a competition in doubles on the same side to get to the shuttle first reagradless if it was meant for them or not. Funnily I'm that type of bad ass who also like to create these misunderstand to provoke that. And luckily I always partner the same people for many years.
Just bought a 100 ZX 4UG5 today, strung with BG80 power at 26 pounds. Just had a chance to dry swing in them room yet, but I don't feel what other people reported, that it's too head light. I also have a VT ZF2 LCW 3U, but that is the opposite for me, it's just too head heavy. My all time fav racket was the 4U Armortec 900 Power, I'm still looking for that feeling. I think the 100 ZX is more flexible than Yonex says...
You will feel it when you play. It is totaly fast. Much faster than ZF2 4U. It is not head heavy at all..