I'm in the middle of a crisis. I don't know if I should just get the AX99 or just wait until the "AX 99Z" or "ZF3" comes out. I would expect the ZF3 to have released by now but because Momota and LCW are now endorsing the AX99, I don't know if it will. Did Yonex just kill the Voltric line? Because the only logical candidate left to endorse the ZF3 would be LD...
Why worry for something which aren't even promised mate . Out of all three, only AX99 is available or 88D .
I think we can all safely assume that there will be no zf3. The astrox line is taking over from voltric. However, all I can say is that from my personal experience, AX99 is not a zf2 replacement.
The feeling of yonex racquets have been pretty consistent lately. I'm referring to the very concentrated head heaviness of zf2, don't expect that from the 99. It's also not as stiff. Consequently, it's lighter, faster, easier to use, easier to access power. Is it better? Well, that depends on your preference.
Hmm... Is a 42g headweight on a 3U ZF2 normal or heavy? Because I've held my friend's ZF2 before and it was noticeably heavier.
There's some variation in the zf2s (I know people say there's only colour differences, but there are so many consistent reports that it's hard not to consider it). Red LD has been reported as head heaviest and it's the same for me. Yellow one is next and also that's what I got. I have three original colours, and they're the least head heavy. All have same grip and string setups. So for me, 1x original - 308mm bp, 2x original - 310mm bp, 1x yellow - 312mm, 1x red - 315mm. Which one did you try?
I have 2 black ones. My friend, who bought 1 of them, told me that the one he got me was from a brand new batch the retailer just got from Yonex. He gave it to me March of this year. EDIT - his was the white LD ZF2
I don't want to derail this thread into a zf2 discussion, but white should be similar to the original. Btw, there's also variations from manufacturing so need to take that into account too. Anyways, I highly suggest if you can, to demo a 99, it's the best way to know if you'd like it.
3U I get more power and as many time as I like from my AX88D 3U than my VTZF2 3U. It's just a compatibility thing I guess.
I would say ZF3 is not gonna be a high possibility. Arcsaber is down and so Voltric will lose it too since Astrox is now here.
@Ch1k0 I'm gonna pull the trigger on the 99 either this week or the following one. But before I do, how stiff is it compared to the ZF2 you have? Both flexing it by hand as well as playing with it? Is it roughly the same or noticeably flexier?
I'm the last person you should be be asking frankly. Sure. In hand the AX99 is the one that bends more than the ZFII. But in actual court and game conditions it was just downright unplayable for me. I could backhand smash with the ZFII effortlessly, yet switching to the AX99 I was barely getting anything out of it on nearly every stroke but the defensive block. I found my copy that bloody unwieldy and useless tbh even in games that are easily 2 grades below my own level of play. Not to say I would recommend avoiding it to anybody. I simply have had a piss poor experience with it.. Sent from my LG-H930 using Tapatalk
My experience with the 99 could not be any more different to yours I don't even know if we tested the same racquet...
They could be messing around with the 3U and and 4U really. The trend I've noticed so far is that the sledgehammers seem to be the 4Us. Whereas the feedback on it being not much more demanding than the 88D has been the 3Us. Sent from my LG-H930 using Tapatalk
Could it be that it is not 4U is actually a 3.5U and the 4U users are having trouble adapting to it? While 3U users are just used to the weight?
No definitely not. I've measured my own piece on Orignal grip with string. Taking the 2ish grams of string out of the weight measurement puts the racket clearly in 4U territory although barely... I'm used to playing 3U although it's even balanced usually. I chose 4U for head heavies because of my shoulder injuries. But that being said, it shouldn't be so hard to use either. Sent from my LG-H930 using Tapatalk
