I've had some time to use the 3u astrox 99. It feels a lot head heavier than the duora z strike. The NAMD shaft makes the racket behave stiff when making drop and net shots for more control, and more flexible when smashing for more power. It does not feel as stiff and hard feeling as the z strike. From my experience the racket with the extra weight up top takes more wrist strength to maneuver making it a bit slower for me than the z strike. In doubles I prefer the z strike for a more even balance and faster swing speed. In singles I prefer the astrox 99 for more power and the slightly slower maneuverability does not negatively affect the game as much since singles is not as fast paced as doubles. Overall the two rackets feel very different. The astrox 99 is a lot more comparable to a z force 2 rather than the z strike.
General differences between DZS (3UG5) and AX99 (4UG5) Length of racket Both racket is about the same in length. However, DZS is just a tiny bit longer than AX99. My estimation is that DZS is not more than 1mm longer. Isometric As everyone knows, DZS is Dual Optimum System inwhich one side is Box frame and another side is Aero frame. AX99's isometric frame is kind of hybrid between Box and Aero. I will go by saying it is majority Box with slight Aero characteristic in the frame. AX99 isometric frame is slightly wider than the DZS compact frame. I would say not more than 50mm wider each side. Hence, in my opinion, AX99 has compact frame, same as DZS. Handle length DZS has a longer handle than AX99; AX99 has a longer shaft than DZS. Shaft stiffness Simply by bending the racket using hand, DZS shaft is more flexible than AX99. Maybe because my DZS has been used for almost 2 years while AX99 is still new. Dry swing DZS feel half a second faster than a 4U AX99. Replusion By bouncing same feather shuttle with both racket. It seems like the sweet spot for AX99 is larger than DZS. (AX99 BG80 27 Ibs DZS BG80P 27 Ibs) It is observed that similar strength, the shutter bounced higher and faster than DZS. This seems to match the description of NAMD. Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk
