Yonex comes out with yet another landmark racket; this time, it is the Astrox 100 ZZ. It features the thinnest shaft on any badminton racket which is available to the public.
The racket will be launched by the end of March 2020.
Unlike the Astrox 00, the Yonex Astrox 100 ZZ is designed for the top players. The racket will be used by Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.
What is so special about this racket?
Traditional rackets have a hollow shaft. The Astrox 100 ZZ, on the other hand, has a solid core made of carbon.
This allowed Yonex to create the thinnest shaft in its production history.
The ‘Hyper Slim Shaft’ (patent pending) reduces air resistance as much as 11.8%, Yonex claims. The solid core also increases the resilience of the racket; this will allow a player to hit hard smashes one after another.
Evolution of “rotational generator system”
The trademark rotational generator system of the Astrox series has been further improved on this racket. A Black Micro Core is used the top of the frame of the racket along with a much lighter T-Joint.
This increases rigidity by 4% and dampens vibration by 2% when hitting a shuttlecock.
Improvements in the Isometric shape
The box shape of the isometric racket frame has been further improved. The sweet spot on the Astrox 100 ZZ is increased by a further 2.9% while maintaining the same overall frame size as other rackets.
E.B. Cap Plus
The Energy Boost cap on the Astrox series is now replaced by the E.B. Cap Plus in the Astrox 100 ZZ.
Its structure suppresses torsion of the racket. In addition, the shape of the cap accommodates and assists the thumb. This will be a very useful feature, especially for the doubles players.
Technical Specifications
| Yonex Axtrox 100 ZZ | |
| Construction | High Elastic Carbon Frame, Namd, Tungsten, Black Micro Core, High elastic carbon shaft, New T joint |
| Colour | Dark Navy Blue |
| Weight | 3U (average 88g) & 4U (average 83g) |
| Release date | Late March 2020 |
| Retail price | 250 USD/ 28,000 JPY (excluding tax) |
| Made | Japan |