Weight
84.6g
Thickness
5.7mm
Plies
7-ply
Head Size
158x152
Handles
FL / ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Hayabusa Z+
Xiom Hayabusa Z+ is a high-performance offensive blade that masterfully blends speed, control, and spin. Its unique 5+2 hybrid construction pairs five wood plies with two layers of Zephylium polymer, creating a responsive feel with excellent ball-grabbing capabilities. This design excels in both close-to-table exchanges and mid-distance rallies, delivering a sharp yet natural impact sensation. Engineered to optimize seemingly contradictory properties, it's a formidable weapon for players seeking to elevate their game with powerful spin dynamics and precise placement.
This symmetrical 5+2 construction combines traditional wood plies with Zephylium fiber layers. The Zephylium is placed strategically to provide stiffness and a sharper feel without sacrificing the natural flex and feedback of the wood core, creating a blade with direct feel and enhanced speed and spin capabilities.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Hayabusa Z+ is consistently rated as a fast blade, placing it firmly in the offensive category. This speed stems from its hybrid construction, enabling powerful drives and explosive topspins ideal for aggressive play. Players report it provides ample pace for finishing points while remaining manageable for controlled attacks.
Despite its high speed, Hayabusa Z+ offers excellent control, a standout feature noted by many players. The hybrid construction provides good feel and feedback, allowing for accurate placement during loops, blocks, and pushes. This balance makes it feel secure even in fast exchanges, offering confidence for tactical play.
The Zephylium layers impart a sharper, more direct feel compared to all-wood blades, described as a sensibly sharp contact. However, it retains a woody character and a natural, solid sensation, avoiding an overly stiff or dead response.
The blade's combination of speed and spin capabilities suggests a medium-high throw angle. This allows for a good, controllable arc on powerful topspin shots, making it effective for looping play.
Our analysis indicates a medium to slightly long dwell time, which is consistent with its strong spin generation. The construction allows for solid ball contact and sufficient pocketing for spin-oriented shots without feeling mushy.
The blade possesses good, wood-like flexibility. This characteristic, combined with its speed, facilitates effective looping and powerful shots while maintaining a natural, connected feel during ball contact.
Vibration feedback is crisp and sharp but notably short-lived. The Zephylium layers are effective at defining the vibrations, providing clear, immediate feedback on impact without excessive or prolonged jarring in the hand.
The blade is regarded as having very good to excellent build quality. The integration of wood and Zephylium is executed with precision, resulting in a blade that feels premium and well-crafted. This attention to detail contributes to its consistent performance and durable construction.
Technology
Xiom Hayabusa Z+ utilizes a distinctive 5+2 construction, blending five plies of high-quality wood with two ultra-thin layers of Zephylium polymer. This innovative design aims to optimize the synergy between traditional wood feel and the enhanced speed, stiffness, and spin capabilities offered by modern composite materials. Zephylium, a type of Zylon fiber, is integrated to provide sharp, clear vibration feedback and improved ball-grabbing characteristics. This approach seeks to balance seemingly contradictory properties like speed and control, flexibility and sharpness, to create a blade offering a high level of performance.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Viscaria
Players often compare Hayabusa Z+ to the Butterfly Viscaria, noting similarities in their hybrid construction and offensive capabilities. Both are praised for speed and spin generation. However, TTSensei experts note the Hayabusa Z+ can offer a slightly sharper feel and potentially different control characteristics, providing a distinct alternative within the high-performance hybrid category.
Butterfly Timo Boll ZLC
Frequent comparisons are drawn to the Butterfly Timo Boll ZLC, largely due to the use of Zephylium fiber which plays a role similar to ZLC. Both are offensive, hybrid blades offering high speed and spin. Our analysis finds the Hayabusa Z+ provides a feel that is very similar, making it a compelling alternative for players seeking that specific performance profile.