Yonex Voltric Z-Force LTD (2012) review: the 'Purple-Gold' grail, fourteen years on
The 2012 London Olympics limited Voltric Z-Force LTD is a Lee Chong Wei-era attack icon. The 4U version (about 88g) is a surprisingly all-court frame, if you can load its brutally stiff shaft.
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Overview
One frame defined "violent attack" for a generation: Yonex Voltric Z-Force Limited (VT-ZF LTD) — 2012 London Olympics edition, nicknamed Purple-Gold Big Sister . Looks: limited-edition peak. Purple-gold-white gradient versus dull retail VT-ZF green-black — regal under lights. "2012 LIMITED" at shaft base; laser Z and gold FORCE typography; first-year paint process — instant recognition. Lee Chong Wei peak-era weapon and attack-player grail. Reputation: 3U cannon, singles only. My 4U G4 first-year unit breaks that myth: 88.1 g strung — modern 4U attack weight — brutal when loaded, yet flat-drive speed and chains rival speed frames. True singles-doubles attack hybrid. Strung Kizuna Z61 28 lb. Smash: 4U first-year magic — not 3U sledge "smash" but fast, accurate, cruel. 1. Full smash: not 3U apocalypse but kills most club defenders — concentrated force, solid placement, floor-pin moments happen. 2. Soft press: underrated — head weight lets you hold the shuttle mid-court without max effort; continuous soft press chains are suffocating. 3. Spot kill: fast, sharp; Z61 crispness = instant departure. Chains terrify — recover for next swing immediately; no 3U lag. High-intensity afternoon sessions stay arm-friendly while pressure stays on. Clears: leverage ceiling — six-tenths effort reaches rear line; broken-foot passive clears still rebound off head inertia and Z61 spring. Drops / net: finer than ZSP/ZF2 small-box tradition. Sweet spot smaller than control frames but feedback is clear; Z61 grip helps spinning, tight net drops. Net not ARC10 class but top tier among Z-series — bigger sweet spot than VT-ZF2; spins land when technique is honest; push-lifts and net kills are power-fast. 4U is not easy mode. Lighter swing, same shaft law. If you cannot load the shaft, 4U hurts like 3U. Players who bend 4U would bend 3U; players who fail 3U fail 4U too. Summary: love and hate object — violence, beauty, unique feedback versus brutal entry and fragile lacquer. Imperfect, but if you can load it, nothing else replicates that attack high. In this lightweight sugar-water era, pure, dense, fast-yet-heavy frames are rare — why I still reach for old moulds. Purple blade unsheathed fourteen years — edge still sharp. — RQGB
The catch — shaft hardness:
Extreme stiffness — among Yonex's stiffest, 100ZZ / Astrox 99 tier, "hard-spring" with minimal give. Scattered power = iron rod — hand shock, no shuttle speed, cotton smashes, short clears, wrist and shoulder tax.
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