2004 Olympic Gold Medalist & 2005 World Champion Taufik Hidayat's ArcSaber ZSTH Limited Edition badminton racket is red signifying his fighting spirit. The black on the top and bottom of the frame demonstrates power, and the upper right and bottom left are coloured like a white flash. The Arc Saber Z Slash Taufik Hidayat is the PROFESSIONAL series of the ArcSaber line. It is stiffer to provide extra control over the regular Arc Z Slash. Designed to increase the speed of smash through technological breakthrough, the ArcSaber ZSTH racket is the latest and best improvement at the molecule level. Increase power and increase speed are the goals of Arc Saber Z Slash as Yonex smashes the Smash Barrier.

YONEX did extensive research into finding the best shade of red for the main body of the racquet, using subtle gradations and checking for colour changes under different lighting conditions. The rich deep red that YONEX developed expresses the strength and pride of Taufik Hidayat. It also makes the design bold and eye catching.

The logo on the racquet is an original design. It represents the fact that Taufik Hidayat’s spirit is in every detail of the racquet. YONEX has developed new designs based on each players' favourite racquet and inspired by each players' style. The three players also had hands on role advising on the designs.

On the quest for the best racquet YONEX made more than 200 different designs for each model. Then they picked 30 to 40 different designs to develop into sample racquets. Finally, after exhaustive testing and retesting, YONEX created the ultimate design. Each player’s signature was engraved into their respective racquet to show that the racquet had captured the player’s spirit.

The Arc Saber Z Slash is a push for Yonex to increase the speed of smash through technological breakthrough. The Arc Saber Z Slash is an upgrade from Arc Saber 10 with improvement at molecule level. Increase power and increase speed is the goal of Arc Saber Z Slash as Yonex smashes the Smash Barrier.

Yonex has created a badminton racket to keep up with the ever increasing speed of the badminton game. By focusing on their flagship technologies Yonex has created the ArcSaber Z-Slash, a new model allowing players with an aggressive playing style, to smash with the fastest swing speeds possible. The Z-Slash is the first of a new generation of slim rackets that, just like professional athletes, carry no extra fat for the ultimate in performance. It is Yonex latest and greatest lean and powerful machine.

The "Z-Slash" features three dimensions of technology to bring out a player’s maximum potential. In testing one of the world’s leading players achieved a smash speed of 414 km/h.

Rumored as the latest ultimate weapon in the sport of badminton, the Yonex Arc Saber technology has the latest and greatest technology to help its user achieve power, speed, and control. The ArcSaber Series of rackets utilize Yonex’s exclusive Cup-Stack Carbon Nanotube technology to create a revolutionary blend of power and control. Positioned at the sides of the racket frame, this revolutionary technology absorbs and harnesses energy from the shuttle’s impact to provide the player with unparalleled feel during every shot. This energy is then transferred into a return of supreme strength and pinpoint accuracy.

• Cup-Stack Carbon Nanotube : The new Cup-Stack Carbon Nanotube resembles multilayered cups uniformly stacked together providing increased durability and improved flexibility.
• Super HMG : The new ARCSABER10 is adopted High Modulus Graphite which has been integrated into the side of the frame to produce a high repulsion power. Hybrid frame, the combination of Cup-Stack Carbon Nanotube inside and Super HMG outside the frame, makes it possible to control a hard shot with flexibility and repulsion power.
• Ultra PEF : UltraPEF (Ultra Poly Ethylene Fiber) has stickyness and high shock absorbtion. The material is extremely light enough to float on water, and the 1 inch across is able to hang up about 20 tons. The telling shot which is requested by advanced-level players and the high repulsion by stretching and recovering its shape are achieved.
• Single Piece Grommet System : This single-pass grommet hole construction provides more grommet holes, creating a high-performance stringing pattern that puts 7% more durability.
• Isometric : The Isometric Square Head Shape equalizes the length of main and cross strings in the stringbed, enlarging the sweetspot for more consistent accuracy even on off-center hits.
• Built-in T-Joint : Moulded deep into the layers of graphite where the frame connects with the shaft, the YONEX built-in T-Joint creates a durable and high-strength one-piece frame that is torque-free.
• Control Support Cap / C.S. Cap : Control Support Cap provides 88% wider flat surface compared with an ordinary racquet for easy gripping, fast swing-through and the quickest manoeuvrability.

09/18/2009
After waiting for more than 2 months, I am very happy to say that it was worth the wait. Testing the ArcSaber Z Slash was fun. The racket head is noticeably smaller and provides better control than my MP-99 or AT-700. I was able to control the direction of the shuttlecock without too much effort. Even in a hard smash pointing to different sides, I was able to hit the shuttlecock pretty close to the line 95% of the time (19 out of 20 smashes). Overhead stroke was effortless to clear from back to back, corner to corner, drops, and slices.

Some people may not like the paint job of the ArcSaber-Z-Slash. When I first received it, I was surprised also. However, after placing a yellow BG-65 string and painting the red colored Yonex logo, the racket looks exceptionally sharp. I received many rave comments from players that saw the racket and from my students. Planning to test the racket again with Yonex BG-80 Yellow at 25lbs if I can find the string.

Overall comment: One of Yonex best released badminton racket. Excellent control, maneuverability, and power. Lastly, it looks very sharp and cool!