ZUS Tennis Racquets

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
Can anyone share some insight into ZUS tennis racquets? What type of racquets do they have. Not much detail on their Facebook page. Are they custom products or do they customise existing frames?
 

daddabompa

Hall of Fame
Can anyone share some insight into ZUS tennis racquets? What type of racquets do they have. Not much detail on their Facebook page. Are they custom products or do they customise existing frames?

They are custom as racquets as Angell ones, with different weight/balance options, 2 diff. options as for flex value and head size.
 

scotus

G.O.A.T.
Can anyone share some insight into ZUS tennis racquets? What type of racquets do they have. Not much detail on their Facebook page. Are they custom products or do they customise existing frames?

I have 3 of their racquets, which are foam-filled just like Angell.

I have the 95 sq in model with 62RA. The paint job is predominantly black, and grommets look just like those on the Angell.

The head shape is rounder in comparison to the more oval elongated shape on Angell TC95, and the string spacing is denser than the Angell on the 16x19.

The handle is just like Angell. You open up the pallets and you see slots in the handle for weights for custom configuration.

So it's like an estranged brother of Angell. I prefer the rounder head shape of Zus (closer to ProStaff 95 shape), and the string spacing all depends on individual preferences.

I bought these off the auction site and just finished extending the length and customizing one of them, but am waiting for my foot injury to heal, so I can take it for a spin.
 
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daddabompa

Hall of Fame
What type of beam are they, box, d beam or o beam?
Mine are the Custom 95 (62 RA and 16x19) and the beam is slightly rounded at the edge...it is not properly a boxed beam (as, for ex, the Prestige Classic 600 ecc), but I would say that they are more near to a boxed beam than to a D (such as Angell TC97) or O beam.

Honestly I slightly preferred these over the Angell ones.
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
I have never tried them but they don’t seem to have the presence that Angell has. Is their 62RA flex similar to Angell 63A?
 

daddabompa

Hall of Fame
I have never tried them but they don’t seem to have the presence that Angell has. Is their 62RA flex similar to Angell 63A?

In my opinion it is pretty similar.
I found the ZUS to be a bit more soft/comfortable and I preferred it over the Angell.
But the set up of the two that I tried was different, so I cannot give an "absolute value" answer about that.
 

Steve Huff

G.O.A.T.
I have strung one. I was sent 2 Zus rackets and 1 Angell racket. All were of the highest quality I've seen. The guy I strung them for wanted me to pick one out and string a spaghetti string job in it. I picked out the yellow Zus. The paint was flawless. The holes didn't have any burrs. It just felt good to swing (as did all the others). Spending $400 on a racket seems kind of ridiculous until you swing one of these around. If money is not a big concern, I'd look seriously at these frames.
 

beltsman

G.O.A.T.
I have never hit with or seen a Zus, but I'm guessing that the lack of hype is due to worse marketing and a worse name than "Angell." Or maybe the racquets suck, I don't know. But I've heard generally good things.
 

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
Hopefully we shall hear more from them. Would like to see some box beam frames from these guys.
It's good to know about all the different options out there.
 

stephenclown

Professional
As discussed in this thread, the similarities between Zus and Angell has been talked about before:

Zus racquets

The guy was once a distributor for Vantage(Angell) in the US but he did things his way without permission and then Paul broke their relationship off.

Zus seem like solid frames still but different in a few aspects. Interesting about the beam being more box-like. If they made a 93 or 94 I would buy in a heartbeat, cant figure anything out product wise from their facebook though...
 

haqq777

Legend
As discussed in this thread, the similarities between Zus and Angell has been talked about before:

Zus racquets

The guy was once a distributor for Vantage(Angell) in the US but he did things his way without permission and then Paul broke their relationship off.

Zus seem like solid frames still but different in a few aspects. Interesting about the beam being more box-like. If they made a 93 or 94 I would buy in a heartbeat, cant figure anything out product wise from their facebook though...
Very interesting link to that older thread. Thanks, did not know the background.

Paul does absolutely fantastic work with Angell, has top notch customer service and his products speak volumes.

Personal preference but my Angells remain in my bag and I am sticking with my fav custom brand ;)
 

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
Very interesting link to that older thread. Thanks, did not know the background.

Paul does absolutely fantastic work with Angell, has top notch customer service and his products speak volumes.

Personal preference but my Angells remain in my bag and I am sticking with my fav custom brand ;)
I like the Angell idea just not the D beam in the head. To many the D beam (Such as Wilson Blade) is not ideal.
 
I like the Angell idea just not the D beam in the head. To many the D beam (Such as Wilson Blade) is not ideal.
technically angell TC 95 and 100 only have a D beam in the throat the head ... no angell racquet has a d beam in the head

I think what makes Paul so good is his years of experience as a designer and has fastidiousness with suppliers.... his overall attitude is also a secret weapon.

tc95 is the best stick ive ever used and I've relied on Paul to get me sticks years apart that match
 
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Subaruvich

Semi-Pro
Does anyone know if they are still in business? Their website is down. No answer to phone calls and no reply to my messages [emoji856]


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scotus

G.O.A.T.
Does anyone know if they are still in business? Their website is down. No answer to phone calls and no reply to my messages [emoji856]


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Who would pay that much money for tennis racquets? They are probably not doing great business.
 

scotus

G.O.A.T.
Who would pay $400 for a racket? Well, the guy I strung one for had 3, told me to take my pick which one to string.

I have 3 Zus racquets, too. But I didn't pay full price.

At any rate, their market share is miniscule, and I think the price has something to do with it.
 

zalive

Hall of Fame
Says they are updating the website
http://www.zustennis.com/index.html

Old website and server should be up and running in between...unless 'out of service' period was intentional.

I have 3 Zus racquets, too. But I didn't pay full price.

At any rate, their market share is miniscule, and I think the price has something to do with it.

The price is what you as a manufacturer set - it's expectancy what the market is willing to pay for your product, considering the mark-up and projected sales volume, and I'd say ZUS founder made a big mistake there IMO.
To justify the price he has set. he must produce racquets which are significantly better than any competition up to 250 USD...including Angell racquets. If he can't do it, he can't justify the price either.
I don't think ZUS racquets production cost is higher (or at least significantly higher) than Angell's.
 

dnguyen

Hall of Fame
That website has not changed yet. It's been too long. I'd rather to hunt the vintage racquets. Bought some which of them are in good conditions, even brand new. They are Dunlop Max 400i (MIE), Head Prestige Tour 600 (MIA), Wilson Ultra 2 (Made in St Vincent), and Pro Staff 85 (MISV).
 

dnguyen

Hall of Fame
That website has not changed yet. It's been too long. I'd rather to hunt the vintage racquets. Bought some which of them are in good conditions, even brand new. They are Dunlop Max 400i (MIE), Head Prestige Tour 600 (MIA), Wilson Ultra 2 (Made in St Vincent), and Pro Staff 85 (MISV).
 

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
That website has not changed yet. It's been too long. I'd rather to hunt the vintage racquets. Bought some which of them are in good conditions, even brand new. They are Dunlop Max 400i (MIE), Head Prestige Tour 600 (MIA), Wilson Ultra 2 (Made in St Vincent), and Pro Staff 85 (MISV).
Yes, they are way too slow to have their website down.
 

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
That website has not changed yet. It's been too long. I'd rather to hunt the vintage racquets. Bought some which of them are in good conditions, even brand new. They are Dunlop Max 400i (MIE), Head Prestige Tour 600 (MIA), Wilson Ultra 2 (Made in St Vincent), and Pro Staff 85 (MISV).
Yes, they are way too slow to have their website down.
 

Subaruvich

Semi-Pro
Finally had time to cut my ZÜS in pieces. This one is ZÜS 95 Custom, 16x19, RA62, 27”, 310g/310mm. Real flex measured on RDC is RA56 unstrung and RA50 strung with 17g poly string at 26/25kg. Stock SW285 unstrung and SW317 strung. Playing with this racquet very much reminded me of Ultra Tour. Great control, Low powered, muted, arm friendly. Those who like UT but want 16x19 and thinner beam might try this one out.
Here are some pictures before and after I smashed it. The foam is not black, it just got dirty in process of cutting. The layer is pretty thick, but it is less dense and has less weight than for example Angell fames or Head TGT. Therefore it has lower SW and is pretty good platform racquet. Also the graphite dust feels not so “aggressive” to human skin and eyes. So my assumption is that the racquet isn’t made of pure graphite, there is something cooked and mixed in in the layup.
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Paulo Braz

Semi-Pro
Finally had time to cut my ZÜS in pieces. This one is ZÜS 95 Custom, 16x19, RA62, 27”, 310g/310mm. Real flex measured on RDC is RA56 unstrung and RA50 strung with 17g poly string at 26/25kg. Stock SW285 unstrung and SW317 strung. Playing with this racquet very much reminded me of Ultra Tour. Great control, Low powered, muted, arm friendly. Those who like UT but want 16x19 and thinner beam might try this one out.
Here are some pictures before and after I smashed it. The foam is not black, it just got dirty in process of cutting. The layer is pretty thick, but it is less dense and has less weight than for example Angell fames or Head TGT. Therefore it has lower SW and is pretty good platform racquet. Also the graphite dust feels not so “aggressive” to human skin and eyes. So my assumption is that the racquet isn’t made of pure graphite, there is something cooked and mixed in in the layup.
df8cf5bd2a9c6ff2482c05a6a001d08b.jpg

8abd39a063d8bde75fb80dda081215d0.jpg
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492be11127179b070411156b92423237.jpg

e54bead2fa93ecd4004142821be978b6.jpg

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You really are brave enough to cut a brand new racket hahahaha. Do you have an Angell K7 to cut too? Hahahaha
 

SavvyStringer

Professional
One of my friends knows the guy that owns ZUS and it is a guy that used to work with Angell. That's why the frames are so similar.
 

Subaruvich

Semi-Pro
One of my friends knows the guy that owns ZUS and it is a guy that used to work with Angell. That's why the frames are so similar.

I didn’t find ZÜS and Angell custom racquets to be so similar actually. Both have weight system in handle, but that’s basically the only similarity. Moulds, layup, drill holes, playability is different. Each has its own strengths and both are great.


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Subaruvich

Semi-Pro
You really are brave enough to cut a brand new racket hahahaha. Do you have an Angell K7 to cut too? Hahahaha

It cracked during the match, that’s why I am so brave :)
I do have K7, but Ultra Tour would go first, people are waiting to see what’s inside since day one after it was released :)


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Paulo Braz

Semi-Pro
It cracked during the match, that’s why I am so brave :)
I do have K7, but Ultra Tour would go first, people are waiting to see what’s inside since day one after it was released :)


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Got it. Haha. And speaking of K7, are you liking yours? Is yours one of the first lots?

Enviado de meu MI 6 usando o Tapatalk
 

Subaruvich

Semi-Pro
Got it. Haha. And speaking of K7, are you liking yours? Is yours one of the first lots?

Enviado de meu MI 6 usando o Tapatalk

I had two from the first batch, yes. Flex and balance was off on both. One is RA54 strung and other is RA57 strung. I like the feel at net. But from the baseline it is not working for me. It just isn’t stable. I much prefer TC95 :)


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Paulo Braz

Semi-Pro
I had two from the first batch, yes. Flex and balance was off on both. One is RA54 strung and other is RA57 strung. I like the feel at net. But from the baseline it is not working for me. It just isn’t stable. I much prefer TC95 :)


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I added lead and the instability disappeared. I also have a tc95, but I prefer the K7, which is much more comfortable. Are you interested in selling your K7?

Enviado de meu MI 6 usando o Tapatalk
 

Hansen

Professional
I didn’t find ZÜS and Angell custom racquets to be so similar actually.
how would you describe the feel and comfort of the züs 95 custom in comparison to the k7 and the tc 95. since you compared the zus to the ultra tour i guess it is in between the k7 and tc95 ?
 

stephenclown

Professional
Interesting that the Zuus has 8 mains in throat, is its pattern noticeably more dense than the angell 95? Even though they seem similar, beam looks different, any comment side by side @Subaruvich ?

I asked Zus FB if they delivered to Aus and for price and they never responded but I hear they are like 70% more expensive than angells?
 

Subaruvich

Semi-Pro
It is denser than on TC95, yes, especially in the sweet spot. Therefore better control, but less spin. Beam width is the same 20mm, but it is thicker and looks more rounded whereas TC95 looks more oval. ZÜS swings faster and is more maneuverable than TC95.


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Burn

New User
Just got my new Zus Racket, here the specs:

Color: White with black grommets
Headsize: 100sq
Beam: 21mm beam
Static Weight: 335g
Balance: 30,5 mm (12pts)
70 RA
Pattern: 18x20
SW ? feels like 320 unstrung
Fairway Leather grip

I'll string it tomorrow and I'll give it a test run on Friday.
As it is, it looks awesome and feels great just to swing it. Built quality is fantastic, paint job remarkable and flawless and the grip is very comfortable...everything feels right. Let's see if it plays as good as it feels.
I know it's expected to be light and fast unstrung but it feels maybe too light for what I'm used to. I weighted to check if there was something wrong and it weights 335g spot on. Anyway I'll strung it and will test it stock and then I'll see if it needs more weight.

But it's quite impressive out of the box. It's on pair with Angell quality but I prefer this paintjob and somethings tells me this is a better racket, at least for me...will see about that.
 

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
Just got my new Zus Racket, here the specs:

Color: White with black grommets
Headsize: 100sq
Beam: 21mm beam
Static Weight: 335g
Balance: 30,5 mm (12pts)
70 RA
Pattern: 18x20
SW ? feels like 320 unstrung
Fairway Leather grip

I'll string it tomorrow and I'll give it a test run on Friday.
As it is, it looks awesome and feels great just to swing it. Built quality is fantastic, paint job remarkable and flawless and the grip is very comfortable...everything feels right. Let's see if it plays as good as it feels.
I know it's expected to be light and fast unstrung but it feels maybe too light for what I'm used to. I weighted to check if there was something wrong and it weights 335g spot on. Anyway I'll strung it and will test it stock and then I'll see if it needs more weight.

But it's quite impressive out of the box. It's on pair with Angell quality but I prefer this paintjob and somethings tells me this is a better racket, at least for me...will see about that.
So you can get them? The website still says, "Coming soon"!
 

Burn

New User
I did...through the Italian website https://www.zustennis.it/
I couldn't place the order at first (maybe a bug on the final stages of placing an order) but then I realized that Zus Italy is represented by tennisworld.it and I send them an email. A guy named Mirko Di Giacomo replied promptly and asked me for the specs and address. I sent him the info and he sent me the an email through paypal to pay for the order...big leap of faith...paid and he sent the racket I order no muss, no fuss.
 

Tennisist

Professional
Comparison.

They are not similar to Angell. They are very different. In every detail.

1. Zus have a very clearly defined box frame all the way around, very similar to Head PT57 / PT280 or Wilson RF97.
2. The string pattern/configuration is different: 4 strings through the throat for starters.
The bumpers/grommets are also different. The only similar thing about them is that the top piece tapers down toward the ends.
3. Specs are different. Mine were 336g / 8 pt HL strung / ~320 SW. They swung much lighter/faster than the Angell TC97 12 pt HL that I have.
The "lightest" of Angells that I have (the 330/12 pt HL) measures ~330 SW ( and others measure towards 340 SW).
As such, I found Zus much more suited to my game.
4. Even though one has RA63 and the other RA62, I found Zus to feel significantly softer than Angell.
5. Surpisingly, Zus also has more power ( this is counter-intuitive, as softer racquets are usually less powerful than the stiffer ones ).
6. The relatively dense pattern on 16x19 pattern avoids any kind of "wildness" on the stringbed. The response is more controlled/predictable than on Angell TC 97 16x19.
7. The feel is very different as well. Zus has a much more solid feel to it, similar to Wilson PS97CV or Head PT57E. Angell feel allows much more reverberations through.
( This is talking about the 330g/12 pt HL Angell. The lighter Angells feel significantly worse than the heavy ones. )

Overall, I would sum up like this: This is a very solid racquet, with good power, soft predictable response, and specs approaching perfection ( 336g / 8 pt HL strung / ~320 SW ).
For me, it is most similar to PS97CV, but softer.
 
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