Victor
Thruster Ryuga Metallic
Lee Zii Jia's racket — a head-heavy, stiff power frame with Metallic Carbon Fiber, built for steep, heavy smashes from the rear court.
GOS verdict
Read this first"A sledgehammer for strong arms — Lee Zii Jia's smash, in a frame."
The Thruster Ryuga Metallic is Victor's 2023 update of the Thruster Ryuga, made for Lee Zii Jia. It keeps the Ryuga's head-heavy, stiff attacking identity and adds Metallic Carbon Fiber to the frame — a fusion of thin metal sheet and high-strength carbon fibre that Victor uses to boost smash power. HARD CORED TECHNOLOGY gives the box-shaped frame its stability, and a 6.8mm PYROFIL shaft adds shock absorption.
Its smash is the reason to buy it: steep, heavy and stable even on off-centre contact. The honest limitation is everything that needs speed of the racket head — defence against repeated smashes, fast flat exchanges and quick net reactions all ask more of the arm. For strong advanced singles players and rear-court attackers in India who want maximum power, the Ryuga Metallic is excellent at its GOS price point.
- A strong, attacking singles player
- A rear-court smasher in doubles
- Comfortable with a stiff, head-heavy frame
- Wanting maximum smash weight and angle
- A front-court or defence-first player
- Still building swing speed and technique
- Playing mostly fast doubles exchanges
- Looking for a forgiving, flexible shaft
Victor Thruster RYUGA Metallic Badminton Racket
4U / G5 · God of Sports · Authorised stockist
What is the
Ryuga Metallic?
01 / 08
The Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic (TK-RYUGA METALLIC) launched in 2023 as the next step of the Thruster Ryuga, Lee Zii Jia's signature line. Thruster is Victor's attacking series, built around head-heavy balance and power from the rear court, and the Ryuga is its most aggressive branch.
Victor built the Metallic on the foundation of the original TK-RYUGA. The frame, the shaft and the attacking intent stay; the change is in the frame material, where Metallic Carbon Fiber is added for a more elastic, more powerful contact on smashes.
The Ryuga Metallic's defining decision is putting Metallic Carbon Fiber into an already head-heavy, stiff frame. The head weight supplies momentum; the stiff shaft and metal-carbon frame transfer it to the shuttle without losing energy to flex. The result is a very heavy, steep smash — for players with the swing speed to use it.
Confirmed professional endorser: Lee Zii Jia (Malaysia, men's singles) — 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, 2021 All England champion, 2022 Asian champion and career-high world #2. Victor names him as the Ryuga Metallic's player — see his player gear profile.
Victor Thruster RYUGA Metallic Badminton Racket
4U / G5 · Available at God of Sports
Technical
specifications
02 / 08
Victor also makes a 3U / G5
← The defining spec
Series
positioning
03 / 08
Victor's performance rackets map to three playing philosophies. The Ryuga Metallic sits at the sharp end of the attack pillar.
Within the Thruster Ryuga range at GOS
Lee Zii Jia's racket · this review
Advanced attacking alternative
Slimmer-shafted special edition
Intermediate versions
Entry Ryuga
Technology
breakdown
04 / 08
The stiff, head-heavy build — why so demanding?
Ryuga Metallic — Stiff 6.8mm PYROFIL
Conventional — Flexible shaft
A combination of thin metal sheet and high-strength carbon fibre in the frame. Victor uses it for an elastic yet solid contact and to boost the power of smashes.
A box-shaped frame design that increases stability and resists twisting, so heavy smashes stay on line even on slightly off-centre contact.
Japanese high-performance PYROFIL carbon in a 6.8mm shaft, chosen for shock absorption — it takes some of the sting out of a stiff, head-heavy frame on heavy contacts.
Victor's high-resilience graphite in both frame and shaft, giving the stiffness and rebound the Ryuga's attacking style depends on.
On-court
performance
05 / 08
Recommended setup: Yonex BG80 Power or Yonex Exbolt 65 at 25–28 lbs. 4U / G5. Head-heavy balance.
Zone-by-zone assessment
| Zone | Rating | Performance | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smashes | 93 | Exceptional | The racket's identity. Head weight, a stiff shaft and the Metallic Carbon Fiber frame combine for heavy, steep smashes. HARD CORED TECHNOLOGY keeps them on line on off-centre contact. |
| Flat drives | 84 | Good | Drives carry real pace off the stiff shaft. The head weight makes the racket slower to reset between consecutive drives than a lighter frame. |
| Control | 84 | Good | More precise than its power suggests. The stiff shaft and stable frame reward a clean, consistent swing with accurate placement. |
| Net play | 76 | Good | Net shots are controllable with reasonable feel, but recovery at the net is the limiting factor compared with a lighter head. |
| Maneuverability | 72 | Adequate | The trade-off for the attacking weight up top. It shows most when you are rushed at the net or in fast mid-court exchanges. |
| Defence | 70 | Adequate | Honest limitation. The head weight that powers the smash works against fast recovery, so blocks and resets against repeated smashes take noticeably more arm work. |
Real on-court situations
| Situation | Level | What the player feels |
|---|---|---|
| Full rear-court jump smash | Exceptional | Heavy, steep and hard to return. This is the shot the Ryuga Metallic is built for. |
| Deep clear from the baseline | Exceptional | Reaches the back tramlines without a full-effort swing — as long as the timing is clean. |
| Steep half-smash in singles | Exceptional | Sharp angle and good weight. Easy to keep the opponent under pressure from the back. |
| Mid-court drive exchange | Good | Drives have pace, but the racket is a touch slower to reset between consecutive shots. |
| Tight net shot | Good | Solid and controllable. Recovery for the next shot is the limit, not the touch. |
| Block against a steep smash | Adequate | Stable on contact, but getting the head back into position takes more effort than with a lighter frame. |
| Fast flat exchange at the front in doubles | Adequate | The head mass is clearly noticeable. Doubles front-court players should look at a lighter-headed racket. |
Head-to-head
comparison
06 / 08
Compared against its most natural competitor at GOS: the Yonex Astrox 100 ZZ, Yonex's head-heavy power flagship.
| Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic | Yonex Astrox 100 ZZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Character | Head-heavy power · signature racket | Head-heavy power flagship |
| Balance | Head-heavy | Head-heavy (302mm) |
| Shaft flex | Stiff | Very stiff |
| Shaft | 6.8mm · HRM Graphite + PYROFIL | HM Graphite · Namd |
| Frame | HRM Graphite · HARD CORED · Metallic Carbon Fiber | HM Graphite · Namd · Tungsten · Black Micro Core · Nanometric |
| Choose Ryuga Metallic if... | You want Lee Zii Jia's heavy, steep smash with a slightly less extreme shaft than the 100 ZZ, at a much lower GOS price | |
| Choose Astrox 100 ZZ if... | You have a very fast swing, want Yonex's very stiff Namd shaft and a Japan-made flagship, and the higher investment is fine | |
String
recommendations
07 / 08
All recommendations sit inside the 31 lbs ceiling of the 4U frame. Factory stringing is low — re-string before competitive use.
Power, repulsion and strong tension retention
Crisp, quick response on smashes and drives
Thick and long-lasting for heavy smashers
Tension guide: Advanced club 24–26 lbs · Competitive 26–28 lbs · Structural ceiling 31 lbs (4U) / 32 lbs (3U) · Professional machine stringing above 27 lbs recommended.
Who should
buy this?
08 / 08
- A strong, attacking singles player
- A rear-court smasher in doubles
- Comfortable with a stiff, head-heavy frame
- Wanting the heaviest smash in your bag
- A Lee Zii Jia fan who plays a similar attacking game
- A front-court or defence-first player
- Still building swing speed and technique
- Playing mostly fast doubles exchanges
- Looking for a forgiving, flexible shaft
- A beginner or lower-intermediate player
- Heavy, steep smashes (93 / 100)
- Metallic Carbon Fiber frame — elastic, powerful contact
- HARD CORED box frame — stable on off-centre hits
- Easy depth on clears
- PYROFIL shaft takes the sting out of heavy contacts
- Lee Zii Jia's official racket
- Defence is the weak point (70 / 100)
- Slow to reset in fast flat exchanges
- Physically demanding over long matches
- Unforgiving for developing technique
- Only 4U stocked at GOS
- Single colourway (Black)
Buy the Victor Thruster Ryuga Metallic
God of Sports · Authorised stockist · Pan-India delivery from Mumbai
Also explore: Thruster Ryuga II Pro · Ryuga Chosen One · DriveX 12 · Yonex Astrox 100 ZZ · All Victor Rackets at GOS