A friend was kind enough to let me try his Ti10, MP77 and MP100, all strung at 24/25 pounds with BG85 so that I can decide on an alternative for my Cab 20 (which I have used for the last 16 years or so).

I found the weight of both Ti10 and MP77 more on the grip end of the racquets. This was a bit of a surprise as people have said that Ti10 is head heavy.

MP100 was more evenly balanced, although it had a stiffer shaft than Cab 20.

I have not tried Iso800 but can those out there who have let me know if it is a well balanced racquet ie the feel of the racquet is not dominated by the grip end or the head.

Perhaps my observation is coloured by the fact that I have not tried any isometrics before this but thanks for any help.

Wow thats strange, once the Ti-10 is gracefully placed in my hands, the head tips down, its head heavy, and I know this for a fact...strange. The Ti-10 would be a good choice in my view

It was because the Ti-10 is a 3U version with a relatively thick grip.

Thanks Ricky, you should know.

Now about that Iso800...

ISO800 is a classic from Yonex. It's balance is somewhat towards the head. In my opinion, it's a wonderful racquet. However, if I need to choose only one racquet to buy now (and play for), it won't be included in my short list.

As far as I remember, I still know two to three friends using this racquet. Let's see whether we can arrange to have games sometime in future.

In fact, another possibilty to consider with racquet balance is the strength of one's own arm.

I owned ISO800 a few yrs ago but found the balance too head heavy for my liking. Hence the racquet moved on to a different owner. However, this year, after playing a lot more, I picked up another ISO800 and swung it around. To my surprise, it felt quite OK.

Having tried other racquets that have been discussed, Mystic Power100 definately too light whereas the others you have mentioned are quite adequate. I have tried Ricky's ISO900S.. and although Ricky feels it is a bit heavy, I thought it was really a very good racquet.

So head heavy may be a relative concept dependent on how frequently a particular player will play.

Note: As I am a true badminton fanatic, I deliberately bought a cheap squash racquet to swing around to strengthen my arm.