Ji's racket again

[kwun]

Take a look at <a href="../images/players/ji/xinpeng01.jpg">this</a> picture of Ji in the Olympics. doesn't that look like a Yonex Carbonex 20 from the late 80s, early 90s?

[Cheung]

Definately

[cooler]

After a long detailed examination of the the racket in question, I came to a convincing conclusion that Ji is using Yonex Cabonex-22. It is also my favorite (#1) racket.

cooler

[cooler]

Date: Tuesday, May 25
kwun <###Ji racket#########> from Pittsburgh, PA, USA writes:

I switched to the Cab22 after my dear aerotus77 broke. I have nothing but praise for this racket.

I have it strung with BG80@22M/23C.

Firstly, the racket, even though rated at 2U, feels light. i measured the CG and compared to isometric rackets, it is a centimeter more towards the handle, making it a faster racket for double. the shaft is stiff, though not as stiff as the aerotus77. the head shape is traditional carbonex shape. it took me a week or two to get used to the non-aerotus/isometric head.

I agree with the others, robustness is what summarizes this racket. I feel that my control has improved since I switched to this racket, it let me "feel" the shuttle better.

The balance between responsiveness and power of this racket is great. Light headed enough for defense yet stiff enough for fast smashes.

If you plan to have only one racket in your racket bag, this will be the one.
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Kwun, are u the same people who wrote the above? I have crossed out the email address

[kwun]

is that a hint that i should go fix up the review section? :)

[kwun]

cooler, have you seen the old cab20 before? it has a blue band around the rim, and a blue triangle pattern next to the grip. the racket in Ji's pic totally resembles that. i have the cab22 and it definitely doesn't look like it.

[cooler]

no, i was just curious with time on my hand. That's all.

[kwun]

haha. :)

i wonder if any of the pros actually surf the web on badminton. i have read from various sources that quite a few of them are "online". it'd be funny if they are reading this!

[cooler]

yes i have, kwun. In fact, i have yonex badminton product catalogs that goes back to 1985/86. I can compare every minute details between a cab20 and a cab22, my conclusion is based on more than just the blue band around the rim. Of course, i can't say i'm 100% correct, just 99% correct. I stand behind my call, it's a cab-22. Detail aside, let think logically, would Ji, a strong expert player, use a cab-20 when a cab-22 can do everything a cab-20 does plus more. BTW, for 2000-2001, yonex modified cab-22 and renamed as cab-23.

I would sure like to own a CN version of cab-22 or cab-23. If someone reading, this, can you check how much it cost in HK.

[kwun]

cooler... do you mind sharing your analysis?

i was watching some tapes the other day, i think in the '99 indonesian open, Ricky Subagja was still using a carbonex-9, an aluminum frame racket!

[Alvin]

kwun,i have a old carbonex20 and it's green and black.it don't have any blue band and whatever u said.

[kwun]

Hi,

the one i've seen was on sale around 1987 or so. it is a black body racket, with either a blue or red color band around the rim. looks exactly like the one in the picture.... i think cheung knows what i am talking about.

[cooler]

That is NOT a cab20, what u have is a cab20 Tour made between 1995 to 1997 (by yonex)

[Cheung]

I am sure that picture is the old cab20. (and I saw them when playing last night!!)Even Paul mentioned Ji uses it. Xia used it....well he did at the beginning of the yr. He seems to have changed it.

It certainly doesn;t look like a cab22 or cab20tour.

By the way, cab22/23 don;t have CN versions. cab20 and cab20tour do.

Some people say cab20tour is just the same as a cab22 but I haven't been able to get hold of a cab20tour to compare.

[Cheung]

when Zhao Jian Hua won the All england in 1985, the racquet lookedlike a cab 7!!
Yet when he went up to receive the prize check, he carried a cab20 which had come out only recently. cab8 was already around for a while.

Yang Yang used what looked like a cab7 for quite a while as well.

Ge Fei/Gu Jun use iso800..
Kim and Ha used to use iso 800 but have switched a few months back to what looks like Ti10. Now they haven't done so well!! They were awesome before. Is it the racquet making a difference?

[paul]

Sorry I completely missed this discussion. I saw one picture of Ji where he is certainly holding a old cab-20 with a blue triangle on the ferrel part of the handle. I guess he could have changed rackets. When I saw Taufik playing in '99 he used an old cab-20 but he used a 20tour in 2000 All-England.

[cooler]

yes, i never see ricky with other than cab9. If yonex let them, most top players like to stay with their older rackets. Cheah soon kit is also die hard user of cab9 but near last couple years, i think he switched to cab22. Maybe that's why he's not doing so well lately.

[Cheung]

I thought he switched to a Ti10 recently

[paul]

Just an intresting note. In the 1999 All England I saw all the freshly strung rackets lined up and one had CSK's label on it. It was a iso-900 at 30lbs

[cooler]

Well, either iso900 or Ti-10, i think CSK is desperately seeking a nice racket to replace his cab9.

[Cheung]

But isn't he retiring?

Or why doesn't he still keep the Cab9? After all if Ricky Subagja has some, then it must still be in production.

[kwun]

i can see it now, there must be a black market for old Yonex rackets. the highest bidder get to buy one. and since Ricky has won more tournaments lately, he is more financially sound. so CSK lost out and have to use those Yonex sponsored ones!

[cooler]

i too thought CSK retired but few posters saw him using ti-10 and iso900 rackets, so i guess not. Maybe he can't find a right partner to move up the ranking.

[Cheung]

It'll be a pity if he does retire. He could really help push an up and coming player to progress faster but probably is tired of all the training now.

By the way, Iasked somebody who knows the China badminton about Ji's racquet.
He conformed it is a cab20! Sorry to disappoint.

[cooler]

thanks for the confirmation. I stand corrected. Who know this subject turn out to be so controversial. Cheung wrote: