What's the nearest equivalent Yonex racket to the old MP 88 4U? Looking for something very light (80-84gms), mainly for doubles play but also with good power for smashing.

Armortec 900T looks closest to me?

4 u, it would be 4u at500 and at700:p

4U is too fragile besides of it being too light. You probably want to most likely go with 3U rackets. Something which could be close to the MP88 could be the Arc7.

you can try NS8000.

Try Babolat Sattelite Nitro...

MP88 is even balance to head light while AT rackets are heavy head. You can just buy a 3U MP88. 4U are too fragile.

MP88 is even balance to head light while AT rackets are heavy head. You can just buy a 3U MP88. 4U are too fragile.

I thought everyone knows that MP88 (of all versions) are unique among all rackets that it is super light weight, very flexible and head heavy. You are the first one I know who calls it head light. :confused:

On another hand, most AT series rackets are even balance while all of the NS series are head light... :cool:

I thought everyone knows that MP88 (of all versions) are unique among all rackets that it is super light weight, very flexible and head heavy. You are the first one I know who calls it head light. :confused:

On another hand, most AT series rackets are even balance while all of the NS series are head light... :cool:

I have to slightly disagree with this because the Swing Power 900 SA is also unique because it is 81g which would be super light as well. Also, it is a better racket than the MP88. Both of them perform similar to each other.

Flexibility of MP88
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12833&page=8&pp=18

Head heaviness (balance)
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12833&page=2&pp=18

I rest my case... :D

SP900SA > MP88, enough said :D

I thought everyone knows that MP88 (of all versions) are unique among all rackets that it is super light weight, very flexible and head heavy. You are the first one I know who calls it head light. :confused:

On another hand, most AT series rackets are even balance while all of the NS series are head light... :cool:

Are you serious about AT rackets being even balanced? If AT rackets aren't heavy head then what are?

This is your personal preference, I won't argue...
So you can go ahead and beat up on Lin Dan with your SP900SA.
Be my guest...

Yeah and what makes you think you can beat up Lin Dan lol!! Oh wait, I beat him in the $$$ department enough said there lol!

If you know better, use the search and find the thread what made the SP900's great :D

Are you serious about AT rackets being even balanced? If AT rackets aren't heavy head then what are?

Don't bother, he thinks he knows his stuff but does not. A had a few friends had a look at the thread a few moments ago who use these rackets is like what is this guy?

According to Big S all AT owners should tape on 20kg weights onto the frame to make it heavy head.

I am also looking for the same thing.

NS8000 feels completely different than MP88, NS8K being a stiff head light racket, the 88 being a balanced/head-heavy flex.

From the few rackets that I tried, the difference between 3U and 4U isn't all that different. It is the flexibility that the MP88 has that gives it the special feel. The closest I got was the Head Airflow 5.

According to Big S all AT owners should tape on 20kg weights onto the frame to make it heavy head.

Thanks to you, I spitted on my keyboard. Please warn people before a joke.

Why should I waste my time here?
SP900SA is not even in production, nor is it in the current Yonex catalog...
http://www.yonex.co.jp/digitalbook/pdf/badminton_racquets.pdf
I hope yours will last as you probably cannot replace it if...

To phandrew...
My bad, not all AT are even, except the 800 that I had, which is also out of production and replaced by 900's...

Thanks to you, I spitted on my keyboard. Please warn people before a joke.

Sorry about that. I should Smilies more often then

Dnacid,

It dpeends on which racket you have tried. I know for the AT800s for 3U and 4U, the 4U had a tendency to overswing. Besides the durability issues, people had literally broken their rackets string at 24lbs and slightly leaning on their rackets like a cane. Whops!!

The MP88 isn't that bad as I have used it however the SP900 series is a better built racket than the MP88. Even thou I no longer uses these rackets, I've moved on, such as using the Armortec, Nano and Arc.

Why should I waste my time here?
SP900SA is not even in production, nor is it in the current Yonex catalog...
http://www.yonex.co.jp/digitalbook/pdf/badminton_racquets.pdf
I hope yours will last as you probably cannot replace it if...

To phandrew...
My bad, not all AT are even, except the 800 that I had, which is also out of production and replaced by 900's...

Well that's true it's no longer produced as it was discontinued in 2004. The MP88 is also discontinued as well last year if I recall correctly.

I no longer use the racket since I wanted to try something new as there were discontinued and I had 4 of them. I also have the SP900SS an well which I no longer use. I have moved on and settled with the Arc Saber 7.

However if you are referring to the catalog when the SP900 was in production, here it is. I still currently have the old catalogs.

http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40427

I say we just petition Yonex to bring back the MP88 model. Problem solved.

Unforunately it won't come back. Yonex is phasing out the MP series as you notice there is no more high-ends. Armortec rackets would eventually be the next from the rumors and souces I have been hearing from.

People need to go with change even thou it is hard to as users would resist at first.

For me, I just went for it and started trying rackets out to feel which would suit me. As I replied to Big S, I settled with the Arc7. Well initially before that, NS9KS to AT900T. Neither of these rackets do actually feel similar to the SP900SA which I used but I got used to it and like it.

The NS series is the new MP series. The MP series is now considered a low end racket series

4U is too fragile besides of it being too light. You probably want to most likely go with 3U rackets. Something which could be close to the MP88 could be the Arc7.
Arc7.... good recommendation, Matt. based on criteria.

Armortec series = even balance.....?
any prove?
i want to sue Yonex. no wonder my At900T give me lousy power :mad:

Yeah Arc7 is very easy to use. When I first used the racket for the first hour I did not like it and I kept switching back to my AT900 and NS9K. I guses the racket needed some break-in time because when I kept doing it, the Arc7 gradually came to me then I figured out how to use it properly then able to take advantage of it with like the second hour.

Unforunately it won't come back. Yonex is phasing out the MP series as you notice there is no more high-ends. Armortec rackets would eventually be the next from the rumors and souces I have been hearing from.

People need to go with change even thou it is hard to as users would resist at first.

For me, I just went for it and started trying rackets out to feel which would suit me. As I replied to Big S, I settled with the Arc7. Well initially before that, NS9KS to AT900T. Neither of these rackets do actually feel similar to the SP900SA which I used but I got used to it and like it.

Sure we all moved on to new stuff...
The MP88 Red was good but super fragile so they came up with the MP88 blue which was somewhat more durable. But it kind of loss the same flexibility like the red MP88. This has happened more than once. A racket dealer at our club stated that he once returned eight AT800 to Yonex to claim warranty. Very soon AT900 came out, also in two racket pair to replace the 800. Again, it is more durable but according to my buddies who use them, they are not as good as the 800's...

Funny that I initially posted a suggestion of Babolat Nitro for the MP88 and as it turned out, it stirred up such a big debate for SP900. However no one seem to respond to my suggestion of the Babolat racket.

There was this funny story how the Babolat came into the picture...
A buddy of mine is one of those "no car, house payments to worry and does not have a girlfriend to spend $$$ with" kind. When he was into badminton, we bought every high-end rackets that were available. (Yes, he is our new racket try-out supplier.:) We all miss him when he quited badminton. :()

When he one day exhausted all Yonex rackets with still $$$ to spend, we went on to explore rackets of other manufacturers. At that time, his best badminton buddies, myself included, quite a few of us used MP88 red and addicted to it but could do nothing when it went out of production :crying:. He then went on to explore rackets from other manufacturers who make rackets of similar characteristics: super light weight, super flexible and head heavy. After a while, he found the Babolat Nitro and bought a couple (he strung them with different strings just for experiments.) Of course we all gave it a try and we have been using it ever since...

The funny thing is, while Babolat is super popular in tennis (It's Lendl's racket), their badminton rackets are almost nowhere to be found, in Hong Kong, US and everywhere else we explored. One Hong Kong dealer stated that it was because the Babolat rackets are all labeled "Made in China" while selling at the same price range as the Yonex high-ends, yet they did very little marketing that no even a single star badminton player is sponsored by Babolat. (I could be wrong again, so what?) No one buys them so no one sells them. I got mine in China when a friend went for vacation last year...:D

BTW, one last note on the MP88 red: The uniqueness of it is its flexibility that you can almost feel it bending when you make a hard swing. Therefore, the 3U models are different than the 4U models that, the 4U's being lighter are more flexible than the 3U's... This is one racket that the 4U's makes a lot of difference from the 3U's...

Any opinion on the Babolat Nitro? A friend of mine who has both Nitro and Solar said that the Nitro generates more power but Solar has better control. I have not yet tried out the Solar. Anyone?:confused:

The MP88 red had durability issues, which is when Yonex introduced the blue one which addressed the problems.

I'm sure there are Babolat users but we have yet seen a lot of post from them are they are not in this forum yet. The two things I have known Babolat for is for their grips and the their electronic stringing machine. Have not seen their badminton rackets here.

The MP88 red had durability issues, which is when Yonex introduced the blue one which addressed the problems.

I'm sure there are Babolat users but we have yet seen a lot of post from them are they are not in this forum yet. The two things I have known Babolat for is for their grips and the their electronic stringing machine. Have not seen their badminton rackets here.

I don't know if you are one of the MP88 fans like us all in this thread. But if you are, try to get a hands on the Babolat. If you like the MP88, I am sure you will like the Nitro. However, I met many ppl who does not like the MP88 and claimed that it's lack of power. (Most of whom are smash-happy bunches, who always prefer super stiff rackets like the NS9K-X...) So if you prefer stiff rackets, don't bother. But if you like us who loves MP88, give Babolat a try... But like I've said, they are hard to come by. You'll probably don't see a single member in your club using one...:(

I don't know if you are one of the MP88 fans like us all in this thread. But if you are, try to get a hands on the Babolat. If you like the MP88, I am sure you will like the Nitro. However, I met many ppl who does not like the MP88 and claimed that it's lack of power. (Most of whom are smash-happy bunches, who always prefer super stiff rackets like the NS9K-X...) So if you prefer stiff rackets, don't bother. But if you like us who loves MP88, give Babolat a try... But like I've said, they are hard to come by. You'll probably don't see a single member in your club using one...:(

I probably say I not really a fan now since I've moved on and the same goes for my SP900s which is sitting in the closet. When I did use the rackets in the past, I was note both of the rackets do lack in the power department but I had a fast swing speed to compensate for this.

Agree 100%!!! (I finally found something in common with Matt...:o)
The fast swing is also what I like about the MP88. It improves my reflex...
How do you like a quick smash on someone accidentally serve a little too high?
Not only your reflex, the swing must be fast to get that smash over.
This is what I love about the MP88... :D