Today I brought in my new mp99 to training and asked my coach to string it. He was quite happy to have a feel of it, but then he started telling me that the new Yonex rackets aren't worth the money, the whole MP range, the Iso 900 and etc.

He said that the rackets which are worth the money are the Iso800 and below range and the Carbonex lines. He also said that when he went to Ranking sport in Singapore - Bras Basah complex, the lady there told him that its better to get the Iso800 than the MP rackets.

Right now he uses Ashaway's MP racket, he's sponsored by Ashaway now. He also said that Carlton makes very stiff racket, for power players. I felt like an idiot after he said all that for buying the MP99, but really... I bought it to have a feel of what its like. Anyway, what do you guys think about the new rackets that Yonex are coming up with? Oh... he didnt comment anything about the Ti range...

Speaking of the Ti range, anyone noticed what Taufik was using during the Asian games? looked like a Ti 5 to me... seems like he isnt sponsored by Yonex anymore, didnt have the Yonex logo on his racket. I only watched the finals tho, so correct me if Im wrong.

[quote]He also said that Carlton makes very stiff racket, for power players/quote]

You bet your ass! I own Carlton top of the line model, Stiff ass mother**Bleep**
Matter of fact my racket is way to advanced for me. Honestly I recommend Carton rackets for skilled players whom have lots of power, in other words it's a smashers dream racket.

As for the Yonex rackets, I have been told the same from my coach and many others whom used to be in the pros. They tell me that yonex's Cab ans ISo are very good rackets, and that the MP and Ti serires are all right, but not really worth the money, as they tell me there are other rackets out there that they think do a better job, and that the pros from china etc.. only use the yonex cause Yonex sponsers them.

sigh.... and the debate of whether yonex is worth the money goes on again... if dont like it, just dont buy it! i'm sorry if i sound very crude... but i just dont see what's the problem here... if you think yonex is overrated, overpriced, then why buy? regret decision? sell it!

nvidia, what's the calton racket you're using? as-ti or as-1 ?

and taufik was using mp77... and he is still using yonex!

RS, i know he's still using yonex, but at the finals, he taped the yonex logo on his shirt with a green patch. and there was no yonex logo on the string bed of his rackets. that made me wonder, thats all. u know, u kinda sound grumpy there :D had a bad day?

Anyway, its not that I regret buying. As I said, I bought it because I wanted to try it out, maybe i shouldve said bcos i have the money to throw away and want to try out the racket :p infact, if i like it, i might get another one to make a pair. but really, the point of starting this thread... hmm i dont know really :D I guess just wanted to share an advice that my coach told me. No harm sharing right? Ive never seen someone point out that the later range of rackets by yonex are not worth it on this forum anyway :p

Hey Iwan, it's one thing to say that the mp series from yonex is not worth the money, it is also another to say that they are not good racquets. Just from friends and acquaintances who have used the mp series, they all love the racquets but hated the price they paid for it.

I own a MP77 and I paid a lot for it. I don't complain about the price because it isn't that much more expensive compare to other good quality racquets such as Victor or Carlton.

Couple tubes of good shuttles makes up the difference so why are you guys agonizing about the price so much. Eat out a few times less and work a few extra hour overtime and you can have a brand new whatever racquet you want.

I think badminton is by far a cheap sport to get into and to sustain. I understand every sport has an initial investment but badminton is peanuts compare to my airgun shooting. One decent airgun rifle is US$1200!

Ben

Agree w/ Benfok. A good racquet can last you for quite sometime since technology advancement in racquet aren't as fast as say computers. :) The things that people spend a lot of money on would be string upgrades and more expensive, shuttles.

i think it's because in big tournament you are not supposed to show sponsors... that's why in games like commonwealth games, everybody used something to cover all the yonex logos on their shirt...

nvidia, what's the calton racket you're using? as-ti or as-1 ?



AS-Ti baby! Only the best for me, lol

Seriously this racket packa a punch like a -bomb, it's totaly unforgiving to the little birdy.
If you know how to hit in badminton, this is the racket. I've tried the so called Muscle Power racket, and what I don't understand is why they call it that. I mean it's not the toughest racket out there, it's shaft is flexy and does not compare to my racket when it comes to "speed I mean heck that's Carlton logo "Specialists at SPEED" It's fast, and transforms your power into an explosion. Keep in mind you need to be a strong player, and have good technic to really apreciate Carlton's Top rackets. I see alot of people at my club try my racket out and say it's to fast, I've let the hard hitting smashers at my club try it out, and they become very surprised at the speed and strength of there smash and how it improves.

Anyhow enough rambling!

I think it really comes to be "whether u think the $$$ worth" or not.

Everyone has his/her own preference, depend on the feature of the rackets, and the style and phsycial conditional of the player. Therefore, a dream racket to someone, could be a piece of crap for others.

As long as u like ur racket, and the price is right in ur affortable range, I think u will be fine. U don't have to let the entire world agree with u, to prove that u've got a good choice.

Originally posted by benfok
I understand every sport has an initial investment but badminton is peanuts compare to my airgun shooting. One decent airgun rifle is US$1200!

Ben

hehe ben, like badminton racquets, airguns are also expensive in North America.. u can get a fully automatic submachine gun from Japan for 1000$ HKD (200cdn).. about the same a Higher end Yonex around here.. except it is multi purpose :P

I tend to agree with you that yonex rackets are overpriced, but i still think that they are the best rackets you can buy despite this. Even though i paid over £140 for my nanospeed racket i still think its probably worth the money-just.

My coach says that Taufik does play with a Ti5-but he has been known to be wrong about these things in the past.

If you think rackets and air guns are expensive in USA come visit us in Northern Ireland-nearly everything is about 25% more expensive than over there. I save a load of money from just buying my badminton rackets from America.

[quote]He also said that Carlton makes very stiff racket, for power players/quote]

You bet your ass! I own Carlton top of the line model, Stiff ass mother**Bleep**
Matter of fact my racket is way to advanced for me. Honestly I recommend Carton rackets for skilled players whom have lots of power, in other words it's a smashers dream racket.

As for the Yonex rackets, I have been told the same from my coach and many others whom used to be in the pros. They tell me that yonex's Cab ans ISo are very good rackets, and that the MP and Ti serires are all right, but not really worth the money, as they tell me there are other rackets out there that they think do a better job, and that the pros from china etc.. only use the yonex cause Yonex sponsers them.

hey i am from Toronto, too.. I am wondering where can u from good carlton racquets? they seem to worth me money to buy... and the feel is pretty good..

Yonex is so expensive and I like MP88 and MP99 both I broke both already. Now I use ProAce ABS Power 2000. It is lighter and for defensive player. My coach said its not about the racquet but its all in the control of hand techniques and brain. I also found that when watching world games, some players seems not satisfied with the new sponsored racquets. They always switched to the older or different version of racquets.

Yonex is so expensive and I like MP88 and MP99 both I broke both already. Now I use ProAce ABS Power 2000. It is lighter and for defensive player. My coach said its not about the racquet but its all in the control of hand techniques and brain. I also found that when watching world games, some players seems not satisfied with the new sponsored racquets. They always switched to the older or different version of racquets.

My coach says exactly the same thing-he once tried to get me to play with a MP77 and when i told him that i hated it he gave me some crap about not blaming my tools and that it was my fault. While i agree that the racket doesn't make the player i think that you still have to play with a racket that you like and are comfortable with.

rackets is also a fashion statement. jus like the clothings wore for the game. it is not so obvious for badminton but look at tennis, ppl who play tennis have nice caps, skirts, rackets, bags, shoes,,,etc. thats why tennis can make it big. cos this chasing of fashion is money to the company and the sponsored amount is easily recuperated

for badminton, only in the last 2 years that it started to get fancy. look at the china women team, those short sleeve shirt w skirts definitely makes the game more pleasant to watch than just polo shirt with a shorts...so boring.

seems yonex is moving fast towards the fashion track. the new clothing, shoes or rackets all have nicer colour schemes and interesting or striking design. the older yonex shirts looks like someone cleaning off their brushes after painting house on the shirt.

if you save money, just buy things that is a season behind, when armortec is top series, buy MP, cheaper, now nano is top series, buy armortec, even better, buy MP or Ti, really much cheaper now w new series out.

new series is exciting to me cos it means cheaper Ti and MPs;)