Good day!I am from Singapore and I'm new in this forum. Okay basically I am looking for a new racket but I am not familiar with all the different brands and models, so I need some help with recommendations. Number of years in the sport:I have been playing regularly since 5 or 6 years ago. Took a 1-2 year break and started playing again a few months ago. I intend to return to playing regularly like in the past. Type of player:I mostly play doubles where I will be the front player, which means I'll like to have a lighter non-head heavy racket for quick reaction. (Is this what you call defensive playing?) I play net shots but I also want to have racket balanced in such a way so I can hit hard smashes during the times when I play singles as well. This is because I don't want to own more than one racket (other hobbies take up a lot of cash too). Why do I need a new racket:I have been using a victor racket for around 5 years now. Its not found anywhere on the internet now, but basically an oval head and pretty lightweight and non-head heavy. I got it re-strung some time ago. No idea what tension the store did for me but it feels pretty high compared to others around me. Problem I have with this is that I do find my shots unpredictable: for a given swing strength I never know if the bird will fly hard and fast, or just fly like I didn't put effort into the shot. Small sweet spot maybe? I don't actually need a huge sweet spot but I do need something that will hit shots acurately. Don't think the high tension is the problem since I have had good experience on a friends musclepower that was strung at an even higher tension. However the musclepower seems quite head heavy so might not really suit me?What type of racket for replacement:Like mentioned earlier, I do not know much about the current models and prices. I have in mind something with a non-oversized head, not too head heavy, light enough for a quick resopnse. Shaft wise, I have read the thread regarding shaft stiffness, but I still have no idea what shaft is good for me. I am around 1.68m and 60kg, if that helps. Price-wise:I will like to keep it down to 100 or below for either new or used, with or without string. (I like the freedom of string color choice)So yea, what brand, model, series, price etc?This post is rather longwinded though. Thanks for readingPhil
Yikes! I didn't mean to have a post like that. I left spaces between the different segments of my post but apparently thos empty lines didn't show up. Now it looks like one extremely long paragraph.
if you fancy power and offence, go for heavier rackets. if you fancy defensive game or strokes, go for lighter rackets. This is what I recommend to my coaching students. When you become a better player, then you should be able to choose your own. Most will try different brands. Buying compulsion.
Yes I do believe I should go with lighter rackets for my game style. Just need to know what models they are. I don't think it would do me good to just step into a store and start swinging away becuase I probably wouldn't be able to tell head heavy or balanced without actually using the racket. So yea..
Thanks Kaiyuan and visor. Looks like the bs is for me. Just read thru some threads regarding the bs series. What I gather is that the 10 is slightly head heavy and stiffer, and the 12 is similar to the 09. Is that right? Btw, what are these numbers about? Do they work something like bigger number = more expensive? Also I won't be able to go down to a shop too soon. Can anyone tell how much money I'm going to have to part with for these rackets? I just have this super strong feeling that none of the above mentioned fits into my budget
BS 09 > 10 > 11 > 12. It depends on the release date. 12 is the latest production. The price should be quite near. I am not sure about the price of Victor in SG, but you pay visit to badminton shops to search for it. It should be a bit more than $100.
Hmm ok.. So bs12 = yr2012 and bs10 = yr2010 am I right?I've done my research on the forum already, so I've got an idea of the price and shops to look at now. Thanks all
Hi. I would suggest BS11 which is light overall and have slight heaviness at the head for powerful smashing. It is very flexible and mid stiff, so it is quite easy to handle and generate power. Good for front court for fast & speedy net play as well as rear court for good smashing power. It is used by most of the women players in Korean team who won the Uber Cup. I think it costs about SGD200. You can wait and look for a second hand BS11 where there are people selling it from time to time
wow wat an essay writing u got there... its not matter of racket suit u or not but more like what racket you can handle...
If you want to stick with the Victor series, this racket I would also recommend. Another great racket I would consider, is the Yonex NS9900. Althought the swing power slower than the BS11, I manage to get more power out of the NS9900.
Thanks for the suggestions! So far the strong recommendations are for the bs12 and bs11. Is there a great deal of difference between them? Viewed them in the victor shop today. Bs12 looks nicer, color-wise. I don't have to stick with victor, but from what I gather, Yonex cost more than other brands for similar performance products. If this is true, then I will probably want to go with the others, since I don't wish to spend too much. So for yonex, the bs-type equivalent is the nanospeed series?
You still have to try trial and error to get the 'best fit' racquet. Yup, Yonex Nanospeed is the equivalent of the Victor Bravesword. Stiff and headlight. Okay, I declare my conflict of interest, I have intentions to sell these racquets. perhaps a ProAce Platinum dream or Fischer Black granite. Both are relatively light and maneuver well. Save you money of buying a new racquet. Ref: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php/100953-Miscellaneous-Racquets-for-Sale-(Singapore)
Not really, but since you're looking for a light racket which is fast, these are the best options. Braveswords are rather even balanced to head heavy rackets, but the BS11 is the lightest in weight and therefore feels very light. The Nanospeed series are all head light rackets.
