Hi, this is my first thread so I hope I do everything properly... Anyways, I'm an intermediate player who plays for ~4-5hours a week, playing both singles and doubles (but mainly doubles). I'm coming from a Nanospeed 800 strung with BG66 Ultimax @ 24lb tension and I absolutely love it. I've had the racket for a good 30 months and I've noticed that their is a crack in it's frame so I need to buy its successor The Nanospeed 800 really worked well to my wristy style of play due to it's head light nature. I would say I'm an all round player with a slight emphasis on defence to maximize my advantage with my racket. I'm looking to spend a tad more and buy a 'high-end mid-range' racket (if that makes sense). My budget will be flexible but around the £80 mark. I want the racket to be similar to the 800 but maybe to pack more punch in clears and smashes whilst retaining it's head-light feel and quick manoeuvrability. So ideally the NanoSpeed 990 seems to be the obvious choice but due to the new NanoRay series, I'm thinking that these series may be more technologically advanced. I've been doing a lot of research but there's not a lot (more like none) of reviews, so I would like to know how good these rackets are in terms of hands on experience. Here's those Yonex graph thingys (I couldn't find one graph with all rackets on it) NS800 NS990 NR80 I'm going to be open-minded for my choice, so if anybody has other recommendations, please suggest them but I do feel that I have correctly narrowed it down to these two racquets. But still, feel free to suggest any others around my £80 price range. Thanks in advance.
I come from the post "Yonex Nanoray 100", I have used ns990 for a while, and I didn't use nr80. In my own opinion, yonex middle-end and low-end rackets made in taiwan are not produced by strict standard as that made in Japan, so when you pick one, it may be different from another. My NS990 is head heavy, completely not the same style as ns9900, although in the diagram their position is near, but I'm not sure if all ns990 were such head heavy. A Ns850 I tried is also heavy. So, you'd better get a racket in hand and swing it, then to decide if it is suitable. Nr80 only has 4U version, If you had been used to 3U, maybe you'll feel 4U racket not powerful enough (unless it's head heavier)
Interesting how you say that. On Direct Sports, it lists both the NR80 and the NS990 as head heavy... Which makes me wonder but then kinda makes sense. Loads of reviews have said the same thing; both rackets don't feel as head-light as expected. That's probably because it WASN'T head-light in the first place and they were under a placebo effect. This Taiwan thing may have a part to play in that... I also saw in another thread about the NS990 that the OP found it head-heavy, and after sandpapering off the paint, he finally found it to feel more even in balance. Looking at direct sports again and using their 'racket selector' tool (to suggest the best racket suitable for you), lists the Voltric 9, Arcsaber 009dx and the Li-Ning UC3600. Has anybody had experience in any of those rackets? I'm worried because I personally REALLY dislike head-heavy rackets. I play 90% wrist and it really doesn't feel good putting a lot of strain on the wrist when swinging it around; not to mention the slower swing speed as well. The Voltric series is interesting though as it supposedly adds aerodynamic features as well as the heavy head so that you don't 'feel' the heaviness when moving it around. Direct Sports also list the VT9 as even balance. Sorry for the long post, but when I buy a new racket, I tend to do lots of research
I guess, the NanoRay series are head-heavy..... against to the description within the yonex catalogue. Yonex wrote, NanoRay is head-light, but i think, it isn't light at the head. Here:http://www.badmintonbay.com/Badminton-Racket/Yonex-Badminton-Racket?product_id=224They specify a balance point of 305mm !!! That is "EXTRA HEAD HEAVY" The Yonex-chart defines the "Armortec 700" as the most "head-heavies" racket. But it's balance point is 295mm:http://www.mybadmintonstore.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25_26_67&products_id=146For me, the NanoRay can be defined as a "light version" of the ArmorTec.JockelJockel
What Jockel and yitao are saying is totally true. I own an NS850, the NS800 evolution and it is physically head heavy with a BP over 300m. I also own a VT9 and it is rigid and head-heavy. I tested a few months ago an AS009DX and it is head heavy and very stiff, a sluggish racquet, even for me who is used to play stiff to Xtra stiff head-heavy racquets. The best racquet you're looking for is the NR700 FX, but it isn't in your price range.... Otherwise, if I was you I will give a go to the NR100 as it is 3U, forget the light NR80 coming from an NS800, or eventually the Li-Ning UC3600; I owned an UC3220, very similar to the 3600, one of my daughter who was a Trump competitor with a 7200 (rigid, even) is really enjoying the Li-Ning nowadays
Notorious544d, I would have faith in the directbadminton.co.uk information on the racquets. I've been told that they do test the racquets before giving them ratings rather than just regurgitating the manufacturer information. I recently bought a NR 700RP which has "Head light" written on the side of it. Directbadminton list it as "Balance:299 mm from handle - Medium". I find it feels close to my old MusclePower 99 "even balance" racquet. Nanoray 500 might be a possibility(little over budget), depends on how stiff a racquet you prefer. I've found in general that the Yonex charts don't really give much useful information whatsoever. It's hard to test a racquet by just swinging it about in a shop, so unless you find a store that has test racquets that you can take away and try it's difficult trying to find a perfect racquet for needs.
Yonex Nanospeed 6600 might be another to consider: Directsports price: £74.99 Weight (grams):91 g Balance:294 mm from handle - Head light Flex: 60 mm - Medium Badminton Coach Paul Stewart has reviewed the Yonex nanospeed 6600. He says:"For me, it’s a lovely touch racquet but doesn’t add any more to your game than say Nano 990 or 850 can do."
Just to let everybody know, I've bought my new racket. It's the Nanospeed 9900 which I got for a ridiculous price of £89.99 and it is 100% genuine (I posted the serial code in the serial code thread). The thing was, that I was basically looking for the 'cheaper' NS9900 as I had the impression that it would be my perfect racket. But now I actually own the actual one and oh my goodness it's just incredible. The swing speed is uber fast, it feels really head-light (even though it is even balance) and is super stiff. I'm gonna re-string it with BG66 Ultimax next week @ 24lb (which is what I used on my NS800) and I just can't wait to test the awesomeness It seemed that the NS990 and the NS80 were 'dodgy' rackets which really put me in a dilemma (as they weren't actually head-light) and I was considering going for the Voltric 7, a 4U, slightly head-heavy racket with aerodynamic qualities. I was gonna ask one of my club members who owns this racket if I could give it a go, but then I saw the NS9900 deal. I'll keep this thread open for anybody in the future who may find themselves in a similar position. But as for me, I'm sorted But thanks a lot for the suggestions!
Good bargain you got there. I'd have maybe snapped one of those up instead of 700RP if I'd seen them at that price. Let us know how you get on with the new racquet.
