Hey all, Looking to finally retire my 1st gen AT700.. What racquets should I consider? I am a more offensive player that plays doubles, usually prefer using drives and the smash. But I also like to play the net (with drop/net shots). Willing to spend up to $220CDN. A quick search tells me to look at the li-ning N90 and AT900P, are there any others to consider? Thanks for any help
Voltric 80 and Voltric Z-force. Both are head heavy and stiff like the AT700 but have slimmer frames for better maneuverability at the net.
really? i've never owned an AT700 but if it's 3u head heavy wouldn't it be closer to the AT250 3u head heavy??? i respectfully disagree that the n90 is head heavy. maybe i'm insensitive, but that thing to me just feels heavy overall. maybe i don't play with it enough. on the other hand, i have spent quite a number of hours on the SW35 and i gotta say, it feels more like AT900T to me. plus, the sw35 doesn't feel as solid as yonex head heavy rackets for some reason, please correct me if i'm wrong. would like you guys to give insight to rackets mentioned above. but i do agree that he should either get an AT700 mk2, or just replace it with another AT700 mk1 if you can
^sw35 is definitely stiffer than at900 Like Mark I'd recommend sw35 based on what the OP asked. It's great for smashing and isn't crippling your net play
Thanks for all your suggestions, I will look into some of these. I went into a store today and really liked the feel of the AT900 technique, is this a good racquet for my needs? And how do you all feel about the LYD Brave Sword?
DIRECT REPLACEMENT will be Li-Ning N2 Woods LIN DAN or N2 mk 1 ... after all, the stories I heard is that when Lin Dan was asked what type of racquet he wanted by the Li-Ning R&D team back in 2008/2009, hehehe ... he showed them his "then" YONEX AT700 ...
If you want the Final Form of the AT700, then get the Li Ning N90 version 1. Fits your budget perfectly if you order it off mybadmintonstore.com. DO NOT GET THE Version 2, it's not quite the same. If you prefer something a little different, VT-ZF is your best choice. No, the AT900T/P won't feel as powerful as your AT700 and timing will be different.
Thanks for all your help guys, lol I haven't looked at racquets in 4 years so there's alot of reading to catch up on. I'm leaning towards the VT80 right now, as a quick search shows that the VT-ZF appears to be verrry head heavy. Plus the VT80 seems to be easier to use. A last question before I test them in-store; how does the VT-70 compare to the 80 and ZF?
Read up Paul Stewart's review of ALL 3 racquets ... pretty good !! He ranks them (to his personal preference): VT80 , VT-ZF and VT 70 ... Since, you have a chance to test all 3 , then that will be the BEST WAY to judge ... if you want try a wild-card into the pack, try Victor Bravesword 10 .... you will be nicely surprised !! I got my VT-7 based on what he reviewed and upon using, he is right on the spot !!
The VT-70 is medium stiff and not as head heavy as VT-80, VT-ZF and AT700. It's a good all-around racket, but won't be as powerful as those three.
1st Generation At700 is the Best of all Armortec Series Just going off the story here but I'm not sure if anyone will agree with me but IMHE, as one of the a proud owner of the 1st Generation At700, i think no racket can come close to it as far as from my own experience of play. What a racket. However good luck seonny.
IMO, the VT70 was dreadful - the shaft was too flexible for that tall balance. The VT80 was, I thought, much better - the racket felt more of a unit. I haven't tried the VTZ yet - come on, Paul - but I'm told it has one of the best "punches" (impact feel and stability) out there.
Yeah. Indeed, it seemed like a recipe for success until Yonex discontinued it. I guess they lost that recipe for making such a wonderful racket. Hehe
Hi there, I own the AT700 1st gen as well. I'm also looking for a similar/substitute racket for my AT700 3U because it has some cracks on the head and I have a feeling it will break one day (I have been using it for almost 4 years if I'm not mistaken and have not tried any other racket). I'm currently considering VTZF either 3U or 4U. I have tried 4U and I don't seem to get the head heavy feeling. May I have some comments or reviews on the 3U? I heard people complaining of getting tired easily after several matches. Someone posted Li-Ning N90 here but I wish to stick with yonex. Any advice or comment is appreciated
Yonex hasn't made any worthy successors to the old AT700. If you wish to go with Yonex, get the VT80 or VTZF 3U are probrably the most similar. But bear in mind, they won't perform exactly like the AT700. The N90 is still the closest though
