Do you prefer isometric or oval head rackets?

[DinkAlot]

I've been playing with ISOs since the beginining, so if anything, I'm ISO biased.

A little over a month ago, I tried a Cab 20 Tour for about an hour. I had no trouble hitting the sweetspot, this oval had superb control and feel, unlike anything I felt in any ISO I tried, and I've tried just about all of the current ones.

I decided to pick-up a few Cab 20 Tours but none were available so I purchased the Cab 20 Tour Special instead. I've been using the 20TS for about 4 weeks now and it's first-rate. I thought maybe I had improved my game and it wasn't the racket so I went back to my benchmark ISO, the Woven 7. I played well with the 7, it had a larger sweetspot and was more stable but it didn't have the feel nor control of my oval Cab 20TS.

I thought it was me, so I decided to try and be non-biased as possible and switched between the 7 and 20TS this whole week. The results: I play better, have more control, more feel, more satisfaction from the shuttle coming off my oval Cab 20TS then my ISO Woven 7. I tried a few other ISOs and the same thing, the feel and control is just not there.

Conclusion: I'm sticking with ovals. They are relatively inexpensive and stronger than their ISO counterparts. The key is the control and feel. If I have better control and feel, I can play better. And playing better is the bottom line, for me.

Long live the Cab!

P.S. During the comparison, I made all the variables as close to the same as possible. Same shuttles, same string and tension, etc...

[silentheart]

Yes! Sir DinksALot. You have seen the light!!!

[DinkAlot]

Yes! Sir DinksALot. You have seen the light!!!

Yes Sir, Sir Silent, and I will never be the same. I went from a silly, gentle panda to a wiser, gentle panda. Cabs rule!

[sessyargc]

i wish my Cabs were here by my side!

[ctjcad]

I've been playing with ISOs since the beginining, so if anything, I'm ISO biased.

A little over a month ago, I tried a Cab 20 Tour for about an hour. I had no trouble hitting the sweetspot, this oval had superb control and feel, unlike anything I felt in any ISO I tried, and I've tried just about all of the current ones.

I decided to pick-up a few Cab 20 Tours but none were available so I purchased the Cab 20 Tour Special instead. I've been using the 20TS for about 4 weeks now and it's first-rate. I thought maybe I had improved my game and it wasn't the racket so I went back to my benchmark ISO, the Woven 7. I played well with the 7, it had a larger sweetspot and was more stable but it didn't have the feel nor control of my oval Cab 20TS.

I thought it was me, so I decided to try and be non-biased as possible and switched between the 7 and 20TS this whole week. The results: I play better, have more control, more feel, more satisfaction from the shuttle coming off my oval Cab 20TS then my ISO Woven 7. I tried a few other ISOs and the same thing, the feel and control is just not there.

Conclusion: I'm sticking with ovals. They are relatively inexpensive and stronger than their ISO counterparts. The key is the control and feel. If I have better control and feel, I can play better. And playing better is the bottom line, for me.

Long live the Cab!

P.S. During the comparison, I made all the variables as close to the same as possible. Same shuttles, same string and tension, etc...

Dan, wah, that's some "self-actualization" or "self-realization" sharing.. .
Btw, i know you mentioned you were looking for some Cab 20 Tours, but wasn't successful; but if you're (still) interested and *can be patient*(hehe), i can get some for you the next time(most likely next yr) i visit back to Indonesia. I know of a few shops back there which are still selling those Cab20Tour(i know i saw them hanging on display there the last time i went back), as well as many other Cabs models..

[DinkAlot]

Dan, wah, that's some "self-actualization" or "self-realization" sharing.. .
Btw, i know you mentioned you were looking for some Cab 20 Tours, but wasn't successful; but if you're (still) interested and *can be patient*(hehe), i can get some for you the next time(most likely next yr) i visit back to Indonesia. I know of a few shops back there which are still selling those Cab20Tour(i know i saw them hanging on display there the last time i went back), as well as many other Cabs models..

Nope, not anything Maslowian nor religious experience. Just badminton.

[ctjcad]

Nope, not anything Maslowian nor religious experience. Just badminton.

..yah, i know, i know..
Back to badminton, on the Cabs(OVAL) and ISO preference, i know quite a bit of those "older" generation badminton folks who prefer to still play with Cabs, even the ones with the T-joint, rather than with the newer ISOs. I even know a couple others who started with ISO but then switched to an OVAL type.
Personally, when i started playing again, not too long ago, i used a Cab 9 or 10(forgot but yes, i bought it in INA) with another Hi-Qua OVAL racket. At that time, i didn't know/realize that the Cab i was using was quite "heavy", but i still wield my way around. I used it for nearly a yr before it broke, clashed it playing doubles-actually i lent that racket to my partner and i was using another OVAL (i like that racket also, i guess because it "felt" head-heavy and "heavier" in general and i guess it was the first one i bought).
After that, i ventured myself by trying a few ISO rackets(lighter ones, flexible ones, cheaper ones, some fakes, some reals) and a couple of other OVAL rackets(not necessarily Cabs though).
All in all, i'm in the same boat as you. In my brief time of picking up badminton again, whenever i play with an OVAL, it just feels different(when swinging and hitting the shuttle, esp. when you hit it right smack on the sweet spot); and in a way just like you described, there seems to be "better" *control* and *feel*..

[Pete LSD]

Not, that's not nice . What happened to alternative lifetstyle (ehhhh, racquet preference) .

Then you deserved to be banned.

[DinkAlot]

Not, that's not nice . What happened to alternative lifetstyle (ehhhh, racquet preference) .

Dang! I was hoping you wouldn't catch this post.

You are all seeing Sir Pete.

Speaking of which, did you see my latest casualty? Happened about 2 hours ago.

[ctjcad]

Speaking of which, did you see my latest casualty? Happened about 2 hours ago.

..oh no...so, 1 down and 9 left??.. ..Actually from the pic, it was exactly how my Cab 10 broke a while back also(on the frame). But mine was worse.

[Pete LSD]

Ahhh, I see. Snapped not far from where the you transition from main to cross. Ok, you are just too damn strong .

Dang! I was hoping you wouldn't catch this post.

You are all seeing Sir Pete.

Speaking of which, did you see my latest casualty? Happened about 2 hours ago.

[smellybeans]

Think ISO will improve my hitting rate much more.
Am using a Oval racket now and i kinda miss alot when using backhand or even normal shots.

Btw, why does my arm muscle get cramped whenever i play with my racket? using a cheap wilson racket bought for less than 20 iirc. And the handle is really quite heavy..

[TonyWdq]

ISO rackets feel really comfortable in my hand

but after looking back at my more difficult and challenging matches, ive won more with the oval, regular length rackets

there just seem to be more of that fine feedback that the ovals give me more than the isos, even if its just psychological effects, i'm happy with it.

[ixiaohoui]

I'm going to have to go with oval as well. Recently after breaking an Armortec 800 Def and then another N9k S-type, I was in need of trying rackets =D. I ended up trying Dinkalot's Cab 20, and ironically, it was pretty much a "plug and play" racket. Virtually no off-center hits, and the racket felt solid and maneuverable. Ironically, the Armortec took me about 2-3 weeks to get used to, and I broke my N9k before I even adjusted to it (2 weeks). If only I could find them in the US... =)

[azn_123]

Iso...Bigger sweet spot and less chance or mishitting imo.

[homelessman]

I like oval heads but i prefer round heads the most

[taneepak]

Strung to the same tension, an oval will send the shuttle away faster but an iso will send it farther. Contradiction? No, not at all. Sometimes power is confused with speed when hitting a shot.