Hi everyone! I would like to introduce myself as a intermediate player. In So Cal, I would rank myself as a D/C player. I play at a club called sgvbc. I normally play Doubles, but i really want to get back into Singles. I would want the racket to be mainly for singles? yet for the same time ... for doubles too? My style of play mostly consists of placement shots rather than power housing it all game. I have pretty decent footwork. Right now i own an armortec 900P, 900T, 700 (second gen). I smash pretty hard with those rackets....it's just that I really feel like head heavy rackets aren't working out for me personally as i feel like it's really slowing me down as i play Def, when i try to place my shots, or bring my racket back up. I guess i'm looking into more balanced rackets? I'm not sure. Tips would be greatly appreciated. I don't even know where to start to look for a racket... Like i dont know if i should stick to yonex or move onto another brand. I'm not really tight on money so any suggestions on rackets is fine. sorry for being really indecisive. I just want some suggestions on where to look or what rackets should i try out. Thank you!
I would suggest you go with a Li-Ning N90 (it's on my wishlist next year) or Yonex VT-ZF (currently own). Both are head heavy and stiff. But if not that...then go for the Victor MX80. Less head heavy than previous mentioned rackets but x-tra stiff. As for balanced rackets...maybe Yonex Arcsaber 10?
If you want faster but powerful rackets if say you might consider the above mentioned rackets +. Voltric 80 or arcsaber 8dx. I find the voltrics muh faster then at900t and at700. I also find for an even balance racket that the arc 8dx is quite nice. Personally I like it more the the arc 10 but the arc 10 is probably more popular so take that wih a grain of salt. This is all based on my opinions of coarse.
My main racket is the AT900P (3U). If you can find it, I would go for the 4U version with thinner strings. Otherwise you should look for a more even-balanced rackets. The Arcsaber 10 would be a good choice if you are looking for an even-balanced racket (for singles). The Arcsaber 7 or 8DX should be good for doubles.
I can recommend Arc10, Arc8dx if you want to stick with YY or BS10, BS LYD and MX80 if you want to try a Victor.
Personally I wouldn't recommend the Arc10. It feels hollow, flimsy and unforgiving. There's a lot of vibration from this racquet and doesn't seem to be an easy transition from the AT series. The AT series whilst generally head heavy, have a slightly higher sweetspot - which gives more power. The Arc10 in my opinion has a low sweetspot position so may take some getting used to. The Arc10 is also quite prone to twisting on off-centre shots, so it doesn't have the stable face you get from an AT racquet. Assuming you're looking for an even balanced racquet, I would probably try the Z-Slash or the 8DX. The Z-Slash is very good, effortless power, maneouvreability, control and good anti-twist properties for off-centre shots. It does have a small head, long shaft and a fast aerodynamic frame so someone new to the racquet will need time to get used to it. The small head whilst gives a smaller hitting area - primarily width-wise. It really isn't that much of a deficit. Given that most mishits tend not to be at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions on the frame or the inch or so of the string bed nearest to the sides of the racquet, you don't really notice the difference. However, as the top part of the racquet is narrower too at the 10-2 o'clock positions (where mishits tend to occur), it is a little more prone to mishits here. The 8DX on the other hand is somewhat stiffer. It has a much larger hitting area and along with it's huge sweetspot, good anti-twist properties and excellent control and responsiveness it is a very forgiving racquet. The extra stiff shaft will need getting used to though and some cannot. It is really meant for people who have the strength to extract power from it as power is not easy to come by with this racquet. This is perhaps it's only weakness. Compared to the ZS, it feels much stiffer. The ZS whilst still classified as stiff, has a slightly longer shaft, which means it flexes more and so gives a "medium" flex feeling - which is great for whipped smashes. The 8DX is also very quick to move around, perhaps not quite as quick as the ZS but certainly not far off. It is an excellent defensive weapon.
i've been to san gabriel before and they have some very decent players and you are lucky to be in socal since badminton is more popular down south. just judging from what you wrote, you seem to have a pretty solid game. flight c/d is better than average and if you have a solid flight C game i would say you're in the upper intermediate level. since the armortecs you have are considered stiff, i would assume you have a pretty fast swing since you can generate decent power. the swing weight difference is great between the 900p and 900t. before switching to a whole new racket, might i suggest that you switch from the heavier 900p or 700, to the 900t and see if your defense improved on speed. since all these rackets you've suggested are head heavier, readjusting your muscles to adapt between these rackets might not be as difficult. also, see if it helps to reposition your grip toward the cone area. i find that when i hold the racket close to the cone on my 900t my reaction was noticeably quicker, and quick enough for c/d level games. then when you smash just hold it toward the butt of the handle and the head heaviness will give you that power you need. however, if you're really set on switching to a more balance racket, then the arc8dx is what i would recommend. since you have a decent fast swing, the stiffness of the balance 8dx would give you the precision you need for your placement, and the lighter swing weight would give you better reaction. actually, on that note, you might want a less head heavy racket like victor sw35 or bravesword. they are a tad bit head heavy and toward even balance.
I would really recomend FZ Forza Kevlar CNT 10000 vs, it har lots of power and and wery quick in the defends, it can also be strung to 40lbs
Hi thanks for the reply! yeah, i have tried the arc 10 and i agree that there is a lot of vibration that comes off when i hit the birdie. I guess i don't really like it? But maybe i haven't given it a long enough chance to prove itself to me. I really want to try the 8DX though! Unfortunately no one in my group of badminton friends own one so i can't. But i'm still stuck between staying with my armortecs or just moving on lol. darn it!!!
Hi there! it's cool that you've been to san gabriel before. The players there are pretty good haha. Yeah as of right now i feel like my placement shots are a lot better with the 900T, but the weird thing is that i feel like i can defend faster with my 900P and 700... i have no idea why. But hmm blah. I really have no clue what to do anymore lol. The thing is that when i first started to use armortecs, it was actually force upon my coach. He said that i would really do well with armortec rackets so i gave 900P and 900T a try. I played with those two rackets for like 4 years already. Maybe everything is in my head? haha. Well, I really want to try the 8DX as it seems like it's a really good racket. But i will regrip my technique and try things out again. Thank you!
The best method to find your next racquet: 1. Go to a social badminton (or similar). You want a wide range of players. 2. When doing warm up hits^ before a game, swap racquets with other players. 3. Discover more about the racquets that feel right - make/ model, string, tension, if it's for sale or not , etc. No amount of reading or charts can beat experiencing a racquet first hand, period. It's also a good way to make friends and find other racquet geeks . ^Be responsible with others' racquets - test your shots - but don't abuse the racquets (or owners' trust).
^this or some friendly sports shops may allow you to test before buying. Although they probably won't be strung to your liking, it should give you a fair idea of what the racquet is like. But beware of using racquets from people who use towel grips though - they tend to be soaked in sweat! I'm talking from experience! lol
On the bright side, you know exactly what it feels like if you bought one & have a sweaty game. Can't do that with shop's stock . Any updates? Have you got your new weapon yet?
Since you're in socal, you should really check into the Panda Precision Pro. Try one around 87-88g bp 295mm or so. Power, speed, feel. It has them all. Also gundamzaku has a good point: make sure you're adjusting your gripping up and down the handle as you play defence or offence. That in itself will automatically adjust your effective swing weight in game to your needs as desired wrt speed or power.
+1 on what visor said. If you think the 700 2nd gen is already too slow, then the zf or n90 would feel like molasses. Esp the latter. PPro of 88g @295 aatacks not unlike the 700 2nd gen, but defends wayyyyyy faster.
i agree with everyone who suggested demo-ing rackets. if you're just swapping for a few swings i'm sure people at the club would have no problem with unless they are anal about their rackets like i am. i am not sure if SG has a demo program, if they do, you might want to invest a night just demo-ing rackets. and since they're open 24hr, you get the whole night to play with diff rackets. judging from your response, you problem don't have a strength problem since you're able to defend well with the heavier armortecs. if anything, maybe because you're stronger, so your timing is better with the heavier AT than using AT900T. may i suggest more hitting drills where you're forced to raise your racket back up immediately after defending? it could very well be that you haven't acquired memory in your muscles for that defending motion yet?
hey guys thanks for all the replies! well actually i think i might stick with my at700... iono maybe just these past few months i have been off but like last week i was on fireeeeeee LOl. I guess maybe it was mostly mental and stuff? but i did feel the 8dx and i really like it! but iono.. i'm playing pretty well with my 700 because of all the tips from you guys here. And i think it was just a gripping problem too ish...?! haha thanks guys