Hello Everyone, I have been a lurker on these forums for a little while but finally decided to sign up and make a thread. BC's forum has been really helpful in gaining more insight into the game of badminton and especially the equipment which is really a head scratcher for less experienced folks who don't have access to demo rackets, nice facilities, badminton shops, etc. I wanted to ask the folks here for yet another racket recommendation. I recently bought a Oliver Energetic K12 and seem to be liking it so far. I bought an APACS Tantrum 200 a couple of years ago and while I initially really liked it, I moved to a new city where the club only plays with nylon birds and noticed that my shoulder (maybe rotator cuff) was really starting to hurt. Meanwhile, I wouldn't notice the same type of issues with my wife's Nanospeed 100 (a much cheaper racket). I figured that the issue (besides technique was possibly due to all my previous rackets having even balance, flexible shafts and being pretty light (The Tantrum has a stiffer shaft but meets the other criteria). My favourite racket I ever had was a Forza Kevlar which met those criteria and for some reason allowed me to generate more power than I have ever been able to match since. Sorry for my longwindedness, but my question is two-fold: 1) How come there are don't seem to be any reviews of Oliver rackets here? If anyone has the K12 and can offer their opinion that would be great. 2) Are there rackets like the K12 (attributes wise) that I should also look into? The person at the shop said maybe the Arcsaber003 or BraveSword12 would be good fits. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much
if you can shed some light as to how the oliver racket you have hits, maybe we can figure out theoretically why your shoulder hurts or give you a suggestion about your rackets. also please tell us the style of game you play and what you want to feel from an "ideal racket".
Thanks for the reply. Hmm..not sure exactly how to describe how it hits but I will give it a go. I am finding that (possibly because of the flex) and the slightly lower tension I have it on, that I am having less trouble generating power on by backhand clears as well as overhead smashes. With the tantrum, I really felt like I was need to muscle it too much to get the kind of "ummph" I wanted on my smashes. The Tantrum 200 is a stiff shaft I believe and because my swing is slower I imagine that might be why I was having problems. The Oliver I have has the following specs: MP 66 strings Flex shaft 84 g (4 U I assume) Material is MC-Eplon Even Balance Like I said in my initial post, I like the feel of it better and therefore am on the hunt for rackets that may have the potential of feeling similar. I generally play doubles and am more of an attacking type of player. Hope this helps, please let me know if you need more info.
I should also add: an ideal racket (like my old Forza) seemed to have a giant sweet spot and when I connected, it would sound like a shotgun going off. The funny thing is that it was only a lower end Forza (Kevlar 1). I have never had trouble generating power on smashes until recently. So, I am not sure if it is a change in my swing, racket (Tantrum 200) or something else altogether....all I know if that I have had less problems when using my wife's Nanospeed 100 or my new Oliver K12
Sounds like you are looking for a flex racquet, and that you find it tough to play with stiff racquet. That said, just based on specs I think you are looking for racquets like Yonex Arc 002, or Kason F9. Also, as you are more comfortable with Nanospeed 100.. why not consider one for yourself? At least you know how it plays...
Thanks for the input. I have not heard anything about the Kason racket but I will try looking into it. I have never tried that brand but I am assuming it is well regarded. I agree on the flex racket issue (it definitely feels more comfortable to me)...as for the NS100, I have been playing with it but also like my new Oliver K12. The NS 100 is not bad but doesn't quite give me the "pop" I am looking for.... Thanks again.
I have heard the Kason Twister F9 is a pretty good racket, and you can find some information in other threads. I have heard it gives kind of "pop", i.e. good power. Good luck!
i have and still use the yonex arcsaber 002 and i agree with the flexible shaft. the way i swing is that (unfortunately) i wait to the very last moment of a particular shot and i "whip" the racket. with the flexible shaft i feel like it's allowing me to do that, AND amplify the results, especially power shots. because i can whip my racket around, badminton had been even more fun than before. best of all, it's only $80USD. very reasonable for an intermediate racket
surprisingly, i've never play with a string that has more popping sound than the stock carlton xelerate x67 string that comes with their high end rackets.
Thank you both 'sayshh' and 'gundamzaku' for you input, really helpful. I will definitely look into those rackets. The Kason sounds pretty awesome but looks to be a little out of my price range (around $180 CDN/USD). The AS002 sounds intriguing b/c of the price and its attributes as well. I will have to look if that is 3U or 4U. The guy at the shop had recommended the 003 but I guess the 002 is similar? I am also hearing good things about the Karakal SL-80... It is so hard to choose. Anyone else who wants to offer their opinion as well will always be appreciated. Thanks to those who have already given recommendations!
Sorry to clarify, but those X67 string come with which brand of high end rackets? The Kason or a different one? I wasn't sure which you were referring to. Thanks again!
yea they come with the midgrade to high grade carlton rackets prestrung at 22-23lbs. it's a bit low but still playable for me. i really enjoy the popping sound and control is actually not bad for a stock string. i think they are $10 USD from sports direct.
