Hey, so I have been reading the forums and haven't found too many dedicated reviews for the Kason F9. From the little that I did read, it seemed like an interesting racket so I sold one of my rackets and purchased one from mybadmintonstore.com I've been using the F9 extensively for the last week and a half compiling about 20 hours of play and 10 hours or so of training. Although the racket took a lot of getting used to (still getting used to it now), it is a marvellous piece. From the time I received it, it just seemed like quality stuff. The racket case was amazing (and amazingly heavy), the racket itself looked great, and the clear coat covers all the paint edges nicely (unlike on some arc10s). The racket simply looked beautiful. Rackets I have used during the last two months include NS9900, VTZF, ARC10, LN N55, LN N90. I got the racket strung with BG66UM at 24lbs, BP of 287mm after string and grip. I am at a low advanced level? (I play for my university varsity team, singles and doubles evenly). During warmups, the racket performed decently well, wrist clears were nice and deep (the flex of the shaft really helps), backhand drops were amazing for whatever reason (it was like all I had to do was stick the racket out and think of a location and the shuttle would drop there), and defence was excellent. Now onto some games and boy was I terrible. I mean I was never a pro but this was a whole new level of suck for me . Defending was still amazingly good, excelling at lifts from the front (high and deep with minimal effort on my part), drives were okay, full body clears were terrible, smashes were horrendous, and net shots left a lot to be desired. Forehand drops weren't the best either but still better than smashes. I was not having a great time with this racket. Coming from a line of stiff rackets, this medium flexible thing was just not cutting it. Timing issues, timing issues. As time progressed and I was able to practice more with the F9, I found it increasingly fun to use. I found that I had to use more arm and start my swing a bit earlier (to compensate for the lag from the flex), but when I did, the racket performed amazingly in all areas. Smashes were coming down nicely, good angle although power is still increasing with use. Once the timing issues were cleared up a bit more, full body shots (shots that involve more than just flicking the wrist) became more fun and natural. Backhand drops were still amazing, it was like controlling the shuttle with my mind. In conclusion, the F9 is an excellent racket for all levels as it is rather easy to use if you are used to flexible rackets, and just takes a bit of practice if you come from stiff shafts. A lot more simple to use than say a NS9900 or VTZF although I find both of them to feel far more crisp even with the same string setup. Timing will most likely be an issue for a lot of people but is one that can be resolved rather easily if one is willing to put some time in to work on the basics. Do I like the F9 more than the rackets I listed above? That remains to be seen. I love my NS9900 so the F9 will really have to shine to beat it, but it's already climbing up my depth charts, passing the VTZF and ARC10. Below are some ratings that are specific to me (my level of play, my strings, my previous experiences, me). Power: 8.5/10 Control: 8.5/10 Defence: 9.5/10 Value: 5/10 (How does this rating work? If I cloned myself 10 times, only 5 of me would buy this racket) Now for some comparisons. Head heaviness: F9 < NS9900 < ARC10 < N55 < N90 < VTZF Stiffness: F9 < ARC10 < N55 < N90 < NS9900 < VTZF Power???? (People seem to really like these power comparisons XD) NS9900 > N55 > F9 > N90 > ARC10 > VTZF Speed???? (Ditto) NS9900 = F9 > ARC10 > N55 > N90 > VTZF Well there you have it. That's my review of the Kason F9. It does have a very distinct feel to it. Not sure if that's due to it being a Kason or just the Twister series, but it's nice. Very reassuring, kind of like the racket is telling me that everything will be alright (as the bird hits the net or floats too high and gets killed ). Please keep in mind that this review was based on my own preferences and is subjective. Because of this, the racket in practice may not appeal to you as much or as little. Thanks!
I just recently acquired a Kason Twister F9 myself. I've got the racket strung with Nanogy 98 SP at 24/26 lbs, with BP of 300 mm, I feel that the head heavyness quite similar to VTZF. Unlike VTZF the F9 is easier to manuever hence has better performance for defense or fast play. This head heavy racket although is fun to use, put more work for my forearm and arm. I usually use other lighter rackets after 2 games.
