Hey, can anyone please suggest a new racquet for me to get? I don't want one that is too heavy, and yet I don't want one that is too light (not enough power in smashes). Don't know whether my age affects the kind of racquet I should get, but anyway I'm 12+. And not too expensive of course, below RM500. I'm currently using a Carb8, but currently trying to improve my defense so I'm thinking of a lighter racquet. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks! PS. A friend of mine suggested Ti-7 Light, is it suitable? And how much is it in Malaysia?
how about a Carbonex 20? similar length to cab8, probably one one of the lighter ones in the current cab series. not sure how available it is in your area though. cab rackets are also pretty affordable compared to other Yonex series.
hi joanne hmm, from what i know of you i would suggest others. Since i'm not familar of all the different brands sold in your city, i can't make comment on those brands. I'm only familar with yonex so i will give suggestion from that product line. I don't suggest ti-7, it is not bad but not optimum for u now. Ti -7 is an old model and quite pricey. You are on training and your learning curve would be steep. You would likely be changing rackets yearly. I suggest the model mp 24,27, and 33 for now. They range from 350 to 440 RM. MP33 doesnt come with string, others do. Take a feel of those if u can find a shop that has all those models. I have tried them all, i can feel the qualtiy advantage of mp 33 over the others. If u find mp33 is too stiff, then move down one notch to mp 27. They all 3U (85-89g). If you still like oval shape racket, maybe try getting a cab 20 but try to find one that is 3U, it is lighter.
i forgot, the yonex cabonnex 8200 light is also 3U, costing around 200 RM. All costs were converted from CAD.
The last time I felt the Carb20 was too light, maybe I'll think differently now. And it was RM499(Somewhere there) in the shop I checked... Quite expensive compared to others I'll say. Oh yeah, I don't really mind the shape of the racquet. Today I saw a Ti-5 in a shop... kind of like the feel of it but I couldn't really judge as it was chained to a rack and I was in a hurry to go home, just happened to see it. Haven't seen any mp 24, 27 or 33 yet, only been to 2 shops so far. These 2 shops were mainly Carbonex racquets. I wonder why? And in 1 shop some of the Carbonex racquets cost only RM60+ without strings. The most expensive I saw was only RM100.90. But that shop had only a small range of racquets. Now it's holiday time and I've got all the time in the world to look around for racquets... I don't want to rush and regret my choice later. Anyway thanks for both of your suggestions.
It's a pity that no store anywhere that i have played offers " TEST " rackets for trying out before you buy. I use to work in the ski industry in France and our store would carry a full range of demo skis in the models that we had for sale. You could compare different models, if you bought, you paid no rental fee. It worked very well I can tell you. So why can a store not carry a range a of rackets all strung with a good string at whatever tension they think best, let people try say two out over a weekend or whenever they play. After all, you are now paying up to or well over $100 for a racket so you want to make sure it is the right one for you, not like my original Silver gray racket which cost $7.50 back in 1970. I notice a lot of people always go straight for the Yonex brand without trying anything else, perhaps good marketing by them or because all the world champions use them etc etc. I for one have never got on with them, i have tried them but never really liked them, that's just me
Maybe you can get a Yonex Cab 22. Very good control and accurate net shots, plus its quite light. You can get it in Kuala Lumpur for around RM 250 (Pertama Complex). But mind you most of the shops don't sell it anymore.
Kwun and myself probably wouldn't recommend a Cab22 due to too many "nahhhhs" from the racket....Besides the racket can be bi*chy at times.
Joanne, i think the Ti 5 is suitable for you, more so than the Ti 7. Make sure you get a 3U G5 version. G5 meaning the grip handle is small size.
I would advise u to get oval head rackets (carbonex series). Due to the smaller sweet spot, it will improve your accuracy of your shots. 2 rackets I recommend; carbonex 20 SPECIAL S$69 carbonex 21 SPECIAL S$79 get the 2u version if u prefer slightly heavier rackets.
I used to think the original cab20 was really quite similar to cab8 in playability. 499RM is a very expensive price for cab20 Sure you cannot get it cheaper?
RM 499 for cab20 shouldn't be so expensive!!!! i bought my cab21 back earlier this year or last year is rm 250 with bg 85 and a karakal ripple grip. cab20 should be cheaper. as the choice for racket i would suggest cab20 or cab20 tour it is still possible to get it here in kl. pm me if u need any help to get the racket i will be glad to shop around for u and it will be much cheaper then the shops u went to!!!
Is the Carb20 almost similar to Carb8? Because I'm looking for a racquet with a different feel... If you know what I mean. I've used a Carb21 before, I don't know why but I couldn't seem to play well, maybe because I wasn't used to it? I haven't seen any Carb22 yet around here... and Pertama Complex is rather far for me. I've kind of fallen in love with the Ti 5... but then again I haven't really felt the Carb20 yet. Any opinions about the Ti 5?
Perhaps I should specify more. I'm more of a singles player, hardly play doubles. I'm more of a power hitter, more smashes and lobs etc (My net isn't that good you see). I've little experience with racquets so all these suggestions are making my head spin... No offence. But thanks for all, I've been reading the reviews about the racquets... But still can't decide! Will these racquets that were suggested fit my type of playing?
Hey Joanne, What features does Ti-5 have that appeals to you? IMHO, CAB 20 is versatile enough to suit most of your needs. A good all round racquet that gives out decent performance, CAB 20 is a classic with great track record. Since you're using CAB8 already, it won't take you long to adapt to the newer CAB. You might also want to consider CAB 20MS. My experience with it has been pretty positive so far, hard smashes were translated well and control is good. Comparing to other oval racquets I have used, play characteristics of the CAB 20MS is better. You might be able to find a 3U version of CAB 20 MS in Malaysia. Anyway, good luck and have fun shopping... er, I mean... searching!
Well, I've been using Carbonex 8 since I first started playing, which was about 7 years ago. So I want a change you see... I don't mind taking a while to adapt to racquets. Anyway, I'll be going racquet hunting pretty soon, I'll take a look at all. Thanks for your erm... encouragement!
