First time buying a racquet, looking for recommendations

Discussion in 'Racket Recommendation / Comparison' started by erstr, Oct 10, 2013.

  1. erstr

    erstr Regular Member

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    Just looking for some tips on what to buy/where to buy from.
    Background : I started playing 2 years ago when my friend introduced me to the club at school and I found the sport pretty interesting. I would say that I am at a intermediate level, but I still like to play for fun. My playstyle revolves around a balance of offense/defense with a slight lean into offense. I have been looking towards upgrading from these yonex basic racquets that have been starting to take their toll on my wrists and after trying out many of my friends' racquets, I've found that the lighter weight/higher tensions offer a high degree of performance increases.
    I'm not really knowledgeable about all the brands/racquets, but I do know Yonex and Li-Ning as 2 brands that are pretty good. My limit would be around 100$ and would prefer to have something that will last for a while.
    Oh, and list online vendors if possible b/c I don't really know where to buy from at the moment (the websites that sell the racquets look kind of poorly formatted)
    Thanks!
     
  2. yeahehehehe

    yeahehehehe Regular Member

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    Hmmmm , youre into offense more .
    Try the Yonex Muscle Power 22 (mp22) and string it @ 27 lbs .
    Sold here at P3500 so you can get it there for approx. $70 - $80.
    Fun to play with , especially the net smashes/drives .
    Head Heavy but isnt really "heavy" . Just added more weight to the frame for added power.
     
  3. latecomer

    latecomer Regular Member

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    Since you are reside in US, you should PM gundamzaku to check if he has some demo rackets.
     
  4. erstr

    erstr Regular Member

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    Would someone really be willing to send me racquet to try out? O-o
     
  5. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

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    if you've been training under a coach then maybe an mid intermediate, if you've been playing for fun you would either be an advance beginner or a low intermediate player. either way i think the best suggestion for you is to get a racket that is even balance with a flexible shaft so that it is forgiving. i have mentioned in other posts and i will mention it again that the yonex arcsaber 002 is a very good racket, priced at around $75USD.

    however, you mentioned that you are into lighter weight racket so i would recommend you something in the nanospeed or nanoray series. because you are just starting to play this sport, just go with anything in those two series under $100USD and it would be good to go. they might even come with strings but you might want to restring the racket with BG65 at 22-24lbs since you did mention higher tension and i am assuming higher tension than what beginners would use.

    if you live in northern california, you can try racket supply, badminton alley, asby sports, or any of the clubs which has a pro shop as well. if you live in southern california, then i definitely recommend san diego badminton because their pricing seems to be most competitive within california.

    unforunately i don't have any demo rackets since i'm pretty picky with my badminton equipment nor do i own a badminton store, unfortunately. good luck with your search and let us know what you end up with :)
     
  6. erstr

    erstr Regular Member

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    Is the bg65 at 24 lb durable?
     
  7. erikfast

    erikfast Regular Member

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    Definitely. That's the defining quality of BG65.
     
  8. henwoqiji

    henwoqiji New Member

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    you should PM gundamzaku to check if he has some demo rackets. [​IMG]
     
  9. erstr

    erstr Regular Member

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    What do you guys think of the Yonex NanoRay 80? Strung with BG65 at 24lbs
     
  10. yeahehehehe

    yeahehehehe Regular Member

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    If you like mid-stiff flex rackets and you have enough power to produce smashes from it , then why not :). Shuttlehouse is a good seller , got my Z Speed from them , plus , they give you 33% discount and free shipping if the price is over $100 . So if youre buying from them , get a racket above a hundred so it will be worth like a nanoray 80 . Ask Avenger for more info :) [MENTION=67921]Avenger[/MENTION]
     
  11. demolidor

    demolidor Regular Member

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    Except they don't sell Made in Taiwan models in Japan and the non-existing 33% is actually for an order of over ~$1000USD, not 1-0-0 ;) . There is also no free shipping so basically everything you've just mentioned is incorrect [​IMG][​IMG].
    If I am not incorrect erstr has been playing 8 times as long as your 3 months? Or was that your other account :D?
     
    #11 demolidor, Oct 13, 2013
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2013
  12. demolidor

    demolidor Regular Member

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    I see Adidas has several options in around the $100 range as well (now looking on badminton avenue website). Also you could read up on some reviews at Paul Stewart's website (google "paul stewart badminton") if you haven't already.
     
  13. yeahehehehe

    yeahehehehe Regular Member

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    Ah forgive me , my memory is not that good . i Just checked , sorry , 22% discount is what i got from my z speed then... :D
     
    #13 yeahehehehe, Oct 13, 2013
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2013
  14. Avenger

    Avenger Regular Member

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    I got tagged lol..

    I agree with gundamzaku, either arcsaber 002 or arcsaber 003 (if you prefer stiffer racket) if you still not sure you playing style

    or you can try RKEP XP70 (stiff), XP80 (medium). it is $155 including shipping but you get a good high end racket, a string (you can choose even the expensive one like BG66 UM), stringing service (this alone costs you around $10 or more), and 3 RKEP grips (instead of mid-end Yonex)
    *do ask eric personally and don't go through ebay. he will give you a discount.
     
  15. yeahehehehe

    yeahehehehe Regular Member

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    hey , i got a question , who is eric?
     
  16. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    An excellent racket... I have 4.

    Definitely email Eric @ RKEP for the discount.
     
  17. Avenger

    Avenger Regular Member

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    in BC:
    http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/member.php/61591-Squash-Eric

    this guy. he made his own racket (he is from a manufacturer in Taiwan), grips, and sells a bunch of branded stuff (Yonex, Victor, RSL, etc)
    I always count on him for my grip since his power master grip is very good.

    *you can also find him on ebay with name: squash_mart, or go and google, rkep grip ebay
     
    #17 Avenger, Oct 14, 2013
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2013
  18. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Don't forget his EX3 socks. Most comfy and economical compared to Nike/ Adidas.
     
  19. erstr

    erstr Regular Member

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    Actually, I may go with an ArcSaber 009DX :v is badminton.net reputable?
     
  20. Avenger

    Avenger Regular Member

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    are you even sure going for arcbsaer 009DX? DX version of arcsaber is a very stiff one. yeah, they give you $20 off for racket above $100, but still, if you cannot handle the very stiff shaft, then it is a waste of $90.

    * for the string don't go for BG65, go for something better like BG80, BG66UM or zymax65

    and I never heard of badminton.net but you can ask another people, they even carry adidas? that's cool
     

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