Hey guys, So I'm currently thinking of buying a new racket. This will be my first time buying a high-end racket. I will be transitioning from a Nanospeed 100. I'm fairly strong so the extra head heaviness and stiffness should not be much of a problem. And I'll eventually get used to the feel. I have narrowed down my choices to Li-Ning N90III or a Voltric 80. I can get both for similar prices where I live. My brother has ordered a 4U/G5 Voltric 80 and should be getting it next week. My club (sponsered by Li-Ning) will have a demo day in a few weeks where I will be able to test out the Li-Ning N90 III. I'm curious to hear what members who have used both rackets have to say. Which one is your main racket? Which had a harder smash? Which had quicker defence? Thanks for your time. P.S. I'm pretty much set on either one of these two rackets, as I can get a really good price.
Since you're able to test both rackets for yourself I rather would want to wait till you've had your fun already with them before I write something. If people write something here before you've tested you might get biased or subconsciously get pushed into one direction. Test first, have your fun and tell us what you have chosen and why you've done so.
Thanks for your reply. However, I have already done some research on the rackets myself. I have read your comparison from the N90III thread, the only one I have seen so far. I'm curious on what other people say about them. My club leader has made the switch from Voltric 80 to N90III and loves it. I know that different people experience rackets differently, but I would still like to get some feedback on this. I already have some expectations going in to test, such as the Voltric 80 having a better attack (HH and Stiff) and the N90III having better defence (lower BP). Did the improvement in defence justify making the switch for you? Thanks for your time.
You c I didn't go for the N90III because of it's defense capabilities. With the N90III I have a slightly bigger margin within which I can attack in comparison to a VTZF 4U. I have used quite a few rackets so far, mostly YY including VT80 and VTZF (4U and 3U). In the end of the day the only thing that matters is your feeling. It is good or it isn't good. Simple as that. Surely you might have some rare occasions in which you might say the racket you felt comfortable with surprises you because it might not be the right racket in that particular situation... but you will have this with every racket. All you can do is finding a racket that minimize such situations. My main problem with the VT80 has been the smashing department. For me it isn't stiff enough for its head-heaviness. It isn't featured with an aero frame but packs a lot of weight in its head and allowed the shaft to flex way too much for my liking. The VT80 feels solid, great touch on the net, faster than the AT900P. It could have been a good racket for me if it would suit my swing technique. In the end I felt the produced momentum couldn't get transfered resulting in a rather sluggish and inconsistant feel everytime I wanted to gear up and use the big smash. I needed something with a stiffer shaft and ended up using the VTZF. It was a great racket, barely surprised me and the only issue I had was it's head-heaviness. Thus said it takes full concentration in order to keep up those fast drive rallies in mens doubles. Blocking drives was ok, using a fast drive shot for my own attack by countering it with even increased speed and mixing up the speed suddenly while keeping full control of the placement, that was my issue. As you can see I needed a racket that was faster than the VTZF 4U. Therefore I bought the Arc8DX and now the N90III. If you want to utterly precise: I needed a racket with a lower bp. The N90III embodies a lot of features I need. A decent head heavy balance, supported by a shaft that doesn't bend too much before the head makes contact with the shuttle, a decent speed and a reasonable amount of feedback. The N90III does what the VTZF 4U did for me. Keeping stable during the smash and having a shaft that bends controlled and predictable when the shuttle makes contact with the string bed. Only difference: the N90III is a tad faster and allows me to counterattack fast drive attempts more easily. If I'd be picky here I'd say the N90III does give me a little bit more feedback/lively feeling/feel crisper (call it as you wish) whereas the ZF comes with a snappier shaft that is just lovely. Since you wanted more info, here we go. Hope it helps you.
What a great reply! I had the opportunity to test out my friend's N90III strung to 27 lbs with BG 66UM. While the tension was higher that what I was used to, I definitely noticed a huge improvement in the smashing department. Defence and net play was superb with that aerodynamic Brave Sword like frame. Will test my bro's VT 80 later this week. You mentioned that the N90III did not bend too much, however it has a medium flex (about as flexible as my NS 100). The VT 80 has a higher stiffness than the N90III, albeit a higher bp as well. Can you clarify that? Is this your go-to racket now?
[MENTION=87945]sFrog[/MENTION] So what you are saying is the N90III is faster than VT80, less head heavy and less stiff? Interesting. I am using a 4U VT80 and recently the racket feel soften up during play. I did not change anything but the grip (removed one layer because I have small hand). During play on fast drives I can feel the shaft flex and vibrate a lot more than before. Is the N90III more stable?
I'm expecting my n90-iii to arrive from day to day, but as n90-ii and n55-iii user and a former vt80 3u and vtzf 3u user i would definitely recommend the n90-iii. Vt80 and vtzf are just way too head-heavy for an average player. A lot of people buy them, hoping that they will transform their game for the best, help them produce the ultimate smashes. But it's not like that, it requires a lot of training and an impecable technique. Most times these rackets become a burden, with a lot of missed opportunities, when a supposedly easy kill from mid-court ends up in the net or long of the baseline just because you couldn't get the racket to the shuttle and to swing it with your wrist fast enough to produce the correct angle. vt80 4u might be better for all-around play, but i personally am not too keen on 4u rackets. Better buy something with bp around 300 and this is where li-ning has a lot of models to choose from.
Personally I love my VT80 because of the extra meat behind every swing. Drive, drop, smash, clear, back hand... etc you name it. The head feels extremely stable and it is far more agile than most head heavy rackets. I have no problem using it at all but it is getting a little bit soft lately, dunno why :? I agree that because of the extra slim shaft, it does flex a little more than normal. The N90III is a superb looking racket, I just wonder if it is less head heavy and around the same stiffness as the VT80? I tried the MX80 before and boy it was tough to tame as hell. Currently getting an Apacs Lethal 70 for those day that I do not feel well.
Hi peppies, I am not as good a player as sFrog, but to me the VTZF is much quicker than the VT80 (both 3U), and the N90III is slightly less head-heavy and quicker than the VTZF. I can’t quite remember how stiff my VT80 was, but the VTZF is certainly stiffer then the N90III. Regarding your VT80 feeling soft lately, it may simply be the shaft getting more flexi with play! After I used my VTZF for a couple of weeks, it became flexier compared to my friend’s fresh VTZF both during play and by bending them by hand! The next time you restring your VT80, try comparing it to a new one in the shop.
I had 3 ArcSaber 5 for about one and a half years and as I see it it was rated as medium stiff. If I shall rate the stiffness of the N90III, something not easy I think because stiffness is not just stiffness, I'd say it is stiff. Victor used to classify their rackets as dynamic stiff... Well, the VT80 3U is definitely more head heavy than the N90III. Stiffness... Before I write more I rather would want to have a couple of hours training with them to clarify. Funny thing is, this really is quite sophisticated. There is so much to differentiate: - kg/(m/s^2) shaft bending and snapping back ratio on the technical side - technique, string/tension, time and force of acceleration in relation to the time of impact with the shuttle ... etc. As mentioned above it is very difficult. Beginning with something easier... A mid-flex shaft will tend to feel less stiff on a head-heavy racket than on a head-light racket. This is due to the momentum needed for acceleration. Using the easiest definition (don't be picky here ) F= m x a. So... let us use the N90III and the VT80 as examples. In order to achieve the same shuttle speed the speed of the racket head has to be higher on the N90III than on the VT80. Digging deeper you even have to think about something else: shaft bending/snapping back due to acceleration during the swing and shaft bending/snapping back caused by the impact of the shuttle, angle of racket head/shuttle during impact... If you want, you can make it even more complicated. Good thing is, basically you don't need to think so much because you can tell by your feeling if it's a match or not. VT80 - N90III. Because the N90III doesn't need so much energy to accelerate it to the same racket head speed as the VT80 (3U) you have a few opportunities left... . Creating the same momentum for the acceleration --> more compact swing with the N90III . Same momentum for acceleration and same swing --> more racket head speed during impact (doesn't necessarily mean more shuttle speed) . less time needed to execute a full swing with the racket with the same angle. ... Air resistance is another factor but we leave it out here... Now... If you play mens doubles on a higher level and thinking of the momentum and the swing speed (regardless of the air resistance) you can create is limited you've got the real deal about the VT80 and N90III. Test it out, this is all I want to say Since we all here are players... we shall use our time on the court and test them out. Discussing will not bring the wanted result There really is some kind of breaking in with it. I had my first negative "wow" when I played with a new VT80 4U and tried to smash for the first time. I got caught off guard by the flex. Timing, angle and thus power were completely off. This doesn't happen with the ZF and the N90III in my case
