Hi, I recently clashed rackets and my MP99 which I've used for 6 years has a broken frame. However, they've stopped making MP99 years ago so I am looking for another racket, similar to it or a suitable upgrade. I have played doubles and singles for university a few years ago, but mainly play doubles. As a league player, I currently play in Division one but I won't class myself good enough to be county level. I am quite defensive, blocking and guiding the shuttle around the court when defending and am usually cover and pressurise my opponents around the net area and gain control. But I can also play at the rear, thundering down smashes, covering my partner if he's in trouble etc. I'd say I'm 60% net, 40% rear. I'd really like the MP99 as it was a solid all-round racket not too heavy and not too stiff, yet it packs a punch. To me, it was slightly head heavy and stiff, but was quite demanding to master. In terms of a new racket, I have been looking but found it hard to find one that is above the MP99 in all areas. My Preferences: Head Shape: No Preference Shaft Stiffness: Stiff (preferably a little stiffer than MP99) Grip and Weight: Similar to MP99, 3U G3 Head Balance: Even or Slightly head heavy (Don't like head light rackets) An all-round racket, good balance between offence and defense. I have looked at the Victor Brave Sword 11 and heard it was similar to the Brave Sword 10 was a good racket. Both stiff and head even balanced. Unfortunately, I am unable to test any racket but want some input before purchasing one. How does the BS11 (or similar) compare to the MP99? Any other rackets recommendations are welcomed. I apologise if this has been covered elsewhere on the forum. I have only ever seriously used a Armortec 700 and an MP99.
i have both rackets and i can say that they feel totally different. the bs11 is actually not that stiff, if you want something even slightly stiffer than mp99, the bs11 is not the racket for you. i find the bs11 quite flexible for my play and requires not a whole lot of effort to flex the shaft during my shots. whereas the mp99 is considerably stiffer and requires a bit more effort. the mp99 is a bit heavier, and it also swings a bit heavier as well. i would recommend the arc10. tho i didn't like mine at first, i think it has to do with the nbg95 string i had strung on it. i just thought it was a horrible racket overall. but later on when the limited PG came out and i had to get one because PG is my idol, i played with it and it actually felt nice. then i went back and restring the older original red arc10 and it felt quite nice. to me, the arc10 is a tiny bit lighter than the mp99, with a bit more vibration channeling to the handle. the shaft is definitely as stiff as the mp99 if not stiffer. as i remember the mp99 was a very very solid racket, with quite a bit of vibration deadening foam i believe. the arc10 has a hollower inner frame with less foam, so maybe that's why it's a bit lighter and more vibration. hope this helps.
Great input gundamzaku, I considered the BS11 because according to centralsports (an online badminton retailer in the UK), it said it had a stiff shaft and even balance. Guess they are very different as you pointed out. Never occurred to me that centralsports don't stock arc 10 anymore, only arc saber 11. Will do some more digging into this...
If you can find some, I have seen many people say that ARC 8DX is the closest you will get to a MP99.
arc10 is discontinued, you won't find it anywhere unless it's old stock. I know someone who has some mp99 for sale, but he wants silly money for them, about £70. I also know someone who recently broke his last mp99 and demo'd *a lot* of rackets before deciding on the vt70.
I wouldn't say £70 is silly money if the racket has no cracks. You'd pay more than that for an 'equivalent' new racket. Personally I don't care if the racket has a few chips and paint flaking if it's what I needed spec-wise and I'm getting it cheaper than a new racket. Once I've strung it at 30+lbs it wouldn't be covered under any warranty anyway....
I vote for Victor's Super Waves 35 (Super Inside Waves 35 for Europe version) and MX80 as my SW35 and my previous MX80 have similar BPs to the MP99 with stiffer shafts. Also there is something similar to the Muscle Power frame called Peak Wave frame, featured on the Victor's MX series.
I have most of the racquets mentioned so far and the best replacement for the MP99 is definitely the Arc Saber 8DX. It was recently discontinued but there is still an abundance of stock around in the UK. BS11 is definitely not a good replacement for the MP99 as it is quite dissimilar but is, in my opinion, a better racquet than MP99. The BS11 doesn't have large sweetspot like the MP99 and is not quite as stable on off centre shots, however it is much faster and more communicative. It makes the MP99 seem dull. The other down side (if you can call it that) is that it chips much easier than other racquets owing to the sharp "sword" frame shape. The BS11 is stiff, but not quite as stiff as the 8DX. If you like that solid feel you get from the MP99, try the 8DX. If you have perfect timing and want something faster, more communicative for doubles, try the BS11. In terms of power, I would say BS11 is a little more powerful than both MP99 and 8DX. Another racquet worth considering is the Victor Meteor-X JJS. Very slightly head heavy, similar speed to 8DX and MP99 but more powerful than both and a good all rounder.
Not sure if this changes anything but I have my rackets at tensions around 28lbs and I didn't find the MP99 that stiff personally. Slight head heavy is preferable but not too head heavier than the MP99 would be ideal because of fast net exchanges. As I am a bit out of date with all the new technology out there today, I would say I am looking for a fairly newish racket. So far suggestions include: Arc Saber 11 (as Arc 10 is discontinued) Victor Meteor-X JJS - surprisingly Paul Stewart rated this racket quite highly. ArcSaber 8DX Victor MX 80 How would one rate the shaft stiffness and head heaviness of the above, compared to the MP99 where possible?
I've also previously used most of the rackets mentioned. I have to agree as well that of all the rackets mentioned the Arc 8DX is the most similar to the MP99. The frame shape is slightly different and will take some adjusting to but shouldn't be an issue after a few sessions. I previously strung my 8DX at 27lbs with BG80 and it was magic playing with it. I still pull it out once in a while when I'm feeling nostalgic. You have similar preferences for a racket as myself. Slightly head heavy with stiff shaft and higher tension. If you're looking for a racket currently in production I use the MX80 for aggressive men's doubles play when I have to play the back more and it's required for me to smash a little harder. When I'm a little tired or need to play a faster paced game with more driving, less swing time and constant reaction-based movement I use the Bravesword LYD. It's faster frame, slightly heavy head and more forgiving shaft allows me to generate power with smaller swing and move faster without compromising too much power. It's another racket you should consider.
It looks like it is between the Arc 11, MX80 or the MX JJS. I am curious to know is it possible to compare the Arc Z-slash in any way? On the Yonex string chart, it is slightly head heavier than the Arc 11 with more power but less control...
Is the MX80 only slightly stiffer than the MP99 or is it a lot lot stiffer? It is between the MX 80 and MX JJS now and I think stiffness can help me decide here
Sorry I've been a way for a while. To me the MX 80 3U is significantly stiffer than the MP99 3U. The MP 99 2U feels closer to the MX 80 3U in stiffness and swing weight. I have a 4U JJS so it isn't a great comparison with the MP 99 3U; although the 4U JJS is much faster and easier to flex than my 3U MX80. Ideally, to mimic the MP99 3U that I had I'd mix the headweight of the MX 80 with the speed and feel of the JJS. I'm looking to get a 3U JJS or 4U MX 80 to see if they are closer matches to the MP 99. Let us know what you decide and how it turns out.
Thank you xzavire, you've been of great help. From what you've said, it seems like the 3U JJS may be it. I do find the MP 99 3U somewhat not that stiff and flexing it is no problem, but I am looking for something a bit faster with similar feel. The 3U JJS, being a little heavier according to the spec, may balance this out and others have said it it not that head heavy. Cheers!!
I also used to own a MP99, and when i was looking for a replacement i went for VT80. Though after some time, i eventually opted out for the "less aggressive but much easier to use" VT70. Fantastic, never looked back.
i was on a quest like you a while ago, looking for a replacement for the mp99 but after the long search, there's no exact replacement for it. the 8dx is albeit too stiff, the at700 PR 4U and at700 gen 2 are decent substitutes but a lot head heavier, and i would put the mp99 between the VT80PG and the VT70, you might want to try both to get a feel. long story short, through my hands since last year passed through 6 pieces of mp99s which now i have 3 left which most probably i wont sell anymore, because there's no exact replacement. despite almost 20 racqs in collection now, i still routinely play with a 2U4 mp99. if anyone has a decent condition 2U4 mp99 to let go... contact me!!! i'm willing to pay above a couple hundred dollars for one.
MX80 is definitely stiffer than MP99, even the MX-JJS is also slightly stiffer too. Some 3U MX-JJS can be very heavy and head heavy, I had one sample which was very heavy (almost 2U class weight) and head heavy with BP ~302mm. I have 3 MP99 at the moment, all 3U and they are quite consistent in their BP, around 297-298mm. This is very similar to my 3U MX-London as well as the stiffness.
