Hi Badminton Central bloggers, I am an advanced 16 year old badminton player from California. I've been playing the sport for 5+ years in local tournaments and for my high school as well. Currently I'm using a 3UG5 Voltric Z Force 1st gen 26 lb nbg 99 and everything is good, no problems so far. My coach is telling me that its not the best racket for me as my body is stiff and would benefit from a med flex shaft that is slightly head heavy making my drives and other shots quicker? Z force is x-stiff and x-heavy. What recommendations do you all have? Any brand is ok Here's a little bio about my playing style: 118 lbs 5'5'' mesomorphic build, kinda short compared to my peers, need to bulk up I'm an offensive player that goes for speed, power, and accuracy Power is solid, but could use a little more control and accuracy(shot placement) Defense is on the WEAK side, need more work Recovering from shots needs more work as well Prefer to manipulate opponent and force errors 1 shot kills are a bonus but not necessary Stamina is not a problem, speed is very fast but could be even faster Like playing around net, tricks/deception, pushes Smashes are powerful but not good enough IMO, need to build muscle To sum it up I'm a quick offensive player Thanks!
Welcome! From the extensive info you provide, it does seem your current racket is too head heavy and stiff for your purposes. Playing doubles or singles? 4U VT80 or VT70 would be a good start from Yonex. Or 4U TK6000 or TK8000, or 3U MX90 from Victor. Also, ask your coach what he suggests?
I'm more of a singles player but occasionally doubles. My coach didn't really suggest much as he is sponsored by Wilson and Babolat, Prince, Yonex from a long time ago and doesn't have too much experience with current rackets. He did mention Z force II and Z speed but not really recommend.
From what I've tried, I'd argee with Visor on the 4U VT70. I've actually only tried a 3U, but great mid-stiff, slightly HH racket, nonetheless. Easy to generate power. Basically anything that's mid-stiff flex for power (seeing as you're coach recommended, he knows more than I do, at least) , light weight (low 3U to 4U) for maneuverability, and head heavy for power. You don't need to switch rackets if you're feeling comfortable wit the Z-Force, but you should ask your coach why he feels you should switch.
Based on what u've said, would say try out TK-9ooo 4u. Transitioning frm Voltric ZF1, TK-6ooo might b too flexy a chg. With Yonex, that'd b VT-80.
Thanks Steve I'll try to demo the Vt 70. 3U vs 4U is there a big difference? My coach said when a person is stiff and uses a racket that is also stiff, it makes it even harder to maneuver the racket especially when you tense up under pressure. I'm not sure how legitimate that is but I'll take his word for it for now as it does kinda make sense.
Well for 3U vs. 4U, I find that generally 4U headheavy rackets are better than their 3U counterparts. They have better maneuverability and are quicker on defense. I've never noticed much of a power difference between the two weight classes of the same racket, well at least not enough to outweigh the other two benefits you receive from a 4U. As for you being stiff, I'm not quite sure what you're referring to. If your stiff as in you aren't able to completely transfer the energy and power throughout your shots, i.e. hips to wrist smoothly, than a med-flex would suit you. Your coach would be right in this respect because you wouldn't have enough "oomf" in your shots. Stiff rackets benefit those who can hit hard (often achieved through technique, rather than brute force), rewarding them with more power. Those who can't, will not benefit from the stiffness, and therefore would be better off with a more flexible shaft, where their power transfer is maximized.
I'm a hard hitter by techique, Stiff in the aspect of overall body. I don't really know how to explain it but its like you can't relax or let loose easily. Some people say in terms of dancing/breakdancing, "try not to be so stiff, relax/let loose more". Do you kinda get that concept
Understood. Perhaps a better solution is to try to relax more. I didn't really understand the concept of controlling one's own relaxing of the body and muscles until I started doing some soft martial arts. Then I could bring it into badminton.
Thanks TeddyC, do you know where I can get a Tk-9000? online or local, I live in Northern California Thanks
Hmm based on what I read my recommended rackets to you are: 3u VT70 (its HH balance but offers you the speed and its not TOO heavy. However, one thing about this racket I personally find is that the frame is kinda thin.. prone to breaking if you clash and seeing how you play singles more than doubles I don't really see this as a problem) 4U Tk9k (light, HH and pretty fast around the net area. It offers quite a bit of power despite being 4u. Not sure what others think, but I find the feel for it really weird, like there's a lack of stability/solidness. Could be the shaft? I get similar feels when I use the ZForce) 4U tk6k (For me, it was basically the same as 9k but lighter. Not sure if that's what you want but I find it a lighter version of the 4u 9k. Again, has that weird feeling that I am not really used to) 4u ZforceII (not much experience using this racket, only tested it a few times so I can't really give you solid feedback but it might tailor your needs) Meteor series mx80, mx90 and mx jjs (Currently, I've switched back to the mx80 which is hh and pretty stiff so not sure if you want that... but the 3u mx90 plays similar to the mx80 but not as stiff. This might be ideal for you but on the other hand its still kinda heavy and not as fast. Maybe a 4u JJS would do it for you? I got one that's off spec, in the middle of a 3u and a 4u and it plays like a beast. I know this is a bit bias, but I think the Meteor series a lot better than the TK as the rackets feel stable for me and I feel the feedback when I really crank out a smash) I think what I've recommended is what most people recommended here anyways. If you're looking to buy Victor rackets you can purchase them through ebay from SquashMart (Eric) Just do a google search or search RKEP ebay and you'll get the link. Hope this helps! Sorry for any typos!
I would like to add on N55 by Li-Ning. It's medium stiff compared to MX80 and ZF and it's HH, it's heaviness would be between the ZF and the MX80. It feels kinda solid for me but it felt a tad slower than the MX80 maybe due to the fast frame of the MX80. I do agree on your "weird" feeling of the TK series. My TK8000 felt weird during hitting compared to my SW35 and MX80. I personally think the shaft is the thing affecting me btw.
