Hi, Im trying to figure out which racket i should go for this season which is about to start here in Denmark. I have previously always played with the Danish brand Forza, and their Kevlar line, which is a head heavy racket.. It is "Stiff" shaft, weighs around 88g and has a headheavy balance point, but over the last year, i feel that the quality of their rackets have dropped dramatically and are therefore looking for something else. The local shop here, has Victor & Yonex rackets, which a priced almost the same so im not that worried about the pricing, but im more looking for a racket that will generate enough power for me (mainly playing backline doubles and mixed doubles).. From what i can understand the LYD model of the Bravesword would be a good match? The main issue with the current rackets i use, is the string tension, i prefer a very high tension up around 14kg (30-31lbs) and im having a hard time figuring out if the Victor frames will be able to handle that without cracking, can someone shed some light on this? Thanks.. Best regards
Victor are rated to take higher tensions than Yonex. Generally around 28lbs. If you push the recommended max then you are always taking a calculated risk.
Definitely no issue. I've been playing that tension with VS850 for a couple of months now in my BS12N just to try.
Thanks for you help thus far! I feel confident that Victor would be a good step up in quality compared to my Forza models, which has served me well last season.. Just a bit sketchy, since this is going to be my first venture away from FZ Kevlar for ~12 years, had the very first Kevlar version that they made, and have been using that line every year since! Hopefully, i will be able to make up my mind on which model im getting, my local retailer doesnt have the BS12N i think, only the regular BS12 or BS12 LYD.. Not sure which one would be ideal for doubles..
I have a BSLYD and my preferred tension is 31lb too. The BS LYD is a very good racquet, it is essentially a slightly stiffer and slightly more head heavy version of the BS12. In club play it is brilliant, lots of power and reasonably fast and maneouvreable. However against good players I find that it is slightly too head heavy for fast exchanges. But admittedly I prefer even balanced racquets. As you prefer head heavy racquets, it does sound like it would suit you. It isn't too head heavy and in terms of stiffness I would say it is above medium stiffness but not extra stiff - probably due to the head weight. I currently play with the BS11 and BSLHI which feel a fractions stiffer but are faster. All the top end 3U BS range should be able to take 31lb. There aren't many BSLYDs left, so if you want one best be quick.
Yeap. Got for the LYD. I'd call it a safer choice if you prefer head heavy even though it doesn't feel so much so due to the fast frame
I might actually enjoy the faster frame due to the fast exchanges in doubles, just dont wanna miss out in the power part, since thats mainly my "thing" Thanks for all the help so far!
So i went ahead and bought 8 BS LYD rackets, hopefully this will suit me for this season.. I will post a small review once i start using it tonight, and should have a better idea sometime during this week after 15-20 hours playing with it Thanks for all of your recommandations, i hope that the racket falls in my taste!
Yes, i like to keep a few extras in my bag.. I play at a decent level here in Denmark, and are currently doing 2 sessions in the Hall every day, even though i string my own rackets i like to be able to play through a complete week without stringing and then focusing on that on fridays/weekends.. That, and the fact that i got a good deal if i took the rest of them
I have not used them yet, still have to go home after work and put some strings in them, got a good deal on their VS-650 string so im gonna test that one as well What strings should i use? I have tried almost everything i believe and always seem to come back to the almighty Yonex BG-80
Tried that one as well, felt a bit dull in my ears, i like to have the high ping sound when hitting the shuttle. As well as the durability, had to string all of my rackets twice a week with those strings Might be giving them too much pressure (30-32lbs).
