Hi all, Currently using the nanoray20 but looking for an upgrade. I mainly play mixed so I think something head light would be more suitable but I'm not expert when it comes to rackets. My preference is yonex but would be open to looking to other brands. My friend is strongly suggesting the arcsaber flashboost, but I'm not sure if I would be able to get enough power from that racquet if I end up in the back. I say clearing full court is my weakness right now :crying: Any suggestions to narrow down my search would be appreciated, thanks
Where there specific attributes you were looking for? Head heavy vs headlight? or light racket vs standard weight(speed vs power) You should have no trouble getting power from lighter rackets, then can be accelerated quicker(if you're swinging right) which means more power than a conventional racket. Im mainly posting to steer you clear of the flash boost. I personally know 3 people who have broke 4 of those rackets this last year alone(one girl broke two of them). They break on miss-hits, clashes, and if you look at them wrong. They are incredibly frail rackets. There are certainly other alternatives if you are looking for a light racket.
My experience with the Arc Saber 11 3U is good. A balance racket overall. You can fine tune it either by removing the base grip to make it slight head heavy or use thicker guage string. I did not remove my base grip and added a layer of thin over grip (G5) and it felt balance. There are many good reviews of the racket in this forum. I have also tried the flash boost and did not prefer it due to its extreme light weight. It was even lighter than the old Kawasaki 08, than the lightest racket many years ago. Your issue not been able to clear from the back may not be racket/tension related. You have to examine your position timing and contact each time with the bird before investing on a new racket. Just to let you in. I play with tension from as low as 20lbs to 30lbs. It requires slight adjustment with them in order to clear baseline to baseline. Hope the above helps.
Concur Arc-FB is just too fragile. Not much knowledge bout Nanoray. Would recommend Victor Jetspeed 09L, pretty in pink...
Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll definitely look into them Also appreciate the response for the arc fb. I do have a guy friend who has broken 3 of them, but I figured I wouldn't have that problem since I don't have as much power as him and I treat my equipment better..haha but it sounds a bit too fragile from your responses
As you said your an intermediate player and you need fast racket which able to solve the problem of clearing at the back. First thing in mind is that you probably need a flexible racket. So my suggestion to you would be Nanoray 700FX 3U/4U or Nanoray 750 3U/4U. Both headlight, good flex and still pretty fast at the front. You probably still need to work on your wrist and technique but if you need an upgrade now, these 2 are pretty goods choices.
Actually those are my top 2 choices right now that I've found. They look the same to me though, do you know the difference or any personal experience you have that you can share?
I'm gonna throw 2 wild cards out here. The thinking here is you need something with some flex. The nanoray 20 is quite stiff. I would recommend either an ashaway 99sq or xt 700. The 99 sq is 5u so it's light but is way more robust than a flash boost . It's also quite a powerful racket too. The xt 700 is almost like a heavier version being 3u but is still fast. Both are mid flex .
Racquets to consider from the yonex line-up 4U Voltric 60 5U I-force Both are a bit Headheavy which should be fine with your clearing situation. Going back to headlight: Nanoray 800 4U Nanoray 750 or 700 is a good choice as well.
Have you played with these rackets before? I feel a little confused because I thought all the yonex voltric ones were hh thus heavy so I'm surprised the vtif is 5u. Isn't that the best of both worlds? To have a light racket yet hh so more powerful smashes where nr750/800 is hl and relatively light which might have some trouble with clears (like I do.. or smashes). I was pretty set on either the nr750/800 but now I'm really interested in the vtif
I've played with the NR800 and NR750 and personally they were a tad too headlight for me but that's just my own preference. Have not played with the Voltric 60 nor the I-force but the stats seem promising. It's a tad Head heavy with medium flex. Pricing on both racquets aren't too bad in which if you don't like them you can hopefully unload them fairly easily. I feel that because you may not have strength to consistently clear, these racquets with a bit more head weight should allow you to clear with ease. That being said, there's always technique as well.. You're in the early stages of badminton which will allow you to adapt and make changes and hopefully find out your personal taste.
The voltric iforce is a 5U and it is head heavy but very maneuverable due to its light weight.. Overall a very good racket you may want to consider it but do note it's compact frame which has caused some problems for me regarding hitting off-centre