Racket for returning beginner/intermediate player

Discussion in 'Racket Recommendation / Comparison' started by trangvp, Jun 20, 2015.

  1. trangvp

    trangvp New Member

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    Hi all

    There looks to be lots of great information on this forum! But after spending 2-3 hours reading I feel overwhelmed by the amount of info out there, so I would appreciate some advice for my specific circumstances.

    My skill level
    I am returning to my favourite sport (badminton of course) after 10 years away from the game. I played 4-5 times a week for 5 years throughout high school. I used to play competitively in junior leagues and at school (aged 12-16). For the level I was playing at I was very good, but not the best. I just starting playing again, and most of the fundamental technique came back to me quite quickly. I think I should be able to play at my old level in a few weeks. I'm not sure if this makes me a beginner or intermediate player.

    Previous racket
    My last racket was a Yonex Armortech 500.

    I liked it, but honestly I haven't played with many rackets to know any better. I get the feeling this racket is slightly head heavy, but I wouldn't know. It feels approximately right to me though.

    I also had a Yonex Isometric 90VF Slim before that, which I think is too head light for me.

    Play style and other requirements
    I want something that will perform reasonably well in either singles and doubles.

    My play style tends to favour attacking clears and occasional smashes from the middle/back.

    As I mentioned I think I might prefer something that is even to slightly head heavy. I wouldn't call myself a power hitter though, my power is only about average.

    I also have small hands, so a big grip would be problematic. I think my old racket was G5, so I probably wouldn't go past G4.

    Playing socially about once a week
    Because of this, I would probably favour durability over performance, though any racket that gives a good balance will do.

    Price and other considerations
    I don't have a price limit, but I value good value for money. There would have to be good reason to spend over $200 though.

    Also, I live in Australia, so Yonex tends to be easier to get hold of than other brands.

    Strings
    I'm thinking of starting with the Yonex BG65 at about 21 or 22 lbs. But let me know if you think I should go with something different.


    Thanks for reading. If anyone has any recommendations for my circumstances, I would be very grateful :)
     
  2. kkylam

    kkylam Regular Member

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    Arcsaber 11 sounds pretty good for you. Even balance with a tad of headheavy. Some people find the racket abit dull, some people love it. Or you could consider the high end Nanorays. 900 and Z speed. (headlight series but doesnt feel headlight) Personally I favor the Z speed over all of them, but each to their own due to play styles.

    If you are from Melbourne, I recommend you to go speak to Victor/Clement at "KPH Sports". Their pricetag on high end Yonex rackets also suits your budget. (around $185 on high end rackets on whatever stock is left in store, before end of financial year)
     
  3. speck

    speck Regular Member

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    Concur with bro kkylam. Arcsaber 11 would be a good choice.
     
  4. trangvp

    trangvp New Member

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    Thank you for the replies so far. The Arcsaber 11 certainly looks like something worth looking into.

    I had originally thought about the Voltric 80, but seems it may be a bit too much on the heavy side.

    Thinking and reading about it more, and reading more, I'm also considering a Victor TK6000 4u. It seems to be very well regarded and my old Armortec 500 is also a head heavy 4u racket. Tossing up between the TK6000 or a more evenly balanced one like the Arcsaber 11.

    Perhaps I'll see if I can try other people's rackets next time I go for a social hit.
     
  5. racketman123

    racketman123 Regular Member

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    You can read as many reviews as you want, but trying the racket out for yourself is the only way to find out if you actually like the racket. You should definitely ask your friends, or just other club members if you can have a few hits with their racket. You might find you fall in love with a racket you'd never think of trying.
     
  6. kkylam

    kkylam Regular Member

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    you should also factor in the stiffness of the shaft. If you don't have a explosive wrist action on your attacking shots its better to use a more flexible racket to aasist in delivering more power.

    the arc11 is a stiff racket.
     
  7. Dragonforest20

    Dragonforest20 Regular Member

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    If you live in sydney, you could try out some rackets at pro racket sports in hurstville and auburn. They have a demo service, but its not very popular. They have the lowest prices in sydney and stock yonex, victor, adidas and gosen. They also ship for $10 i think??? But pickup at either store is free so its a bargain :))))))
     

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