hi all, i have been playing and trying out different rackets: - apacs 996 (even,4u) - carlton ramussem tour (even,90g) - proace ultralight (even,5U) - proace thunderbolt (head, 4U) - hart legend 3000 ( feels head but not sure, ?U) ot all the rackets, ultra light seems the best in terms of handling but lacks power. thunderbolt is the most powerful but just doesnt feel comfortable to swing(too head heavy?). the best is carlton which is easy to control and rather powerful(still leser than thunderbolt). i like the power of the thunderbolt but finds it harder to control, the tour feels the best but not as powerful. i play mostly singles. does it means that a even racket is more suitable for me or would it be better for me to 'train myself' to control a more powerful racket? thanks. all comments/suggestions welcome.
My first decent racket is an SL70 by Karakal. Very light indeed. Good for defense and some touch shots at the net. But it seriously lacks power. baseline clears and baseline smashes are hard to perform and very easily countered by my opponent. Now I use Muscle Power 77 strung with BG85 at 26lbs. Took a while to get used to it. But I'm doing well now. It says "even balance" on the racket but the head generates great power with a full-on smash and baseline clears are effortless to perform. Defensive lifts at the net are easier and more consistent and deep due to the swing weight. I love my MP77 !! Training urself to play with a head heavy racket is a good idea if you are a defensive player with a good enuf defense ability because you will balance your game by adding the element of "unreturnable" smash power to your game. An offensive racket like the MP77 or MP99 will give you the power to kill that shuttle once it lifts by 2-3 inches from the net. Have fun, you all!
Depending on version, thunderbolts ranges from slightly head heavy (TB1/2), head heavy (TB3) to "only the head has weight" (TB5). I kinda prefer TB1-3 for singles since clears is very much the norm but you do not want to loose your touch either. Then again, LD uses an AT700 which is balanced closer to the TB5. Whichever way you go, just learn to make the most of the racket you chose.
