hello my fellow bf'ers : I bought TI-10 about 2 years ago... I mostly play doubles, however during the 2 years I play with TI-10 (its 3U) I find that sometimes I am not fast enough with the racquet in fast rallies.. i either end up hitting the frame or just totally miss the bird.. I am not sure if this is due to the head heaviness.. also another problem is that, when i m having a bad day and that my smash is not there.. i turn totally useless..due to the fact that i m not that good with fast rallies either! As a result, I m trying to switch to AT800 , my question is how exactly of big dfference is OF and DF.. will I have the same problem with OF as I had with my TI-10 with fast rallies (since its offensive, it also means its somewhat head heavy right?).. on the other hand.. does AT 800 DF offer enough offense during doubles? (since i DO smash) .. is smashing for AT 800 comparable to TI-10? sorry if this post is too long, so i will end here Thanks in advance!
As a note, when i said "AT 800 's smash comparable to TI-10" i acutally mean AT800 DF , sorry for the error =)
1. Work on the technique (i.e. strokes, footwork, etc), as the equipment can only improve your game in a very limited way. Seems like ur timing giving u the most trouble, therefore, drills should help. 2. If you really thinking about going for AT800, I think DF should be more suitable among the 2, as OF is very stiff and head heavy.
Balance Point Some facts of the Balance Point Brand new AT-800s strung with BG-70PRO with the plastic sheet over the original grip (without overgrip): AT-800OF (4U/G4, TW) - 311mm, AT-800OF (3U/G5, TW) - 304mm, AT-800DE (4U/G4, TH) - 308mm, AT-800DE (4U/G5, TH) - 310mm, AT-800DE (4U/G5, TH) - 316mm Used Ti-10 strung with BG-70PRO and with 1 layer of masking tape wrapped over the original grip & 1 layer of thin overgrip wrapped up to/over the cone: Ti-10 (3U/G5, TH) - 280mm
oh gosh.. i m even more confused now i checked the posts for balance points if TI-10 is not head heavy... then why is mp88 (which is similar to at800 df) feels way lighter than TI-10? (i mean the 3U version of mp88) so i should go for mp88 now instead? any help will be appreciated!
Just as LazyBuddy said, work on your techniques, don't blame on your racquet. I have been using a 2U ti-10 for two years, even in double, but I don't have any problem with it. I can still return smash easily, and have no problem with smash and drive. Some players in my club have AT800 OF and DE, so I also tried them, but I don't feel any difference between the power they can generate. The only problem is you need to time to adjust when you switch. By the way, the one using AT800 OF in my club doesn't even smash in double, so what's the point to get a AT800 OF if you don't even know how to smash? Go to gym to work out your muscle, and practice more to improve your techniques, that's the only way to play better. Ti10 is a good racquet, don't blame it.
I like the head heavy extra stiff racquets. Would you be willing to trade your Ti10 for a easier racquet to use? I PMed you.
Power comes from "snapping" your wrist at the end of the stroke. Experienced players would know what I mean. Newbi: It would appear that perhaps a lot of work on the technical aspects of your game is required. Any relatively competent player in this forum may "mishit" the shuttle from time to time, but not "miss" it completely. Take no offence from the points raised here. AT800 OF is very different from the DF, and both are very different compared to the Ti-10. Having tried all the top ended Yonex rackets, it just doesn't seem like a realistic to expect a sudden (dramatic) improvement in your game by switching rackets at this stage.
I dont know about dramatic but if he is looking for speed, then moving from a 3U to a 4U should help. I know it did for me when it came to my reaction time and ease of moving from forehand to backhand. I imagine the OF is nearer in behavior to the Ti10, yes?
The OF is "close-ish" to the Ti-10 but that's as far as it goes. As mentioned before in other threads, the Ti-10 gives the feeling of the racket head "lagging" behind during a swing. The closest racket to the OF is probably the MP100. (Those who feel otherwise, please correct me wrong!) Reducing the weight of the rackets may help, i.e. 3U to 4U, but it doesn't hide the fact that more technical work is required for an overall improvement, speaking from a general point of view.
By that I mean training. Take me for example. I am neither tall (170cm) nor strong. Whenever I visit a gym, I would struggle to lift even the lightest of all weights. However, I weigh 72 kg, which according to my coach means that I do have "strength" in the physical sense, but to translate that into power, technique would be especially important as there is not one single area of my body that is particulary strong. Think of the badminton swing in the following sequence. 1. Weight transfer from back foot to front. 2. Rotation of waist and hips. 3. Rotation of shoulders, led by hips. 4. Forearm pronation. 5. Wrist snap at the final moment. All of this must be performed with precise timing to allow the execution of an overhead shot boosted with power so to speak. As a result of some hard work, I am glad that my power has increased dramatically. Now I can try and beat people with both speed and power! Incidently, I use the AT800 DF, which I know most people in this forum would agree, it is not the most powerful racket in the world. However, the point is that with proper technique, I can now hit harder smashes that what I sould manage previously with something head heavy like the Ti-10! Hopefully what I have written can be understood.