Review of Yonex NanoSpeed 6000.

[Zangetsu]

So last night I got a chance to have a few swing at a two hours session at my club.

Please keep in mind that this is my second racket I have got so far after playing several years, and that I am only able to give you my impressions of the NS6k in comparison to a Yonex Isometric 800 Tour 2UG5.
Also please keep in mind that I am just 1,43m tall and got rather weak wrist muscles, so smash and baseline to baseline shots is more difficult to execute for me because I have to play "overhead" a lot.

Last night I began the first 30 minutes playing with my old racket which has done his job for nearly a decade.
Actually the main reason why I bought this new racket is because the Iso 800 is too heavy and especially very head heavy. For the past few years I didn't have a clue why it was so difficult to play baseline shots for me since I found out that there is something like head light and of course light (3U) rackets .

After the first few shots, honestly I didn't feel any difference and I got a bit disappointed but after switching several times and playing more extensive with it, it became better and better. The 6k is much much easier to move than the Iso 800 and is very well balanced. Altough it generates a little less power than the ISO 800 it could generate enough power I ever have wished for. The most important thing is, I need less amount of energy to generate the same power as with the ISO. With the 6k suddenly I could perform long range shots more easily and smash became better and easier too.

It is a fact that the 6k has got a kind of "soft touch" during impact and the reason therefore in my opinion is the new LSC system but nevertheless I never felt the feeling is bad, actually it helped me a bit to execute the shots more accurate because it reduced the vibrations during impact. But you dont have to worry about the LSC, the feel is still there. Just follow the advises of all whom tested this racket so far and use a thin string with in combination with high tension.
I chose the BG-80 @ 11kg and this is enough for me.

I let my friend play with the 6k (he is a very good player and was former German national youth cup winner) so I could see what my racket is capable of in combination with power and the right technique of my friend. What I saw made me more than satisfied. The smashes were fast, powerful and accurate !
After I saw what the NS6 is capapble of, I have to work on my technique rather than getting the latest equipment and blame the racket from nowon.
My friend also confirmed my impression that nearly any shot you execute somehow felt like a hit in the "sweet spot" no matter where you hit the ball.

Positive

• The racket is very easy to maneuver and recovery is fast.
• Headlight / Balanced
• Generates sufficient power enough for most of us
• Nice control

Negative

• Takes away "~25%" of the impact feel but actually reduces "bad" vibrations so this could be a positive criterion too.

• Generates slightly less power than the high end rackets (please consider if you are really capable of generating the max. power of a high end racket) but in my opinion more than enough.

Conclusion
The racket is really is easy to play and I recommend it to any intermediate player with allround style. But Don't worry too much, this racket is capable of executing smashes.
In my personal opinion the NS6 is a great racket which handles great and wont trouble you unless you consider yourself have got the most powerful smash. It is forgiving and just makes fun to play with.
I very very good allround racket !!!

It is a pity that this racket is not recognised by most of us and not even in the choice of people who are looking to buy a new racket.
Everyone wants the most powerful racket but honestly how many of you are really capable of "max it to the limit" ?


The only weird thing is that my NS6K comes with Muscle Power Grommets whereas you can see in the official Yonex pictures and brochures that the 6k does not come with Muscle Power Grommets.


On this note, cheers !

[Pete LSD]

You are too strong!!!

I'm not looking for a "perfect" racket, just a durable one at $175 - $200 USD a pop. For instance, my SOTX rackets have had numerous clashes from minor to moderate and two major, but none have broken...yet. In contrast, I've broken over 10 Yonex rackets, a few from clashes that were minor to moderate and a few from just mishitting the bird. To me that is not acceptable.

If the AT800-DE were more durable, it would probably be my go to racket.

[Zangetsu]

Does anyone have a clue why my NS6000 has got Muscle Power grommets ?
I suppose mine is a 100% genuine Yonex racket.

[twomk]

Does anyone have a clue why my NS6000 has got Muscle Power grommets ?
I suppose mine is a 100% genuine Yonex racket.

What are muscle power Grommets? Are They Square instead of round on the top or something? Any comparison pictures would be appreciated.

[srramasu]

I bought the NS6K from my local, united sports in London and it is for sure an original. Confirming the previous post the Muscle power style grommets are indeed there. Dont know why they are in there, but it is meant to be better for the racquet as it give it a better sweet spot, with the strings moving around a bit, and also reduces string breakage on mishits (good for intermediate players like myself). My racquet is a 3U/G3.

Now coming to the racquet. I am a small guy without much wrist power, and clearing on the backhand is an issue. I have tried many racquets, but end up with a bad wrist ache if i use a heavy racquet and play back hand most of the time since the guys whom i play against always know the opponents weakness. I am very strong on my forehand.

I bought a Nano Lite #7 from Yang Yang and it is an amazing racquet. I would say it feels lighter than the popularised Karakkal Sl-70 as well. It is wonderful and head light, with enough flexibility in the shaft for wrist shots, using less power. Only problem is the vibrations on hitting a off centre shot. I still use this racquet and find it the most balanced liught racquet for me, but have to put a big cushy grip on it.

Was on a hunt for another racquet to help me, and zeroed in on only 2 racquets. The Carlton Airblade Superlite (81gms,headlight) and the Ns6K.

Took the NS6K because it was a bit more heavier at (84-89gms) but had this amazing off centre balance. Played a few games with it, and beleive me, it is big bonus for intermediate players like myself with poor wrists. This racquet is as good a racquet you would find for a defensive player.

Pros:
- You do not feel any vibrations.
- Flicks work really well, as this racquet is of medium stiffness and has a 10mm longer shaft.
- Good head speed generated due to less air resistance, because of the Isometric frame and the shape of the racquet.
- Less power for the same shot, as compared to other racquets
- Color of the racquet is nice, and the paint job is not as bad as described by someone earlier. Maybe he did not buy an original version.

Cons:
- Smash power is definitely not as much as heavier racquets like the Ti-10, but hey, if you smash well, how many people would give it up and have you smash it. In my case, i was made to play so much on my backhand, that i got a wrist-ache playing with a heavier racquet.
- Handle is a bit small, but hell most put on overgrips to their liking on any racquet, so i do not see this as too much of an issue, but could be an issue if you use it without the overgrip. I would say a nice Karakkal grip would make it great for any bigger hand.

In conclusion, this racquet is really good for me, and i recommend this for any other wrist player who needs a light racquet, which is very well balanced and is head light.

Cheers

[taneepak]

The so-called LSC system uses elastomer to dampen vibrations. There is only one type of elastomer that can do this reasonably well, and it is a very old elastomer proprietary technoloy of the 1930s. I used to sell tons of this stuff to trucks, bikes, cars, suspension systems, etc. It is called Exxon's butyl rubber or Michelin's monobutyl rubber or another company's chlorobutyl. As a matter of fact at one time I was working with Exxon's Japanese lab. to test new applications on vibration damping.

[ants]

how sure are you that they are using Exxon's butyl rubber for the racket?

[LongReach]

Does anyone have a clue why my NS6000 has got Muscle Power grommets ?
I suppose mine is a 100% genuine Yonex racket.

NS8k and ns9k have the mp grommets, only those 4 special ones.

The rest of the frame doesn't have the muscle wave around the whole frame though.

[taneepak]

how sure are you that they are using Exxon's butyl rubber for the racket?

I am assuming Yonex knows their elastomer because butyl is king. If Yonex has chosen a non-butyl elastomer then it is a serious mistake. All other elastomers just do not have the dampening quality. For example, you drop a butyl rubber ball from a height on to a concrete floor, it will not bounce. Other elastomers will bounce giving back some energy. In butyl rubber the energy of the dropping ball is transferred to heat.
In fact there are even more exotic butyl grades with various viscosities, some of which I have applied to hi-fi in the tests I initiated when working in Exxon Chemicals. I left the company before the tests were completed, and the experiments just died either because there was no one to take over or they were humouring me.

[DinkAlot]

I left the company before the tests were completed, and the experiments just died either because there was no one to take over or they were humouring me.

Exxon likes to humor the world sometimes. ...

[Pete LSD]

Hummm, wildlife thoroughly dipped in crude . . . how intoxicating .

Exxon likes to humor the world sometimes. ...

[DinkAlot]

Hummm, wildlife thoroughly dipped in crude . . . how intoxicating .

Nice play on words.

[taneepak]

Exxon likes to humor the world sometimes. ...

No, not really. They would if you could convince them. If you are an idiot it would come up against you and you would become a laughing stock. As a matter of fact I still have some of the high grade high purity (for lab use) butyl but just couldn't find where I keep them. If I could find them I will use it on the wooden handle, which would require certain chemicals to apply the butyl.

[DinkAlot]

No, not really. They would if you could convince them. If you are an idiot it would come up against you and you would become a laughing stock. As a matter of fact I still have some of the high grade high purity (for lab use) butyl but just couldn't find where I keep them. If I could find them I will use it on the wooden handle, which would require certain chemicals to apply the butyl.

Eepak, you didn't get my "joke". I was referring to the Valdez debacle.

[taneepak]

Eepak, you didn't get my "joke". I was referring to the Valdez debacle.

I guess not, but that was the oil side, which has nothing in common with the chemicals side. For the oil that was spilled you could have made a billion shirts, or made enough fertilizers to help grow a year's supply of food for India, or made enough hexane to extract 10 years' supply of cooking oil to feed the world.

[ants]

Too technical.. layman's term please.

[taneepak]

I guess not, but that was the oil side, which has nothing in common with the chemicals side. For the oil that was spilled you could have made a billion shirts, or made enough fertilizers to help grow a year's supply of food for India, or made enough hexane to extract 10 years' supply of cooking oil to feed the world.

Oil can be used to make textile. It can also be used to make fertilizers. For example all of ICI Malaysia's fertilizers were from chemicals that I used to sell them. The chemicals were made from oil. Ajinomoto's MSG in Malaysia also uses chemicals (NH3). All cooking oil, except those that are mechanically pressed (this is very rare now and is mainly used to press a first press extra virgin olive oil), are chemically extracted with a very light and extremely volatile food grade chemical called hexane. The extracted oil and hexane mixture is then separated, with the oil going one way and hexane the other way to be recycled for the next extraction run. Hexane oil extraction removes almost 100% of the oil whereas a mechanical press cannot even come close. But even food grade hexane cannot be 100% pure. It contains some benzene but is still safe and well within limits of the UN WHO standards.