After searching the forum for any posts involving the racquet I used as my main racquet, and to win my school's rather small scale badminton league with when I attended last year, I was a little disappointed. Are Slazenger really That unknown? I used a Slazenger Pro Carbon Ti for a year and a half and i think it was a truly great racquet. Especially since at the start of that year and a half I was a fairly poor player, it was easy to learn with and use. Has anyone at all used modern Slazenger racquets and feels this way? It's not as if they're that hard to find, in the UK at least, they're in almost every JJB sports shop I've seen and some Millets stores etc. things like the Slazenger Excel (Xcel?) S1, the Slazenger Iso Pro X1; and last years ones like mine and Pro Carbon FX (flex version) etc. It just seems such a shame when the same Yonex models sell for the same price as my old Slazenger Pro Carbon Ti were just the top of the line in Yonex's Isometric series (e.g. Isometric 65 / 75mf)...when the Slazenger, having used both, - is such a better racquet. Anyway...that's my random rant for the day. SGP.
Slazenger is very famous in Tennis and squash industry in Hong Kong and Japan. For badminton racket, Slazenger only provide low-ended products to Hong Kong. I have tried to import one from UK, but the postage is too expensive. Slazenger has long history in badminton industry and one of my best friend posted a wooden racket to me as per wedding gift. Slazenger, Carlton and Dunlop are the same group, Carlton and Dunlop can supply very good badminton rackets, I believe Slazenger's top line rackets should be very good too!!
I suppose there is one good thing about unpopularity...low prices Slazenger XCel S1 - RRP £60, sold usually for £30, went in a Sports World shop in Teeside Park, and mmm, £18...just had to pick 2 more of them up and take them home with me See attached I use this racquet on and off a bit, especially if I'm playing poorly with my main racquet. It's a very good racquet for defense, and okay for power (it's factory string is pretty good too). At £30 I couldn't really think of a better racquet, just different racquets. I really can't think of a better racquet at £18, and with full racquet cover. P.S: The photo's don't do it justice , it's not the best looking racquet in the world but better than in the photo, same as the racquet bag...pic is too bright etc. Edit: also, the XCel S1 is their lower end racquet/mid end, their actual racquet of top end in Slazenger Iso Pro X1, available from JT Sports in the UK for £60, I'll try it some time.
in Canada, u ussually find slazenger in canadian tire, in the sport equipment section. CDN $15 for all steel racquets, strung, and with racquet cover. so yeah, it's ussually low end product here