Which Yonex racket and string to choose for a BEGINNER?

Discussion in 'Badminton String' started by Tammy, Nov 16, 2001.

  1. Tammy

    Tammy Regular Member

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    I am an absolute beginner, and will start my badminton lessons next month. Everyone here seems so friendly and helpful. I hope you wouldn't mind helping me with a couple of questions.

    After doing some research, I have decided to go with Yonex Isometric 500 SR, because I want a good racket that is light (3U), durable, has good control, some power, and that I can grow with. I hope to use it for at least 2 years. Is this a good choice? If not, could you please suggest a few others.

    A store in my city is selling Isometric 500 SR for $120 (Canadian), and that includes string and labour. I can choose any of these Yonex string types: BG 65, 65 Ti, 66, 70 and 80. As a shopper, I'd say take the most expensive one, which is BG 80 :) But as a beginner player, I'd say listen to the experts :) I'm looking for a mix of durability, some power, and most importantly, good control since I just start playing. Which string should I choose? How much tension should I have it strung? 20lbs?

    I'd appreciate your help very much!
     
  2. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Here's my opinion (for what's it worth):

    Very reasonable requirements with a couple of exceptions.

    Light racquet - 3U - The racquet being very light may predispose it to earlier breakage when traumatised. I'd advise a 2U model because 1) it will proabably last longer and 2) you'll cope with the weight anyway after regular use.

    String - BG65 lasts a long time and is still the string of many professionals. Expensive strings OK if money is not a problem but probably an unnecessary luxury in the beginning. i.e. won;t make a big difference to learning the game.

    Tension - 20lbs. Sounds pretty reasonable. Won't put undue stress on the racquet (unlike a bad stringer). At times, people might come up and say 'wow your strings are loose. Time to change to a higher tension'. Don;t worry about. technique is more important.

    Control - that comes more from technique rather than racquet and strings.

    FYI - correct footwear is extremely important. Wrong footwear e.g. tennis/basketbal shoes, leads to poor footwork and even possibly injury.
     
  3. Jason

    Jason Guest

    I totally agree with Cheung except I would choose BG-70 as the string. BG-70 holds up tension longer than BG-65 and since it may take a while for a beginner to break the string, BG-70 might suit you better if all the strings cost you the same $$$.
     
  4. Tammy

    Tammy Regular Member

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    Should I consider Isometric 250?

    I thought of 2U rackets too. I tried Muscle Power 55, Ti-3 and Isometric 250 in a store (I chose them since they are within my price range, $120 CND or less). I felt that Muscle Power 55 was heavy (is it because it's head-heavy?). Ti-3 did not get many good reviews at badmintoncentral.com. Isometric 250 on the other hand got almost all positive reviews, and its durability seems undisputed. The salesman in the store also recommended Isometric 250. Among the three I mentioned, I felt most comfortable with it.

    Should I get Isometric 250 instead of 500?

    By the way, I'm 5 feet tall, and weigh 90 lbs. Would this affect the choice of racket weight (2U or 3U)?

    Thanks so much for the advice and suggestions so far!!!
     
  5. joseph

    joseph Guest

    Re: Should I consider Isometric 250?

    if chosing between iso500sr and mp55, i'd chose mp55 for all players, beginner or adanced. mp55 is more head heavy than iso500, but that's the only drawback. mp55 is considerably more durable, more powerful and have better control. iso500sr is among the most fragile yonex racquet. most beginner tend to be very keen about getting the lightest racquet possible, but when it comes to performance, most beginners do better with a heavier racquet; we're talking about 2U racquets, 90-94g, not the cheap racquets that are above 100 grams.

    as for string, for a beginner, i'd personnally recommend bg68ti, because it's a very 'bouncy' string, and good for power. a very easy string to use for beginners.
     
  6. shaun

    shaun Regular Member

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    Re: Should I consider Isometric 250?

    my personal opinion:
    choose the racquet that your a most comfortable with.
    forget the way it looks and its specs....and also the "special technologies" embedded into it.
    theres no such thing as a bad racquet. u just need to find the right one for yourself. if u said that the 250 performed best in ur hands, get the 250.
    as for the stringing, 20lb seems like a good starting point.
    the lower the tension, the longer the strings will hold up and the larger the sweetspot will be.
    as for the string, might i suggest the bg65 or bg70.
    either one is good(i personally use bg70). but the bg70 is a stiff string. u will need to hit hard to get good power out of a stiff string. the bg65 is the opposite.
    its soft and stretchy. its more of a bouncy string. but not so bouncy to the point that its uncontrolable.
    its still a very nice string.
    its all a matter of preferance
     
  7. Josh

    Josh Guest

    Re: Should I consider Isometric 250?

    I totally agree with Shaun. I tried the Iso 250 in a store and it had a nice feeling to it but again, whatever is best for you. Might I suggest you trying the Black Knight racquets. They have a nice feeling to.
     
  8. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Re: Should I consider Isometric 250?

    Josh, recommending a different piece of equipment to a beginner who has nearly made up their mind about the racquet might just even be more confusing.

    Tammy, even with your physical attributes what I said before doesn't change about eqpt Although some might say string lower tension=bigger sweet spot, IMHO that's unnecessary for a beginner. I could argue small sweet spot=better training for the beginner for hitting the centre of the racquet.
    With all due respect to previous authors, some of the above answers concentrate on small details that are unlikely to make a big difference for a beginner.

    However, shoes make a big difference. If badminton shoes are difficult to obtain, volleyball or squash shoes can be used as alternatives.
     
  9. Howard

    Howard Regular Member

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    Re: Should I consider Isometric 250?

    hey are you located in calgary?>?
     
  10. Yogi

    Yogi Regular Member

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    Guys!

    First and foremost we should be suggesting him a CAB racket for its Oval head.

    If u are so particular abt 3U then u shoudl be buying the carltons as they are all 3U except for AB 900 which is Quiet difficult to get.

    I would def suggest you to buy a 2U racket. Cab 20 or a CAB 21. I would have suggested you a CAB 8 but then u will soon outgrow it in like a month! So i think u should buy the Cab 20 Tour (green color racket) or the CAb 21 "Sp".

    Pls dont buy a Iso racket when u learn ur basics it will not help u in perfecting your skills. Psl buy a oval shaped racket. That is teh bottom line.

    I think kelvin is selling some of his Forza FDrost special or whatever. It was like 50 canadian or whatever. I am very sure that it woudl be the most ideal racket for a beginner.I guess it is new and hey u might Buy 2 of them and i guess that would be great.

    Teh picture is available at http://www.geocities.com/armani_k/Forza/classic.jpg

    But the only downside is 3U. But hey u can get 2 rackets for teh price of one. I guess that is the best deal that i know of.This is a Oval shaped racket.

    SO give that a look.and hey best of Luck and welcome to teh worldwide badminton community!
     
  11. Byro-Nenium

    Byro-Nenium Regular Member

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    Hi there Tammy, the others have probably given their opinions and suggestions but i'd like to tell you mine. Not saying that theirs are wrong, but just coz i want to..... ;)

    Well, like Yogesh suggested, you should train with an oval head because its easier to switch from oval to iso instead of the opposite way. Isometric head shaped rackets have bigger sweetspots that makes it easier to hit the shuttle consistently. But i find that its better if you start off using an oval head shape. I always recommend the Cab 9 as a beginner racket. Not too heavy, and not too expensive.

    As for string, its all personal preference. I'm using the BG-66 and i find it to be the best string i used.

    So good luck! and happy shopping!
     
  12. Ricky

    Ricky Regular Member

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    Tammy, pretty confusing, right ? Everyone has different opinion ! As a equipment enthusiasts (I still own over 20 racquets now), I want to share my opinions and confuse you further. :)

    Basically, I agree with Cheung and Shaun to a certain extent, i.e. (1) equipment is not the most important element for a beginner, (2) choose whatever you find best suiting you (give you the best feel).

    Regarding which particular model you should choose, it depends on what factors are important to you :

    - ease of play
    - durability
    - price
    - suitable for learning the right skills

    (if you are a beginner, I assume that you don't know your play style)

    Just like many other things in the world, you can't have the best of everything together. I could give you more advice if you can specify your preference.
     
  13. Kelvin

    Kelvin Regular Member

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    Re: Should I consider Isometric 250?

    if you felt most comfortable with the 250, then why dont you just buy that?

    The most annoying factor that will irritate both buyer, and seller, is that the buyer is indecisive with what they want.

    When someone poses me a question on "what racquet to buy" I throw about 12-15 questions back at them, to see how they answer, and based on that, I would recommend certain racquets, and ask them to choose what is most comfortable from there.
    Believe me, you wont be happy with anything else unless you're comfy with it.
     
  14. Gladius

    Gladius Regular Member

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    Yes Cheung, I can't agree more.

    Don't get too ambitious and string at 'high' tension, you won't be able to handle it if your basic strokes are not yet correct. You may risk injury in the process of trying to hit harder. For a start 20-21 pounds should be just fine.

    As for strings? BG-65 lasts forever, but loses tension way too fast. Not very ideal if you need a consistent platform to play with. I would suggest the BG-70Pro or the BG-80. They are quite ( acceptably) durable and also retains tension quite well.

    Rackets ? Something not to heavy. But it not a good idea to start off with 3U ones as it does not give you a good grounding in your strokes to start with really light rackets. But not heavy ones either as it may lead to injury. Get one that is 2U and even balanced weight distribution. It allows you to grow with it for a year or maybe more and learn your basics while not predisposing your style.

    And take Cheung's advice, it all in the strokes. If your technique is correct, you only need decent equipment, not the most expensive to make the best of your game.
     
  15. Gladius

    Gladius Regular Member

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    Yup, I completely forgot about the Oval Head frame thing. Its better to start off with the oval head frame and progress from there after you've got your basics sorted out.

    Like Cheung mentioned, a smaller sweetspot may actually do more good if you're training as it entails that your shots have to be that much better to get it off. So, you'll be able to get cleaner hits in the long run when you graduate form being a beginner.
     
  16. Howard

    Howard Regular Member

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    The 250 is a rally good racquet. I tried it out lastnight and i'd say it's a very very good racket to start with.It's got nice power but good control as well.
     
  17. deadkenny

    deadkenny Guest

    I'm far from an expert, but here's my 2 cents worth:

    A couple of posts have suggested starting with an oval head racquet. Although that's good advice if you're really serious about training to become a competitive player, it's a tough path to follow. I don't recommend it unless you're really serious about your training. If you just want to play for fun, then starting with and sticking to the Iso head racquets will make life a bit easier and more enjoyable. Second, I'd suggest you start with a cheaper racquet. You don't want to go too cheap, but something like the Iso 60 (at about $60) is acceptable. Two main reasons for this suggestion. First, it will let you develop a personal style, attacking / smashing vs. defensive / clearing - dropping. This will dictate the type of racquet that will be best for you. Second, you will likely have a lot of mis-hits at first, possibly damaging the racquet head. You might also have more racquet clashes playing doubles. Once you get over the initial learning phase, it will be nice to get a brand new undamaged racquet that fits your personal style. Thus I suggest you spend about $60 now, and then $120+ in a year or so.
     
  18. Mag

    Mag Moderator

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    Jeez, guys, give Tammy a break! She's a BEGINNER, remember? It won't matter one bit if she has an oval or iso shaped racquet. Basically any graphite racquet will do. And it won't matter which string she uses or at what tension she strings it at.

    Tammy, if you like the 250 or 500 (because they look cool or feel good or whatever reason) then get any one of them. I'd suggest the cheaper one: as a beginner you're going to hit the floor, hit the frame, hit the net and even hit yourself, so my guess is you'll need a new racquet anyway within a year or so... (And don't bother too much about restringing -- the factory strings will do just fine!)

    If you want to spend some money, then get a pair of good shoes as some others suggested. That really means much more for your playing than which racquet you have.

    Good luck... and have fun!
     
  19. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Mag, you restore my faith in sensible arguments.

    IMO, small differences in equipment (i.e. anything to do with a racquet) do not equate to big improvments for a beginner.
     
  20. Tammy

    Tammy Regular Member

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    You guys are the best! Thanks so much!

    I did not expect to receive so many responses. I like this forum! I knew there would be different suggestions. I don't know about my playing style and preferences yet til I take the lessons. That's why I wanted to hear from many people so I know what I should pay attention to when I play.

    My brother will give me his old Carbonex 21. I think I can use it for the time being. I still have my eyes on the Isometric 250 [I don't know why. It's like love at first sight :)] I think I wait til the Boxing Day, and see if the price is reduced further. By that time, I should know if I still like it. Now I can go shopping for some shoes :) Bye guys. Thank you again! Talk to you later.
     

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