Mini review Mizuno stuff...

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by twobeer, May 19, 2007.

  1. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    Just though I should share some testing of some Mizuno models here..

    A friend bought some different Mizuno models from Japan, And I have had some time testing a few models..

    The Models are:

    Mizuno Tetracross 500 2U5,
    Mizuno tetracross 700 3U5
    Mizuno GP-10 3U5.

    Tetracross 500 (strung with BG-80 22x24lbs):

    The racket uses real Carbon Nano Tubes (my understanding is that Yonex don't use real CNT, but fullerene in their NS/AT range), and some sort of woven carbon/aramid composite combination called TetraCross... Dont have more details on the technology I am afraid..

    It felt kind of sluggish, but I kind of expected that from a 2U. It didn't feel head-hevy.. just heava in general :) . Clears where Very easy, and it produced good power in smashes.. But it felt kind of "hollow" and touch shots didn't feel nice. It felt like there always was alot of vibration from the racket when hitting every shot.. It was kind of a weird feeling. I will try it out some more later on to see if the feel is the same.. But I think I can conclude this racket isn't my cup of tea (probably not in 3U either).

    I the switched my attention to

    Tetracross 700 3U5 (BG80 22x24lbs):

    This was a 3U version and it felt quite head-heavy, I am not sure about the specs.. Hope the specs support my feeling :) .. It felt slightly stiffer (but not nearly as stiff as AT800OF,9000X etc) and little less vibrating than the 500.. Smashes where harder, but i had to put in a little extra effort in clearing. This racket is really a power racket.. For Dink and guys with strong arms I bet this one (maybe in 2U :) ) would be one of the biggest bombers around... I think I could definitively get used to this racket, in singles.. For doubles I think it is to head-heavy.. Well a damn good racket anyway!!

    Then I tried the GP-10 (BG-80 22x24lbs):

    This racket dont have the Tetracross technology, but is also using real carbon Nano Tubes according to the specs.. I really fell in love with this one... If I where to compare the feel with any other racket it would be AT900T or maybe som sort of compromise between AT900P and T :) It has a slimmer more boxed shape frame than the T and is much more headlight than P.. It much stiffer than T and possbliy feels a tad stiffer than P as well!! But it is still very easy to generate good power.. I can just say wow!! great racket.. No I just have to get one to torture to 30lbs :) (the shaft says 20-25lbs on TX500,TX700, and GP-10)...
    Maybe I add one of these puppes to my collection :) Maybe I will even switch from The 900P.. I'll have to test it some more though :)

    Cheers,
    Twobeer

    Next week some Prince O3s are up for the test-drive :)
     
    #1 twobeer, May 19, 2007
    Last edited: May 19, 2007
    kwun likes this.
  2. vagpwner

    vagpwner Regular Member

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    Im not sure what you mean by yonex not using real carbon nano-tubes. To my understanding, Carbon Nano tubes are allotropes of carbon while c60 (which is what yonex NS are made of) buckminster fullerenes are made of carbon nanotubes
     
  3. -Silver-

    -Silver- Regular Member

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    thx for the review twobeer, so among the 3 racket u prefer GP10? actually i feel that AT900T is stiffer than AT900P. :eek: Btw how much ur fren bought for the 3 racket? :confused:
     
  4. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    To my understanding Carbon Nano Tubes was a spin off product from the "basic" C60 (buckyball) Fullerene discovered by the 1996 Nobel Prize laureates Robert F. Curl, Harold W. Kroto, and Richard E. Smalley ?!? To my understanding both are members of the fullerene structural family. Buckyballs are spherical and nanotubes are cylindrical, with at least one end typically capped with a hemisphere of the buckyball structure. My Understanding is that Yonex uses C60 and not CNT..
    But I am no propellerhead as it comes to scientific-research, so I may have gotten it wrong.. But I don't think Yonex ever claimed to use Carbon Nano Tubes, and all pictures I've seen from their marketing material is the ball, C60..

    /Twobeer
     
  5. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    Yes, I prefer the GP-10... And it is also the less expensive :p (I think the price was something like 25000yen for TX500 and TX700 and 20000 for GP-10) :D

    The P/3U definitively feels slightly stiffer and More headheavy than T/3u for me..

    /T
     
  6. vagpwner

    vagpwner Regular Member

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    I dunno all the science stuff boggles my mind
     
  7. vagpwner

    vagpwner Regular Member

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    Hmmmmmmmm well i thought the buckminster fullerine composed of CNTs
     
  8. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    Actually, as far as I understand its the reverse.. Carbon nano tubes often have buckyball strucktures at the ens (caps) of the tube.. CNT is bigger and more expensive material to use than C60 (i think).. Thats what caught my interest in the Mizuno Rackets..

    You can check out http://www.nanotech-now.com/nanotube-buckyball-sites.htm for some explanation of the difference between the tubes and the C60..

    Cheers,
    Twobeer
     
  9. Pete LSD

    Pete LSD Regular Member

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    I was about to get the T-700 2U G5 last year but shuttle-house.com was out of stock on that spec. Thanks for the review TB!
     
  10. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    Ooh.. I think very few people will find 3U version to light :), or maybe I am just getting weaker :)

    btw.. I already started to convince my friend that I have to test them at higher tension :D

    /T
     
  11. Pete LSD

    Pete LSD Regular Member

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    Nothing less than 30 lbs X 33 lbs will do. :D

     
  12. kikks9

    kikks9 Regular Member

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    the torture test begins :crying::cool:;)
     
  13. Scott Kam

    Scott Kam Regular Member

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    I have a 3U4 version of Tetracross 500 and feel the same vibration as you did. I thought it might be a kind of defect or I'm using a string with less vibration-dampening (Gosen R4X100). I had to switched a much softer string to compensate the effect.
     
  14. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    I think it is the racket that has lots of vibration (Mine had BG80 22x24, so its pretty standard).. I didn't add a towel grip, since it isn't mine.. I would assume a towel grip would lessen the vibrations a little bit..

    /T
     
  15. cheongsa

    cheongsa Regular Member

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    Carbon nanotubes and buckyballs are not the same, although they can both be produced from graphite.

    Both materials are really expensive right now. 15-30 micrometer single-wall nanotubes costs $150 per gram, so who knows how much such stuff they can put inside a badminton racquet and still sell the racquet for $100-200.
     
  16. albertchiew

    albertchiew Regular Member

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    Hi all,

    It is good to hear that actually someone out there is also eyeing on this Brand name too.

    In fact, I did try out the 2U5 Tetra Cross 700 last night for a mere 3 hours++ session. I ordered it from shuttle-house last week and it reached my place on Monday. It was strung with 27 x 30 lbs with BG-70 Pro. Initially, the first impression wasn't really good. The dull greenish inner frame color scheme really.....sigh... As usual, I like to bend the shaft when I have my first grip on any racquet. The shaft seem really flexi compare to MP-100, NS9KX, Cab22, Cab20 Long and SOTX D600. Matter of fact, I was really disappointed by it.

    As a 2U itself, it doesn't really felt that heavy compare to my 2U Mp-100, 2U NS9KX and 2U Cab22. I think it might be around the same 'feeling' as my D600 and a bit heavier than my 3U AT700.

    A 'shallow' personally view on it performance in actual game play. (Please do bear with my noobish-report-writing-skill and bear in mind that I'm just a beginner in this sport).

    - It claimed to be head-heavy on the specification yet it seems rather more toward balance to me
    - it actually got one more cross as compare to the rest of the racquet design out there
    - Frame shape seems more toward small-flat-top-iso kind of look a mix of MP-100 and NS9KX. Yet the 'bottom' part of the frame seems awkward. Box shape cross section (<-hope that i did interpret it correctly)
    - The feed back from TC700 is really 'solid' kind of like the 'feel' of NS9KX.
    - It did feel stiffer when come in play. More toward NS9KX feel and actually put in more 'umph'... i think
    - Clears are good a bit different to NS9KX
    - Placement accuracy will be a bit 'off' compare to D600.
    - Drops and net-play with TC700 is superb! Nice touch and great controls (Well, I really suck with net-play. Yet with racquet it actually boosts up my confident on executing all those shots.)
    - Quick reflex and fast-flat-drive shots seems a bit slow compare to D600 (May be I still need to spend a bit more time with it)
    - Smash wise (I might be biased) it seems to be okay yet its raw power is really ...'something'. It got the full potential to become my next favorite’s toy. It did produce a big bang and quickness yet.... I still need time to explore its potential i guess...
    - Kind of easy on locating its sweet-spot

    as a closing statement (or conclusion): If you like to try out something new and you like Stiff-feel racquet, you can't go wrong with this racquet.

    Thanks for reading. Cheers!!

    Best regards,
    Albert
     
  17. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    I played 4 sets with the TX700 today.. My view of the racket is far more positive now than the short testing I did last week. Power is HUGE...

    It's a little bit to head-heavy for my taste but I think this racket rocks for singles..

    I don't agree with albert on the stiffness (well actually it is VERY stiff, but somehow doesn't feel very stiff when smashing, clearing).. It don't feel as stiff as NS9KX to me, and netplay is OK, but I tend to like more headlight rackets, to do short movement lifts, and flicks.

    Overall, like with albert, the TX700 starts to grow on me.. and I had an overgrip today, so the vibrations that bothered me last week wasn't a big issue today..

    Overall, a racket Higly reccomendable.. Carbon & aramid composite seem to work nicely :)

    /Twobeer
     
    #17 twobeer, May 26, 2007
    Last edited: May 26, 2007
  18. -Silver-

    -Silver- Regular Member

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    Thanks for the review guys. Twobeer mind if u review again on the TX500 and GP 10? I believe these 2 are gd racket too.
     
  19. twobeer

    twobeer Regular Member

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    GP-10 is superb..

    I have used it quite a lot since i wrote the first mini-review..

    GP-10 feels about as headlight as the AT900T (maybe slightly headligter, but sligthly heavier overall (both being 3U) than the 900T).


    The shaft is stiffer than both 900T and 900P.. but I think the 900P feels sligtly stiffer in actual game-play.

    really nice..

    haven't tried the TX500 more..

    /T
     
  20. -Silver-

    -Silver- Regular Member

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    Thanks twobeer! :D
     

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