Both are almost the same. But the F90 shuttle is much better compared to AS50. Currently AS-50 shuttles have alot of complain about its match play durability in tournaments from players.
I think he means they play the same, but F90 is much more durable. Does the extra durability justfy the extra price ?
What about AS60 - or are they the same shuttles? I don't get why they have to rename it for overseas consumers. Why not just a universal name AS60 or F-90...
it's a japanese traditional mp80, mp90 there but mp88 and mp99 outside japan. certain strings also sold in japan only (eg bg95, etc) etc...
somebody would like to sell 1 box of AS60 to me? i live in montreal If the shuttle is good enough ill buy more dozens
The AS as F series numbers supposedly equivalent to each other. (ie. AS-50 = F-50). In the case of the F-90, that one is made in Japan, a better quality shuttle.
I don't think Yonex makes AS-60 shuttlecocks; I have only seen and used fake ones. The bird is of low quality like those cheap (in terms of quality) birds from no-name brands and the color of the birds and tubes are washed out. It is more light green & purple-ish unlike the true green and blue colors with the authentic Yonex products.
evil empire Perplexed by the pricey shuttle, we decided to delve into the mysterious, guarded and literally foreign world of shuttlecock construction. Our initial contact with Yonex yielded little. Yonex shuttles are constructed under lock and key in a Japanese plant where even the US employees responsible for the Yonex badminton line aren’t worthy of entrance. More determined than ever to shatter the shuttlecock curtain, we convinced the US representative to send questions directly the Japanese facility for clarification. Only problem is workers at the plant don’t speak English. So, what you’ll read below is based in part on answers to questions that were translated into, and back out of, Japanese. We did all this for your enlightenment, no thanks necessary. The premium prices come from a painstaking process that begins in Chinese farms with a pack of geese. Any shuttle worth its cock is made of 18 feathers taken from geese. Low end versions will use duck feathers which tend to dry out and break quicker. Fifteen years ago there was talk of high quality synthetic versions that still haven’t gained traction. The golden geese worthy of shuttle construction are essentially livestock of a specific age that live (or die) to serve ‘other’ purposes. All Yonex feathers are plucked from geese bred in China and the feathers are then shipped directly to the Japanese plant. Feathers are chosen from the wing starting at the tip. The first three feathers are skipped based on length while the next seven are potentially used for high end shuttlecocks. Feathers beyond this range might find a spot on a practice or American shuttle but would be an insult to good Asian players. The feathers are bleached to create the pure white color but the specifics of that, and any other post-treatment, were apparently lost in translation (we’re guessing intentionally). Feathers are then categorized by the curvature, weight and length of the feather to determine their capability for spin and speed. The feathers are inserted into a high quality cork piece that’s more likely rubber in the set collecting dust in your garage. The process of how to stick a feather in a cork is one of the most guarded. Yonex said a special shockproof adhesive is used to hold the feathers, but they weren’t offering more details than that. taken from post http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59533&highlight=science
The use of different numbers in Japan is not so much as a tradition but is more of a marketing strategy to protect the Japanese domestic market and yet not run foul of Japanese antitrust laws. Yonex was found sort of 'guilty' by the Japanese antitrust authorities in the early 2000s, and it was warned and slapped with a written directive to stop using threatening tactics against competitors in 2003. The Japan Fair Trade Commission found Yonex in such violation and ordered it to stop threatening other importers and resellers in Japan from selling other brands of shuttlecocks imported from China. Yonex had to eat humble pie and had to inform every Japanese retailer or importer that it will no longer do such arm twisting. Now imagine, if MP99 were to be used in Japan instead of MP90, you will find more MP99 SP imported from other countries back into Japan than they can sell MP99 JP.
You can read more on Japan Fair Trade Commission's 2003 findings and recommendations on Yonex on www.jftc.go.jp/e-page/pressreleases/2003/october/031024yonex.html
interesting. [FONT="]The JFTC issues a recommendation to a manufacturer of sporting equipments, YONEX K.K[/FONT] [FONT="]October 24, 2003[/FONT] [FONT="]Japan[/FONT][FONT="] Fair Trade Commission[/FONT] [FONT="]The Japan Fair Trade Commission hereby issues the following recommendation to YONEX based on the stipulations of Section 48 Paragraph 1 of the Antimonopoly Act and in accordance with its finding, after an investigation based on the stipulations of the same Act, that YONEX is in violation of Section 19 of said Act (corresponding to item 15 of Designation of Unfair Trade Practices: Interference with a competitor’s transactions). [/FONT] [FONT="]1 Firm to receive recommendation [/FONT] [FONT="] YONEX K.K. Bunkyo-ku, [/FONT][FONT="]Tokyo[/FONT] [FONT="] Main business: manufacturing and selling of sporting equipments[/FONT] [FONT="]2. Outline of violation[/FONT] [FONT="]The JFTC has found that YONEX is unjustly hindering the business of import/sales companies and their clients through the following actions in its business dealings related to badminton feather shuttlecocks* manufactured and sold by YONEX:[/FONT] [FONT="]a.[/FONT][FONT="]i. YONEX is a) urging specific client retailers to sell YONEX feather shuttlecocks that it markets to compete against feather shuttlecocks sold by import/sales companies that use direct-order and other sales methods (hereinafter referred to as “the import/sales companies”) and to push customers that use the import/sales companies’ feather shuttlecocks to switch from the import/sales companies’ feather shuttlecocks to said YONEX feather shuttlecocks, and b) urging customers that use the import/sales companies’ feather shuttlecocks to refrain from doing so, and[/FONT] [FONT="] ii. In cases where client retailers sell the import/sales companies’ feather shuttlecocks, YONEX is urging the above-mentioned client retailers to refrain from selling said feather shuttlecocks by suggesting that it will not supply them with the above-mentioned YONEX product if they continue to do so.[/FONT] [FONT="]b.[/FONT][FONT="]In cases where the names of client retailers are listed on import/sales companies’ Internet websites as client retailers, YONEX is urging client retailers to refrain from selling the import/sales companies’ feather shuttlecocks by having their names removed from such websites.[/FONT] [FONT="]c.[/FONT][FONT="]YONEX is urging promoters and organizers of badminton competitions to not use import/sales companies’ feather shuttlecocks by demanding that they not accept support from import/sales companies or not designate the import/sales companies’ feather shuttlecocks for use in said competitions by hinting that, if they accept support from import/sales companies (supply of feather shuttlecocks, etc.), YONEX will withhold its support for said competition.[/FONT] [FONT="]*”Feather shuttlecocks” are shuttlecocks made with waterfowl feathers.[/FONT] [FONT="]3. Outline of elimination measures[/FONT] [FONT="]a.[/FONT][FONT="]YONEX shall refrain from the activities mentioned in item 2 above[/FONT] [FONT="]b.[/FONT][FONT="]YONEX shall notify import/sales companies, client retailers, and promoters/organizers of badminton competitions of the measures that it takes based on item 3a above as well as its pledge to not conduct actions similar to those mentioned in item 2 above in the future. At the same time, YONEX shall make far-reaching efforts to make these points thoroughly known by its employees. [/FONT] [FONT="]c.[/FONT][FONT="]YONEX shall not engage in activities similar to these described in item 2 above in the future.[/FONT] [FONT="]4. Limitation of acceptance or rejection of this recommendation[/FONT] [FONT="]November 10, 2003[/FONT] [FONT="](If the recommendation is accepted by YONEX, a decision consisting of the same items contained in this recommendation shall be issued; if the recommendation is rejected by YONEX, hearing procedures shall commence.)[/FONT]
Here is the final conclusion to the JFTC case against Yonex and in which reference is made to Yonex's ingenous way of naming brands for marketing purpose, www.jftc.go.jp/eacpf/cases/4-1_YONEX_rev2.pfd