I'm a student, and I'm currently looking at rackets. I've had my eye on the AT700 for a while, but i hit a lot of frame shots (about 30-40%) and I'm not very strong yet. Should I break open the piggy bank for a 3U? Or should I get a different racket? (I don't really want a 4U because it seems too light, but if it seems to fit, please tell me!) Specs: Slightly offensive play with a lot of smashes, a few drops, and lifts and clears, agressive, ok with any position but as good with net; lucky/unlucky frame shots Current racket: Fake NS9000X (much more flexible than real one; lighter than real one) Level: Advanced beginner to lower intermediate Play time: about 6 days a week (5/6 days at school with weak people), total time approx. 8 hrs/week If anything seems too vague, please tell me! -TNBRE
Since you are on a budget i recommend you don't get Yonex. Try looking at Apacs or SOTX since they preform just as good as Yonex and are much cheaper.
What kind of racket do you recommend from SOTX? I've heard there are good ones but not sure how good... (my budget goes up to about USD 150)
If the words "break the bank" apply, then you should definitely not do this. A rich mediocre player can buy anything he wants, because when he finds out it's the player and not the racket that matters, he just shrugs. For you it sounds like that might be a lesson too dearly bought. That being said, there is no reason you can't get a racket similar to the AT700, if you like its specs. I'm sure the forum has cheaper alternatives, both Yonex and non-Yonex. Good luck.
phandrew will answer this with his vast knowledge. But let me put in a plug for the great bang-for-buck woven2 (overall light but slightly head heavy) and the woven 7 (even more head heavy). Those might be similar to AT700.
armotec 700 Bro TNBRE: just to let u know , armotec 700 is for advance players to world class players. Do u represent your school or your club in your country , if so , u can break your bank to do so !
Apacs Recommend: PM DinkAlot to acquire APACS racket. Probably FURIOUS are good fit for you. I just bought VH1500 for my son (freshman just join his school club) and he loves it. His previous racket also APACS but NP900 (RED) Hope it help APACS is cheap and suitable for beginners like you
Bro Bro TNBRE: Since u re , not advance player, u try use wilson . its good for you, for other brand u can try Pro ace or Apacs
Looking at things, SOTX W8 sounds like me right now, maybe APACS Nano 900 Power white as well... just for clarification, both of these come in 3U weight, right?
I was a beginner and bought an AT800 for 230 a couple months ago. I thought i would get better from the racket and i was wrong. Such it gave it good hits but that was all brute strength. So i was afraid of breakin the racket, cause i hit alot of frames. Therefore i bought a WOVEN 10/7. They are head heavy and play very nice. Both from SOTX. I was lucky to get the WOVEN 10 for 40 bucks from BCDF. Don't buy a new racket just get a secondhand one from here. People always ask me, "What the hell is a powerboss" and they hold these arcsabers and such, and after i win im just like "thats me not my racket" LOLLL OKAY if u read all that, u shouldnt have. MY POINT BEING IS, get better trhough technique/footwork, before purchasing a brand named racket.
If I was you, I'd keep your fake NS9000x until you get better with it. Only when you feel like you've improved well enough that you feel you can weild an AT700 without framing it much, you should buy it. I don't think it'd take you too long since you play about 8 hours a week.
Helo I was using the at 700 that i borrowed from my friend and didnt like it much due to its head heaviness as i am used to head light racquets. IMO you should really try the racquet out first. You might take a long time to get used to the racquet as you have been using a much lighter and flexible racquet all this while. IMO the at 700 is quite stiff. You should consider getting mid range yonex racquets such as the mp66, or the arc 7? these racquets are quite light
Hi there, I agree with the other forum members, you should not splash the cash for the AT700 so soon. I believe it's best at the moment, to stick with your current racket, and once you are able to not hit the frame a lot, perhaps out of 30 shots you hit the frame once, or better yet, maybe only once in 50 (or never hit the frame) then only think about getting a better racket. Doesn't have to be AT700, but a mid range Yonex or high end other brands (Wilson, SOTX, APACS, Karakal, Carlton), which will / should be priced at Mid range Yonex prices, with similar performance. I remember when I started playing badminton I used a cheap Wilson Titanium Power (25 USD if I remember). I played 2 singles matches against someone wielding a NanoSpeed 7000. He lost the 1st match, decided to change to Armortec 900 Power, he lost the 2nd match as well. Ah well, moral of the story is, a badminton game is about 80% skill 20% (my opinion) racket at my level. Maybe at the professional level, it might be different ratio.
Honestly, no need to buy an high-end racquet, I've got a mid-end racquet and also an AT 700 and I always play with my mid-end racquet, for it is much more tolerant. I bought an AT 700 just for my pleasure, I know that I don't have the skill to play with yet, so I stick with my booster force, which is a very good racquet for its price range.
Well, I think the biggest problem for him is that theres not many SOTX or Apac rackets in the US. Most rackets there are Yonex, Head and HiQua
I have been using the AT 700 for 3 months now (my very first Yonex) and it took me almost that time to get used to the racket. AT 700 is really hard to use, people always try to find the racket that suit them but I am doing the other way round : trying to fit myself into the AT 700 and I think it is paying off. I've noticed that the AT 700 is very vulnerable to damages, I hardly clashes my racket with others but after 3 months, I see a lot of scratches on the frame (I think as a result of colliding with the shuttles). I never had those problem with my other cheaper racket (Victor), after 3 years my Victor racket looks almost new !