So have anyone tried out the rackets from Li Ning? I am interested but dont seem that it has arrived in Malaysian shores yet.
Got few sets of Li Ning rackets to test. However due to time constrain.. no time to do review. High end ones are not too bad.
Hi ants, just curious how they compare to high end yonex in general...since the price is not that cheap?
I've only seen low-end Li-Ning racquets being sold in where I stayed in China, and I don't know where to look for. Most of the stores only carries these brands: Yonex, Victor, Kawasaki, Sotx, RSL, Dunlop, Kason, and Apacs.
Li Ning does not have their own R&D. Personally i believe they are using Kason's and some SOTX's know how and improve on in. I do agree that their stuffs is not for the faint hearted. But then I'm sure there are some people who valued their "Marketing" presence than the product itself. However it is worth a try and decide either to stick to Yonex or buy Li Ning for Brand purposes. As Yonex has its R&D team and made great products over the years. They are proven over the years and it shows that Yonex have many followers from users to "copycats". Only when you are good... people would like to copy you or even make a look alike. As for Li Ning, they are smart as they bought over companies whom have been in the badminton industry over the years. As Li Ning does not need to start all over. What they are doing now is to improve to be better when come to badminton equipment and make it their own. Like Carlton, Wilson, RSL , Babolat , Yonex ... Li Ning also want to be included in the Badminton Industry. The badminton rackets ( high end ) would probably be available the the stores near you ( Singapore , Malaysia , Indonesia , HK ) around June. Is it worth spending in Li Ning products? Its really up to the consumers who will have the feedback. Only the best last. And in the end you will decide if LiNing add if not enhance value in your sport lifestyle.
Then I'm looking forward to seeing its product in summer. Also is there any player using LiNing's racket in recent game?
Here is my question and I am serious about this one. LN is going to retail their high end racquet at Yonex high end price. If Yonex has trouble selling high end in china when it still sponsoring chinese team, how many people in china is going to dish out $200 USD for a LN racquet?
Need to look at it from both sides. If a person can afford a $200 Yonex, s/he might shift to LN, consider LN's icon in CHN.
If you live in China... Li Ning products is very expensive. On Par with Nike and Adidas. But still people does purchase Li Ning's products. Li Ning does not worry if they can sell to their own people. Im sure the product can sell overseas other than China. And for China, even if its a $200 racket, i'm sure there are still people who is going to buy them in China. They have their own target market. And Li Ning does not survive on Badminton alone. Remember that they have other products to sell as well.
If the Li Ning rackets are an "improved" version of Kason or SOTX rackets, would that make them US$200 rackets? That is a tough sell when Yonex would be around the same price point. Branding can only carry you so far, but then I am not a marketing guy Do look forward to ants' review, especially if they are indeed a high-end version of Kason or SOTX. BTW, at Sudirman Cup, are the Chinese players really playing with these rackets? Or Yonex rackets with a Li Ning logo?
If they are improved kason and SOTX high-end rackets, I would say Yonex is a tough sell Do look forward to ants' review, especially if they are indeed a high-end version of Kason or SOTX. Uuuh thats a weird statemt.. Maybe Lee Chong Wei and Gade plays babolats, or SOTX rackets with Yonex logo??.... /Twobeer
The color of these rackets look so similar, so it is hard to tell what type of rackets they are, except the face logo. Just wondering, that is all!
I would not say that Li Ning lacks R&D. I have heard that Li Ning experimented with about 6,000 racquet samples with all the Chinese players until the final versions actually exceeded their expectations. Li Ning has a separate company based in Hong Kong, Li Ning Sports & Technology Development (HK) Company Ltd. It has already cooperated with professional organizations, universities in Hong Kong and overseas, and the dept. of sports & science & physical education of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It is given a budget that is 3% of Li Ning's total sales, which is perhaps a hundred times larger than Yonex's R&D costs.
whoaa... I'm not sure which buyer group is Li-Ning targeting by looking at the price range... http://www.bbesports.com/wzgl/Product.asp?BigClassName=%D3%F0%C3%AB%C7%F2%C5%C4&Smallclassname=LINING%20%C0%EE%C4%FE%D3%F0%C3%AB%C7%F2%C5%C4