That's it guys I'm taking the dive into Badminton. I've always wanted to play it since leaving school but never got round to it due to studies, work and evolution into a couch potatoe. I always envied the school "heroes" that could hit the shuttle to make it sound like a crack of thunder.... ...so now it is my time! I have signed up for classes in my local area and they will take place once a week from Sept 09 to May 10. As long as I’m injury free.. I'm very serious about this sport. I have read through some threads from this site but I’m still confused. Which is the best racket to buy? As a beginner, keeping in mind that i will still need to develop my wrist muscles and general skills - I don't mind paying a little extra if it means my new found skills will be better used with a more suitable racket. I was thinking of buying the Yonex Nanospeed 500, it's light, and flexible which i understand is important if your wrist muscles are not strong enough. Is this a good choice? It costs £50 so it's not too expensive. At some point in the future when I have developed my strength and skill i would like to be able to hit the shuttle and get that "thunder" sound, how can that sound be achieved? What type of racket do i need? Is it a stiff racket with highly strung strings? Cheers!
Yonex Nanospeed 500 is definitely a good starter pack. The price is reasonably friendly and the performance is not bad either - and generally it is suitable for those who are in training stage. Other than NS500, there are quite a number of Yonex series at similar price range such as: Armortec 70, Muscle Power 10 LT or slightly higher price like AT250 LTD or Muscle Power Limited. Other than Yonex, you can give a go for Apacs rackets as well. Since you are in a pursuit of finding your playing style, I would recommend to go for any of those. Once you've found your style; then you can look for advance racket. It's the skill that determine the game, racket is simply an icing on the cake. Thunderous smashing sound is generally achieved when the shuttlecock is hit at the right time and at the right spot. A Highly strung head-heavy racket will compliment the resonance.
Hi BoyGenius Thanks for the advice. During my training I will try various rackets. I contacted a store near where I live and there doesn't seem to be one racket that is a compromise of power and flexibility. So it's either Armourtec 70 if you like smashing with power & speed. Or NS500 if you are a defensive player and need an agile \ flexible racket to support your style of play. I will keep reading peoples replies here and decide after I've tested a few but so far I think I will go for the NS500 as im a beginner. Once i get really good with wrists movement & power then i'll upgrade to something that'll allow me to smash really hard and strike fear into my oponent. ;-) Thanks for the tip!
It's a fair assessment. Generally, Armortec series are head-heavy rackets which suitable for attack-minded player who loves to smash; while Nanospeed series are more toward control and agility; hence allowing you to execute a quick manuver. Muscle Power (MP) series on the other hand, are well-balanced rackets. However, that is just a simplified generic guideline. Unfortunately (or fortunately ), there are lots of variation within the same series. For instance, MP99 is a well-balance head-heavy racket; while MP 88 is rather head-light. Again, I think with NS500, you will do just fine. Happy training!
nanospeed 500 is a decent started racquet However I would like to recommend a racquet I think would be really good for you The yonex muscle power 22 light Even balanced which means that you get good manuecerabillity without comprimising on power and also is medium flexabillity which is the same as the ns500 so you can improve your wrist strengh Just a suggestion but I think it is good choice only about £25 so you aren't breakin the bank either colour scheme is black and gold
I agree with LD rules! I also think the MP21 Light is a good racket to start with. Cheap and looks good!!
seriously my first racket was Slazenger Power Blade ultra and seriously it was the best begginer racket ever!!! It was light easy to control. It has everything for a begginer racket but unfortunatly they are rare to find. I got mine at Sportsdirect they have a website i think. Luckily the one i got was the last one but if u can get ur hand on a Slazenger Power Blade ultra u will be pleased
yo my first racquet was like this all metal beast that when i look back, a 6 year old kids should not be playing with something that weighed half of a tennis racquet lolol
SaidiStyle, I would actually recommend that you don't go for a racket that is too light or headlight when you first start training. Save for repetition, I explain this in further detail in another thread: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1241884#post1241884
