I have been playing with 3U Arc 10 for a while but recently decided to try my old racket aerotus 65sp which incidentally is in 2U ( I think back in those days most rackets are in 2U)...surprisingly, somehow I find that the manoueverability of the racket is pretty good despite the weight difference ( Iusually play singles) and I had no problems with my shots other than my backhand smash....my timing with my 2U racket seems to be slower; however the gain I get with my 2U is that my smashes packs more "oomph".... Just wondering, any other pros and cons regarding the choice between the 2U or 3U and is it possible to have a "fast" 2U racket (independent of the technique/power of the player)?
The difference between 2U and 3U is only 5 grams anyway, but the effect in terms of mass is different. The reason that you're getting a lot more "oomph" with a 2U racquet is because of the better mass/momentum transfer which is a result from the 2U racquet having more mass and therefore a less tendency to bend or "make sounds" etc which all dissipates valuable energy when you hit the shuttle hard. As for fast maneuvering a 2U racquet, for my case at least I can say that it just depends on your physical condition. 5 grams is not much in terms of mass, but just as you can get more feel from smashes, the recoil will also increase due to more mass moving about in your hand (referring to Newton's third law).
I started with a 2U MP77 bought by my dad when I was 12, and it really helped developed my smashes, which was and still is my strong point. However, with 2U rackets you use mainly your whole arm and overtime I began to feel pain in my shoulder and had to stop playing five years later cause it became a serious injury. Now I mainly use 4U rackets due to the injury and occasionally 3U ones. So yeah, 2U makes you smash harder but that is if your arm (and shoulder) can handle it. Mine couldn't.
4U for me too Light 3U is okay aswell, but definitely not 2U. Older 2U rackets are going to feel a lot lighter because they're 10-20mm shorter than modern rackets, so it's like you're permanently choking the grip as you would for net kills.
i choose 3u most of the time but if i wanna be more agressive then i use a 2u racket. 4u seems way to light a feels fragile.
4U, 3U and 2U all have different feeling, so know the racket and get the best out of it. In general (assuming all BP, stiffness, string tension, racket size, etc are the same) 4U is the easiest to manouever and 2U is the least so. On the other hand, as "Blitzzard" mentioned, 2U provides the most strength on your swing and at the same time is the quickest to consume your energy
2U/3U is not really a matter of preference, but of your own personal ability (strength) and the discipline you play. In other words, 2U for life I would use a 1U racket if available, but my defense is bad enough..
started with 2U MP99 and then 3U for most rackets afterwards, recently after tried some 4U rackets I believe 4U will be the best for me now.
I never played with 2U racket...but i played with 3/4/5U and i must say that 4U is really great for allround and 5U (Apacs SL75) is great for doubles and 3U is singles play mostly
I've got a Aerotus 65 2U and it feels very much like a 3U. I've also got a AT700 3U and that feels more like a 2U. I guess that even though the Us are a form of numeric measurement it is probably best used as relative only to the same model.
5U? wow that must be very light below 80g, i wonder is it one of those that Apacs claims as the world's lightest racket?
I've player with 85g vs 87g Trinity 2's of equal balance points, and find that the heavier one affords more power in smashes and clears with slower lazier swings, but at the expense of slower racket speeds and weaker maneuverability. The lighter one on the other hand, is the opposite, with faster racket speed and incredible maneuverability, at the expense of lesser power in smash and clear due to requiring higher racket speed to generate power (which in turn requires better timing and technique).
There are some 6U rackets from Apacs. Nano superlight series, Lethal light series and Tantrum light series. For me, they are very similar, just a different naming.