Ashaway Viper XT900

I've just bought one - I prefer a bit of weight in the head, and this has it. I compared it next to the top Armourtecs, and this one stood out from the bunch as having a lovely snap to it. It is awesome for digging out those long recovery shots, and drilling home power smashes, yet it still is very composed for tighter play. Just the right amount of flex (for me), and feels perfect without an overgrip.

 

probably the 700, but to be honest, all the Armortecs just didn't have the same feel as it - I would say the Head Metallix 8000 Tour felt closest...

 

My new toys. Arrived this morning.

 

yum yum yum! :-D

 

I haven't played with them yet but I'll get the chance tomorrow night. It's a racket I have wanted for ages. £119.99 down to £69.99 at TennisNuts. I phoned up an 'enquired' about a discount and got an additional 5% off which made them around £66.00 each. Whenever I buy a new racket I like to get it re-strung but I don't think I'll bother with these ones as they are pre-strung very tightly - around 23/24lbs with Zymax 70, one of my favourite strings.

Check it out: http://www.tennisnuts.com/shop/badminton/badminton-rackets/ashaway-badminton-rackets.htm

 

They actually look really nice in reality (as opposed to those little internet photos).

Any chance of some macro shots and some actual weight / BP specs?

 

On all three rackets the factory grip has been left intact. All that has been changed is the addition of a full super-grap overgrip. Ashaway rate the XT-900 a mid-to-heady heavy balance, similar to the Arc 10. I would probably agree with this. However, as you can see in the 4th photo, the addition of a super-grap changes the BP on each racket dramatically. This makes the racket less of a mid-balance and more towards the head-light. All three feel incredibly light, yet well constructed. I've owned dozens of high-end rackets and the XT-900 is amongst the very best out there in terms of build quality. However, the one area where I would disagree strongly with Ashaway's rating is the stiffness of the shaft. Ashaway rate the XT-900 as a medium-stiff racket. I find their 'medium-stiff' rating somewhat misleading. Personally, I find the XT-900 one of the stiffest shafts I have ever played with and I have owned a NS9000 X, a AT700 and an Arc 10. That's not a criticism, just an observation as I prefer to play with a stiff shaft myself. I previously owned a Ashaway Kevlar 7000SQ, which is given a 'stiff' rating. Yet, I find the XT-900's shaft considerably stiffer. Another area where I have been impressed so far is the lack of laternal movement around the T-joint. This is good if you are seeking pin-point accuracy in your shots. Whilst I find many similarities with the Arc 10, I consider the XT-900 a definite power racket. It has been designed for the power player in mind. Having played with a lot of rackets I consider the 900 a cross between the Z-slash and Carlton VTT.

I hope this helps. I've never done a review before.

http://ashaway.co.uk/index.php?category=12&page=detail&pid=164

 

Hey, thanks for the macro shots.

Can't remember.....does the VTT also have 88 holes? Originally I thought the Viper was a rebadged Vorza 550S but the head is definitely a different design - seems very wide and narrow at the T, whereas the Fozra is quite boxy. I like the reinforcements between the closely spaced string holes too, very clever. Even Twobeer might like that!

How are you liking the new latest Zymax? Got a couple of packets here but haven't given them a go yet.....actually I have way too much string at the moment! I really need another two rackets just so I can do better back-to-back comparisons

 

It's my understanding that both Ashaway and FZ Forza rackets are manufactured in the same factory so there will be some obvious similarities between the two brands. Not necessarily a bad thing since Forza is a very decent brand indeed! Since you are located in Australia may I suggest that you check out the link below. They ship worldwide. The racket you see in the photos is actually strung with red BG65ti. I have two rackets like that. The third is at the stringers getting re-strung with red Zymax 70. I haven't yet had the chance to play with the new Zymax 70 yet, but I was really impressed with their previous outing. I have another racket, an Ashaway Nano Rally, which is also getting restrung with the new Zymax 70. I really love the rough texture. It reminds me of the yellow BG80.

http://www.directsportseshop.co.uk/...ts&Section=ashaway-badminton-rackets&NavID=32

 

Hi

I have recently been introduce to Ashaway and not use one nor know anything could you advise which Ashaway rackets have or play similar to Yonex Armortec 900 power?

or a Head Heavy with medium flex shaft

Hope you can help

 

I emailled them and they don't ship to Australia. I could get rackets sent to my family in the US, but that's a bit of a pain. Still, even with two lots of shipping, something like the Viper XT900 would still be a great deal.

 

If anyone is still interested in the original question. I used to play with Tantrum 300s, I sold these and now use Ashaway Viper XT900 and Victor MX80. I found the Tantrums slightly better defensively but I can definately generate more power with both the XT900 and MX80.

IMO the Ashaway Viper XT900 is excelent and is the nearest equivalent to the Victor MX80 I've found.

 

Been using thsi racket for 3 months...definitely one of these power racket

 

Hi, I would appreciate it if you can do a brief comparison of the mx80 and xt900 as i am deciding which one to get!

 

So is the Viper XT series the same as the Palladium XT series?

 

Quick comparison between MX80 and XT900 (IMO).

Overall very similar to play with, differences are very minor.

MX80 has a slightly stiffer shaft.
XT900 feels slightly more solid, I think MX80 would chip easier on a clash.
Both have similar head heavy balance.
Both can generate incredible power with great control.
MX80 feels a little more lively round the net area.
XT900 has 88 holes meaning no shared holes for stringing (MX80 has 80 holes so some strings use shared hles).

I prefer the more subtle graphics of the XT900 - looks amazing with black strings.

I tend to use the MX80 more, but I can interchange between them with very little adjustment.

I find these rackets perfectly suit my game, so much so that I sold all my other rackets: Yonex Arcsaber 8DX, Apacs Tantrum 300, Victor Bravesword 10 - All of which are exclent in their own right - but not as good as the MX80/XT900 (IMO).

 

One thing you cannot question about the Meteors is the toughness of their finishes. The top mounted foils do rub off, but the rest of the finish is super, SUPER tough. I've had FIVE of them, and often play with Freds, so I should know

But hey, considering both rackets come out of the same factory, you'd expect more similarities in the toughness of finish rather than differences.

 

Mm..pretty sure the Forza and Ashaway are produced in the same factory, not Ashaway and Victor