New Victor Racquet - The Meteor X80 ( MX80 )

[KohKoh]

Have you tried it with nanogy98 yet? IMO it's a match made in heaven.But gotta have it at a high tension (above 28lbs), like as someone mentioned,low tension on a stiff racket feels a bit funky. I'd like to try the 66UM some daybut hear poor things about the durability. nbg98's durability and tension holdingis excellent. Haven't snapped a set yet.

I agree, nbg98 is best match with mx80. No doubt. But i like it at low tension like about 26lbs so it can lower and stay at 24lbs. Then I can smash up to 270~280kph. :/ with 28 i can only get up to 260~270. I wana be pro and smash an average 280kph with a 30lbs string tension. (My goal for the future) Based on control its rlygood. I dunno why ppl say its too slippery... They just have bad control.

[whenry]

you are right meteor. Recently, I bought MX 60, it is a good racket. but somehow I miss something from MX 80. I'm curios how about MX 70 compared to 80. Is it the 70 going to give you the same elbow problem? How is the handling of 70?

[visor]

you are right meteor. Recently, I bought MX 60, it is a good racket. but somehow I miss something from MX 80. I'm curios how about MX 70 compared to 80. Is it the 70 going to give you the same elbow problem? How is the handling of 70?

I've gone from mx80 to 70, only because of getting some shoulder pains. Now with mx70 I get more effortless power clearing and smashing, at the expense of a slight drop in immediacy and accuracy. I can imagine that the mx60 will only be a step further in that direction.

[whenry]

@ visor
My feeling is that MX 60 is slower than 80, but more powerful. After 2 or 3 sets with 30 points double (yes we play doubles with 30 points classic score counting here in surabaya, indonesia), I feel the MX 60 getting heavy and heavier. I don't have that heavier feeling with MX 80, but only elbow pain when I get shower. Usually, the elbow pain will be gone the day after, but the last couple of months, it stayed.
I want a fast racket but no pain LOL, please don't tell me to get BS 10. I got it already. Owning MX 80 and 60, I feel the BS 10 is just another regular racket.

[meteor]

I don't know how mx60 is but 70 is a good compromise for someone who likes the mx80 but gets joint problems.
Still a stiff racket and very capable. It doesn't have the harshness of mx80 and feels more effortless.
The downside is that it introduces some lag when it comes to reacting fast or in fast exchanges and it doesn't have the precision you would be used with on the mx80.
Contrary to my initial impression, mx70 can smash as hard as the 80. I think I was mis-timing in the beginning and my smashes felt weakish...
KohKoh, I don't know about 280km/h... )) ...how did you measure that? Did you count how long it takes the shuttle to reach a certain distance? Perhaps most people have a curiosity to know how fast they smash and how it compares to the pros... From what I read, most of us (non pros or aspiring pros) are a long way away from 200kmph... on the low side...

@KohKoh and matsu_des: I had nbgy98 at 26lbs only briefly before changing to bg80 (which snapped almost immediately). To be honest I didn't have time to test nbgy98 properly. I remember reading no so good things about it on the forum and decided to restring with bg80.
Now I have bg66UM on both mx70 and one of the 80 and I can't think that something can be better

[j4ckie]

I agree, nbg98 is best match with mx80. No doubt. But i like it at low tension like about 26lbs so it can lower and stay at 24lbs. Then I can smash up to 270~280kph. :/ with 28 i can only get up to 260~270. I wana be pro and smash an average 280kph with a 30lbs string tension. (My goal for the future) Based on control its rlygood. I dunno why ppl say its too slippery... They just have bad control.

Seriously? 270-280? How did you measure that?
Anyhow, the NBG98 IS slippery. That's why people say that. It does not have the rough surface of other strings like the BG80, so it does not offer the same touch at the net as the cork slips over it more easily. Especially annoying on net shots, from the back it's not hard to adapt.

[KohKoh]

Seriously? 270-280? How did you measure that?Anyhow, the NBG98 IS slippery. That's why people say that. It does not have the rough surface of other strings like the BG80, so it does not offer the same touch at the net as the cork slips over it more easily. Especially annoying on net shots, from the back it's not hard to adapt.

In clubs they often measure smash speeds. And yes the NBG98 is slippery but not enough to choose a different string. NBG98 has excellent amount of power, a good amount of control, really good durability for such a thin string, and really good feel when you hit the sweet spot. There is nothing to whine about the NBG98's control. I can make perfect dropshots with them.

[demolidor]

Seriously? 270-280? How did you measure that?
Anyhow, the NBG98 IS slippery. That's why people say that. It does not have the rough surface of other strings like the BG80, so it does not offer the same touch at the net as the cork slips over it more easily. Especially annoying on net shots, from the back it's not hard to adapt.

The same way Zhang Jun reached 500KM/h

[j4ckie]

In clubs they often measure smash speeds. And yes the NBG98 is slippery but not enough to choose a different string. NBG98 has excellent amount of power, a good amount of control, really good durability for such a thin string, and really good feel when you hit the sweet spot. There is nothing to whine about the NBG98's control. I can make perfect dropshots with them.

It's not about dropshots, it's about the slices and tumbling net shots. Both of those need a little traction, which the NBG98 just does not offer - so the angle on sliced dropshots needs to be changed and they feel rather weird at first (nothing I had any problems with, though). The loss of traction can be quite a problem on net shots though. Although you seem to be a doubles player, and a back court one at that, so maybe that doesn't concern you as much. Most singles players are rather irritated with the string though and prefer something with a rough surface which makes net shots much more controlled.

[matsu_des]

@KohKoh and matsu_des: I had nbgy98 at 26lbs only briefly before changing to bg80 (which snapped almost immediately). To be honest I didn't have time to test nbgy98 properly. I remember reading no so good things about it on the forum and decided to restring with bg80.
Now I have bg66UM on both mx70 and one of the 80 and I can't think that something can be better

With the nbg98, you gotta have it at a high tension. My bs12 is strung at 27lbs but feels too bouncy. My MX80 is strung at 30lbs and feels extremely crispy. Very nice sound, control and power. In terms of slipperiness at the net, i haven't really noticed it as I am normally of a rear-court player. I will try it at the front or in singles next time and see what all the fuss is about.

[j4ckie]

With the nbg98, you gotta have it at a high tension. My bs12 is strung at 27lbs but feels too bouncy. My MX80 is strung at 30lbs and feels extremely crispy. Very nice sound, control and power. In terms of slipperiness at the net, i haven't really noticed it as I am normally of a rear-court player. I will try it at the front or in singles next time and see what all the fuss is about.

My BS09 is just fine with 27lbs However, that's with the new motor. Before that, I usually had 28lbs. Still, I could probably play it with 26 or even 25 as well, as it's a thin string and holds the tension reasonably well.

[KohKoh]

I am a doubles player. Zzzz and I find the slices not bad. Although it doesn't go too far so I have to slice as hard as I can to make it go past the net. Lol. But for doubles this is best string. And for singles bg80 is better

[matsu_des]

I am a doubles player. Zzzz and I find the slices not bad. Although it doesn't go too far so I have to slice as hard as I can to make it go past the net. Lol. But for doubles this is best string. And for singles bg80 is better

Yeh totally agree, I use nbg98 on my MX80 for smashing in doubles but bg80 on my SW35 for singles.
Easy transition between the 2.

[KohKoh]

Yeh totally agree, I use nbg98 on my MX80 for smashing in doubles but bg80 on my SW35 for singles. Easy transition between the 2.

MX80 with a towel grip (not over the replacement grip) feels excellent! I use the Hi-Qua Towel grip. I think it is better than Yonex towel grips

[Licin]

Yeh totally agree, I use nbg98 on my MX80 for smashing in doubles but bg80 on my SW35 for singles.
Easy transition between the 2.

How do you find your net shot performance while switching back & forth NBG 98 & BG80?

I have some difficulties while switching between BG85 & BG80 on the net shot only. I feel that BG85 is just too bouncy, while BG80 is just so perfect at net shot & make me feel somehow at a certain point my net shot is like Taufik Hidayat's
Just Joking.

[matsu_des]

How do you find your net shot performance while switching back & forth NBG 98 & BG80?

I have some difficulties while switching between BG85 & BG80 on the net shot only. I feel that BG85 is just too bouncy, while BG80 is just so perfect at net shot & make me feel somehow at a certain point my net shot is like Taufik Hidayat's
Just Joking.

Of course the bg80's feels better at the net because of the rougher surface, but although the NBG98 feels slipperier, it is only noticeable if you really chop at the shuttle or stab at it during net-play.
But the thing is, you don't usually do that because although the shuttle may spin like crazy, chances are, it will bounce way too high.

If you just play net-shots normally and use precision deft touches, then the performance does not differ much between the 2 strings because you are not chopping the shuttle hard enough to make it slip as you don't need to at the net.

I haven't tried bg85 in a long time. But from what i remember of it, the feel when clearing and smashing was superb. Don't remember much about the net-shots. But i remember that the strings felt springier than the hard-feeling bg80's.

[j4ckie]

Of course the bg80's feels better at the net because of the rougher surface, but although the NBG98 feels slipperier, it is only noticeable if you really chop at the shuttle or stab at it during net-play.
But the thing is, you don't usually do that because although the shuttle may spin like crazy, chances are, it will bounce way too high.

If you just play net-shots normally and use precision deft touches, then the performance does not differ much between the 2 strings because you are not chopping the shuttle hard enough to make it slip as you don't need to at the net.

I haven't tried bg85 in a long time. But from what i remember of it, the feel when clearing and smashing was superb. Don't remember much about the net-shots. But i remember that the strings felt springier than the hard-feeling bg80's.

Although you do have a valid point (there's no problem switching between the two as long as you don't want to play spinning/tumbling net shots), most singles players here play quite a few tumbling net shots as they're much harder to lift than a 'clean' one. Of course it depends on the situation if it's the best choice of shot, sometimes the clean net shot is indeed better. But in some situations (e.g. return of serve in doubles), the spinning variant is just so much better as the opponent has to let it drop further and can't play a controlled push to the midcourt/back court.