I seriously need help choosing a racquet, im very indecisive and have planned to get a new racquet for a while now, but i just can't pick the right one. I have never tried the Slayer 99 or lethal 90 but i did try the voltric 80 for a breif moment. The heavyness really does not feel that bad, it feels like a light head racquet when i swing it compared to my current N55 II which feels very heavy but also really solid. Which one would be best to suit me. I am mostly a singles player.
I like to defend alot but i also like to smash so i like to mix it up but i normally smash more then drop and such.
Of the apacs rackets, can I ask why you've narrowed it down to Slayer 99 and Lethal 90? If you are a singles player, I would highly recommend the Lethal 60 or 70 instead of the Lethal 90. Even the Tantrum 300 would be a decent racket in singles - it's moderately stiff, slightly head heavy, and is 3U. With regards to the VT80, you'll be paying at least twice as much (probably three times) as the other apacs rackets. Is it worth it? I personally don't know, as I've never tried the VT80. But I would doubt it.
I'm planning to buy the voltric 80 first to see if i like it and then if i don't i can just sell it here on badminton central. I would probably play with it for only a few sessions maybe 5 times to see if i enjoy using the racquet.
Hey deathguyxx, I also originally bought a Voltric 80 but did not find it anything special and sold it after I bought an Apacs Lethal 70, Slayer 99, Lurid Power 21, 22 and 23. Now my favourite of them all is the Lethal 70. For the money I paid for the VT80 I could buy multiple rackets to play with from Apacs I'm waiting to get a Tantrum 300 to play with.
No disrespect intended, but aren't you a beginner level player GaryC? deathguyxx, what level of player are you?
None taken ssj100, I'd say I'm right in between beginner and intermediate? I hit all the shots very well but my footwork requires much work. I'm improving quickly I think (at least that's what my friends say) as they are advanced level players.
GaryC, I think all of us need to work on our footwork! How long have you been playing badminton? I personally consider myself somewhere between intermediate to advanced (more towards advanced), even though I've never had formal training. I'm currently trying to work out whether getting a VT80, MX80 or SW35 will make me a better player or whether I would enjoy playing more (which would be amazing, considering I already love badminton!). I've narrowed it down to those three because their specs are all head heavy and stiff - my kind of racket. When you say that you found nothing special with the VT80 and that you like the Lethal 70 the best, this is what I'm concerned about - would I be wasting my money if I bought one? I suppose worse come to worse, I should still be able to sell it if I didn't like it.
ssj100, I used to play a lot of badminton in high school with friends that played for Ontario etc but that was over 10 years ago. I stopped after entering college. I only recently got back to playing, I didn't realize Markham had so many places to play compared to Niagara Falls when I was younger. I've been playing again now for about 4 months now playing 3-4 times a week with friends. Initially it was hard because my fitness was not at a decent level but now I find movement is coming back but I get myself out of position with footwork problems. I just finished playing a 3 hour session where I worked mostly on movement and not so much on power of my shots. I think you will like the VT80, it is supposed to be head heavy but did not notice it much as it defended well for me, smashes and clears were effortless. I suppose I should have given it more of a chance but after I picked up the Apacs I just thought I didn't have a need for it and sold it. I had the VT80 strung with NGB98 and hated it.. found I like BG80 better. Oh well no looking back now
Yes, you will be wasting money if you bought one. It's all in the footwork. Get the footwork right and you can play with any old frying pan.
Not just about footwork. Racket technique is equally important. Also, I think we'd all struggle to play with rackets from the 1980's!
I was looking at purchasing another racket that would be different from the VT80 and was on eBay looking at Li Liang and other brands when I stumbled upon a Apacs reseller that had some of the clone line and the Lethal/Tantrum rackets. After reading up on them and seeing reviews I thought the price was very reasonable and went ahead with the purchase with an online auction, then I found Apacscanada and he explained a few things of the rackets I wanted to purchase. Wasn't expecting much but after picking them up and playing with them you know the rest and how I feel about them now.
I'm a intermediate level player. I have been formally trained for around 4 months and have been playing badminton for a few years. I'm still training with my coach.
From my observations, I wouldn't pay 2-3 times more for the VT80 then. Firstly, there's a doubt as to whether its "technological advancements" are at all significant in real-world play. The same goes with the MX80 etc. Seriously, some of the arguments here about why apacs are inferior are ridiculous. I think my advice would be to try the VT80 (eg. from a friend) for a few sessions and then see how the Lethal 90 or Slayer 99 holds up against it. If the VT80 objectively makes you a significantly better player (your coach might be able to tell you), then you will have your answer. If the Lethal 90 or Slayer 99 does just the same, then it'd probably be best to get these two - you'd probably be able to buy both of these rackets and still have cash left over to pay your coach!
I maybe able to buy the voltric 80 first and try the apacs later because i'm not rich at all. I'm saving up slowing to get the voltric first and if i don't like it i can sell it at a fair price and buy the apacs. That way i don't lose a lot of money because if i buy the apacs the resale value is very low.
