First Racket

**CBray** · 05-05-2011, 02:24 AM

Hi,
I'm 14 years old and been playing badminton for around 7 weeks now, and I know I will continue playing it for the next few years +. (If I'm not playing it, I want to)

I am deciding to pay for a top racket, since I don't want to pay for one later on after getting a $100 racket or so on. I will not be convinced to get a cheaper racket

I'm thinking of getting the Yonex Arcsaber Z-Slash with BG 85 strings with a tension of around 26lbs. I you have any opinions or if I should get a different one, please say so (and also I love to smash) :P

Thanks for your time,
Charles.

**visor** · 05-05-2011, 02:57 AM

ummm... as a beginner, may we suggest that you pick an isometric frame racket instead of this oval one...

**CBray** · 05-05-2011, 03:02 AM

Do you have any suggestions on a good racket that has an isometric frame - Please reference a also if you can website

**visor** · 05-05-2011, 03:09 AM

Yonex Arc 7 or 10 would be a good start. Website, sorry, iono...

**CBray** · 05-05-2011, 03:10 AM

Any impressions on what string and tension I should go for?

**kaiyuan** · 05-05-2011, 03:11 AM

Originally Posted by CBray

Hi,
I'm 14 years old and been playing badminton for around 7 weeks now, and I know I will continue playing it for the next few years +. (If I'm not playing it, I want to)

I am deciding to pay for a top racket, since I don't want to pay for one later on after getting a $100 racket or so on. I will not be convinced to get a cheaper racket

I'm thinking of getting the Yonex Arcsaber Z-Slash with BG 85 strings with a tension of around 26lbs. I you have any opinions or if I should get a different one, please say so (and also I love to smash) :P

Thanks for your time,
Charles.

Strongly advise not to use such high tension first. It is because you may not have the power to use such high tension.

**Avenger** · 05-05-2011, 03:44 AM

Arcsaber Z-slash is hard to use, it takes a lot of time to adjust it's strange head shape

26lbs is too high for beginner, 20-22 is better for you

for website, I suggest stadium sport
they are legit

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Stadium-Sp...=p4634.c0.m322

before we can help you with the racket, do not rush, please answer these questions:

do you play singles or doubles?
what is your level of play? beginner, intermediate, advance?
what is your play style? attacking, defending, all around?
do you have power and fast swing speed?
what is your strength? (smash, drive, drop, net, etc?)
what area do you want to improve? (same as above)
brand preference?

**CBray** · 05-05-2011, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by Avenger

Arcsaber Z-slash is hard to use, it takes a lot of time to adjust it's strange head shape

26lbs is too high for beginner, 20-22 is better for you

for website, I suggest stadium sport
they are legit

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Stadium-Sp...=p4634.c0.m322

before we can help you with the racket, do not rush, please answer these questions:

do you play singles or doubles?
what is your level of play? beginner, intermediate, advance?
what is your play style? attacking, defending, all around?
do you have power and fast swing speed?
what is your strength? (smash, drive, drop, net, etc?)
what area do you want to improve? (same as above)
brand preference?

1) Both
2) Beginner
3) I love to attack, but usually all around
4) Yes (but will need improvement)
5) Smash and Drop
6) Smash, drive, drop, net.. pretty much everything so I can be the best I can

7) Yonex

**Tactim** · 05-05-2011, 03:49 AM

I think I would strongly advise getting such advanced equipment at all if you've been playing only 7 weeks. Those rackets are designed for people who have played enough to know what kind of game they want to play and the equipment to suit that style of play. By getting a $200+ US dollar racket, you would be using a racket with strings that are well beyond your tension of handling. You would be in fact limiting your own potential and also could cause long-term damage in your arm because of this.

Also, if you play doubles, even if it's just rarely, you always run the risk of clashing with someone if you have not played with them before. There goes your expensive racket! A very hard truth to swallow, but it happens to everyone at some point.

Although I have no personally tried these rackets, they're an economical range of the ArcSaber series for intermediate players.

http://www.badmintonalley.com/Yonex_...-saber-002.htm
http://www.badmintonalley.com/Yonex_...-saber-003.htm

The specs I think would be ideal in how you want to start out as they're not too stiff and are in general all-around rackets. It's a good starting point and then from there on out you can decide what racket you want later on.

Lastly, a very good piece of advice to take is that the equipment doesn't make the player good, it's how the player wields the racket. Your money would be better spent on lessons with a coach other any piece of equipment you can buy right now, that I can guarantee you.

I know you want to look flashy with all the top of the line equipment, but trust me when I say that the fancy equipment doesn't really mean much when people actually see how you play and think the equipment is wasted on you.

I know my post sounded very negative, but I'm really just trying to give you good advice and SAVE MONEY! Unless you're super rich, playing badminton isn't cheap! Of course, I don't want you to get hurt either from using equipment that's too high of a level for you.

Edit: To provide some perspective, I'm using a $100 dollar racket
http://www.racketsupply.com/victorarterytecti99.aspx

And I'm perfectly happy with it because I have great smashes, drops, netplay, drives and clears. There are a couple members in the club who paid $250 dollars for their rackets whose are almost the same level as me, but I outplay them most of the time despite their better rackets.

**CBray** · 05-05-2011, 04:11 AM

Originally Posted by Tactim

I think I would strongly advise getting such advanced equipment at all if you've been playing only 7 weeks. Those rackets are designed for people who have played enough to know what kind of game they want to play and the equipment to suit that style of play. By getting a $200+ US dollar racket, you would be using a racket with strings that are well beyond your tension of handling. You would be in fact limiting your own potential and also could cause long-term damage in your arm because of this.

Also, if you play doubles, even if it's just rarely, you always run the risk of clashing with someone if you have not played with them before. There goes your expensive racket! A very hard truth to swallow, but it happens to everyone at some point.

Although I have no personally tried these rackets, they're an economical range of the ArcSaber series for intermediate players.

http://www.badmintonalley.com/Yonex_...-saber-002.htm
http://www.badmintonalley.com/Yonex_...-saber-003.htm

The specs I think would be ideal in how you want to start out as they're not too stiff and are in general all-around rackets. It's a good starting point and then from there on out you can decide what racket you want later on.

Lastly, a very good piece of advice to take is that the equipment doesn't make the player good, it's how the player wields the racket. Your money would be better spent on lessons with a coach other any piece of equipment you can buy right now, that I can guarantee you.

I know you want to look flashy with all the top of the line equipment, but trust me when I say that the fancy equipment doesn't really mean much when people actually see how you play and think the equipment is wasted on you.

I know my post sounded very negative, but I'm really just trying to give you good advice and SAVE MONEY! Unless you're super rich, playing badminton isn't cheap! Of course, I don't want you to get hurt either from using equipment that's too high of a level for you.

Edit: To provide some perspective, I'm using a $100 dollar racket
http://www.racketsupply.com/victorarterytecti99.aspx

And I'm perfectly happy with it because I have great smashes, drops, netplay, drives and clears. There are a couple members in the club who paid $250 dollars for their rackets whose are almost the same level as me, but I outplay them most of the time despite their better rackets.

You must be somewhat confused haha

**Tactim** · 05-05-2011, 04:13 AM

I'm not sure what I'm confused about. But I AM trying to convince you to buying a cheaper racket.

**CBray** · 05-05-2011, 04:15 AM

Originally Posted by Tactim

I'm not sure what I'm confused about. But I AM trying to convince you to buying a cheaper racket.

No that I've only been playing for 7 weeks - I understand what your saying , but I can afford the racket and even tho they may make not much of a difference but may later on.

**Avenger** · 05-05-2011, 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by CBray

1) Both
2) Beginner
3) I love to attack, but usually all around
4) Yes (but will need improvement)
5) Smash and Drop
6) Smash, drive, drop, net.. pretty much everything so I can be the best I can

7) Yonex

I do agree with Tactim.. two mid range might be better than one high end for you
when you said you want to improve ALL area, actually, what you need is training, no racket that can help you with this regard

back to topic, I would go for an all around racket (as you don't really have what to improve in your mind..)

right now, I have an arcsaber 008T and I could say it's a good all around racket
http://www.badmintonalley.com/Yonex_...-saber-008.htm

or if you really want to focus on attacking playstyle, I would go for Voltric 7
http://www.badmintonalley.com/Yonex_...-voltric-7.htm

**CBray** · 05-05-2011, 04:20 AM

As I said you can't convince me to buy a mid rage racket. I can't see the point of buying two instead of a better one that will help me in near/ or further future. It might not help me at all at the moment but I would prefer buying a top end one than a mid range.

**Avenger** · 05-05-2011, 04:20 AM

btw, for high end, I'm not really sure

I would go for Victor BS12
http://cgi.ebay.com/VICTOR-BS12-badm...ht_2437wt_1135

it is a high end racket from Victor (and they produce good racket, believe me)
P.S: you could check a thread here about BS12:
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/foru...review)/page12

**Tactim** · 05-05-2011, 04:36 AM

What you're saying actually in a way support my point of view if you think about it. I know you've been only playing for 7 weeks and that you will continue to keep playing, which is good!

The racket will make more of a difference when you figured out how you want to play your game, and THEN you can go out and buy your expensive racket. Just because you can afford the expensive racket right now, the question you have to ask yourself is whether you are making a SMART purchase based off your needs RIGHT now and for probably the next year.

The point I'm trying to make is that your racket won't make of a difference right now. And because the racket will be far too advanced for you to handle, that fact won't change and you might hurt yourself in the process. Not to mention you'll probably save yourself a 100 dollars. When you buy rackets, you should buy something that will suit your immediate need, which is probably to get a lighter racket than a steel one with a larger head face. You shouldn't get something that will suit your needs in 2-3 years. Although I know you're trying to plan for the future, it doesn't work out quite that nicely. You won't get the full benefits of the racket any time in the near future, or you may never get the full benefits because you never allowed yourself to develop your badminton skills with an easier racket with appropriate transitions in equipment when you needed it.

I know it seems very logical from your standpoint that getting 1 expensive racket is better than getting 2 rackets over the next few years, but life doesn't work out quite as perfectly as you want. What happens if you break your racket (which you couldn't even use to its full potential)? Well then you have to buy another $200+ dollar racket and you'll end up spending even more money than you intended.

In the end, I'm trying to make your experience of badminton in the beginning MORE ENJOYABLE and also less expensive. I think you vastly underestimate how long you can use a racket. An intermediate racket will do just as well as an advanced racket in your stage, and will keep doing so most likely for many years.

**Sketchy** · 05-05-2011, 08:09 AM

I pretty much have to agree with the others.

I mean, consider the NS9900 and the AT900P. They're both high-end Yonex rackets, but they're completely different, and suit completely different types of player.
Seven weeks in, there's no way you can possibly know what type of player you will be become, and therefore which of those rackets would suit you long-term. The one thing we can say with confidence, is that right now (and for the foreseeable future), neither of those rackets would suit you, because they're too stiff (it's not that you just won't notice a difference - you will actually play worse).
The Arc-Z is probably the worst possible racket for you to buy, as it's notoriously unforgiving, due to the small frame. And yes, 26lbs is WAY too high a tension.

Now that's out the way, I'll answer your answer:
I would recommend a 4U Voltric 70. It's medium flex and head-heavy (but light overall), so even a beginner should be able to get some reasonable power out of it. It's probably about the most "user-friendly" high-end Yonex. It's also an offensively-oriented racket, which is what you're asking for.