First Racket

Discussion in 'Racket Recommendation / Comparison' started by CBray, May 5, 2011.

  1. CBray

    CBray Regular Member

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    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.
     
  2. visor

    visor Regular Member

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

    CBray Regular Member

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

    visor Regular Member

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

    CBray Regular Member

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

    kaiyuan Regular Member

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

    Avenger Regular Member

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    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-S...12097319&_sid=179645449&_trksid=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?
     
  8. CBray

    CBray Regular Member

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    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
     
  9. Tactim

    Tactim Regular Member

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    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...inton_Racket_p/racket-yonex-arc-saber-002.htm
    http://www.badmintonalley.com/Yonex...inton_Racket_p/racket-yonex-arc-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.
     
    #9 Tactim, May 5, 2011
    Last edited: May 5, 2011
  10. CBray

    CBray Regular Member

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    You must be somewhat confused haha
     
  11. Tactim

    Tactim Regular Member

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

    CBray Regular Member

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    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.
     
  13. Avenger

    Avenger Regular Member

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    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...inton_Racket_p/racket-yonex-arc-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_VT7_Badminton_Racket_p/racket-yonex-voltric-7.htm
     
  14. CBray

    CBray Regular Member

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    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.
     
  15. Avenger

    Avenger Regular Member

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    #15 Avenger, May 5, 2011
    Last edited: May 5, 2011
  16. Tactim

    Tactim Regular Member

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    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.
     
    #16 Tactim, May 5, 2011
    Last edited: May 5, 2011
  17. Sketchy

    Sketchy Regular Member

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    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.
     
  18. CBray

    CBray Regular Member

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    Can you link me a trust worthy site I can buy it from?
     
  19. CBray

    CBray Regular Member

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  20. hakfu

    hakfu Regular Member

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    Well, to give you some perspective. I'm 18 years old, I've been playing badminton for more than 6 years (which before I played tennis for 8 years), and that racket is like the most advanced racket I would dare to get.

    What the others have said, if you get a too advanced racket, you'll just end up doing lots of bad shots and it can only affect negatively to your game right now, and probably even slow down your improvement speed. There's even a term for it, "Flagship fever". Don't fool yourself, get a bracket that suits you.


    About Voltric 70. If you absolutely want a high end racket, that's probably closest to what actually is useful for you. Other racket suggestions would probably be less high end & cheaper, obviously, it would not be a bad thing at all.
     

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