Sir!!! Are you serious? Are you trying to drive this Panda up a wall? ... Think about what you wrote for a minute. How can anyone possibly know what the BP is going to be for ANY modified grip? It's too general, too broad a number. You as an engineer should know this more than anyone. The best Panda can do is give you the data that's available and you do your own calculations based on how you grip the rackets. Bad Wolffie! Panda's delaying your Christmas presents! That's the thing, you don't - badminton racquets are as much feel as specs. So when I get one that feels right - I make sure to get two or three with the same specs prior to re-gripping - that's assumig the manufacturer uses s standard grip type for all raquets they produce in a specific model. I always re-grip to accomodate my stubby fingers, knowing the this will make the racquet feel more head heavy. I know lots of people that get new raquets and put on a new grip - many like that new contoured stuff that has the foam ridge... not considering that it will change the BP slightly and made it feel more head light. For me specs are making sure that I get consistent product when I need mutiple racquets, but I never buy raquet based on specs. I buy it based on how it feels. The best example is this business about stiffness. As you know from that Forza SP I sent you - a midflex from about 7 years ago is stiffer than most "ultra stiffs" produced now (and that one has had a lot of playing hours so the graphite will have broken down a bit). The spec says one thing, playability says another.
http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1322488&postcount=11 To Panda, with today's aluminum alloys, can u inquire your sources to see if they would consider making a batch of oval or isometric high grade Aluminium alloy frame racket? Make it longer like today's racket, external t-joint is fine to keep the cost down. I believe it can be made in 3U and 2U weight range. My dream racket would be a titanium frame tho
Vining, this is not Badminton 101. What you are saying is very rudimentary, what you would tell first time badminton players. It's not necessary and your comparison are out-of-context. Are you drunk? 1) Of course personal "feel" is the most important aspect; that's why there are so many different rackets and brands. If everyone had the same feel there would only need to be one racket. Since there so many rackets, without specs, you cannot know what is more suited for you. For instance if there were no specs at all, you'd have to try every racket to find the best one. With specs, you can minimize your choices. 2) You cannot compare a racket 7-8 years old to rackets that are current, at least not the way you are comparing them. If we do, why don't we compare the Yonex Blackie 8100? Or any of the old steel rackets? The are all 100+g and much stiffer than anything currently available. If you want to compare them, you need to disclose, which brings us to # 3... 3) If you do a search I've probably said this over 50 times: unless otherwise stated, when we discuss things, we assume all other things being equal, "ceteris paribus". If each time we have to disclose a long list of assumed assumptions, each post will be like this one...long, unnecessary and repetitive. So when we talk about rackets and their specs, it's compared to rackets that are currently produced. We all know rackets in the past were much more demanding. You mentioning it, in your context, it just is out of context, and misleading. 4) I've told you this before when we met, do not always believe everything the manufacturer says, there are tolerance levels in manufacturing, some times they are not met yet the rackets are still produced. We at DC Badminton try to minimize those deviations by telling you the exact weight and BP and relative stiffness to known current standards. We try to give you all the information possible so you can make the best choice. And that is all we try to do... ...the feel is up to you.
Naw, no backwards engineering. To date, graphite is still the best material for badminton rackets. Until F1 Racing uses another material, until another material is created, that's superior, Panda is sticking to graphite...though he's looking to venture into woven graphite (if the costs are not too great).
No, Not drunk. Was at work, trying to type very fast and a tad scattereed in my thoughts. My point is more that there is no stiffness spec (BK has a "rigidty index", but even that is tad subjective) and over the last few years that seems to have changed. as you said relative stiffness to known current standards - the word relative does not equate to a specification, like BP or weight. Even amoungst the various producers, there is wide variance in "stiffness". The RSL version of stiff isn't even in the same league as the stiffness of a BK raquets. I'd love to see some industry wide standard made on stiffness like a deflection test. (Proace - are you listening...) Y'know I never once look at the specs of the U1 that had you on the board here. Not once. ( yeah I know you're staring at the screen blankly, thinking I have been drinking... only raspberry juice). You said it was head heavy, stiff and gave me the approximate weight. Knowing that we are both heavy hitters, I had confidence it was going to be a racquet that I was likely to use. Thus I don't get that hung up on specs much anymore (why is a long story and whole conversation that you, I, Pete and Cooler could have over several gallons of green tea) and yes when I have considered a racquet switch in the past I tend to test out a lot of raquets. re-sold many too. ( though not as many as you) I've been curious about titanium too. BK had their version of the Cab 8 that was titanium headed. It was only available to a few sponsored players. Nice hitting stick.
Well, there is, sort of, the "SOTX" standard which many are using now. The relative max stiffness is 7.0, most flexible being 10.0. Most rackets are around 8.5 - 8.0. The U1 = 7.0-7.5, Cab 22 around 7.2, your Forza's about 7.5, 1st Gen Ti10 about 7.8-8.0. These are approximations. That's your fault not mine. The U1s I sent you were not head heavy nor heavy. They were moderate. You did not specify what you wanted so I went a bit conservative and went lighter and less head heavy. Always better to have a bit more defense than offense. The U1s were about 86.5g-87.5g, BP290, the norm. If you wanted something heavier and more head heavy, you should have said something. Finally, Panda is not a heavy hitter, Panda just dinks and has fun, hence the name "DinkALot". However, the Chinese government does not recognize this name as it still calls me "Guai-Guai".
Guai-Guai? ... I'll stick to Panda... Much easier to say. Based on previous measurements, stripping the handle down to the minimal; grip I use, shifts the BP by about 1 - 1.5 mm to more heavy heavy. Most other players don't like my set up of only 21 lbs tension and thin grip with head heavy preference. Spent many many hours tinkering that I've got it almost down to a science ( my dad must have thought I OCD at times) to try and blend power and control. It is also somewhat driven by my large swing arc and stubby finger. ( I aslo strip down my squash raquet grips to a thin overgrip too) U1 is a great stick. Once I get the second one, the SP is off to retirement.
I'm including a holiday bonus, a U2. See how you like the U2, it's a bit less demanding, more mobile. I'm sure you'll have fun either way.
Yes, I know Vining, personally. He is a friend. He came over to visit Panda and Company so Vining gets special discounts and freebies... ...if you come and visit Panda and run him around, you can probably get some discounts and freebies too.
Update: the T2 should be shipping in 12-24 hours. Panda should receive them on the 15th to 18th, depending on customs. No images yet. Will post something as soon as the manufacturer sends me some photos.
Or we don't have to play and just run to Little Malaysia and get some Hokkien Mee Soup with egg curry and roti canai! Oh, need a few ice barleys with lime too!
