Bought a second hand PRO 9000 to see what is it all about: Specs that I got: 87g + 294mm + strung with NBG 98 at 27 pounds Worthy rackets I have owned or played with previously: - APACS Tantrum 200 (owned and sold) - Yonex ArcSaber 10 (demoed) - Yonex ArcSaber Z-Slash (demoed) Racket reviews are very subjective and I won't rate this in numbers or in categories, but in summary, hands down, best racket that I have owned or played with. Period. I would rate it as good, if not better than the Tantrum 200, but sadly I have sold it off and it is too far back for me to be able to do a comparison. The ArcSabers were demoed from friends, but neither spoke to me enough for me to even remember what they felt like. The 9000 felt solid and with only a hint of head heaviness but manouverable enough in defence. Seriously considering trying out the PRO 6000 just for kicks to see what it might bring to the table (and I was also a click away from buying a BS9) Overall, an excellent racket with exceptional value for money price. Justin.
i just got mine last week with an order of 10 strings and 10 grips. eric was pretty quick about it, money sent on weds morn and received it on friday eve. had one session with it and i'm amazed with the speed & power. lots of power for clears and smashes, defensively too fast at the moment cause i kept missing my blocks as the shuttle would pass after i swung my racket but no problems with smashing. this is pretty big coming from both BSs and VTs user. i'd say a racket that the MX70 & VT70 I wished should have been
Most players are looking for a racket that gives you the extra punch and naturally, a stiffer racket is the one that comes first to anyone's mind. It all depends on the style of play. Wristy players prefer a stiffer racket. Arm / Big swing players may prefer something a little more flexi. Just like Fu Haifeng who likes a mere mid stiff F9. Perhaps players with such style are a minority. Pro9000 is selling like hot cakes here and less takers for Pro6000. On the contrary, Pro6000 has become my current go to and i cannot step into the court without it now So easy to wield power, quick and well controlled in defence, slight head heaviness complimenting large swings which helps flexing the shaft more giving you unrivalled power. It felt so natural to me and was back to decent playing form almost immediately. The only rackets that gave me the same are BS09, Kumpoo2300, Panda Trinity 1/2/Pro. My take is if you like BS09, BS11, BS12, Kason F9, Panda Trinity 1/2/Pro or any other similar rackets, you are likely to love Pro6000. Personally i wouldnt compare Pro9000 to AT900P as the latter is a box framed traditional head heavy and stiff racket. Imho, Pro9000 plays more like SW37, SW30. Light weight semi box and semi aero frame with Titanium added to the head to give it a head heavy hammer feel yet without the demands of a traditional out n out head heavy racket. Not forgetting it is miraculously fast in defence and didnt feel like a head heavy racket at all untill you start launching overhead rockets. And the aftermath is so different too. You are launching bombs yet lactic doesnt build up and none of the strains from a demanding traditional box frame. I wouldnt say Pro6000 is less powerful than Pro9000. It all depends on which one you are comfortable with and your style of play. Personally i just feel that Pro6000 gives me the same power as Pro9000 with slightly lesser effort due to my style of play. Maybe i should offer some mega unbelievable promotion for Pro6000 singaporebadmintonstringing.blogspot.com
Just got my last batch of RKEP rackets. Think I'm good for a while now. Green ones are 87g/292mm (Singles) Blue ones are 85g/290mm (Doubles)
The current model BS11 is super flexy, the older model isn't. As far as I can ascertain, the pro6000 is basically an old spec BS11.
Here's an idea..... Eric, do you think that adding Titanium mesh to the 6000 and adding weight at 12 o'clock to bring it up to a BP of 300 would be something worth trying? I'm thinking trying to push the Sword platform into the realm of the 'slightly head-heavy', but doing something to improve it's torsional stiffness to make sure it doesn't become too noodly.
Actually a strung 295mm Pro6000 with its original grip removed and adding your own grip can produce a 300mm BP racket.
Yes i have that problem too. I guess it has something to do with the different specs of BS11 in different countries. Nonetheless no denying that Pro6000 is a piece of quality product that stands out on its own and not living in any other rackets' shadows.
duno yet... pro 6000 is good... i personnally..like pro 9000 beta.. maybe its just only my kind of play....
Oh they are pretty, I thought you said you were only going to get one in green paint. But seriously, what are you going to do with 7 of the same rackets? A random thought, I think RKEP should lengthen the over grips so I can wrap over the cone and end up at the shaft, like some of the pro players in doubles.
^^ You may want to email Eric at RKEP to see if he's got any extra long G09L's leftover. He used to sell them but I don't see it on his eBay site anymore.
Hehe, that's a good question. It's actually a whole series of things that made go heavy on the RKEP PRO 9000. - I've made it my go-to racket. - I've tried a lot of rackets over a short period of time since I took up badminton again and the PRO 9K has been the one that has offered me the best all-round performance. - The fact that you can customize the specs for you liking makes it feel like two different rackets even though they are both named PRO 9K. - I'm playing team matches for a club so when we are out playing I'd like to have at least one backup of each spec should the string or racket break. - The coaches/teammates at the club started getting a little annoyed with me trying out new rackets every week, making me never play at my best because I was always adjusting to a new racket... - And lastly, Eric has been very kind and given me some great offers on these rackets allowing me to get that many for a very reasonable price. I'm not saying it isn't overkill but at least I don't have to go look for another racket for a very long time. Something my coaches/teammates and wallet will probably be thankful for.
