When does the "need" to try new rackets begin to impede development?

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by cycilver, Dec 1, 2012.

  1. amleto

    amleto Regular Member

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2008
    Messages:
    2,890
    Likes Received:
    89
    Location:
    UK


    Why did you put quotes around his nickname?
     
  2. latecomer

    latecomer Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2012
    Messages:
    1,291
    Likes Received:
    137
    Occupation:
    selfemploy
    Location:
    aberdeen
    Can you show me the proper way. Thanks in advance.
     
  3. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,554
    Likes Received:
    2
    Occupation:
    working professional
    Location:
    Santa Clara County, California, USA
    The only rackets I've tested are the ones I own. And because I have no plans of selling any of them, I can always go back and retest them and judge them appropriately according to the change of my game as well as my lack of skills, lol
     
  4. maxout

    maxout Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2012
    Messages:
    619
    Likes Received:
    19
    Location:
    Malaysia
    The convention used in this forum (from what I have observed) is: @gundamzaku - ... (message) :)
     
  5. latecomer

    latecomer Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2012
    Messages:
    1,291
    Likes Received:
    137
    Occupation:
    selfemploy
    Location:
    aberdeen
    Thanks, over 350 posts in 4 months, amazing.
     
  6. latecomer

    latecomer Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2012
    Messages:
    1,291
    Likes Received:
    137
    Occupation:
    selfemploy
    Location:
    aberdeen
    Then, how many rackets you have tested and what is the average time needed per each racket.
     
  7. Danze

    Danze Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2012
    Messages:
    9
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    malaysia
    72 rackets, WOW.
    But you know that there are really only 2 main types of racket. I don't know why you need 72 rackets none of which suit you.

    Head Heavy
    Lightweight

    then you have flex which is really just 1. stiff 2. middle 3. flexible

    I think you are more interested in badminton rackets than badminton.
     
  8. maxout

    maxout Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2012
    Messages:
    619
    Likes Received:
    19
    Location:
    Malaysia
    Oh, it is easy to rack up the numbers when you start to help people seeking racquet recommendations - unfortunately, I realised MAJORITY "don't like" my choice of the "magic wand" - Carbonex20sp hahahaha ... too old-fashioned (oval) ... but it is a GREAT RACQUET , so far, the BEST I have ever played with ... :D
     
  9. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,554
    Likes Received:
    2
    Occupation:
    working professional
    Location:
    Santa Clara County, California, USA
    well first i'll need a default racket, meaning a racket that i will always go back to for comparison. and only recently i've found a decent racket that i enjoy playing consistently, the yonex arc002. it's considered a low-end racket, even balance, flexible shaft. the reason i picked the even balance is because my lack of strength to play with a head heavy racket consistently (tho i love my victor superwave 35). the arc002 is just easy to play and very forgiving because of its shaft flexibility. the other go to racket is the carlton vapour trail vanquish which is also even balance and medium stiff. the yonex felt like a high 3u and the carlton felt like a low 3u regarding weight. i used to use the yonex carbonex 8600ti which is an oval head racket. tho yonex rated that racket medium stiffness, it felt stiffer to me than that. i now no longer use it since my strength had decreased a bit. i have four cab8600ti and those are the rackets i used to test different strings these days.

    because i continue to go back to the arc002, i have a "constant" i can use to compare with other rackets. testing for me takes time. i usually play with a new racket and try to adjust just my hitting style so that i can perform the same as if i was using the arc002. sometimes it takes days, sometimes it takes weeks. there are also times where i just gave up because i couldn't achieve what i had just mentioned. because i don't play tournaments anymore, my playing style or my hitting style doesn't matter to me that much. that's the only reason why i can afford all this change. if you are still into tournaments or even playing competitively, i would suggest you not to do what i did. you want a racket that would enhance your game, not the other way around. to be more accurate about the time spent "testing" or trying out rackets, i would measure it in terms of playing sessions. usually my playing sessions lasts between 2-4 hours. so since i'm used to my arc002 or my vt vanquish, it would only take me 1hr to get use to playing with them. if it's something new, like the vtzf ltd, then i'll probably need2-3 sessions to get use to. i have played with it in warmup rallies, but not in a game.

    lastly, your opponents also make a difference. if you're can, try to play with opponents of the same skill level so that the technicality of the game is consistent. usually when i "test" my rackets i play with people at a skill level that's a bit lower than me, so that i can actually pay attention to the racket during a game and not need to completely focus in a game. this might not work for you, but it works for me :)
     
  10. visor

    visor Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2009
    Messages:
    16,401
    Likes Received:
    2,001
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    @gundamzaku:

    you really have to try out the precision pro or the revelation... that should be the end of your racket searching for a bit ... they are that good... :)
     
  11. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,554
    Likes Received:
    2
    Occupation:
    working professional
    Location:
    Santa Clara County, California, USA
    ahahaha, this is the second time someone suggested that to me, and i will once i figure out the exact specs i want, and i'll order one along with an order from customwerqs, hehe :)
     
  12. maxout

    maxout Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2012
    Messages:
    619
    Likes Received:
    19
    Location:
    Malaysia
    And BOTH racquets will set you back around USD400 .... :eek: :D Never mind, do pm me when you want to get "rid" of them at KNOCKDOWN PRICE .... your prefered Arc02 is not that far off my fav Cab20sp specs .... so whatever you spec, I am sure I can "use" them too !! :p
     
  13. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,554
    Likes Received:
    2
    Occupation:
    working professional
    Location:
    Santa Clara County, California, USA
    unfortunately i have never sold any of my athletic equipment. i still have an 8lbs bowling ball sitting in my closet somewhere with my brunswick shoes, hahahahahaha.

    to be honest, i especially treasure lesser known brand rackets since they are probably made in very limited quantity, and in this case, both rackets will be "custom" made (which makes me feel special like LD or LCW) so i probably will never sell it :( and if it works out (rarely with me and rackets) i'll probably order a few of the same racket and that would be the end of racket research, tho i'll still be buying "limited editions" from yonex and victor.

    right now i'm just pondering on whether i should bite the bullet and buy a few different models from Head since they are getting out of badminton? i'll be in HK in mid of Jan so that's when my shopping "spree" starts...luckily, there's just one racket i want, the VT88LTD. badminton alley selling at 260+tax while HK sells it at under 200USD, so since i'll be in HK anyway, i'll save myself 60USD per racket :)
     
  14. latecomer

    latecomer Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2012
    Messages:
    1,291
    Likes Received:
    137
    Occupation:
    selfemploy
    Location:
    aberdeen
    @gundamzaku so, when would you stop testing one racket and move on to the next one.
     
  15. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,554
    Likes Received:
    2
    Occupation:
    working professional
    Location:
    Santa Clara County, California, USA
    i usually stop when i get consistent with a racket. i know when i can play well and i know when i play poorly. when i'm playing at a consistent level, whether good or bad, that's when i know i'm getting use to a racket, which takes about 3-4 months with the frequency of sessions playing 2-3 times a week, 3-4hrs per session. :)

    the most important thing to me is how it feels in my hand. very personally speaking, if it doesn't feel good to me, i don't care what people say or how it looks, i wouldn't want to pick it up and force myself to play with it, cos that'll just piss me off and makes me want to break it in half.

    example, i think the Li Ning N90 Woods is a beautiful looking racket, but because of the way it vibrates and its sheer weight, i hate playing with it. same thing with the N50 (Flames?). it also annoys me that i can't feel that head heaviness of the racket that some on this forum was claiming, so i just don't use it. they are both unstrung hanging on my badminton rack.
     
  16. latecomer

    latecomer Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 6, 2012
    Messages:
    1,291
    Likes Received:
    137
    Occupation:
    selfemploy
    Location:
    aberdeen
    Then, gundamzaku, why did you buy them if they don't look good or feel right to you? Put them up for adoption or hold a fire sell.
     
  17. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,554
    Likes Received:
    2
    Occupation:
    working professional
    Location:
    Santa Clara County, California, USA
    some do look good, and others have been recommended by people, so my curiosity got the best of me and i made the purchase.

    i don't sell athletic equipment at all and i will never sell my rackets since i'm semi collecting rackets. main reason is because i know it's a sport that i will always want to play like billiard and cycling/mtn biking. :)

    lastly, they mean more to me than a lot of other things, so why would i want to sell it if i have a wall to hang them and i'm not in need of cash for emergency or anything? hehe.
     
  18. maxout

    maxout Regular Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2012
    Messages:
    619
    Likes Received:
    19
    Location:
    Malaysia
    @gundamzaku .... please go try a CAB20 ... put yourself out of this misery of searching for the perfect racquet ... it is here now and has been for the past 28 years !! :D Try it and if you don't like it, SELL IT to me ... I will buy it from you at your COST price (less postage - please include sales receipt) ... just make sure, it is either G4 or G5 grip size !! :D


    This is a SPECIAL OFFER from me just for you !! :D
     
    #38 maxout, Dec 12, 2012
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2012
  19. visor

    visor Regular Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2009
    Messages:
    16,401
    Likes Received:
    2,001
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    and my advice to him is...

    please go try a p pro or revelation... that should put out this misery of searching for rackets! :p :D
     
  20. gundamzaku

    gundamzaku Regular Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2008
    Messages:
    2,554
    Likes Received:
    2
    Occupation:
    working professional
    Location:
    Santa Clara County, California, USA
    i will get a cab20 for the year 2013 and i'll try it out. if it doesn't work out, i'll just let it hang with the rest of my carbonex collection. :) i already have a cab8600ti, cab star 1, cab 30 muscle, cab 35, and cab 50, plus a cab 21sp, and a normal cab 21. one more to complete my current collection.

    CRAP! i just realized that badminton alley stopped selling the cab20 and cab25. argh!!!

    yes i'll get one of them for 2013 also, along with a customworqs and RKEP racket as well :)
     

Share This Page