RKEP PRO6000 PRO9000 badminton racket

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by Squash Eric, Feb 4, 2012.

  1. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Whole heartedly agree. 87g +/-1.5 with bp 295mm would be very nice. However gotta be careful not too much more head wt than than as that will make the shaft behave much more flexier than it's intended or designed for.
     
  2. j4ckie

    j4ckie Regular Member

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    Ah. In that case, nvm. With the frames I have I came to the conclusion 86g would be ideal, which isn't too far from your preference....and in the end, personal preference is just that. Personal. Although in my opinion there are limits, i.e. an aerodynamic frame should not be heavier than 88g as the aerodynamic feature loses it's advantage at higher weights (swing is so slow that the reduced air resistance is not a big boost anymore) and the stability and power of a boxier frame are more beneficial from a certain point on. Regrettably, my heavier Bs09 is over the edge and just too heavy to be really playable for me :/

    Anyhow, 87g is still a reasonable weight for this racket in my eyes, even though it would probably not be my personal favorite, 86 or 86.5 at the most would probably be great for me. Really plan on taping some smashes and maybe a doubles game on Monday, I rather curious if the difference between this and my go-tos is visible on video or not...
     
  3. soulless

    soulless Regular Member

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    My review of the XP-60 after 3.5 hours of play

    To start off: I play both singles and doubles and like to smash a lot but is weak on defence. I have been using the Pro9000 for doubles about one year. I get the sense that some of the reviewers have others as go-to's but mine is the Pro9000. For singles I use a 3u MX70.

    The XP60 is a 295mm and 85 grams, same specs as my Pro9000s. However the XP60 is strung with VS850 rather than my usual BG70 at 25lbs. The grip on the XP is the new G16 ribbed grip from RKEP, while I have the G08 soft grip on the pro9000. The XP60 is also a little stiffer than the pro9000. Given these additional differences the comparison is not too scientific, but the conclusion is clear, XP60 (potential the XP70) is a superior racket. Let me elaborate

    Speed: The shape of the racket is closer to the victor BS series rather than the MX series. Reading the existing reviews I knew the racket will be fast and I was not disappointed. When I do baseline clears and smashes with the pro9000 I always had to put a little extra wrist snap on it to get a nice crisp sound, this is not the case with the the XP series. The follow through motion on clears and smashes are very smooth and the power is the same. So I echo the previous reviewers saying that the racket is very 'solid' upon impact. To me this is the best feature of this racket, power without additional headweight.

    Defense: give the speed the defense on blocks really shines, I was able to get a lot of shuttles back, but to be honest, the pro9000 is an excellent defensive racket (especially at the 295 4u) so slightly better. What XP60 does better is on lifts near the net, I don't have to 'force it' as much and get very accurate placement as the result.

    Smashes: I feel the same power as my 3u MX70, but give the XP60 is a 4U it is definitely a pleasant surprise. The racket is not very head heavy but it is very fast so it turns from defense to offense real fast. It is not the heaviest smashing racket I have used but its performance is exceptional given the specs.

    Net shots: I had no trouble with control in this area, given it is the very first time I used it. I think it will only get better with time.

    Easy of use: No orientation time needed for me, picked up the racket at warm up and did not look back. I only used pro9000 a bit to do a comparison but this racket feels good from the very get go to the very end.

    Looks and durability: This is the only area which I can say anything negative. Given the shape, it will not be as durable as the pro9000. I had a small glancing clash today in doubles and the paint chipped in three spots. It is not as tough as my MX70, which may be due to the thickness of the clear lacquer. Not the best for sure. The racket looks more purplish than blue upon inspection and the design is 'modest' as it does not stand out, even compared to the pro9000. On the top it says Magic Power Frame, a bit tacky I think, but given the wonderful things Eric did with the performance maybe it is magic. So I think the paint and design can be improve upon, after a price hike of course :).

    After using the XP-60, it is bitter sweet to me as I feel that it is a superior racket to the Pro9000 in most performance aspects, which means my 3 trusty pro9000s might start to collect dust. I will try the XP-70 next week, I imagine it would be a similar racket but easier on the shoulder because it is not as stiff.

    Congrats Eric on a wonderful racket at exceptional prices, but you may have cannibalized your other big hit, the Pro9000. Keep the engineers working!
     
  4. dexter980

    dexter980 Regular Member

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    Hi,
    I have this question maybe some of you can help me with this. I bought RKEP9000 (84g @ 295 mm). I feel the spec i picked is too light and when I hit the shuttle, the shaft couldnt flex enough to give power. When I do my next purchase, how much weight of racquet should i increase to get a usable flex?

    PS: I like the shaft stiffness because when I bend it with hand, it felt similar to my arc saber 10 PR.
     
  5. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    if you can get athlete's tape or hockey tape, just use about 3-4 inches each at 10 and 2 o'clock positions to increase your head/swing weight noticeably enough to give more power and flex the shaft more

    for sure your next purchase should be the xp70 (slightly flexier than pro9000), probably 86-87g bp 295mm... :p
     
  6. dexter980

    dexter980 Regular Member

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    Thank you for your comment Visor.
     
  7. ah.b|ack

    ah.b|ack Regular Member

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    I'm currently using Pro9000, after hearing all those good review on Xp70, I'm really tempted... However... Maybe I'm being picky... I'm a bit disappointed that it's not woven...

    I dont know why, but this really happened to me. For the past few weeks, I've been trying to get back to my VT70, just felt it's a bit wasted as it's under utilized... But the feeling is different, way different. It's not just about the timing hitting the shuttle or the accuracy, but it's the hitting feel. I never knew woven would provide such solid feel. I end up getting a Zelm Ultimate 700, a woven racket as well. After a session with it, I've confirmed myself that it's the solidness of woven racket that keeps me from going back to my VT70... VT70 just felt... Not so solid anymore =.=

    Still hesitating... whether to get the new Xp70, despite all the good review here T.T
     
  8. betazone

    betazone Regular Member

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    Dexter,
    why not try 300mm BP if they still have it.
    you can also remove the original grip to increase the head-heavyness.

     
  9. j4ckie

    j4ckie Regular Member

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    Removing the grip will not alter the playing characteristics. Removing some weight at the bottom will not increase the weight (and thus the momentum) of the head - you need to add weight to do that. Same applies for adding weight to the bottom, it will NOT make the racket faster just because the BP is a bit lower. That particular can of worms has been opened several times in multiple threads already though so I won't explain it once more here :D

    Regarding the athletic tape on the head to increase head heaviness: like so.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  10. soulless

    soulless Regular Member

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    You covered up the MPF on your XP70, now the magic is gone :D
     
  11. betazone

    betazone Regular Member

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    I differ on that, removing the original grip means 8 grams off the weight of the racquet. If we are not particular about weight why do we need to specify the weight of the racquet:)

    Normal physics dictate that changes in weight etc will affect playing characteristics, of course it is anotehr matter whetehr the player himself can detect such minute changes.

    I do agree that there is no point polluting this thread, so we shall not debate on that.

     
  12. j4ckie

    j4ckie Regular Member

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    Don't misunderstand me - the weight of the racket is very important. It's the adding and removing weight at the handle that has no impact on playing characteristics :)

    (After all, all racket weights include the grip. So, if you get a 84g 295mm racket and remove the grip, all you do is reduce the handle's weight. While that will increase the BP, it also lowers the overall weight of the racket, and does absolutely nothing at all to change the racket's swing weight. It might only feel different because the grip is way thinner.)
     
  13. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    #513 visor, Jan 28, 2013
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2013
  14. j4ckie

    j4ckie Regular Member

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    Uhhhhh. Awesome. Mustn't drool over the keyboard.....hope I can afford 2 pairs though. They are great, but I am on a rather limited budget for the foreseeable future :D SH8500 yellow aren't too bad-looking either. Can anyone here compare? Already asked in threads about those models, but no one seems have worn both or interested in answering.
    PS: Had more time with the XP70s today. Review coming up soon.
     
  15. soulless

    soulless Regular Member

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    I am considering Victor shoes. Is it true that Victor sizes are different than Yonex? They are not being sold locally so I cannot try out in person.
     
  16. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    I'm 9 in both and they fit me exactly the same.
     
  17. bakulaw

    bakulaw Regular Member

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    OT: which YY/Victor shoes models do you use?
    YY shoes has varying fit between models...
     
  18. j4ckie

    j4ckie Regular Member

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    The mm sizes should be the same. In the RKEP ebay-shop you can see the mm sizes easily, and Victor always declares them anyway. I think the only difference is that Victor's 45,5 fits me although I need 46 in Yonex...and generally speaking Victor shoes are a tad wider.
     
  19. LD rules!

    LD rules! Regular Member

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    Can we rename this thread "RKEP Rackets" as we're no longer just discussing the Pro 6000/9000.
     
  20. slice99

    slice99 Regular Member

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    Hey Soulless, i wear 9.5 yonex shoes (102ltd, F1 ltd, SHB86). I currently use victor sh9000ace size 9.5 and i have to wear 2 pair of socks to fill them... In my opinion, victor shoes are a lilttle bit bigger so either take the same size or go 0.5 size smaller. :)
     

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