For the last 10 years I have been playing with the Prince Lightening, and it is likely that the frame will break when it gets restrung one more time. I recently purchased the L-Power 75 (HL) racquet and I realized that I am partial to Prince racquets. Do you happen to know of any prince racquets that are comprable to the Prince Lightening (or an upgrade of it). Does anyone know anything about the TT Beast or QF Classic? I am looking for something that is somewhat head heavy, but a little lighter than the lightening. Thank you! ps- What does Balance mean in a racquet description?
Balance refers to the wieght distribution of a racket, whether it is head heavy, head light or just balanced. Head heavy generally gives you more power as you have a faster head speed when swinging. Head light gives you more manouverability (if thats spelt right...) and generally good for precise and controlled shots and balanced gives you something in between. Can't really say much for Prince rackets, never really liked the tear drop design, but I hope that I've explained what you wanted to know with regards to the balance question.
Can you still get Prince badminton rackets in your area? In the SF bay area, and I assumed the rest of th US, Prince no longer distributes it badminton rackets (tennis rackets are no problem tho'). A few of the shops around here have just a few frames left.:crying: Are they availble in Canada? Pretty certain that you can still get 'em from the UK, the Phillipines and other sources.
In one training/instructional video that I saw in the past, a coach said that Y-shaped rackets are inferior to iso or oval head shaped racket. I guess it might my related to the head shape, string patterns, and sweet spot.
Yeah. I'd seriously consider changing to an isometric or oval shaped racket. Considering that its a popular choice for pro's and all other levels; you just don't see many prince rackets around and that surely says something. No offense meant to any prince racket owners
Since it seems near impossible to get another Prince, does anyone have some suggestions for racquet that has some weight at the head? I consider myself more of an offense type of player (unless I am playing mixed doubles). Alternatively, I am considering adding lead tape to my new racquet as an alternative, because it is too light, but I am a little hesitant about doing this... Thanks!
ummmm how much is that racket? the price range depends on how good you are, what type of player you are(such as agreesive smasher, defensive receiver) beginner (20-90$) intermediate(90+) advance (120+)
I spent $105 for the HL, but I have seen the racquet be priced for as much as $120. I am an agressive smasher, and have played at that college level (placing third in a couple of tournaments a few years ago), but unfortunately grad school prevents me from playing as much as I used to!. I am willing to pay under $200 for a reliable/reputable racquet. I want to start playing at least 3-4 times a week now, and don't want a racquet that is so light that my shoulder goes numb from playing singles after 2 hours.
It is my understanding that you don't see pros using the Y-shaped Prince (or Victor) rackets cuz they are not legal for international tournaments. These rackets were very popular in the 90s, especially with intermediate players. But since the pros could not use them for competition, Prince could not sponser the top players using their racket. Since the buying public often wants what the pros are using, even if it duznt really suit them, Prince fell out of favor with local players.
Adding lead tapes on badminton rackets is not very common. I have seen some info on tennis rackets online. Maybe they are somewhat related. Try doing some searches on badminton rackets. Is your overgrip(s), original or replacement grips very thick corresponding to each of their normal size? You might consider changing to a thinner kind to shift the balance point higher to the racket head, so it will feel more head heavy.
adding lead weight to frame I just added some lead tape to a Wilson Vision badminton racket that I bought a few days ago. I had some narrow lead tape left over from doing my tennis rackets. The Wilson badminton racket was a bit too light & headlight for my taste so I added some tape to the top of the frame. When adding tape to the head, be sure that you do not tape in such a manner as to restrict string movement thru the grommets. If you need any more hints on adding weight, let me know.
I wouldnt give up on your quest for another Prince racket so easily. If Prince rackets really suit you, then go for it. You can try buying Prince rackets from eBay or from the UK. You might be able to get one from the Phillipines (try Toby's) or Canada if none of the shops in your area have any left. You might try other areas as well (Down Under, NZ, etc). Not sure how it compares to your Lightning, but there are still some Prince Axis 65 rackets availble from ASBY sports for a mere $27. They may have only larger grips left. Since these rackets have been in a warehouse for quite a few years, the grip may need to be replaced. Ask ASBY about that. Badminton Alley also has one of the more current Prince models left. It might be well worth checking out. You might be able to find other Prince distributors here: http://princebadminton.com/distributors.asp (btw, i talk abt lead tape above in case u missed it). .
I have tried and owned quite a few Prince rackets. I'll list them from head light to head heavy. 1.Warrior 2.Beast 3.QF Light 4.NXG 85 5.QF Rip (?) 6.Stealth Ti All these except for the Stealth Ti are noticeably lighter than a Lightning. The Stealth Ti is the only one I have tried that I would even consider to be head heavy. Keep in mind I've tried 3 different Beasts and they all have different weights and balance. The weights were off by as much as 8 grams. There is one that is overgripped, string and still only 90 grams (no overgrip is 80 grams).
Great feedback. Did you ever try any of the older Axis series? If so, how would you compare them to the ones on your list. The only frame on your list that I've tried is the Warrior. It was definitely a superior racket to the Axis 65 which I've used for nearly 10 yrs (and still use). Unfortunately, after I damaged the Warrior frame & had enuff spare $$$ to replace it, it was no longer available in this area. Are most of the frames you listed above still available in Canada? Can you point us to a couple of good links (since Prince badminton is now nearly extinct in the Unite States).
Sorry, I haven't even seen an Axis. I'm not sure where these are coming from but Tad's (www.tadssports.ca) here in Vancouver carries some Beast, NXG 85 (not quadraform). I believe I saw a QF Lite a couple of weeks ago. They also have some older not flat-top Y-joint frames. I'm guessing they're fairly old models. Abbie's Sporting Goods also here Vancouver also has one of the QF (not triplethreat) models.
The Axis series probably has been out of production since the mid-to-late '90s. The rackets you've mentioned are likely all 21st frames. My guess is that the Axis rackets were similar to, or a bit above, the level of the Spectrum & the Graphite Drive. The Axis frames may have been replaced by the QF series. Was a bit disappointed that neither Tad's nor Abbie's listed the prices for their Prince rackets. Any idea of the approx price of the QF rackets? I imagine that they are somewhat cheaper than the TT and M+ series (but more than the Spectrum & Graphite Drive). I noticed that Tad's carries a Graphite O3 racket. I don't see any O3 rackets on the Prince web site, but had heard that these are available in Japan (I think). I believe that these O3s might be rackets with some oversized holes (instead of grommets?). I really like a couple of the O3 tennis rackets that I've tried & wondered how the badminton versions using this technology fared -- marketing hype or a real advantage for a badminton frame? Heard anything about the O3 series at all?
At Tad's:Beast $89,NXG $99, Classic O3 $79,QF $59. All cdn$. The O3 is the Classic O3 with a T-joint, iso-head, aero section rim, funky prismatic greenish paint. Unfortunately, it isn't the new O3 people are waiting for. IMHO the O3 concept shouldn't translate well for badminton. Topspins and slices? Even for sliced shots the regular side section won't block that much air.
Thnx for the prices. You could be correct about the O3 technology for badminton frames. I was a bit suspicious of the notion when I had heard about it (epsecially since the O3 rackets show up on the Japanese site but not the other Prince badminton sites). This would not be the 1st time that a successful tennis technology had been incorporated for badminton even tho' duznt quite make sense. NE1 have any ideas on the relative stiffness of the QF or other frames mentioned? The Prince site duznt say. Could find no info on the Lightning badminton frames either. (A google search yields tons of links for strings and squash rackets with that name). NE1 know when these rackets came out & where they were distributed? Any specs on them at all?
