Ahhh come on... I like the new colors better :'( Must resists buying one more RKEP PRO 9000 just coz' of color...
talk about speed.......... paid eric on tuesday noon, racket was shipped out tuesday evening. received the racket today late afternoon!! so send the racket in for a string job this evening. Specs : 4UG2 Flex: Stiff Dry Weight : 85g Balance: 294 mm Strings: NBG98 (included) Tension: 24lbs (2 knots) Grip: original grip removed, handle wrapped with electrical tape (no overlapping) and gripped with RKEP G01 grip with minimum overlapping. Playability: went out for a 2 hour session just now and played a few games with this racket. during the warmups, i can feel the repulsive qualities of this racket already. clears to the baseline requires very little effort and drops from the baseline to areas before the serve line are precise and crisp. despite the box frame design of the frame, defensive play aren't a slouch either. it could be due to the current racket setup which feels only a tad on the head heavy side. with the very limited court time with this racket so far, the feel from the racket is quite solid and i didnt face any problems adapting to it just now. will get more court time with it cometh the weekend.
If shipping from UK to Denmark is below $25 it would actually make sense for me to join a group buy like this just to get a green one.
Okay, based on the verbal agreement with Eric, I provide a review of RKEP9000 below. First of all, Eric's delivery service continues to amaze. I ordered this on Feb. 25 (a Saturday), and the racket made to Canada from Taiwan on Feb. 29 (Wednesday), perfectly packaged as usual. This is my fifth time buying from Eric, each transaction has been flawless. My review will be a different type than the previous ones on in this thread. I will not do a subjective scale rating from 1 to 10. In my mind, each person's preference and what they consider perfect is widely different and not very informational. All I learn is other ppl liked this racket but I have no objective reference for comparison. Rather, I will compare the PRO9000 with the Victor MX70. Given the Victor brand and the status of the MX series, if PRO9000 compares to that, then it is very much a top quality racket. Of course, if you don't know anything about MX70, this review will not help you too much. The dry specs of the PRO9000 are 85grams and 295bp. Both rackets are strung at 25lb with BG70pro, with original grip intact and over-gripped with RKEP G09 grip. Including string and grip, my MX70 (3U) weighs 95grams while the 9000 weighs 93. I don't have a sophisticated balance point measure but feel similar. Stiffness: both the 9000 and MX70 have a level 4 stiffness indicator, I have no idea whether the scales for Victor and RKEP are the same, but both rackets feel similar to me and less stiff than my Victor Artery tec-99 classic, which is one of Victor's stiffest rackets. Play: I played the first half of club night with the 9000 and the second half with MX70. I will share the findings below. I will play again next Monday, during which I will use MX70 first and follow with the 9000. I feel this is the best way to control for other differences not relevant to the racket, such as my energy level in a particular day. Smashing: I had easy time generating power with the 9000, not surprising given its stiffness and the titanium around the head for extra weight. The racket head is very stable, allowing for great precision. I had similar feelings for the MX70 except the shuttle did not travel as fast, therefore I am tempted to give the edge to the 9000 but the other reason maybe fatigue. So I will wait until next time to make a conclusion. Clearing: Given proper technique, this racket clears from end to end very easily. Earlier in the night, I unexpectedly hit a few past the base line because I had been playing with the Artery tec99 prior to last night. This is quite reasonable given the additional flex of the 9000. Because of the box frame, 9000 feels slower than MX70, which has an aerodynamic (octablade) frame and this difference is noticeable. However, since I play doubles, the box frame also provides greater durability in event of clashes, so that is a tradeoff I consciously make. Therefore, while 9000 clearly fulfills my expectations, MX70 wins in this department because of its swinging speed. Defense: A power racket is naturally weaker in defense, but this racket is noticeably better than my artery tec99 because the weight is evenly distributed around the head of the racket. Drives and lifts require less effort and I was able to maneuver the racket when retrieving hard smashes. It played very similar to the MX70 and I cannot decide between the two. Net shot and drop shot: The efficacy of these shots depend so much on feel, string tension, and head weight, I feel it is pointless to rate the racket on this dimension. I will just say that I did not take me long to get used to the racket. In fact, my doubles serve was not affected much at all even though I just got this racket. Looks: The paint work and the decals are very important to me as I view rackets as pieces of art as well as tools of the sport. I find the 9000 paint very attractive, in particular the lacquer on the side of the oval frame is beautiful to look and touch. The turkey green is actually a very good colour, combined with the decals on the frame the racket appears simple and elegant. In contrast, the MX70 is a very flashy racket with metallic silver paint and exuberant patterns. Their appeal suit different moods, but both are aesthetically pleasing. Final word: The 9000 has not made me a better badminton player, but owning it made me want to go play badminton even more. In terms of playability, I don’t find it superior to the MX70 but that is the point, MX70 is a great racket and comes at a price much higher than the 9000; so the decision of which one to buy if I had to do this again is a no-brainer. After my second session, I will report my final verdict and the winner will become my new go-to doubles racket. Thank you for reading
Hard decision for me, For the long run, between RKEP PRO9000 nad Apacs Lethal 70, Which one should I get?
just get RKEP PRO9000 or 6000, you won't regret. they are good rackets but they are only 4U, i don't know if they are too light for your because L70 is 3U.
For the best smash possible, should I get 3U? If I get 9000 should I get 85g?, and is it with string or not? Im very sure if I get 9000, I will get the highest Bp 295?
Pro6000 is quite good too, it has the model of Victor Brave Sword and Apacs Lethal 90. fast swinging racket
Just played an additional few more hours with the 9000. Very nice! With almost the same specs as my MX80, it's a tad less stiff, just as accurate, has great feel, more powerful, but a tad less maneuverable in the forecourt. It's much more user friendly than the MX80 at the expense of forecourt speed. Hmmm, maybe I'll pick up a slightly lighter one in apple green. Another characteristic I've noticed, the power shots (eg. hard smash/clear/drive) are very loud! It's way louder than my MX80/70 or SW30. Even a tad louder than my VT80. Has anyone else noticed this? Not that it's a bad thing... but it sure surprised the heck out of me and my partner!
Hehe, I thought you're busy watching the German Open. If you read my review on page 4 and also above, I can tell you it's stiffness is between MX80 and MX70. Just as accurate and great feel as MX80 but more user friendly and easily accesible power, ie. easier on the arm and shoulder. (Mind you though, that's with VS850 strings on all my rackets, so I already get great feel with that string...however, the SW30 somehow lacked the feel even with the same string.) Only con is it's a tad less maneuverable (due to the less aerodynamic design), so I have to remember not to get involved in those half court flat fast drives. But that can be rectified by picking a slightly lighter frame... which I'm seriously pondering.
bare naked dry... no string, no overgrip because those add-ons vary widely in weight depending on what you choose
I want this racket to weight the same as AT 900 Power 3U Do you know how many gram AT 900 is with out string?
