Although LYD can pack a punch too, it's not really designed for back court play. Doesn't mean it won't be good But might as well wait for the MX-JJS reviews to appear, as that may be more suitable.
Agreed. For a back court player who occasionally goes forward, the LYD is probably not the right choice of racket. Although personally I don't see the ArcZS as a great back court racket either. The LYD is not as head heavy, so it'll probably take a bit more effort to put pace on the shuttle from the back than with the ZS, although it's completely superior at the front. But as that isn't your focus, I'd advise you to look elsewhere....maybe the BS10 or 11, those are head heavier and both a bit quicker than the ZS. Concerning stiffness they're on both sides of it, the 10 being stiffer and the 11 softer. If you can, you should test both, otherwise make an educated guess which stiffness would suit you more and go with that.... The MX-JJS is probably gonna be another x-stiff racket, and thus a long shot from a ZS. Not too advisable imop.
I've used BS10 once. It felt somewhat of head light. It was a tad quicker than BS LYD but got also less oomph, because it felt head light for me. Are you sure that BS10 is head heavier? The owner of this BS10 confirmed my impression.
I measured all Braveswords I have and the BS LYD - the BS10 and 09 has very similar BPs (1-2mm difference), and the LYD was more than 5mm below that. The BS10 is the most powerful of the BS series if you know how to use it - the stiff shaft is able to produce more power than the others...
I think somebody mentioned that the MXJJS is slightly more flexy than his previous racket. I don't know how much though
If LYD almost as stiff as BS10, why Victor rate LYD as S 4/5 and and BS10 S 5/5? If BS9 and 10 is HH than LYD why Victor rate BS9 and 10 HH 3/5 and LYD 4/5? That confusing.
The 10 isn't rated 3/5HH, it's 4/5. So is the stiffness on mine, I believe...and it IS stiffer than the LYD. The scale is just an INDICATION. You can't possibly rate all rackets so accurately that you could do a scale of 1-100.....or anything of the sort. Apart from that the distribution of the weight also plays a huge rule in determining how a racket plays, and I haven't seen a scale for that yet. So take the Victor ratings for what they are, a first indication to rule out the rackets that wouldn't suit you at all. Anyway, the BS10 is available in different ratings across the world, so there is no telling which version is actually how stiff and how it compares to other rackets. All I can say is that a German BS10 is noticeably head heavier than a German BS LYD, similar in balance to a BS09 but actually feels a tad heavier (probably weight distributed more to the top) and can pack more of a punch. Btw, personally I prefer the rough indication those ratings offer to nothing at all (like Li Ning or Yonex). In the end, you should always test a racket for yourself, and once you found one you feel really comfortable with, stick to it as long as possible.
This is taken from Victor website. Its rated 3/5HH. Not sure is for EU or Asia. But in reality HH than 4/5HH LYD. And both from same BS series. That why I said its confuse. [TABLE="width: 700"] [TR] [TD="colspan: 3"]Product Features [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="colspan: 3"]The Brave Sword 10 uses new technology to reduce air resistance during a swing by 10%. The diamond-shaped design cuts through the air like a sword, vastly reducing air resistance while encouraging nimble handling. While the inner-waves technology provides more consistent stable shots. great racket for those who are looking for a stiff frame. [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="colspan: 3"]Product Specification [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="colspan: 3"]Shaft Stiffness : S●○○○○F Length : 675 mm Weight : 3U / 4U Frame : Ultra high modulus graphite+Nano Resin Shaft : Ultra high modulus graphite+Nano Resin +7.0 shaft Grip size:G2 Balance：HH○○●○○HL (HH=head heavy----HL=Head light) [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
I think 'nowhere near as heavy as the VT80' is a bit of a statement. I played with both, back to back, and the VT80 felt marginally more head heavy and slightly stiffer but again, not as vast as you imply. Before using the racket, I thought it was a big gap like this too, but in reality, not so much. My friend who has the VT80 used my LYD while I used his VT80, and he commented the same. More manoeuvrable with a very marginal difference in power. Also saying it's not suited to back court play, not how I found it also. I was at the back, hitting down smashes with the confidence that I could keep doing it all day long, knowing opponents would struggle to get them back. I didn't feel such a big difference between the VT80 and LYD as some make out. Now I have the ominous decision to make between my MX80 and LYD as which will be my primary racket!
Yeah well as I said there are different versions of it floating around, same for the 11. Mine is rated 4/5 for both stiffness and balance and is most definitely head heavier than the BS LYD, which (while rated 4/5) is NOT as head heavy as a 3/5 rated BS09. It had decidedly less punch than it, and that was my lighter BS..,.
Holding the VT-80 and BS LYD at the same time, actual feel was a similar level of head heaviness. And compared to my MX80, marginally less stiff, but this could be skewed due to the different balance of the racket (more even vs head heavy) As you said, could be variations in the rackets.
I received a LYD for testing last week. Having tested the racquet, and having my VT80 at the side of the court for comparisons, there are clear differences between the two racquets. I will be writing my review next week. It may be my last racquet review - not sure yet. Paul www.badminton-coach.co.uk
Hi Paul, I'm having a BS15. Not sure you try it before but how is LYD compare to BS11 or BS10. I like medium stiff flex and a bit head heavy racket like BS15 and VT7. I believe LYD is more similar flex to BS11 but some said similar to BS10. Not sure about the HH.
Look forward to your review, why the last one? I was meaning more so compared to the MX80, that the LYD is more like the VT-80. To be honest, in play, they felt a very similar style of racket.
BS15 is not sold in UK and therefore I cannot test or review it. LYD review will go live on my blog next week. After that i need a rest from racquet reviews because it's getting too much. I have around 14 reviews to write and not enough hours in the day to write them. So I have decided that i will not do any more tests for some time to allow me to catch up and also to write coaching articles. I may also see if I can upload some coaching videos from Lilleshall. Paul www.badminton-coach.co.uk
THanks Drew I just want to do so much and haven't the time to do it. I have so many ideas and yet can't even commit to paper to build on them. Even simple things like walking players through how I re-built Matt's overhead and the power he is now showing due to the changes, even though it is not 100% yet. These articles interest me just as much, if not more than the racquet reviews. Thanks for your support! Paul www.badminton-coach.co.uk
Currently I have BG66Sharp on it and it's the best combo compared to the NBG98, BG80 and BG66UM. 11 kg (about 25 LBS) is always my reference.
