Yonex ArcSaber Flash Boost ( ARC FB )

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by yan.v, Jan 13, 2013.

  1. varsis

    varsis Regular Member

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    I've been playing with a FB for about 2 months, I do have to agree with those saying the FB lacks punch at the rear of the court. I originally strung the FB with BG66 @ 21lbs to get a feel of the racquet, restrung with BG80P @ 24lbs and tried that out too. The racquet is great mid-front court (quick, good response), clearing is easy enough rear court, though smashes rear court just don't seem to produce enough force (though that could very well be my fault). I can see why some people have labeled the FB a "woman's racquet", I think it's pretty perfect for a woman's default positioning in mixed doubles, and great for rear court drop shots, however I do also think good technique could produce enough rear court power to outweigh the perceived downfalls of this racquet.

    I've had a minor clash, a few miss-hits, frame seems to be fine... hells, when I started using the racquet I had a bad habit from squash of leaning on the racquet after a failed shot on a lunge (which I rectified quick smart). The FB has stood up to my abuse so far, however due to all the reports of broken/cracked frames I'm not going to be surprised if my FB breaks.

    I'm pretty happy with the FB, it may not be perfect for my style of play, but it's a damn good racquet and has some benefits which would be silly to disregard. The FB will be staying in my bag and brought out when play seems to be more mid-front, and perhaps when my technique improves. For now I will probably be favouring the Gosen Ryoga Shiden I picked up recently over the FB, but we'll see.
     
  2. Sgt_Strider

    Sgt_Strider Regular Member

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    Did you notice any difference going from 21 to 24lbs? Which felt the most natural to you with the FB?
     
  3. varsis

    varsis Regular Member

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    I found BG66 @ 21lbs didn't have the best control (more string based than tension), and my shots were too long (tension based). I find good control with BG80P @ 24lbs, and it's more suited for my swing/wrist technique and speed. YMMV.
     
  4. Sgt_Strider

    Sgt_Strider Regular Member

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    Oh yea for sure. Can you confirm whether you're using the 6U/F version instead of the 5U?
     
  5. varsis

    varsis Regular Member

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    Cone says: F / (avg) 73g, G5
     
  6. Darth vader

    Darth vader Regular Member

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    Thats a 6U variant...

     
  7. varsis

    varsis Regular Member

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    Yep, it was my understanding F is a 'new category' created by Yonex, but it's basically 6U. It's a SP coded racquet if that matters.
     
  8. Maklike Tier

    Maklike Tier Regular Member

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    I had a swing of an FB in a shop today, and dare I say it, it felt kinda nice. Graphics are awesome too, Yonex is doing such a great job with that at the moment.
     
  9. Darth vader

    Darth vader Regular Member

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    Came back after my trip to queensway...the naise gentleman from gala sports simply smiled when he saw my racket...according to him, the are numerous cases for FB, and surprisingly, for Arcsaber 11 as well...anyways, same routine, will take a week for the replacement. Fingers crossed it will be fuss free.

    interestingly, there were a few enquiries by other patrons for the Adidas rackets...I wonder when it will be brought in...
     
  10. Darth vader

    Darth vader Regular Member

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    Unfortunately, the supposedly weak frame negated all the positivities of the FB. Oh well...



     
  11. Maklike Tier

    Maklike Tier Regular Member

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    Anyone who thinks a racket that is 20g lighter than a standard racket, costs the same, and expects it to be just as strong, is living in some bizarre dreamland where physics and economics magically don't exist.
     
  12. Sgt_Strider

    Sgt_Strider Regular Member

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    So after about 10 hours of playing with the FB, I think I'm ready to write some final comments about the F version of the ArcSaber FB. I'm not going to write a proper review because I think the reviews that were done earlier are more or less how I also feel about this racket. The only thing that I don't agree with is the increase in power that the FB gave. I think it was Yan.v who said it, but I don't agree with that assessment. He's entitled to his opinion. Other than that, they're spot on.

    So I'm going to regurgitate what I said earlier about the FB. This racket really shines in the front to mid-court areas. I was absolutely dominating earlier today. The FB became the center of attention amongst a few individuals in the group that I was playing with today. A lot of people were surprised at how light this racket is.

    I'll describe 3 matches (doubles) that I played where I thought the FB made a difference.

    I'm not going to name any names for obvious reasons. This guy relies heavily on his smashes to win his games. I've watched him play before and I have tried to study his game like how professional athletes watch videos to learn from their mistakes. This guy also have a bit of an attitude problem. The FB's maneuverability made the difference in defending against his smashes. With my previous racket, AT 800 DE, my success rate was under 50%. With the FB, I think I successfully defended more than 50% of his smashes. There was this one time where he charged towards the front of the net and hit the birdie hard towards me. I stood my ground and carried the birdie over the net and it quickly landed on his partner's side of the court. Obviously I didn't get the point and the guy made a whole fuss about me carrying the birdie. I wasn't even trying to argue for the point, but I wanted to prove that I can at least return the birdie over the net. The lightness of the racket made a huge difference in my defence. My partner and I won both games (fairly close, I think it was 21-19 and 21-18) against him and his partner. Afterward, his partner came up to me and seemed surprised at how fast my reflex was and how quickly I can move from point to point.

    For this particular match, there were 2 ArcFB users, me and another guy. I think this is a perfect example where having the right technique can make a huge difference in play. My opponent is about the same size as me. I know some people complained about the lack of power from the FB. My opponent was the perfect example where the FB totally handicapped him. He made a lot of hits to the mid-court areas and his smashes were weak. I think his success rate was under 25%. My partner and I totally demolished him and his partner. We won 21-5 and 21-4. It wasn't even close. I was not only able to smash harder than him, but beat him in rallies at the front of the net.

    In one of my final matches of the day, I played against someone who I think makes way too many excuses when he loses. Prior to using the FB, I think my wins against him and his partners were fairly close in nature. Not today. I used my speed to my advantage and we won 21-9. It was a very convincing win. He tried to challenge me in the front of the net and lost. The FB made it extremely easy to defend.

    Having said those kind of things, I don't think I'm as good as people like Kwun. Please don't get me wrong here. I don't think I'm all that. Since I started using the FB last week, I notice my performance have improved. It's like as if I was using the wrong racket and the FB is the kind of racket that perfectly matches my style of play. I have no problem losing a bit of power for a noticeable improvement in my defence. Would I want more power from the FB? Sure, I do, but there is no such thing as a perfect racket. There are compromises with all designs.

    I do apologize if I am not describing things very well. I don't pay much attention to some of the terminologies that are used and I am having a difficult time coming up with them at this time of the day. So if my impression of this racket isn't as descriptive as you would like, then I'm sorry and I'll try to do a better job my upcoming review of the 5U version of the FB.

    This is a very polarizing racket. Some people hates it and some loves it. At the end of the day, I think you owe it to yourself to try it out for more than a couple of hours to see if you can take full advantage of this racket. I don't want to call out any names and I'm not interested in an argument about whether this is a good racket or not. After today, I think a lot of people that I know will consider the FB especially some of the girls who have felt the FB. I think some people will be disappointed and some will like it. Some people who watched how much of a difference the FB made in my game will probably end up finding out that the FB doesn't suit their style of play. I even remember one of my partners who told me not to swing the racket so fast, like as if he was trying to joke with me, but I didn't get it.

    Without a doubt, I'm going to be using the FB as my primary racket unless I'm mixed doubles. I think that's where the Adidas Duoforce will come in handy. The Duoforce have already left Hong Kong and I should get it very soon (as early as this Friday).

    As mentioned earlier, I have ordered the 5U ArcSaber FB. Long story short, but my local retailer reneged on an agreed deal and I just decided that I would rather pay a bit more and try out the 5U version of the racket. I'm been waiting forever for Matt to post his impressions, but it's possible that he have a busy life so I took matters into my own hand. I have no idea how the 5U version of this racket will perform, but if I can get a bit more power, but still have the excellent racket maneuverability, then I'll be very happy. I hope to get the 5U version of the FB before the end of next week.
     
    #492 Sgt_Strider, May 9, 2013
    Last edited: May 9, 2013
  13. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Just a note of caution for players attracted by superlight or very head-light rackets:

    Most players will find it harder to get power if the racket is extremely light, or if there is very little weight in the head. You will need to swing these rackets extremely fast to make up for the loss of mass.

    When your arm swings very fast, you are more likely to injure it. I believe this contributed to my (major) shoulder injury: I was using a Yonex AT-800-DE for some years.

    In general I don't recommend players choose "extreme" rackets. Go for something moderate, with some weight in the head. Don't choose a club, and don't choose a feather. Remember the racket that feels best in the shop will usually be the lightest / most head-light. It will not necessarily be the racket that works best on court.

    Of course, extreme rackets do suit some players. Just make sure you know what you're doing, as the consequences could be quite bad. In my case, I think the problem started when I went up a level of play, and suddenly I had to put more effort into smashes.

    Then I had surgery, recovered after a year, and went up another level of play -- whereupon I set about buggering up my shoulder in the same way. :rolleyes: I am now cautiously trying to get back to where I was before, without wrecking my shoulder. And I'm using a more sensible racket.

    I learned this lesson the hard, painful way. :( There are better ways to learn that do not involve staples and bone saws.
     
    #493 Gollum, May 9, 2013
    Last edited: May 9, 2013
  14. Sgt_Strider

    Sgt_Strider Regular Member

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    Is there any scientific evidence which proves that light rackets contribute to injuries?
     
  15. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Not to my knowledge. There's probably no scientific evidence that excessively high string tensions contribute to injuries either, but I think you'll find most badminton coaches agreeing on that one at least.

    I know I can feel the difference, and that's good enough for me. Science is awesome, but I don't require a double-blind trial for every decision in life. ;)

    However, I'm not saying you shouldn't use this ultralight racket. It may be perfect for you, especially if you feel able to generate plenty of power without trying too hard. It was a caution not a commandment; I am not yet so arrogant as to think I know what's best for everyone all the time. ;)

    ...and I can't resist being pedantic, and mentioning that science never proves anything. If you can prove it, it's not science. Proof === proof within a formal system.
     
    #495 Gollum, May 9, 2013
    Last edited: May 9, 2013
  16. Darth vader

    Darth vader Regular Member

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    True that...but never discount the marvels of technology...once upon a time cellphones were ginormous...so were PCs...:D

     
  17. Darth vader

    Darth vader Regular Member

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    Amen to that. ;)


     
  18. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Now that someone has brought up science, don't you start bringing up religion in this thread... :p;) :D
     
  19. Sgt_Strider

    Sgt_Strider Regular Member

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    You're certainly entitled to your opinion just like how some people are entitled to think the 9/11 attacks was a US government conspiracy and the moon landings were staged.

    There's a difference between what I said and what you said. I'm not suggesting that this racket will suit every single person out there. If you said, you believe that it can lead to injuries, then that's one thing. You're more or less telling people not to go for this racket because you think it can contribute to injuries when you have not provided any evidence to substantiate that claim.
     
  20. Maklike Tier

    Maklike Tier Regular Member

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    I know what happens when I try to swing at a shuttle too quickly, especially backhand.....
     

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