I havent played with any ArcSaber series before FB but i'm able to generate the same amount of power for smashes as with BS LYD & N80. At times even better especially body smashes hahaha The other racket i own that surpass ArcFB in this area is MX80
What a incredible racket for fast movement. Smashes are not that powerfull but moving to the net after a smash is like a dream. Very easy racket for drives and fast defence. Strung with Yonex BG66 utimax @11kilo
After reading all the positive reviews abt the arcsaber fb, I could sit on the fence no more and made a trip down to queensway earlier this evening wanting to lay my hands on it. Went to many shops and it was sold out! I guess this bears testament to how good it is....finally managed to find one last piece at a an obscure shop....and yes, it looks so much better in the flesh. the colour scheme, whilst striking, looks really good as it was matt in nature. quite possibly one of the nicest racket that I've owned thus far...... strung it with bg66 ultimate at 24lb v/h and got a white yonex over grip. Total damage? S$230 all in. I can't wait for try it out tomorrow morning...will post field report after my session. I'm really curious on how it will stack up against my current favourite racket, karakal bn60. Btw I play doubles predominantly and my style of play is controlled/defensive approach.... AArrrggghh....the anticipation is killing me.....
arghhhhhh you should have put it at 26-27 lbs.. i had one at 23 and i cut it after 2 games.. with a tighter string bed the repulsion's lovely..
Got my Arc-FB yesterday. Haven't tried out in the court yet. Dry swing feeling in comparison as below. Swing speed (smash): Arc-FB = RKEP Pro6000 > Ryoga Tenbu > RKEP Pro9000 Manueverability: Arc-FB > RKEP Pro6000 = Ryoga Tenbu > RKEP Pro9000 Head heavy feel: RKEP Pro9000 > RKEP Pro6000 > Ryoga Tenbu > Arc-FB How it perform only can know after I tried next week.
I've just bought one strung with BG 80 Power at 11.5kg. Amazing racket, very fast in drives and defense. Not too much loss of power compared to my Z Force 4U as I swing it faster. Good repulsion with a stiff shaft. If you understand French, you may have a look at http://matosbad.blogspot.fr/
I had a chance to play with my FB all weekend and I have to say, it is truly one amazing racquet. Too bad I cracked it during a doubles game when my partner hit it with his racquet. In fact, compared to my z-force and z-slash, it is much faster. Smashes are still very powerful and the quick response make up for any loss of power. Defense and drive are lightning fast and quick. Overall, a very well made racquet. Once you play with this, it's hard to return to other racquets. I ordered 4 more today....
Most shops quoted betwn s$220to s$230 dependent on strings...so I'd reckon its around there bah...the singular racket bag that comes with it looks interesting...akin to a sheath of a 月圆弯刀。。。lol...
Looks like Arcsaber FB is available in G4 / F4 to my surprize. I saw a few G4s at the store I normally go to.
Ok, so I just finished an intense 3 hour session....one word: it's fantastic! It was so easy to get used to playing, seems like I had played with it for a long long time. Controls were crisp, and back to back drives were excellent. No side effects despite several hard smashes, and defense was a dream. In short, a very very good racket, possibly the best that I have ever played with. Even my karakal bn 60 that I had played with for a good 6 months didn't feel as good......unfortunately it broke after a minor clash of rackets with my doubles partner....needless to say, heart damn pain...It was after all, only a day old....rest in peace my dear fb.... now I'm gonna go back to the shop and see if they can do a warranty claim...I mean, I've had my fair share of racket clashes, but surely a s$230 racket is more robust than that right? I summary, fb rocks. It is so good that I find it hard to come to terms with the rest of my other rackets, namely, karakal bn 60 karakal sl70 li Ning windstorm apacs lethal 110 yonex carbonex 21 robertson Wilson its a happy sad day....or should I say sad happy day....*shrugs*
Ok...I hate to say this, but it's not looking good for the sturdiness of this racket. What is it now, 2 or 3 cracked rackets from minor clashes?! What would one have expected with 5-8g less carbon at the frame?
Sad to hear about the clashes and damages done I do agree that it may not be as sturdy compare to many rackets out there But there are many factors to consider when a racket cracks Point of clash contact, string tension, impact force and etc Juz try avoiding clashes and be extra cautious if both players are forehand when a shuttle flies in between
Nothing like a few broken, expensive racquets to help you improve your game, tighten your technique and become more aware of your partner's movements and shortcomings, I say... However, it does sound like Yonex have a (cautiously optimistic) winner here. General interest seems to be more for the FB than the ARC-11...
