arcsaber 3FL? arcsaber 9 is extremely maneuverable for an even balance racket, i love mine tho it's pink! unfortunately, the ns9000 is still up there in price, sorry i missed that part on your post. but other rackets that other had suggested on this thread is very reasonable. good luck making your purchase, remember, demo them if you can!!!
Apart from the racquet (I think a good mid-range will do for her), equally important, get her a decent tube/or dozen of shuttles. If you are thinking of plastic, I do recommend Yonex Mavis 2000 (btw, you only need ONE tube of this one, they last "forever" ) - they are the best plastics I have tried and still using for training my kids. Of course, nothing beats feathers. I am not sure what is available in your area, but do get some decent feather shuttles, it makes a whole world of difference when you play, much more than the racquet. Personally, I feel that many people neglected the importance of a good birdy to add pleasure and feel to the game, they are too focus on the racquet !! In Malaysia, a decent grade of shuttle that I use (after trying a few) is the RCL brand esp the RCL Gold No 1 (around RM50 / USD15 per tube). Of coure, even better will be the RCL Black Silver and Black Gold but they cost more.
+1 for the NS2000, very headlight and easy to use. I would advise against the BS10 and LYD as they might be too stiff, and the BS11 which someone mentioned is definitely not head light. A BS09 as Mark suggested, or a BS12 which is almost the same except for a slight bit more head lightness, would be better. 4U. You could also go with the Arc9FL, I've seen quite a few girls use that. A lot of girls also use AT900T but as already stated that's head heavy so I wouldn't recommend that either. The MX30L and VT30 are going to be released soon as well, designed for female players.
The pro shop inside Badminton Vancouver has a demo program that lets you try racquets, so maybe give that a shot.
I would recommend the Yonex ArcSaber 9FL for girls looking for a light racquet. I strung one for a friend and had the chance to hit a few shots with it. Very nicely balanced racquet, head light and easy to maneouvre. Good repulsion, excellent control for defense and net shots and travels through the air well. I can see why it would appeal to the ladies. As it is head light, the power is not readily available. But if you have good swing speed and timing it will deliver some good smashes.
Update: I went down to a store and bought a Yonex NS 6600 and a Victor BS9; I'll surprise her and let her choose one of them. Personally I am more inclined to her choosing the Victor b/c it's head light and not stiff, but she is Japanese and is biased towards the Yonex brand Sorry for the late reply
Krunc, You should have said so earlier and then get her what NOZOMI OKUHARA (Japan's fastest rising girl) is using - just a thought !! BTW, what is Nozomi using ? Looks like a Voltric to me !!
Heh - somebody actually listened to me! Let us know how Mrs Krunc fares with them - her input will help us with the other... four women who apparently play amateur badminton.
i completely agree with demo-ing rackets first before buying. i myself have made the mistake of buying a racket because on paper it seems like a good idea and it looks supercool. then later finding out that i'm not string enough or i don't swing fast enough to use a particular racket, which made me UNCOOL! hahaha
She chose the Yonex 6600, she had complete tunnel vision on the Yonex and didn't care much for the BS 9... I almost wanted to her to keep both so I wouldn't have to buy her anything until Christmas (and so I can use the BS9 on the side hehehe).
Hahaha ... not at all surprised .... I am even worse than her ... my TUNNEL VISION IS ONLY ON CARBONEX ....