Does anyone know how these racquets are? Customedge Type X version 2.0 Customedge Type V version 2.0 I ordered them on a whim (expensive whim) from MBS so I will eventually write up an impression on the racquets. But I ordered without knowing anything about them except that if I'm going to get a JS10, I might as well get 1-2 more racquets. If MBS had a Type S I would had probably ordered that one too. I didn't order the Type Z v2.0 though, but I don't remember why I decided not to. Here's a snippet of my order. Now comes the waiting for my new toys.
Wow, that's pretty adventurous of you... I had reviewed the Gosen Gungnir Alpha and Beta end of last year, and the Alpha is now my favourite go-to racket.
I was interested after reading Cheung's review on the Type X and V (v1). That led me to the entrance of the rabbit hole of the Gosen world. Which eventually let me to getting a bunch of Gosen strings to try out and found I liked the R4X 110 the most. At this point I was looking into the rabbit hole. Then I saw kwun's Type S review and found it interesting because it sort of reminded me of one of my favourite racquets, the Muscle Power 55, it was a short racket. With my head in the rabbit hole, I saw your review for the Gungnir Alpha/Beta and I found there being a non-Victor alternative to my current go to, the BS12, an interesting proposition. So initially I had an Alpha and a Beta in my cart. But since I had my head in the hole already, I might as well just dive right in like Alice. So here we I am falling down endlessly some hole and we'll see where I land when the racquets get here. Also, I may need to get some sleep at this point.
I'm not sure I can help you much because I don't have Version 1.0s to benchmark against. Ah. Brunei... when I was there a loooong time ago, I discovered first hand that spiders can make really REALLY big webs when I walked into one and got stuck. I also learned spiders can eat birds and snakes. And I also learned why the house I was staying in the middle of the rainforest had boat moorings on the 2nd floor. @_@ So much rain it floods 3-4 meters easily.
I've got Type V version 2.0. I think they changed the frame shape in version 2.0 to be sharper bravesword like, whilst version 1 is more flatter. Anyway, this racket is probably the fastest in my collection at the moment.
Kudos to Winston and MBS to getting the rackets to me so fast. I'm going to order again from them soon. 3 new racquets is not enough! Guess what arrived? Two two Gosen rackets. Now here's a few shots with my crappy phone camera. So it doesn't feel left out, here's the JS10
First impressions Visuals The matching string and racquet colorus (both G-tone 5) are very striking. I'm 100% sure that on the court, no one is going to mistake these Gosen racquets for something else. The Version 2.0 rackets have the familiar aerodynamic Bravesword "Sword" edges on the frame. The racquets have identical graphics on them except for the different colour palette. I'm a big fan of the matte feel of the finish. You know how the Jetspeed S 10 has little bumps on the shaft? The Customedge Version 2.0s have little bumps on the frame. Very cool because it's not just a smooth surface like every other racket ever. Handle length (including cone) Type X v2.0 - 165 mm (200 mm) Type V v2.0 - 160 mm (195 mm) JS10 - 160 mm (200 mm) Shaft length Type X v2.0 - 225 mm Type V v2.0 - 225 mm Frame length x width (at the widest) Type X v2.0 - 250 x 197 mm Type V v2.0 - 255 x 199 mm JS10 - 256 x 195 mm Balance (with stock grip + plastic) Type X v2.0 - 304 mm Type V v2.0 - 290 mm JS10 - 305mm Weight Type X - 88 grams Type V - 91 grams JS10 - 86 grams Dry swings They are both definitely stiffer than the Jetspeed 10 just a little bit, but with dry swinging I couldn't tell the difference. The Customedges feel as fast as the Jetspeed 10 if not faster. OMG, I may have a conundrum on my hands based on first out of court impressions. I'm loving all 3 so far even if they all feel different in the swings. I can't wait to hit the court tomorrow night.
After spending some quality time, I found the Type X v2 to be my favourite. Clears Type V was hard to get it going at times even if it was a 3U. Like Paul Stewart would say, "it needs more head weight" or more meat on the head. Type X was fairly easy, but you need to give it a little more on the wrist to get it going because it is a 4U racquet. Defense Both racquets are so fast, it's just as easy to defend with. But the Type V comes out the winner, just by a little bit. The Type X is a good defender despite the slight top end weight. Drives Both racquets are wicked fast, with an edge to the Type V. They felt faster than my BS12, and more importantly, more stable. Drops Both were easy to drop with, with the Type V having the slight edge on the softer and more delicate drops. But I still enjoyed dropping with the Type X. Smashes The Type V left me wanting as I had a hard time getting meaty smashes out of it. It needs a touch more head weight, and this is already with the plastic strip already installed. It was completely outclassed by the Type X. The Type X was just right. If you're used to smashing with very head heavy racquets like a VTZF2 then you won't get much power. This racquet benefits players who like to snap smashes or use the wrist to generate most of their power. For me, it was a very rewarding racquet to hit with. I felt I still hit harder with the BS12 KR_P, but the Type X felt more satisfying to smash with. Feel The racquets, with the plastic piece installed already, felt very solid. They felt more alive than Yonex racquets, but not as raw as the BS12 tends to be. Overall I compared the Gosen racquets with the BS12 KR_P and JS10. The Gosen both felt faster than the BS12. And the JS10 felt the slowest, but I had a hard time taming it. The Type V is better than the Type X in everything, except smashes, by a hair. But overall the Type X was my favourite. It was easy to transition into the Type X from a BS12 and it will now be my new favourite. The BS12s have been demoted to backup racquets. I still haven't given up on the Type V. It's a bit porky at 92g, but I'll give add some tape on the frame to see if I can tip the balance more to my liking. I ended up liking the racquet I was least expecting to like, the Type X v2. But I ended up not liking the JS10 that arrived with my order.
[MENTION=57143]visor[/MENTION] Although the Type V v2 is a 3U, you might like it quite a bit. It might just be a 4U Alpha with a stiff shaft. It felt faster than my BS12. But man oh man, the Type X v2 feels so good. I'm so sorry JS10, I really wanted to like you.
The Type X stats is similar to the TK Onigiri and if just going by that, they 'should' play similar and I would agree with you as I too demoted my BS12 to back up The Gosen's do look very pretty.
To be honest, I still feel confused. I just can't deny that I really liked the Type X. I haven't had a head heavy racquet that I liked since the AT800DF, and that one was more even-ish balanced. So falling in love with the Type X was the last thing I was expecting. Not that I mind though. I almost didn't by the Type X, now I'm glad I gave in to my whims. Haha.
Similar incident with me where I wanted to like my BS12 so I persisted with it over two years and even bought two copies to experiment with different strings and tension. In the end, I traded one away for a Onigiri and have not looked back. To be honest, the Onigiri is my first head heavy but it fits me and my swing style just fine. Oddly enough, I don't suffer any more elbow and shoulder soreness since switching over to the Onigiri. So more power to you and your Type X
Interesting comparison of the rackets in the Gungnir and the Customedge series in this racket matrix.
I'm wondering how Gosen differentiates Gungnir from Customedge series. Other than Gungnir's woven carbon, 680mm length etc, fast frame cross section sounds pretty similar.