I'm not really into buying new rackets at the moment as the Onigiri has stolen my heart and does everything I could ask. However........Impulse Buy ALERT! Photo 3-06-2016, 11 20 09 AM by Maklike Tier posted Jun 2, 2016 at 8:30 PM I've been looking for a VT80 in 4U for a couple of years now. The racket I've been using forever simply doesn't have a Yonex equivalent, and neither did Victor until the Onigiri materialised. So when a mint condition VT80 popped up for sale, I pretty much had to buy it. Finding these things is rarer than finding unicorn poop. So how does the old banger compare to the new banger? Well I have no idea, coz I literally just bought it, but the total weight is 90g (Oni is 87g) and the BP is 315mm (Oni is 310mm) Should be a lot of fun seeing how the compare on court!
I have a few of these VT80 4u's. I started with a 3u when I was just starting to hone my game as a net/midcourt doubles player. Was shocked when I found out how quick and powerful the 4u could be when used properly.
OMG one reply! Thanks Renmazuo. People are such new racket whores, I should've labelled this post OMG BRAND NEW THRUSTER! Anyhoo, so I played with it for a couple of hours. Seems like a natural extension of the Onigri - slightly heavier, slightly stiffer, slightly more head-heavy, slightly more.....Yonex. Originally I thought that not much has happened in rackets design in the past, well, 20 years, but the Onigiri really does showcase the subtle improvements that have taken place in racket design recently. The only real area where the Onigiri is sort of inferior to the VT80 is that the 'glassy' head of the Oni is still disconcerting for me. The VT80 feels and sounds like decades of racket design, whereas the Oni feels like a young upstart, sick of things always being done the same way and wishing for something more. Victor pretty much forged a career on rackets that lack that 'softness' or tactility that Yonex is known for, but unlike their earlier offerings the newer rackets are making up for this and striking a great balance between feel and outright solidity. I absolutely love the head design of the Onigiri. It feels to me like it has a larger sweetspot, but it's also more consistent. Where the shuttle absolutely flies when you it hit it in a certain part of the VT80's head (albeit it feels soft, like the head is about to fold), when you don't, the results are unpredictable. The Oni on the other hand, has a very solid and consistent feel to any shot that doesn't hit the frame
I had one yrs ago. Quite solid, but a little too stiff for me, and a little too slow for my style of play.
This has me intrigued Maklike. If the rumored Tk9900 doesn't happen, I might have a look at the Oni. I was really looking for something along the ilk of the ZF2 4u or a Vt80 offering from Victor. Mt Vt80 has been hungry of late, eating up zm62's fresh out of the stringer's hands (both to mishits, one 10 mins into warm up and the other a game and a half into a match). When it isn't eating strings, it's breeze of a racket to use, especially after playing with it's more demanding relatives. Hence why i'm hoping it's similar.
The Oni is supremely usable, I really dig it. It's not as stiff as the VT80, but it doesn't have to be because it's a very stable platform. You're right, I think the Oni is currently the closest thing to the VT80 that Victor currently has, but the 9900 might be worth waiting for if the lower stiffness of the Oni would annoy you. It would be great to try and find a slightly heavier sample next. I wonder how a 90g Oni would perform, whether the weight would be evenly distributed, whether it would be slightly stiffer, or just head heavier. As for the VT80, I've reshaved the handle down because it was the wrong shape, and now all my rackets feel the same in the hand, so I'm really looking forward to getting back on the court and giving the VT80 another run.
You're not the only one mate, like I said in the other post. It'll suck big hairy ones if it does get canned.
If you want a 4U version of almost any racket that produces it, you can find it in Korea lol The idea here in Korea is Lighter Racket = Better Most club players are about 30~40+ and I can understand that they would prefer lighter rackets that do less weight on their joints. But because of this even the younger, starting off players think lighter racket = better. Hell i've been looking for a 3U voltric 70 (and etune) in Korea but couldn't find any so I just went with a voltric80 4U But I bought a BS LYD 3U and i've never used the voltric80 since. <3 bs lyd
Well it definitely looks like the tk9900 ain't happening. So i'm in a real pickle. No idea what to go for in victor's range now...either a hx800p or Oni/Shin Oni,
Is the Oni available in 3U? If it is, I'd put money on it being stiffer. If not, just head-tape something within earshot of 305mm that's maybe a tad too stiff for you. I reckon a TK6000 with a layer of athletic tape on the head would probably out Voltric a Voltric. Maybe even one of the Hypernanos taped would be head-heavy enough. Have a play, see what you can come up with. Putting the TK9900 on a pedestal at this point isn't doing anyone any favours
