Hello, I have been a lurker for about 6 months but finally have ventured to making an account! I first played badminton as a child but stopped around ten years of age. I picked it back up again after 15 years or so and I have been playing for the past 3 on and off. I have been using an old Carlton Aerogear 2000 TFX. The strings snapped earlier this week, I was gutted. I cant find any local stringers but from what Ive read the racket would probably break being restrung anyway due to age (I have found on google this racket is from around the late nineties). I cant find any specs on this racket but I think its not flexible and not head heavy so I am looking for a mid weighted mid flex racket. I was scheduled to play the day after so I went to the local cheap sports shop (*sports direct) and bought a racket to tide me over and see if I gelled with it. I bought a Carlton airlite power for £25 because it was basically all they had that wasn't £5. I played with the racket and in all honesty I hated it, I am going to play again tomorrow and hope its better. If its not I will buy something else and keep it for a spare or to lend to people who dont have one. This brings me onto my main question, I am doing research on various rackets and have been even before the strings snapped on my aerogear. I am getting differing information on rackets from different websites. I have got my search down to two rackets, both Li Ning. They are both £90 and I dont really want to go over the £100 mark. Li-Ning XiPhos X-1 Badminton Racket (White) and Li-Ning 3D 90TD Badminton Racket on the Li Ning website in the graph they have both rackets very close together, showing medium flex and medium weight (the graph at the top of this webpage https://www.shop-lining.com/li-ning-badminton-rackets/ ) So they should be very similiar rackets but on that shop li ning website the xiphos is said to be medium flex and the 90TD is said to be soft flex. On directbadminton.co.uk it says the xiphos is medium balance and medium flex and the 90TD is head heavy and flexible. So my question is shall I just trust the graph provided by Li Ning that both rackets at mid range with the xiphos slightly more flexible and slightly more head heavy? Thanks a lot for taking the time to read, any ideas or advice is greatly appreciated. I love badminton and Im really glad I am playing regularly again I just want to have a racket I can love as much as my old Carlton Aerogear 2000 TFX (I am from the South of England and would be ordering whichever racket I end up choosing to go for from directbadminton.co.uk as I have seen on this forum people say they are reputable and dont stock fakes)
There are 2 versions of the x1. The black\red are the same, power, and the white, control. They are mid range, box type frame rackets. The 90td is the cut down version of the n90-3. (I think) Shop around if buying Li-Ning, even abroad, they can be quite overpriced in the UK, or watch out for something second hand in the forums here or elsewhere. The major UK online racket retailers have a poor range of Li-Ning models to choose from unfortunately.
Thanks a lot for the reply. I am hoping maybe there are some sales this weekend because of black Friday seeping over to this country aswell. So do you think I should trust the li ning chart over the differing specifications shown on sites?
After reading the thread title I knew this was gonna be about Li Ning rackets. Their specs and names can be confusing at times.
Thanks for the reply I see you're not a fan of the xiphos. Have you played with the 90TD, if so how did you like it, did it feel mid balanced mid flex?
How do you know? Well, only tried the black XiPHOS with a crappy string job, wasn‘t really impressed. Never tried the 90TD.
I saw in the Li Ning fan club thread heh Yeah I was thinking about the white one since its aimed for control rather than power
