Hi all, So I'm looking to give myself a treat for my birthday and order a new "toy" in the form of a new Badminton racket . My first racket was an Arcsaber 7 (bought around 5 years ago) which I do still currently use; I then bought a Carlton Vapour Trail S-lite (don't ask - impulse purchase on something that was on sale). I enjoy using the Carlton as it is very light and quick - I'm not the strongest smasher so defense and drop/net shots are my bread and butter. That being said I also like the Arcsaber as it's a lot easier to generate power with compared to the lighter racket. I only really play doubles so the Astrox 88S sounded perfect for my style of play; however I am a little worried about the 5mm shorter length compared to standard racket size. I intend to keep using my other 2 rackets because I do play with some newer players and racket clashes are not uncommon. So I was wondering for those with the Astrox 88S who change rackets frequently; how do you find transitioning between different racket lengths? is it any more different between switching between "normal" rackets? Because of my reservations on the length of the 88S I have also looked at the Astrox 77; which the only thing that I think is "missing" is the power cap that is found on the cone of the 88 brothers, and the different flex points. I don't play singles, but do you think the 77 be a good fit for doubles play? One final question (sorry for long post) would you recommend I go 3U or 4U (bearing in mind whilst I like speed, I find it difficult to generate power with a lighter racket). Thanks for reading - looking forward to your replies.
Both 88S and 77 in 4U forms are head heavier than your current rackets, so you should definitely not go 3U. How tall are you? If you're tall and have long arms then that 5mm shorter wouldn't matter much.
Thanks Visor, I'm around 5'11 (180 cm). My reservation on the 5mm is not exactly about reach, but more that the middle of the racket and sweet spot will be ever so slightly different.
I think Visor is right, the 4U is more suited to you. Haven't tried the 88S, the 77 is pretty damn nice to use though. Truthfully, I think you should give both a test if you can borrow them. The 77 has flex points near the T joint in the head, whereas the 88S has them closer to where the Z Speed has a flex point. The feeling might be somewhat different.
as a user of DuoZs, i would say you tend to develop a muscle memory which becomes a factor when switch racket.
a week of play will mould your arms and racket into one. even if not, just be patient with your purchase and donot give in.
Yes and no. I think the longer you have played overall, the faster you adapt, hence why pro players can pick up and use anything. One of my coaches used an old voltric 0 string with 66um at 22lbs to play a tournament final because he snapped all of his strings. He snapped the handle of that racket lol
Yeah, he literally ran out of rackets and had to borrow them. Damn shame, I gave him a Z Speed with No.1 at 25 and he absolutely wrecked with it even though he'd never used it before. String snapped though. He's the only one I've seen outright snap No.1. He played at a professional level.
Zspeed with no. 1 is absolute beast. Here people use bg65 on a zspeed at 22lbs and it's total dead. Add bg66 at 26lbs, and racket comes out alive .
Thanks for all your opinions guys. I don't think anyone in the 2 clubs I play has either racket. I'm seeing a coach in a couple of weeks time so may see if he can recommend something based on how I play.
I played with both. I currently prefer the 88s because it provides me with more control than the 77, especially near the net. for clears and smash, i am able to generate more power with the 77. probably due to the different stiffness. i find the shorter length of the 88s to be a non-factor. you can't go wrong with either. both are lovely rackets.
_____________________________________________________________________________________ Hi ChanKC, Astrox 88S will be a good choice. Power The 4UG5 model is sufficient for power play, contrary to many online reviews. I am currently using one with BG80 strings tied at 28lbs tension. Smashes are crisp and clips are accurate. Drives are much easier than if you were to use e.g. an Arcsaber 10. Most people think they need a racquet the weight of Thor's hammer to generate sufficient smash power. Not true at all. I train under former Malaysian national players and they have never asked me to wield a heavy racquet just to smash harder. It's all in the flick of the wrist. Weight The blank racquet without strings and any grip at all weighs about 79g. With a layer of towel grip wrapped to the shaft covering the cone (of course having removed the original grip) and BG80 strings, the racquet weighs about 93g which isn't exactly featherweight. It is enough to give you substantial momentum. The 3U model can be punishing on the arm, so I would suggest you to try the 4U instead. Professionals obviously go for the 3U variant, but that is because they possess excellent technique and have constant arm training. Length The 5mm shorter length (compared to most Yonex racquets today which are 10mm long) isn't an issue. Don't worry about it. Frankly, you won't even feel it too much. A bit like how one can get used to the smaller heads on the Z-Force and Z-Strike racquets quite easily. The 5mm shorter overall length doesn't take weeks and months to drink in. You will get the hang of it after a few strokes. If you can play badminton, you can play with any professional racquet. Hope this helps. PS: here's a picture of my Astrox 88S.
Hi dwankwi, Thank you for your detailed response, really makes sense and your racket looks pretty awesome I have my one on order (Astrox 88S 4U) and cannot wait to get started using it - although I'll be very careful who I play with before I decide to use it