Hi everyone. I need help deciding what racket to get next. Background: I'm an intermediate/advanced high school player and have been playing with the Voltric 7 (after spending a considerable amount of time with the Nanoray 20 as a beginner). I played Girls Doubles last year, but am interested in playing singles this year. Still, I need a racket that will work for both doubles and singles since we shift around sometimes. I also need a racket that will give me maximum distance on my clears. Power is really important. I was initially going to get the Voltric 80 because I liked the Voltric 7 and heard the Voltric 80 is a good, powerful all-around racket with good control, but my friend told me that she now plays with the NS9900 and it added almost three extra feet to her clears. I also like the ease with which you can move the NS9900 because it's so light. While I love the lightness of the NS9900 and how easy it is to move, I'm worried that it won't be a good idea for singles. Thoughts?
what is the reason for you needing to change rackets btw ns9900 is much stiffer and headlighter than voltric 7
Using the nano speed may have just increased your friends swing speed which is why it my be going further. I suggest you try the arcsaber z-slash although you may find it strange at first
For me: I used to use a voltric 70 but I found it too slow so I tried my friend's NS9900 and I played a lot better - my smashes were faster, I could block better, and playing was easier too. But after maybe 7 more times of playing with the NS9900 it got harder to use. I think it was only a short "improvement" since I was going from a heavy racket to an overall lighter racket. The VT 80 maybe a better choice for you since it's more powerful and actually "stays powerful" (unlike the NS9900 for me ) but you should be cautious since it's headheavy and pretty slow as well. I find it too slow for doubles but other people may like it. Going off topic from the VT80 and NS9900, I think you should probably get a slightly headheavy racket with a medium or stiff flex. With a more flexible shaft you can access power much more easily. If you want a Yonex racket I recommend the Z-slash too like AndyP said and the Armortec 900 technique. They both have slim frames and are easy too use, however the Z-slash may require some extra time to get used to with the small sweet spot, but once you get the timing right it's AMAZING
The NS9900 is not actually a lighter racket. It's just that the weight is not concentrated on the head like the Voltrics are.
I'm not trying to be mean but, if you are attracted to a racquet because it will "add 3 extra feet to your clears" your answer is training not a new racquet either that or you are playing with really slow shuttles. While I play almost exclusively with Yonex, if you like the fast feel of the Nanospeed but you want some of the power of a more head heavy racquet I've found some of the Victor BS range have a lot to offer.
Two rackets that are "designed" to help with the clear are the NanoRay 600 and 750 ... (according to their promo material)
Instead of the racket, it might have been the string that is causing the "extra 3 feet" in the clears. Why not try changing the string or tension of the string or both on the voltric 7 and see if it is easier to use. If you want a new racket I would recommend the arcsaber 11 for doubles and singles. It's a fast racket, easy to use and very well balanced.
my personal thought is to change as little as you can when you switch to something new. with that said, it would be better to pick a racket that is also head heavy but maybe a bit easier for you to maneuver around. if you have been using the vt7 as a doubles player and now you want to play singles, the shuttle exchanges will be a bit slower, so i actually don't see anything wrong with the vt7 that you are using. if you want something that is a bit lighter that could give you more control, yet more power for the long clears, i would suggest the vt60, it's 4u so it's a bit lighter overall, a bit quicker and easier for you to move around, yet with the flexible shaft you can certain gain a bit more power when you need to.
Thank you everyone who has offered feedback and suggestions. Since reading your suggestions, I tried playing with the Arcsaber Z-Slash and Voltric 70 4U (they didn't have any Voltric 60s I could test). I fell in love with the Voltric 70. For me, it's a great balance of power and mobility (for a head-heavy racket). I have one more question. What string and tension would you guys recommend? In high school, the league makes us play with plastic shuttles, so that might impact what tension I should string it at. In the past, my coach has recommended 22lbs, but I want to know what you guys think.
String is generally personal preference such as I love yonex bg 65ti although my string with plastics is always nanogy 95 .Tension for plastics would generally be 19-23 but an again tension affects the feel of your shots and so it is allot of preference hope it helped
Thank you, Andy! And thank you again for your racket suggestion above. Even though the Z-Slash isn't right for me at this time, it was still great to try, and I might try it again in the future.
Hi liakaitlyn, I'm looking at either the vt7 or vt70 as the specs look good for my style of game, since you tried both can you advise on experiences with both? Can you just confirm they both 4u and similar string tension with feather shuttles? Thanks
I play with both feathers and plastics. A good racket is a good racket regardless of what you play with. And yes, they are both 4U (there's no other option with the VT7 to my knowledge). If you're more intermediate, go with the VT7. It's tempting to go with the VT70 at first glance, but don't do it just because it's flashy. VT7: head heavy. It's great for clearing and making shots effortless. The drop shots and smashes were both great. You can play for hours every day and not feel a thing in your arm after. It's super durable, which is fantastic, especially if you play doubles and sometimes hit your partner by mistake. Overall, it's a great all-around racket. VT70: also head heavy. The frame of the VT70 is thinner than the VT7, making it less durable. It's actually the same frame as the Nanospeed 9900 but has extra weight to make it head heavy and 4U. That's great if you ever play in the front for doubles, but less good for durability, and the VT7 felt similar enough to not make it matter too much. The shaft on the VT70 is stiffer, so it doesn't help with clears at all. If clears are in any way your weakness, don't go with any racket with a stiff(ish) shaft. In my opinion, unless you've played with a Voltric racket and know for sure that you like the feel of the line, don't spend the money on the VT70 instead of the VT7 at first. I've known many people who swore the Voltric line would be perfect for their game play (and indeed on paper, the match seemed great) and then they didn't like the feel of any of the rackets. There's no harm in going with the VT7 first, especially if you're intermediate. It's a fantastic racket that can be used for any purpose. If you're one of those players that really wants to play singles but sometimes finds themselves in the front for doubles, the VT70 makes that easier since it combines a head-heavy racket with the frame of a fast racket.
