A few days ago I had a discussion with a club member. A junior at our club bought a VT70 E-tune. He is playing since a year. He is not a good player, but my club mate was very angry and tries to blame the parents and the junior because of such an expensive racket. He is playing with rackets around 30-50USD. His main arguments were: 1. He should learn how to play before he buy such a racket 2. With such expensive rackets you don't play better To 1 my answer was.: IMO it depends not on the level of play to own an expensive racket. If you love your kind of sports, have passion and it's an important hobby for you it's just up to you how much you spend for an item. It's more important which racket fits your liking and that this choice don't depends on a price tag. To 2 my point of view was.: IMO this isn't a secret which must be shared. It absolute clear, that a decent player, will be a decent player regardless how expensive the racket is. Logical consequence is that a average or weak player, don't play better with an expensive racket. But everybody is free to choose which racket he want to use. It's up to everybody what he do with his money. This discussion biased me to open a thread about this fact. Why do alot people prefer high end rackets about low end rackets? I came to the conclusion that these facts can be the reasons why: 1. Look (high end rackets have a more accurate and complex paint job) 2. Prestige 3. being a fan of a special player who use it 4. prefering stiff shafts and most expensive rackets are the stiff ones 5. quality (better paint job, better graphite) 6. durabilty (I made the experience that every high end racket can take high tension, but not every cheap one) 7. being a high tech freak (slim frames, aerodynamics etc.) 8. badminton is important for you and this is why you spend your money for that 9. You love to try different rackets and high end rackets have always a good resale value 10. You made bad experience with cheaper rackets and this is the reason why you avoid them 11. You don't want to support modern slavery and buy one which is made in Japan or Taiwan 12. You think you are a decent player and think you deserve it Maybe somebody like to add a reasons. What are your reasons/the benefits why you buy an expensive racket instead of a cheap one?
IMHO I rather spend once in a high-end racket rather than buying a decent racket at first and when your skills develops you need to buy one high-end racket. The cost will be higher than buying high-end racket once in the first place. I don't know why people say that one needs to develop their skills first before buying a high-end racket or it will be a waste of money. In my mind, they're just jealous of them having a new or maybe the newest racket in the market. It's their money to spend, the consequences will be theirs why do other people need to be angry or frustrated about it? It is a good suggestion to not spend much at first if you're not going to commit, but it's a different story when badminton becomes a hobby and you practice almost everyday.
IMO there isn't really a definite one answer to the question. But i will just share my experience hoping to help. I started with a cheap racket, priced only at around 15 USD. It was decent for casual play. I had it for 4 months but when i was trying to improve I've tried a different racket, a Voltric 5. The difference was far from my first racket and i was able to keep up with others. After that, i used a friend's ZF2 and it was better than the Voltric 5 because of the material, flex and power. I bought one and didn't regret it. So to answer the question, IMO, the high end rackets will no doubt be better than entry level ones however, i don't recommend buying an expensive racket especially for beginners For the following reasons: 1. Style of play/Preference - at first, you don't know what you will prefer. I doubt that at the start a beginner would say that he/she likes an light head racket immediateLy compared to a head heavy. It will be A waste if you buy a high end racket that doesn't suit your playing style. 2. The racket will define your growth - if you buy a high end racket as a beginner, you would most likely base everything else on that racket. Meaning if u start with a head heavy racket, most likely u would expect all racketd to be head heavy. At the start, i always recommend an entry or mid range balance racket. After figuring out if u want to specialize, thats the time to buy a high end racket. 3. Commitment to the sport - it's hard to see if a beginner would immediately be in love with a sport like badminton. Buying a high end racket then not using it also a waste of money. For me, best is to start with an intermediate racket, then try borrowing other rackets to see your preference and style of play. I believe the best racket is the one that suits your style and at the same time you are comfortable with regardless if its high end, mid range or entry level. I will never forget that feeling of upgrading from the cheap racket to my Voltric 5 then finally settling with ZF2. It just made me feel the improvement i have made. Well thats just my experience. Looking forward to others' experience as well.
I do not agree to that : If you start, you are unable to now which typ of racket suits you best. If you've found out, fine, go and buy an expensive one ! BTW, my reason is just another one : So I can't blame the material but only me and me alone ... ! :crying: Regards, Joachim.
People say that the racket doesn't make the player - and you're right, it doesn't turn a newbie into a pro. That doesn't mean the racket can't influence how well a player can perform. Anyone in the intermediate ranges will develop preferences and notice their game change based on racket - you don't need to be a pro for that. To say it makes no difference is akin to saying they shouldn't bother with good strings. And playing for a year? That's long enough to know what they want. Look at the N90, it's known for being difficult to move. It's in the price point of a low-mid racket. Look at the ZF2, it's difficult to swing. It's in the high end. It's smarter to buy a racket that suits you and that you enjoy playing with, and especially if you're in a western country: ignore the cost. Badminton rackets aren't that expensive. A top end badminton racket costs the same as around 10 tubes of feather shuttles.
Thanks for the answers. No doubt. I know how the journey/best method is to an expensive racket. My aim is not the best way to find the ideal racket or how should you choose your equipment most efficient. Most people will agree that a high end racket will perform better. But is this the truth and the only reason why?
Hi everyone. IMO ..... and my own experiences, intermediate rackets is a good starting point. However, starting at high end rackets can also be a good approach. Because the players can work his or her way back starting from high end to intermediate rackets. AND if the high end rackets really doesn't suit the players, he or she can always just sell it as a 2nd hand racket to any club members who are looking for another rackets. ( Of course if the racket is broken then it is a different story ). It really need about a good 6 to 8 mounths for the player to find out is that racket suitable or not. Then also what types of strings and tensions suitable for the person. With all that, the racket probably been used for 12 mounths (give or take) so after 1 year of usng it, I'll say it is worth to try the high end racket and see how things are .........
Thanks, but I think a lot posters didn't get my point. I'm not asking when you should buy a high end one, or at which level or if a high end one suits a beginner or when to sell a racket etc. My question is: What makes the main difference for you between a cheap and an expensive racket? Why do you own e.g. an ARC11 instead of an ARC4DX or a NR800 instead of a NR70DX?
The rackets are made better. With lower end rackets, they can feel more rigid while with higher end rackets, they can feel more aerodynamic and such, with different technologies. All in all, it's marginal. With some lower intermediate rackets though, they can feel much bulkier sometimes.
VT70 E-Tune is actually a smart buy for a beginner who doesn't know his preference for balance and swing weight. Now if his parents bought him the exorbitant high end GlanZ... now that would be silly.
from my experience when new to badminton... l actually confused with my style of play (l think all other beginners/newcomers too) so, with that confusion... l'm not sure which racket type should l use... head light... head heavy... balance... stiff... etc... in the end l bought a lot of racket... ns9900, bs15, sw27, mx80, liningwood, zforce,v70... and finally l'm settled with f9... (all of them 2nd hand tho...) and becoz of the high end racket... l can easily sell them as l'm not going to use them... if it is ns990 or voltric9... l dont think anyone would buy those racket from me
^ That is very true... High end newly released rackets are usually easier to sell second hand if it doesn't fit your style while you're in the process of narrowing down your specs. Sure, you'll take a slight hit, maybe 10-20%, but that's a small price compared to trying to unload a racket that is not in demand.
[MENTION=7]Cheung[/MENTION] can you upgrade this forum and let us use the +1 point system, please? we have some stupid comments and awesome comments.
My case would be no different for High end or low end but which one most suite to me at certain level of my skill and playing style time to time. I have Yonex 80, nanospeed 9900, arc z slash, victor 60, 80...But I use Apacs Finapi 77 now yonex and victor all high end racket, more than RM 400. Apacs only RM 100 I'm not very good player but got training, play open and club tournament. When play with state player or better skill player, i use Apacs Finapi 77 (4u) cos my defence, continuous attacking, recover and consistency would be better. To reduce losing score on own mistake and play a tight game. But certainly attacking using 4u would not be poweful, has to be careful where to smash. When play with opponent same or lower skill than me, I can use any rackets. But usually I will choose 3u to increase my attack and train my recover and consistency when using heavier racket.
I just buy cheap rackets, but from those with a good reputation. As it's very likely to clash, I can just throw it into the bin without crying. And cheap doesn't mean that they aren't sought out. Some cheap rackets can suddenly become expensive when the production stopped because they are so good and sought heavily by players. This is from my experience, Why buy an Arcsaber FB if a Kason Speedy P1 can give you a similar feeling, plus it's HH rather than Even balance. Easy to manuvre, great at defence but can still smash. There was also Kason carvel U3, U4 and Agile A4 which I can't find at the real price (the sellers wanted a higher price than it should be) and just today I got my Hart Powershoot Pro, which can be strung at 30 lbs, so the argument that cheap rackets can't take high tension isn't true I bought Kason Speedy P1 for 230.000 rupiah=17.53 $while Powershoot Pro for 185.000 rupiah=14.1 $. I think the main reason is because they are "poisoned", with reviews like this (the real one from here :http://tepokbulu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8140 in Indonesian language) racket: apacs virtuoso performance String: yy bg 68 titanium jp coe Tension 28/30lbs bp strung 305 mm ¤ paint combination of orange and yellow colors (orange dominant) for me is eccentric. absolutely being different on court ¤ Manuvre: Looks like apacs is trying to answer consumers needs of the current style of play which tend to be fast by designing this racket Manuvre isn't only this racket's strong point but also it's value and is ready to be compared with other speed rackets. For me, this racket's manuvre si similar to my ti10, agile and nimble. a Shaft stiffer than Sizzle makes the was wes wos more "aduhai" ★Defence : This cannot be denied, I am sure whoever use it, his defence will be better than before. Every corner can be covered completely, this racket can never die even in cornered situations ★Control:apacs can't be wrong by having this racket as it ends, superbbb, netting, dropshot, crosscourt, placing, eveything can be done accurate and precise. ★Power: Those who had used the smash king of apacs , lethal 70, will find its reincarnation in this racket. Destructive power smash, not tiring you out, solid, and without vibration. sharper than sizzle ¤ Colsing: Masters will surely hear about how great apacs ti10 was which was the best allround racket, the big name of tantrum 200 which shakes forums from the whole world, the scary power of lethal 70, the greatness of vhs 1800 which had a excellent+++ from BC forum, the cheap wrex 100 speed series, and many more apacs which become the best seller And with this, I will say apacs virtuoso performance as the best apacs I had ever used, the rackets I wrote before felt tasteless after using my AVP, and its not surprising because this is made to be the best of apacs sorry if my review is not up to it, clearly, what I have wrote can't make the whole greatness of this racket, there are still many strong points of this racket that cannnot be described by words, only by using it masters will understand what nubie said. I beg for correction if there is something wrong. This is only a review from a newbie, it will be more powerfull and scary if a master level with big power use it ---------------- -------------- ------------- Comments: 1. Super Coach Master Big Teacher Andi Amri Acen, you don't need the formality, just get to the point, share the deadly poison. 2. We are already ready to stroke our purse while drooling reading master's review etc...
