I am currently using a Carlton Vapour Trail Elite, stung with Yonex NG98 at 25/27lbs. I use it for mostly doubles and some single matches. It is a great racket but it is on the stiff side for me (the shaft is rated as extra stiff by Carlton) It is hard for me to generating the whipping effect when I am not in position. So I am looking for a racket that is a little bit less stiff but still offering good power at smashing. I have been looking at Arcsaber 11 and Duora Z-Strike. It seems like the Arc11 lacks the power in smash while the Duora Z-Strike has a stiff shaft. I am wondering would any of the two works in my case or is there any other rackets that would suits my needs ? The specs of the Carlton Vapour Trail Elite is something like: Weight: 90g, between U2 and U3 in terms of Yonex Head Heavy Extra Stiff shaft EDIT: Have checked the specs measured from direct badminton, Carlton Vapour Trail Elite has a Flex measure of 49mm (whatever that means...) comparing to Z-Strike at 54mm, Arc11 at 54mm, ZF2 at 55, Duora 10 at 57mm, JS12 at 56mm, JS10 at 55mm. Guess that means this racket is really really stiff.
Do you love the aero frame? Jetspeed S12 in 3U or 4U - between medium and stiff - aero frame - slightly head heavy https://www.victor-international.com/index.php?page=product&id=550 Arc11 (stiff) and Duora Z (extra stiff) are slower, but have a more solid feeling -> Control rackets
Hi there Just sharing with you. I have been using Apacs T200 for almost 6 years and it has given me great results. Stiff shaft and balance head weight suits well with my swing speed and swing weight preferences. Using bg66 anywhere at 30-32lbs gives excellent hitting results.
Thank you for your recommendation. I did heard a lot of good things about the JS12. Do you think it would be good for singles ? I do like the aero frame for backhand. For forehand I would prefer better the stability that comes with a box frame (started my badminton with 2U 1st Gen Ti10, truly miss that stable feeling). That is why I was looking at the Z-strike. Do you think the Victor Lin Dan Force would be too head heavy ? The Carlton VTE I am using now has a balance point of 300 with grip and string.
JS S12 in 3U is better for singles and 4U is better for doubles... Arcsaber 11 is better than Z-Strike for you. Z-Strike is really extra stiff.
Thanks a lot ! I am seriously considering Victor now. What do you think of JS10? Seems like that one has a smaller frame and produces more powerful smashes without big sacrifices in terms of speed. Do you know how does it compare to Yonex Arcsaber Z-Slash ?
Z slash isn't suitable for doubles. I only use Arc11 nowadays, its the perfect balance between attack and defence. I can get even better smashes with it compared to VoltricZFII
Relatively new Z Strike owner here (30/31lbs Li Ning No.1). I personally have had no issues generating power with the box frame side. Lin Dan Force 3U may be the best one for you. Try it in shop and if you can try in court that's even better. Paul seems to be a great fan of that racket and I can understand why after trying it. Very forgiving and easy to handle.
The only thing that worries me about Arc11 is the low tension limit, 24lbs I believe, for the warranty. I heard this racket comes alive with string tension of 26lbs+.
I was also considering the Lin Dan Force. But I am a bit worried about the head heaviness though. Paul is a big fan of VT80. But VT80 is definitely not my cup of tea, at least the 3U version. Do you know how's Lin Dan Force compare to Z-Strike in terms of head heaviness ?
LDF feels much head heavier than my z strike. But if you were telling the truth about failing to generate a whip effect in your OP, I'd still recommend the LDF.
UPDATE: I have been able to get my hands on the Arc11, Z-Strike and VTZFII. All of them are strung at roughly 24-26lbs. I played with each of them for a few minutes and here are my initial impressions: Arc11: This racket gives me an immediate familiar feeling of typical high end Yonex racket. Everything is effortless. I would appreciate the head to be a little bit heavier for clear in difficult situations. Smash is quite strong with it, astonishingly stronger than ZF2. Z-Strike: Again everything is effortless, clear, lift, smash . But for the few minutes with it I haven't get used to the slightly upper sweet spot. I believe this would be a killer weapon once I get use to its sweet spot. ZF2: Surprise, surprise, surprise. It was a 3U version and I had no problem at all playing with it. It didn't really give me the sluggish feeling that I was expecting from a head heavy racket. But for quick doubles I think I may steer away from ZF2.
UPDATE: Finally decided on the Z-Strike because I just couldn't resist the sharpness with a stiff shaft. Strung with NG98 at 26lbs. Played for a 3 hour session. The initial response is positive. Everything is just a huge upgrade over the Carlton VTE that I was using. I guess it has been too long since I last hold a top-end racket . Pros: Clear is effortless. Escape clears at very difficult situations would really depend on the technique of the user. Smash is powerful and it was enjoyable to watch how my opponents were trying everything they could to avoid lifts. I guess the string helped a bit. Backhand clear is amazingly easy. Backhand drives and lifts are just incredible. It feels like this racket is begging you for using the backhand side. Drops are easy to execute and you could easily guide the shuttle if you have good skills with your fingers. Cons: The accuracy is not very consistent. I am not sure it is because I haven't played badminton for a few years or the sweet spot is slightly higher than other rackets. Will see after more sessions.
It's a rather unusual and small sweetspot so it isn't your fault necessarily. I fail sometimes as well if i'm fatigued etc. Congratulations on your racket! Z strike virtual high five xD.
The strange thing that I found is when I do baseline serve, sometimes I hear a weird sound and the shuttle lands short of the inner line. It may be something to do with the location of the sweet spot. I used a Z-Slash before so I think it wasn't the small sweet spot. And YEAH HIGH FIVE !!
