The n9ii is definitely not for everyone. it is certainly not user friendly. It took me 10+ hours on the racquet to really get the timing under control. However, for me, the smash is really powerful. It's like a beast, and it takes time to tame before its potential power can be harnessed . You have quite a nice li ning collection . It's just sad that the n9ii and you didn't get along . I'm actually planning to buy a second n9ii as backup, and I'm gunning for the green bronze one this time.
The color scheme of the N9II is really nice. Also, Li Ning has great durability. I have seen at least 3 people play with the N9II in my club and yeah, they clicked with it. Loud and pretty strong smashes compared to their old ones. Thats what got my attention for the N9II. Needless to say, I hit much harder than all 3 of those guys with any racket I've ever used, so for me, control is more my concern. Could be why I prefer the N7II. I used to use my TK6000 as my main racket but now its too flexible. Thats why I have the TK9900 as my main now and was told the Lin Dan Force is a bigger sweetspot version of the TK9900. Powerwise, the Armortec 700 Limited was the heaviest smash. Shuttlespeed wise, Super Waves 35. I know I have alot of rackets, but thats because I like to review rackets and let my friends try before buying since there aint many places that have demos. My current racket pending delivery is a china exclusive. Victor Thruster K Dong. 3U, extra stiff, and Balance Point of 320mm. Lin Dan Force 4U is a bit underwhelming from what I tried since my bias is I like heavy rackets. Could be why I dont click with rackets that are too fast ex. Jetspeed S10, Z Slash, and N9II. Sorry for going off topic. Lol
Hi 7un4tran, I see you own a 3U TK9900. Do you find the sweetspot of the TK9900 unbearable? I sold my ZF2 3U because i hated the ZF2 smaller sweetspot. Also, can you share your experience on TK9900, especially on fast drives both offensive drive and defensive drive? Have you tried a 4U TK9900? I find 3U HH rackets is generally very poor in defensive drives. I own a 3U Lin Dan Force VTLDF and use it for doubles game. It is sufficiently fast in drives, and generally good and fast enough in defence. It packs quite a lot of power, but i suspect it will be less powerful than a 3U TK9900. See my review article for 3U VTLDF. I have not tried the 4U VTLDF but since you already use 3U TK9900 you should be able to easily handle 3U VTLDF.
Hi AK77 To answer your question about my 3U TK9900, I have to say it doesnt bug me at all with the smaller sweetspot. Funny thing is, I used to have a ZF2 3U as well and found it unbearable. The TK9900 is definitely faster the ZF2 in defense and is unbelievably powerful. I owned and tested many rackets and the TK9900 is stronger than my old Victor Super Waves 35 3U, believe it or not. The shuttle speed is faster and the smash weight is pretty heavy. The touch shots feel solid and easy to gauge. It feels solid like the Thruster K9000 and is noticeably easier to play net and defend with than the latter. I was expecting lots of mishits but it surprisingly doesnt feel like a compact head even though it is. If strung with any thin gauge string, smashing is deafening (and invisible in some cases). Drives are very easy and fun to do with the 3U K9900 and I have not tried a 4U version since i tend to like my rackets heavier. Its fast enough for me to get away with my normally below average defense. I mean, its no Jetspeed S10 (owned and couldnt use for the life of me) but it certainly is fast due to the slightly smaller head and its as stiff as the TK 9000. Hope this helps. I will look into your review.
N7II has a more solid feel overall than TK9900. I played with the white one and own the pink one. Of course, if one is to choose any Li Ning, one must not be against the wooden plank feel that they all come with. Overall, N7II is better suited for control freaks. Power wise, TK9900 wins easily but N7II, either one dominates at the net. White one dominates in feel.
They do have that feel. Especially the 1st gen rackets. I started at Yonex before trying Li Ning and every one of them had that feel. Its not a bad thing. Just how it feels when first hitting a shuttle with it. Could be the dampener technology.
It could be a difference in perception, but Li Nings have been some of the most lively feeling racquets I've ever used. The N99 in particular is an outstanding example. Regarding first gen racquets, I found the N90(1) to have a fairly crisp feel. The feel of the racquet was on par with the 3U ZF2 I usually use, and the shaft had a nice springiness to it that was incredibly satisfying when it came to smashes. In general, Li Nings are fairly flexible compared to many top Yonex racquets. If one were to describe a brand as feeling stiff like a plank, Yonex would be more worthy of the title.
Guys, sorry to trouble you guys but how does the vtldf 4u play against the vt80 4u? Is it a reasonable alternative in terms of head heaviness and shaft stiffness? I cant find much information after reading through all 36 pages of the thread.
Thanks phorge for the valuable reference but how does it fare, the same or better, in the power and control department?
The VT80 feels harder while smashing. However, the VTLD-F moves faster through the air. If you have the opportunity, please try them out with the same type of strings. That will give you the information you need to buy the racket. Both are great rackets. The VT80 is a bit more premium in totality.
D4r3w, phorge Yes, i agree VTLD-F moves faster through the air. I own both VT80 and VT-LDF both 3U. I feel VTLD-F has a little more power compared to VT80. Both of the them is easy to master and good in control and drive rallies, especially defending a fast drive. However, i find one thing the VTLD-F is unforgiving. If you swing hard and mis-hit i.e. hit the frame or nowhere near the sweet spot, the vibration and shocks sometimes really hurts my wrist. When it happens, I can feel the "metal clash shock feeling" on my wrist. Could be i am just getting old and more brittle lol I spend about 25 hours with VT-LDF now. Between VT80 and VTLD-F in my bag, i definitely go for VT-LDF. However, i suggest the 3U instead of the 4U if you have sufficient strength. 4U i think will be underpowered. Also , i would like to suggest you string it at higher tension i.e. 25/27 or 26/28 to get the best from the racket.
If using 4u ldf vs 3u arc11 that wouldn't be fair, so let's use 3u for both. Arc11 head is lighter, faster. LDF swing is slower due to head weight. Using common sense, ldf would give more power and arc11 more defense and driving speed. Both have pretty good shuttle holding capabilites due to the materials they use though, so if you like holding on to it then flick or trick shot, shouldn't be too different other than the strength of the flick. And really thats about it. A voltric vs a arcsaber has always been these points anyway.
