I recently broke my Nanoray 750 which I've had for a couple of years, so looking for a new racquet which is a little heavier (looking for more power). I am about an intermediate player playing 4-6 hours a week and I play both singles and doubles. My budget is around $100 but can go a bit above that. I've looked at a couple of options: Apacs Virtuoso Performance, Apacs ZigZag, and some yonex racquets. Does anyone have some recommendations? I was also wondering whether going from a head light racquet (NR750) to a head heavy (like the AVP) would be too much of a difference to adapt to and would it cause problems. Thanks!
Ashaway Phantom x-speed 2 could be a good racquet to go into. Good quality and well reviewed. $130 aud
Hi, thanks for the recommendations, do you know where I would be able to get these racquets (and hopefully try them) in Sydney?
Hmm, top shot sports doesn't seem to sell ashaway stuff. Any other places to look? Or any other recommendations?
If you don't mind not trying racquets you can try badmintonshop.com.au which is in Adelaide and calibre sports badminton which is in Melbourne I think.
calibre is actually in sydney If your budget is a little over $100AUD you're limited to either low-mid range yonex/victor Apacs you can get a Ziggler Lee Hyun Il for about $120-150AUD (more flexible version of ZF2 and less headheavy) KPH Sport is the main distributer of Apacs in Melbourne.
Oh thanks for correcting me Mm, I would say the ashaway xs2 or xf2 are both great racquets for $130 that beat low-mid range yonex/victor. Otherwise Apacs are also probably good to go with but honestly I can't comment on them as I've never used them.
Also forgot to add last night, going from HL to HH will really throw off your timing for a while as the swing timing and smash technique is different. It will also hinder your defence department as there is more weight in the head of the racket to swing. If you dont mind playing 4U rackets, i HIGHLY recommend trying the apacs Vanguard11 (hard to find now) or the edgesaber10. Usually goes on sale for $120-160 for 2pc. Otherwise ranges from $70-90 for 1pc. Im sure on ebay there are sellers that gives you a much better price. Dont need to worry about fake apacs because no one really bothers faking apacs LOL! Just make sure your supplier is from Malaysia as it is one of the biggest badminton companies over there.
Ashaway XS2 is definitely an easier transition for u coming a head light racket, compared to AVP. In terms of racket weight, XS2 is also lighter. Personally I prefer AVP more bcos of the head heaviness helps me generate more power to my hitting. But then again, I've always been using HH models.
I too switching from HL to HH racquet. I found my Voltric 7 Neo as easy transition as it maintain the same speed but with more power. And cost around 70 to 80 AUD. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/index.php?threads/voltric-7-neo-my-diary.176015/
