Hello guys, Just got back to playing badminton a few months ago and I'm now looking to upgrade my gear. I play doubles and mixed doubles mostly; I'm male, btw. I used to use N90 Woods (7 years ago when I was younger and stronger). It was a great racket, but sadly, I had to dispose it because it was starting to cause injuries to my arm. I think I'm an intermediate player (Class D - C) with good techniques (I just recently learned how to do backhand clears ). I am an offensive-minded player. I used to smash a lot, but I don't anymore; I usually do slices, drops and drives now with a bit of smashes when I'm feeling it. I am currently using Astrox 39; it is ok i guess. I get the power for drives, clears and smashes and it handles nice, but it vibrates a lot. Doing research online, people are saying Tectonic 7 is an excellent all rounder and it peaked my interest. I was ready to get the tectonic 7 because it seemed like the racket that would best suit my play style. Then, I recently had the chance to try the 4U Astrox 100zz and loved the feeling. Hitting the shuttlecock felt similar to the N90 Woods. I tested drives, clears, slices, drops, defense, and of course smashes. They all felt great! Now I'm confused and need help deciding.
there is 2 posible way someone end up hurting himself when playing. 1. Bad technique. 2. Bad equipment. I mean not suitable equipment. To heavy racket that stress your muscle, to light racket which force yourself swing faster, to stiff racket that you arm cant handle. So try to find the cause for your pain. Also 100ZZ are demanding racket. So bad technique or weak body + 100ZZ would punish you even more.
I agree with that, but i do feel that i have proper techniques. I'm just not that fit (yet). If 100zz is really demanding, so I might NOT get that racket (man, the feel of that racket is just so good). What about the Tectonic 7? Does anyone know if it is as demanding as 100zz? Has someone here compared both rackets? BTW, I have tried the following rackets and here are my opinions 1. Nanoray 700RP - nice control, but lacks power, my shots float 2. Windstorm 72 - lacks power, too light 3. Z Force 2 - excellent racket but vibrates, which throws me off 4. Astrox 39 - kind of similar to Z Force 2 but vibrates more (my current racket) 5. Thruster F Claw - nice drive and clears, having trouble hitting the shuttle on smashes for some reason 6. Nanoray Z Speed - too heavy 7. N90 Woods - My fave racket so far, but cannot weild it 8. Voltric 80 - same as Z Force 2 As you can see, I have been really looking for the right racket for me. Basically, I'm looking for a user-friendly N90 Woods
Tectonic 7 or 7D can be too light for you, May be Tectonic 7C will suite you because it is close to 100zz heaviness but slightly flexier, @Swaraj Lakshman seems to be enjoying it.
Why not try to look for 88D/S Pro. Its less stiffer than the original 88D/S so its easier to handle. If you want more power go for the D but if its still to much for you then you might want to go for S.
Isn't Tectonic 7C for singles? But if it isn't just for singles, I'll keep it in mind. I don't smash as much anymore so the 7Cs strengths might go to waste for me. I wanted the 4U version of 100zz because I mainly play doubles. On paper, Tectonic 7 is heavier (84g) than 100zz (83g) so it shouldn't be too light, right?
7C is an excellent choice. I do not own 100zz,may be others who own both 7C and 100z, can give you better insight. I have Tc80 which is good but I find it slightly stiffer compared to 7C. 7C serves me very well for doubles and occasionally for singles as well. I am not aware,there may be Pro singles players using it but I am certain of seeing doubles player Kim Astrup using it. There may be more. As u said u feel u have the right technique ,you may suit urself from a variety of choices. Sent from my SM-N975F using Tapatalk
I hope I will get the chance to test these rackets. They are new like the Tectonic 7 so finding a racket to test is very hard. On paper, the 88D pro might suit me as I play mixed doubles also. Thank you for the suggestion
7C is 85 grams. If we think about quality control of Li Ning vs Yonex there is a high chance for your 100zz being >83gms than your 7C being >85gms. If you are okay with BP 295 then may be 7 will be a good choice too. Tectonic 9 is around the corner if you can wait for a couple of months, that actually shout be closer to 100zz feel with 6.6mm shaft that is hard flexible (like 100zz ? may be), 80 holes. All that said I find 100zz has a very satisfying flex while hitting smashes or clears, being a Li Ning fan I'd still get one more 100zz when I can. Just that 100zz doesn't come with Li Ning level QC or durability and the gorgeous feel in hand.
Thank you for the information. I will definitely add this racket and the 88D into the list of rackets to research on.
So my choices went from 2 rackets to 4 rackets; I more confused now. Anyway, I think I just need to test out the other 3 rackets. If I can't find any of them to test, I think the Astrox 100zz will serve me well. Thanks everyone for your contributions.
LOL! STOP! Anyway, I have tried the cheap version of a good racket (Astrox 39 instead of Astrox 99) and it just doesn't cut it for me.
there is 3 category. Low end 39,38S/D Mid end 69,68S/D High end 99,88S/D But seems Yonex come up with new naming. Pro - high end Tour - mid end Games - low end
i managed to try the 88d pro last weekend, but i only managed to do rallies and a one game with it. i think it was heavy on smashes and seemed like my arm was being pulled by the racket when i smashed. drives, clears and drop shots were pretty good. it did feel slow on defense for me. hitting the shuttlecock did not feel as solid as the 100zz, but it was kinda close the 88d pro was strung at 24lbs and 100zz at 25lbs; i don't know if the 1lb matters. i might give 88d pro a pass as i think it does not suit me (same with tec 75c). so my options now are 100zz vs 88s pro vs tec 7
I owned 100zz (3U), 88S (4U), and Tec 7. I play mostly doubles and my main racket is Bravesword 12 (3U). In my opinion: - Tec 7: yes great all rounder, doesn't stand out for anything, dull - 88S: felt stiffest to me - 100zz: fast, long grip, less stiff than 88S (supposedly stiffer than 88S based on official specs) I sold all of the above. But if I have to choose one out of the three, I would choose 100zz (4U).
I haven't tried the 100zz yet. But I do have the regular 88D, both the 2018 and 2020 version and recently bought Tectnoic 7. Really like the Tectonic 7. The 88D is way to stiff and advanced for me. The Flex on the Tex 7 is really helping me and the tacket is very fast IMO.
I would honestly recommend tec7 way over 100zz for intermediate players. 100zz is very stiff and coupled with the lack of head heaviness it's much harder to generate power with. Tec7 doesn't stand out in any area but that's perfect for someone who wants to play lots of different shots from different positions.
you all made good points for choosing either 100zz or tec 7, which means to me that i can't go wrong with choosing either one. i'm going to try the 100zz again this weekend on a game or 2 (only did rallies last time) and see how i perform with it. i think that will decide which racket i choose (w/o testing tec 7) for myself. i'll make sure to post an update here on how it goes.
tested 100zz (4U) in a game last night. THE CONTROL IS EXCELLENT! feedback from my opponents and friends watching was my astrox 39 smashes were stronger than the 100zz smahes. everything else was better with the 100zz.
