I appreciate all the video reviews, but I sure miss an old school ants-style written review of the racket
Got a sneak peak to weigh a bunch of Arc 11's pros unstrung / plastic on. 3U's are pretty consistent but the 4U seems to be all over the place and quite noticeable. 4x 3U = 87g to 88g BP 293 to 298 3x 4U = 82g, 83g, 85g BP's 292 - 298
Birthday is coming up, and the lady is gettin' me an Arc11Pro. Review coming once I've got a few sessions with it under my belt.
This is my first and may be last racket review. I normally don’t get the racket upon first release but this was one I had to try. My wife got this for me as the CNY/valentines present as she knows my preference for the Arc 10 (she actually tracked down my last 2 from HK). I also normally allow those who have more experience in review do this. Seeing there was a request for written reviews I figured I’d share a bit about what I’ve gotten in the first few hours. Background about me Former university player (12+ years ago), have some fundamentals and won some tournaments in my hayday. Since graduating played less and less every year, stopped during the pandemic and resumed 1 session a week the past few months. Currently play primarily even or mixed doubles with regular partners. An occasional singles game when my partners are tired. My playing style is front in even doubles and more control in mixed with selective power attacks. Currently in my bag Arc 10 3U - for even doubles and singles Arc 11 3U - for singles when I’m lazy Arc 11 Pro 4U - newly acquired with Exbolt 63 TC75 - for mixed doubles when I’m feeling competitive AX 88D Pro 4U - used for a month and annexed by my wife Recently used BS12 3U - still my favourite for competitive doubles AX99 Pro 4U - sold due to headweight All rackets are strung at 26 lbs with thinner string. Aerosonic, No. 1 or G-Tone 5. I understand this is not a direct comparison however I’ve always been less sensitive to string and more affected by head-flex, shaft stiffness and balance. I’ve used more than 10 strings and 30+ rackets (varying head-weights, frame size, weights, brands and prices) and always been adaptable. As long as the string is thin and > 24lbs I can get used to it in 30 mins or so. I think for most amateur players this would be true. Testing session Warmed up with standard shots (drive, clear, drop, smash, defence, net) along with movement drills for 45 minutes. Played a few casual and competitive games. Total 2 hours continuous on-court time. Summary Overall this is an upgraded Arc 10 or Duora 10. The hold and control resembles classic arcsaber series. The power is easily accessible if you hit the sweetspot but not nearly as forgiving as the 88D Pro or 99 Pro. Speed is comparable to the 88D Pro, slightly slower than the BS12 and faster than everything else in my bag. Drives As expected Arc 11 Pro is an upgraded version of the Arc 10. It’s fast when needed and it’s easy to return drives close to the net even in fast exchanges. It’s not going to give you power drives like the more head heavier rackets but it’s much more maneuverable. It gets me out of trouble much better than other rackets I have in the bag. The highlight of the day for me was fast exchanges and changing directions. The Arc 11 Pro can handle its own; if your technique is good the counterattacking drive or block feels very nice. I can’t generate the killer drives like I could with the TC75 but that requires significantly more effort and positioning. I’m willing to sacrifice a little power for consistency and reaction speed. Power drives 99 Pro > TC 75 > 88D Pro > Arc 11 Pro > Arc 11 > BS12 > Arc 10 Fast exchanges BS12 > Arc 11 Pro > Arc 10 > 88D Pro > Arc 11 > TC75> 99 Pro Clears In general it’s pretty seamless to clear line to line. Technique and good timing is required (especially backhand clears) to ensure you hit the sweetspot. Off-center shots may be well short and can be punished. My AX 99 Pro, 88D Pro and TC 75 are definitely easier to clear but more demanding over time. I can easily play with the Arc 11 Pro for 3-4 hours without sacrificing quality of my clears. This just isn’t true with the heavier rackets. Over time my clears tend to lose precision or control and I get my partner into trouble. 99Pro> TC75 > 88D Pro> Arc 11 Pro > Arc 11 > Arc 10 = BS12 Smash Similar to clear I feel my smashes with the Arc 11 Pro are not as penetrating as the head heavy rackets. This should be no surprise. However I found that I won more points with my smash due to the improved precision that I can place with my smash. I also didn’t have to be in perfect position and wind up in order to generate a decent amount of power. The lack of head weight and not so soft shaft meant I didn’t feel much head lag in smashes, like I would for the 99 Pro, Arc 11 or BS12. But it definitely didn’t feel like I was hitting with a wooden board. However, there is a big difference between on and off the sweetspot. It will need some time to get used to, especially if you’re on a 99 Pro or 88D Pro, it’s not that forgiving. But if you’re on the Arc 10/11 now this is seamless. If you’re looking for a canon this isn’t it. But to be clear, for a 4U even balanced racket this is no slouch. I’d say the shuttle speed compares to a standard Arc 11 but placed significantly better, like my BS12. My biggest complaint about the BS12 (my all time favourite) is that it lacks the punch needed to scare my opponents to back up. Arc 11 Pro gave my opponents just enough worry, backing up, that when I mix a deceptive drop it created good opportunities. I can also keep up the 80% power smashes longer, making my play more consistent. In general I prefer variability in my smashes as opposed to going in 1 gear, the Arc 11 Pro let’s me do this. Power smash TC75 = 99 Pro > 88D Pro > Arc 11 Pro = Arc 11 > BS12 = Arc 10 Precision smash Arc 11 Pro = BS 12 > Arc 10 = 88D Pro > Arc 11 > 99 Pro = TC75 Drop I only do slice drops (as opposed to flat tap drop), both forehand and backhand. The control of Arcsaber series shines again when it comes to these drops. Perhaps it’s due to similarities between the Arc 10 and Arc 11 Pro, but I found it easy to perform a variety of drops in different scenarios (backline, deception, late footwork, fast and slow). I thought that the lack of headweight and overall weight would have affected the swing and impact the slicing feedback for drops (like the NS9900 or JS10). This was definitely not the case with the Arc 11 Pro. The shuttle will go where I send it. Given slices and drops are very feel-dependent and personal, each person will have a different adjustment period. In my person experience with sufficient practice the touch for any racket can be there, just that this one may need less time to adapt for me. Net I play a lot of net shots due to my current style and playing group. The Arc 11 Pro is great in this area. It’s quick enough to intercept and has enough head weight to control net exchanges. Net kills were easy and I had no issues adjusting to the racket for spinning net shots. Again this could be because I’m coming from an Arc 10 and 88D Pro before that. During match play I had to scramble a few times in my mixed games, running from the backline to recover a net shot. I ended up doing a few low to the ground late crosscourt net shots. They were the quality I was hoping to get; they didn’t pop up too high for a quick kill for the opponent. In my experience only the BS 12 beats this racket. BS 12 > Arc 11 Pro > Arc 10 = 88D Pro > Arc 11 > TC75= 99 Pro Defence I also tend to do a lot of defending due to my playing style. It’s very important for me to be able to get quality lifts, blocks and drives with control so I can turn defence into offence. Based on my requirements the Arc 11 Pro was great. I can block to the net easily, turn the shuttle into open space with control and drive it back if needed. The only issue is that more effort was needed to perform a crosscourt high lift while receiving a smash or fast drop. The lacking head weight meant that I needed to generate the power. Again, if I didn’t get into the sweetspot the lift was going to be pretty short, ending the rally. This is where the softer shaft of the BS12 helps but it’s a trade off between offense and defense. BS12 > Arc 11 Pro > Arc 10 = 88D Pro > Arc 11 > 99Pro = TC75 The Arc 11 Pro will be my main racket going forward. It’s not the best in any department but it’s dangerous in every department. It’s not going to make you FHF nor Setiawan but if you’re looking for an all-rounder this is probably the best on the market right now. A little bit of technique and an adjustment period may be needed. But that’s probably the same for every racket. I will test it for a few more months and see if I’ll end up getting a few more.
On top of my Arcsaber 11 Pro/Tour/Play comparison, I decided to do the 3 generation test - the 10 vs 11 vs 11 Pro. What do you think?
Thanks both of you for the detailed reviews ! Speed of the Arc11 Pro isn't faster than the 88D Pro? Does it feel stiffer than the 88D Pro ? I am looking for something a little faster/lighter head than my current 88D Pro. Seems like the Arc11 Pro is quite similar to the 88S Pro. Don't know which one is closer to the 88D
In my experience it depends on where you’re looking for in speed. Arc 11 Pro is definitely faster in my hands for defence, especially getting out of trouble. However if you’re looking for fast swing for a bigger smash I think the difference really isn’t there. The biggest factor between the 88S and 88D is the 5mm length difference in shaft length. It may not be much but it makes a huge difference.
11Pro 3U arrived today! Won't get some court time until tomorrow, but for now here are a few thoughts I have about it after minutes of molesting it: Quality looks and feels really good. Paint feels nice to touch and run your fingies along like with other matte Yonex racquets. Feels nice to swing around. Not slow at all, but not as fast as a majority of my other racquets. I'd say it's the 2nd slowest racquet of the 7 I own. Still very nice to swing and very maneuverable in the air. If the NF800 swings sharp, the 11Pro swings smooth. I really like it. It's... comfortable, for lack of a better term. The racquet itself doesn't feel as solid in the hands compared to my NF800, maybe because the NF800's materials are more compressed and feel more dense compared to the 11Pro. Not exactly a downside, just an observation. The shaft is STIFF. About as stiff as my NF800, or maybe a tiny bit less. That's just from bending tests, though. We'll see how stiff it feels during gameplay at tomorrow's session. Frame feels very stable. No noticeable movement when twisting the frame. All in all, very promising and I'm very excited to try it out tomorrow. I'll be able to compare it to the AX100ZZ and OG Arc11, so I'll be excited for that as well.
Posted my long ass review here for anyone who's interested in giving it a read. https://www.badmintoncentral.com/fo...ons-with-other-popular-yonex-racquets.189260/