So, I was looking for a new racket and originally wanted to buy the Yonex Lin Dan Force, but unfortunately it's not avaible anymore in my local store The guy in the shop, suggested the Babolat X-Feel Blast and the Li-Ning N7 II as alternatives, but I'm not really sure, if I should trust this.. Babolat advertises the X-Feel Blast as head heavy, but I've read that it's more of an even balanced racket (Paul Steward also said that in his review). According to the shop website, balance point is around 290mm, which I wouldn't really consider head heavy. About the Li-Ning N7 II, I couldn't really find many informations. Some shops listed it as even balanced, some listed it as slightly head heavy. Right now, I'm also considering JS12 and especially Li Ning N9 II. I know that both of these rackets dont really come close to LD-Force in terms of head heaviness, but I've read that both excellent control and a lot of power (the N9 II a bit more, since it seems to be a tad head heavier than JS12). And I actually enjoyed the relatively fast frame of my previous N90-III. So which of these rackets would you suggest? Of course, you can also name other rackets, that could fit. I'm playing both singles and doubles, and I tend towards a more aggressive playstyle. Thanks in advance PS: Cause I already know, that this answer is coming: No, VTZFII won't be an option, I'm pretty sure it'd be too stiff and too head heavy for me. I was also thinking about N99, but right now it's too expensive for me.
I have a Babolat X-Feel Blast in my bag right now to test it. It's certainly not a head heavy beast, but certainly more head heavy than an Arcsaber 11, for example, without sacrificing speed. If you have never played with a Babolat (with 20*21 strings), I would strongly suggest to try it first, if you have the chance. It is a really nice racket, especially considering that it sells around 100 € (including a string job) in Germany.
Unfortunately also not avaible anywhere near.. Well thanks for your review Unfortunately I can't try it, since nobody's using it. Can you tell me how it plays in terms of stiffness? According to Babolat's website it's extra stiff, and I think Paul described it as difficult to use. Is that true?
It is certainly not extra stiff. I think it is slightly stiffer than the Voltric 50 E-Tune, feels similar to the Arc 11, so it is on the stiffer side, but I have played with rackets that felt way stiffer. Unfortunately, I cannot compare it with the LD Force. I'm pretty sure it is the strange stringing pattern, but if you hit off-center, it feels really weird. Now, the problem is that the racket is faster than you'd expect (at least as quick as my Victor LF 7300 which weights 10g less and has an aero frame) and if you cannot adapt, you will hit at the top of the head frequently. You can probably just try any Babolat with the 20*21 stringing pattern (the distance between the strings increases from center to frame) to get the feeling. 2 out of 3 people I gave the racket to had that problem and just didn't like it. The third one will buy it. I will probably too. Where do you live that there is no shop with test rackets around? And nobody playing with this racket.....
