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Tantrum 300 review

APACS Tantrum 300, 88-90/G2.

Zymax 70 @ 28/31 lb.

A gratuity from APACS, so the least I can do is review it for them.


Looks – 7/10

Pretty much the same as the T200, but the apple-green is now a more anodyne tan/bronze - would have preferred something less conservative.

Paint quality is largely good, but the decals are a bit tenuous and there are small dents in the silver at the top of the frame.

Frame and Shaft – 9/10

Frame is similar to the T200 but with less pronounced Power Armour grooves. The T200’s frame was very strong, and so is the T300’s; it’s one of the strongest stringers I’ve seen since the Panda Revelation prototype. I just hoped APACS had sorted out the T200 rattle that came with frame hits.

Shaft felt like a mid-high 7, and sure enough it said 7.5-8.0 on the racket. Similar to the NS9900.


Power – 8/10

Very good. Smashes (when I timed them right – more on that later) came down very quickly, but the tight strings left me a small sweet spot. Lifts were almost too good – I was hitting long for the first fifteen minutes, and I’ve had to make a conscious effort to control myself ever since – it reaches the back with the slightest nudge. It clears extremely well on the backhand side (I took it for some games of singles), and this is a mainstay “test” shot for me.

It also drives very well off a short swing, keeping a lot of power, but felt a bit cumbersome when the rally went “Chinese” (sustained and varied drives).

Defense – 7/10

Falls down a bit here because of the extra weight, but I got it under more control as the session went on. Driven defense went away pretty much as fast as the attack that came in, but transitions needed a firm hand. 85-86 grams and it would have behaved itself better.

Based on the above the T300 is a technically a hybrid, but with a definite bias toward attack.


Feel – 9/10


Felt like I was hitting shuttles with my own hand. Has all the connectivity of the T200 but, crucially, none of that tinnyness when a shot came off the frame; a few times I caught 12 o’clock and got a sound that set my teeth on edge, but no vibration. Perfect example of the addressing a flaw.

Stability/Control – 10/10

Like its elder brother, almost brutally stable: the T300 simply cannot be knocked off line. Possibly the least torque I’ve seen since the FZ Ti550.

(This does come at the cost of some aerodynamics, though, which meant I was dumping a lot of smashes in the net until I adjusted to the new timing. Swings and roundabouts.)


Value for Money – 7.5/10


Had I paid the advertised price for the T300 I would have considered it very fair – there are plenty of dearer and weaker rackets from “stronger” brands.


Conclusions

+
Everything good about the T200, and nothing that was bad;
Pretty powerful for the short balance;
Strings very strong and immensely stable;
Excellent feel – sharp and composed;
Good value for money against the likes of Yonex and Li Ning.

-
Could do with being more aerodynamic (but definitely not at the cost of that stability);
A bit too heavy to be a true all-rounder – three or four grams lighter for easier movement;
Looks are a bit boring – needs a “signature” colour like the old T200. (Tan isn’t a colour; it’s what you use when you can’t decide on a colour.)
 
Which one shud I buy?

Lethal 9
Lethal 10
Edgesaber 10

I'm not a pro player nor semi pro, just play for fun. Not much power on my arm, but I want a good smash and easy for net play + can do a clear baseline to baseline.

Any suggestion?
 
Which one shud I buy?

Lethal 9
Lethal 10
Edgesaber 10

I'm not a pro player nor semi pro, just play for fun. Not much power on my arm, but I want a good smash and easy for net play + can do a clear baseline to baseline.

Any suggestion?

lethal 9 is the most heaviest in those three rackets.
 
The only thing I love about Apacs is that they have lot of 4U rackets with very cheap price compare to other brands, I live in US, I like it when I buy the racket and get the string tension I want.

I havent find any Apacs 4U racket with really head heavy, if you know please let me know, ty
 
Lethal 70 4U :cool:

The only thing I love about Apacs is that they have lot of 4U rackets with very cheap price compare to other brands, I live in US, I like it when I buy the racket and get the string tension I want.

I havent find any Apacs 4U racket with really head heavy, if you know please let me know, ty
 
Anyone notice that their Apacs rackets' paintjob is not even on both sides of the racket? My L70 looks like the decals are higher up on the frame on one side, but I didn't think it was supposed to be uneven à la Z-Slash.. Also, I think the racket's shaft is slightly twisted, as if the shaft was placed into the handle at the wrong angle. I think I see what everyone means now by getting what you pay for in terms of QC for Apacs rackets..
 
Can anyone recommend me an APACS racket which is well-balanced and suitable for beginners ? Something light and user friendly :).
 
Guys, I really like the ArcSaber 10, a head-heavy but overall pretty light racquet. I was wondering if there's an APACS equivalent that I can get. Any suggestions?
 
Guys, I really like the ArcSaber 10, a head-heavy but overall pretty light racquet. I was wondering if there's an APACS equivalent that I can get. Any suggestions?

Hi there,

I think you got the wrong spec. info for Arcs 10. To find an Apacs racquet that has a similar spec. then, let us identify first Arcs 10 correct spec.

Arcs 10 spec and type of player preferences:

Flexibility : Stiff
Weight: 85-89gm(3U) / 90-95gm(2U)
Head balance: Even
Level preferences : Advance
Style of play preferences : All - round

I've played with Arcs 10 before strung with Yonex BG66 at 29 lbs. IMHO, the closest Apacs racket that i've used that able to give the same performance are:

1. Apacs Tantrum 200

Spec:

Flexibility : Stiff
Weight: 89gm(3U)
Head balance: Even (285 +/- 3 mm)
Level preferences : Advance
Style of play preferences : All - round

2. Apacs Visible Hollow 1800

Spec:

Flexibility : Stiff
Weight: 89gm(3U)
Head balance: Even (285 +/- 3 mm)
Level preferences : Advance
Style of play preferences : All - round

3. Apacs Slayer 99 3U

Spec:

Flexibility : Stiff
Weight: 89gm(3U)
Head balance: Even (285 +/- 3 mm)
Level preferences : Advance
Style of play preferences : All - round

SS
 
Hi there,

I think you got the wrong spec. info for Arcs 10. To find an Apacs racquet that has a similar spec. then, let us identify first Arcs 10 correct spec.
[snipped]
Hey there SS, thanks very much for the incredibly detailed response!

I have the Tantrum 200, and I can tell you that the Arc10 that I used is *nothing* like my T200. To be honest, the Arc10 that I used is not exactly genuine, and it had a very obvious heavy head feel to it.

Shortly after posting my question here, I did a little research on the Yonex website, and basically came to the same conclusion that you pointed out, which is that the Arc10 that I played with do not correspond to the Arc10 as stated on the website.

Too bad, because I thought the racquet is pretty good, and if I got the genuine article I would be getting more of the real Yonex goodness! :)

I do have 2 questions:
1. Where do you find the specs for the APACS racquets you quoted in your post? Finding a good APACS website with good info is like finding a needle in a haystack.
2. Any suggestions for a stiff, head-heavy APACS?
 
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