AT700 3u vs AT700 4u Hello all, Has anyone every tried both a At700 3u and a At700 4u? If yes, can you give me a summary of the differences between the two? I have a At700 3u and am planning to get another one for backup and the only version aviliable at teh store i'm getting it at is the 4u version. Thank you for all of your responses.
I just received my Armortec 700 today; however, I was disappointed to learn that it was a 4u G4! It seems extremely light compared to my MP77 (2U). I haven't had a chance to try the racquet out yet, but I'm slightly concerned that the the lightness of this racquet will cause a loss of power in my smashes and that the racquet will be less durable, or more susceptible to breaking, than the 3U version. I'm told by the company I bought it from that the 4u version is the only one available in Britain; does anyone know whether that's the case? I could have got a 3u version from Belgro.com for £20 cheaper but feared that the warranty would be invalid since they're a foreign company. As for individual preferences, the best racquet I've ever tried is a 3u MP100; it has both more power and control than my mp77, and it seems to suit my offensive style: for better or worse, most of my game relies on killer smashes. That MP100 also caused less strain to my shoulder (I have or had a partially torn rotator-cuff), and allowed me to play longer without becoming worn out. Incidentally, does anyone want to buy, or know where I can sell, a MP77 which I've used about six or seven times?
posts ok, sorry mate; as there are so many posts I was worried that it would get overlooked. I need to make a decision on the racquet asap; otherwise, I won't be able to return it.
Re: posts Hey, Amortech, if you really are that worried about the racquet, I say return it and go back to using the 3U MP100 which you say is the best for you. As for your MP77, you can try to advertise it in the 'market place forum'
armotec, I agree with Cheung's suggestion. Personally, I will select the racket "fit" for me, but not necessary the newest model. If u really prefer MP100 (3U) way over Armotec 700 (4U?), then, better get the one can help ur performance at this time.
Armortec User, If your At700 4u is a US version and comes with warranty, i will gladly buy it from you.
I don't have an mp100, I just borrowed one; apparently, they have been discontinued and none of the stores I've tried in the UK stock them, except one which is charging £150 for it! I'm told the Armortec 700 is an excellent racquet and slightly better than the mp100 in that you can string it at a higher tension without fear of it snapping. However at 4u, 80-84gm (compared to the 3u mp100 at 85-89g), there's bound to be a loss of power. It seems feather-weight compared to my 2u mp77 - which admittedly is a bit too heavy - and having alreadly snapped an mp77, I'm hesitant to use it. Anyway, the store I bought it from (advancedrackets.com), have always given pretty good service, they even strung it with bg68ti for £6, and they are trying to find out from Yonex if the 3u version is available in the UK. I don't know whether it's worth the hassle of sending it back - has anyone tried both racquets or a 4u version of any other Yonex racquet?
Very strange the UK doesn't stock MP100 anymore! I think you have to look at what criteria is most important to you - is it the mass of the racquet, the name of the racquet or the model of the racquet. The MP100 is rated as 'stiff' by Yonex, therefore I suggest looking at oher models that are also rated as 'stiff' by the same manufacturer. 3U also seems important to you so that characteristic can help narrow down your choices of racquets. BTW, maybe it's just me but any top end racquet new on the market is bound to be called an "excellent racquet". Japan Open is used as a showcase for launches of new racquets so I reckon Yonex just asked a few players under their contract to deliberately use amortech for publicity's sake (of course, I may be wrong)
good point about publicity vs personal opinion; but I'm not even sure if the 3u would be more suitable as noone has confirmed or denied my fears: that the 4u version would provide less power and be more likely to break. As for the mp100, the shops which had deals on it no longer stock it; only the expensive companies have a few left. Who is willing to pay £150 for a racquet?
nobody can answer your question because the amortech is still too new. There's not enough market penetrance and BF only represents a tiny proportion of badminton players. Definately 4U would be easier to break vs 3U - but that doesn't mean a 3U won;t break! The power thing is up to the user him or herself. I only use 2U so can't give an opinion except I believe technique and timing play the greatest factors in power generation. For your MP100 problem, then an alternative is to source the specification you want from Asia. The price you quote is extremely high. Again, I suggest you have a look at models which are rated to be "stiff" as well and come in 3U specification which are also available in UK.
ok, cheers, Cheung; I don't think I'll buy an MP100 from Asia though - I'll have no warranty. I messed around with the racquet at home; I haven't had a game with it yet as I only got it yesterday; mabye it's just the bg68ti restring at 22lbs, but it seems markedly more powerful than my mp77 2u and either has a larger sweetspot or is easier to control. Belgro.com have the AT-3U, but I'm not sure about the warranty as the company is in Holland.
An end to this hesitation I've just found out from Yonex (London) that in Britain the Armortec 700 is only available in 4u. The only way I could get a 3u version is to buy it from a foreign company like Belgro.com, which although slightly cheaper, would leave me with no warranty. This is really disappointing. I mean, how many players actually prefer a racquet weighing 80-84g over a 3u (85-89g) or 2u (90-94g), when this would surely mean forfeiting some power and durability? Is there anything special about this new racquet which would justify releasing only the ultra-light version? I doubt I'd be able to send it back for an exchange or refund, because I can't swap it for an MP100, and I had it restrung before it was dispatched.
armotec, Maybe u should directly contact ur dealer (who sold u the racket), and see whether u can get refund (might need to pay a little portion as penalty???) or not. To me, if u really worried about the racket, then, there's no point of keeping it. Or, if 3U could be soon available in UK, u might also consider as taking "store credits" and exchange for a 3U in the very near future. As for the power issue, I mainly using 3u and 4u rackets. To me, the lighter the racket, the faster the swing. Therefore, I don't think there should be sig. lack of power with 4u, compare to 3u or even 2u rackets. Of course, racket weight is just one of the factors. U might also need to consider as string, tension, grip size, balance point, stiffness, etc.
Re: An end to this hesitation What is this issue with power?? MAybe it's something else besides the racket? How long you have been playing also effects your play and your power; and string, tension, grip size, balance point, stiffness, also effects you a great deal as lazybuddy said. If you want power so bad, then y not try working on your shots? I mean if you have crappy shots, then even a 2u At700 wont help you.
Ok, cheers for replying. I wouldn't think that 5g would make that significant a difference, but this racquet feels so light that I'm frightened of snapping it. The store I bought it from contacted me today to say that according to Yonex there are only three dealers in the whole of Europe selling the 3u model (this I find hard to believe), and that those who do stock the 3u have probably imported it from Asia. I doubt they would accept a return on this as the original strings have been changed to BG68ti at a higher tension. Why do Yonex even bother supplying stringed racquets when almost everyone immediately wants to get their new racquet restrung at a higher tension? Who wants to play with a racquet strung <18lbs? There are no plans (as far as Yonex, London, know) to introduce the 3u version to Britain. I called at least 10 UK racquet shops, and each one told me the same and that they were unable to import for warranty reasons. I read elsewhere that there is a significant loss of power when moving from 3u to 4u; by reducing the mass you also reduce the momentum, that is, the force or energy which would have been expended in shifting that extra 5g or so. This might be wrong. I myself noticed a marked improvement in smashing power when I shifted from my 2uMP77 to a friend's 3uMP100; and it's interesting that you don't agree with this. Would you consider yourself to be a hard-hitter, and what are the main differences you've noticed from your experience of using 3u and 4u racquets? Is there a durability problem with 4u?
Thanks for that, Ti-SP. No, I don't have crappy shots, but I like to put an end to rallies by hitting killer-smashes. I damaged my knee and shoulder from playing too much when I was in my early teens, and hate long protracted rallies. My concern isn't wholly about power, in fact, I'm more concerned that the racquet will snap if I crack a shuttle off the frame.
I too am afraid that my At700 3u will snap becuase the shaft is so flexible. I tend to play around with it bending it back and forth and i'm trying to stop doing that but this new experiment with a flexible shaft and stiff frame is quite nice.
