[ASK]Advantage of an expensive racket towards a cheap one

Usually, more expensive rackets are stiffer, maybe more aerodynamic but not much else until you get to the point where you can tell and appreciate the difference.

In the end, it's really up to the individual on how much they are willing to spend on a racket.

As for your comment about tighter string... that has little to do with expensive or cheap rackets and more with your playing style. I know guys that string cheap rackets at 28 lbs and others that string expensive rackets at 22 lbs.

 

I got a friend that's quite advanced in badminton, and for sure he's just as good playing with his US$ 25 local brand racket compared to his US$ 100+ Yonex or Li Ning racket. And he actually admits that outside the added self prestige using those expensive rackets, he feels just as good and as potent using his other collection of cheaper rackets, as long they're a good match in the first place.Regarding the tension strength & durability, he actually said the medium priced rackets around US$ 30-50 (out of decent brand from Taiwan) are more durable than a few Yonex rackets that has broken when strung & played with 28-29 lbs tension with machine stringing.

 

Hai there christ and welcome to BC.....

If you analyze from the quality of the product, the advantages of having an expensive racket with a cheaper racket, an expensive racket most likely being mold using a more high tech process and finished with quality material comparing to a cheaper one making its cost more expensive.

If you analyze from the performance of the product, its important to understand that no expensive or cheap racket will do any millisecond of your smash or defense and since you yourself will have to do all the hard work for any of your strokes and not the racket, its the application of the correct knowledge and technique in your game play will determine the quality of your strokes regardless of what racket you used. This makes the preferences of racket hugely depends on the understanding of one's style and technique of play and suits this with the ideal choice of racket, be it extremely expensive, moderately expensive, affordable or cheap. Therefore, the price tag that comes with the racket does not determine the quality of your hits but it is the player himself that will. If the quality of strokes using a cheap racket is no different using a more expensive racket, then there are no difference in terms of advantage between them.

 

Advantage for most people: bragging rights
The supposed advantages: stiffer, longer, lighter
Disadvantages: fragile, expensive, practically useless if it's too stiff for the user..

I used to use high-end Yonex racquets. Now I just use cheap Apacs racquets like the Nano900Power white, together with a TC700 and a repaired AT700. My shoes (SHB101LTD) costed 5x more than my Apacs racquet and my huge 2nd hand 9-racquet Yonex bag. I just don't see the point in buying expensive racquets. There are racquets that are just as good, for a fraction of the price.. And for my case, a bag is a bag. A huge and cheap 2nd hand bag? why not, it wouldn't affect my performance on court.

I mean, I luckily managed to buy a brand-new Apacs Stern100 from an online auction for $1 ($1 reserve and no one else bidded). It said it could be strung up to 35lbs, so I tried 33lbs and then 30lbs, clashed it a few times and it's still good... My Nano900's were strung up to 32lbs bg65, no probs.. while as my YY MP40 and AT700 died when I had them strung to 27lbs and 30lbs respectively.

I don't really find it advantageous to have expensive racquets, if there are cheaper ones which are as good, if not better. It's a different story for shoes though, you can't get good cheap badminton shoes.

Unless I can get a top-end racquet for free or almost-free, i wouldn't buy it. I see it as a waste, from my experience. If you have money, you can buy whatever you want though

 

Please note, I'm refering to the cheap racquets like APACS, Fleet clones etc roughly 4U-5U weight...for around $20 USD. (Have used many clones before)

Cheaper racquets usually have more vibration and the flexier shaft makes accuracy/placement to corners harder. Smashes maybe harder but it is like launching the shuttlecock without guidance or spraying aimlessly.

The advantage of cheaper racquets is usually its light weight. Making it easy to use and relatively fast especially for doubles, like drive shots. Of course, one can buy many cheap racquets compared to one expensive one.

 

My 2 cents is expensive rackets such as Yonex is more consistent in team of their specs. If they said is stiff with certain weight and balance, you can pretty much expect it to be right on. The cheaper rackets even is the same model may not have the same quality control? What do you guys think?

 

Hi

Just thought i would give my thoughts.

I have always played with high end Yonex rackets since i took up the sport (maybe one or two cheaper at the very beggining).
However when i needed a new racket prob 5 years ago i decided to down grade and got an Amortec 150 after playing with Muscle Power 99, thinking there could not be enough performance difference to justify the extra cash.

I was very wrong and ended up selling it a year later! Everthing was different, vibration was awful, poor control, poor power.

If your a good player the more high end rackets are worth the cash but you dont have to go silly and get the most expensive.

 

No offense, but as long as you cannot feel the difference, an expensive racket won't make any difference. There is already a discussion about the different brands and the justification of the price. I'm currently testing a lot of top range rackets, and for a minute I really thought there are no bad rackets, until I tested a Tactic Arc Striker X-Smash which is a clone from the Yonex Arcsaber Z-slash. The power was OK, but I couldn't play accurate, and when I wanted to play fast, I hit the frame because the shaft was too flexible.

What I'm trying to say is that the expensive rackets are usually more accurate and have a better overall quality built. If your margin of accuracy is wide, the racket won't help you. When things come to millimeters at the net, it does make a difference, hence the small margins. Still, every player has to find the racket that suits him or her. If you don't use the extra specs, there is no difference. Like driving a Ferrari to do groceries. Sure it's fast, but if you are not using it, you 'll never know how fast it is.