KAWASAKI Badminton

I saw this before. Thank you. I do have reservations though on those guys from badminton racket review. Some reviews are too biased versus high end, advanced and expensive rackets. They do get it right sometimes but most would leave me scratching my head...

 

Thank you so much. That was kind of my feeling as both have the same specs and looks. I was just a bit confused as to why Kawasaki gave 2 different names to a similar racket launched at about the same time and thought that there might actually be a mistake on the published specs on the Kawasaki site...

 

Sorry guys for the confusion. Kawasaki made a mistake in their flagship store. Here is the more accurate picture of the Mao 18ii. Beautiful racket. Heavily considering getting it or the Master 900 after I have received the Master Mao early next month. Does anyone here have any experience playing with both the Master 900 and Mao 18ii/11ii? Kawasaki does seem to make high quality products and I hope to be the first one in our club to use them regularly. Thank you in advance guys.

 

Mao11/18ii has significantly more weight feel on its head old school attacking style and it is able to hammer down with ease without sacrificing much defensively. It should be slightly less stiff than Master Mao which is an absolute all rounder. Both are 3U yet not at all demanding tbh. Master 900 is about the stiffness of Mao 11/18ii, actually even balanced very slight weight on its head but feels like an undemanding, offensive yet speedy racket both 3U and 4U. Mao11/18ii and Master Mao/900 are different animals in its own might.

 

Thank you so much sir for the detailed explanation. From the sound of it, the Master 900 will play a bit similar to the 100ZZ which I currently play a lot with as both are slightly head heavy rackets with an even balanced feel. However, I guess I should just get both the Mao 18ii (repainted 11ii) and the Master 900 and see which one truly gives me joy. At any rate, I am yet to see/read a negative review on these Kawasaki rackets so I am confident of receiving quality any which way. Here is another good review of the Mao 11ii and I guess this is also true for the Mao 18ii. Cheers! And thank you again sir for the help...

 

While true that those who reviewed the Master 900 here likes it as what it is and the surprise it brings, i think there r also general feedback that it feels a little too abnormally fast especially on overhead shots which could be put one's timing off

 

I'm looking for something that is like the astrox 100 zz but more aerodynamic. Does the master 900 or any other racket fit the criteria?

 

The ARS90k could work as it's fast for an all rounded racket and is very user friendly. Differences though would be the slightly bigger head shape, numb feeling/no solid feel and responsiveness as it doesn't hold the shuttle.

 

There has been some comparisons here on Master 900 and 100ZZ. Both belong to a new wave of stiff, responsive, slightly head heavy but fast like a speed racket with good control. ZZ is more control inclined while Master 900 is more slightly more continuous follow up attack. Master 900 has a balance and frame profile similar to a head heavy racket yet doesn't feel like one due to its excellent aerodynamics. Due to its strong aerodynamics it needs a little adjustment from conventional rackets. Victor AS90K seems to belong to this new wave as well albeit at a premium depending on location.

 

Thanks for the info, I don't think I'll get the AS90K as I don't like numb feeling rackets. How does the master 900 feel?

 

Absolutely responsive. One of the most efficient and pouncy ones i had chance upon. Though some gripes from my mates it felt somewhat lightweight i guess probable misconception that came with the strong aerodynamics as it is a solid stiff tint head heavy and on the high side of the 4U scale. I could play this competitively anytime.

 

Great! Sounds like just what I'm looking for

 

The thing I like about Master 900 is pretty fast swing with great feeling of control, slim shaft and very loud and attractive paint job quality and colors.I personally prefer head-light or even-balance rackets with stiff shaft. Even though this racket is marked as slightly head heavy, it actually feels like even balanced. I guess that is because of the fast swing it offers. Due to these attributes, this racket is all-around and suitable for both single and double games. It is also very easy to maneuver. First time when I tried the racket, I immediately liked the feeling of control it offers.

Defensively it is a pleasant surprise. This is a rated stiff, solid, moderately head heavy racket but the swing. It is very balanced and solid. The shuttlecock bounce off the string instantly, full of feel and accuracy. Very efficient, precisely getting to the point.

Attacking and driving wise, it is simply surreal. The swing is like a speedy racket yet feeling the solid and head stiffness of an attacking racket. Not sure if this surprise element is good for everyone indeed. Maybe some are too surprised!

There may be the trade-off for the amazing defensive, driving and swing speed the racket offers. One may bemuse as this is an attacking racket and good solidness in the head yet feeling less weight and swings like a speedy racket? Feeling surreal rather than strange.

My opinion is this racket is great for fast and furious action, continuously attack the opponent relentlessly.

 

I believe the Master 900 will fit me more than the Mao 18ii. Been playing for quite a while with the 100ZZ and from the sound of your reviews the Master 900 is the closest it could get to the feel of the 100ZZ. It would be a huge mountain to climb though for the Master 900 as the 100ZZ is arguably the absolute beast of all rounders. The racket is just strong and predictable on all areas that sometimes it gets too boring already. It would be interesting to feel for myself the swing speed of the Master 900. Will just get the 3U version to tame that speed a bit. A faster 100ZZ could not be bad right? We shall see. My Master Mao is due to arrive tomorrow. From the specs and limited review, the Master Mao also belongs to the class of slightly head heavy, stiff shaft, balanced feeling rackets. Can't wait to compare it to the 100ZZ and even the JPX Limited. Will give you guys my opinion of the racket once I get to play and familiarize myself with it for a while. Cheers!

 

Honor S7 (3U) first impressions:

• Very easy to use. On my very first hit, I could already tell this would be a good racket.
• It's fast, almost as fast as JS10Q but slightly less stable and much much easier to generate power.
• Drives are great, you can feel the racket flexing to provide extra kick, but not too much that you lose control.
• Not a back court power house but it's still powerful for a headlight racket. Has a whippy feel to it
• Great build quality but quality control is lacking - the butt of my handle is a bit wonky. Has really nice details long the racket.
• Little to zero vibration damping - I really like this but some people will hate it
• Big sweet spot

I bought this for $120AUD, which is a great deal for beginner/intermediate players like myself. Also came with grip, strings, racket bag and a really fancy box. The main issue with kawasaki right now is with distribution. For players in Australia the only way to buy these rackets is from Aliexpress, which took more than 2 months for my S7 to arrive.

 

I was so hooked on with Master 900 that I couldn’t have a look at any other. The Master 900 was good but sometimes I just need that conventional extra weight on the head without being demanding. Will Ninja do it? I simply couldn’t ignore the Ninja 66.

Package – Less emotions on this one but still decently boxed. Kawasaki is no boring sword maker like the rest of the pack. A more conventional mystic black with a pinch of green scent sparkling with Karate fonts all over. Reminisce of the Kawasaki Ninja sports motorcycles. Alluring I would say. Shaft is kinda as slim as the Victor Jetspeed and Auraspeeds. What struck me is the rather flat and very slim frame.

Performance – Finally a more conventional head heavy attacking armor. Would fathom a ninja to be a swift, speedy merchant before you even know it kinda. But this is somewhat a ninja warrior with muscles. Attacking seems to be the name of the game. It does feel a little conventionally head heavy but what stands out is the speed of the all-powering smash and drives it can generates by pulverising all air resistance that comes its way. They do pack a punch with relative ease. It must have been a long time ago since the good old days of the AT700 and this appears to be an easier and improved version without feeling like a Flintstone clubbing in stone age. Really cuts like a Hattori Hanzo master blade. Not as wicked though, it could have been a more solid beast but I guess it is trying to appeal to the masses more by making as easy as it can allow. Perhaps I was expecting a swift blade but it turns out to be a muscular ninja warrior. Given, it somehow still manages to strike a decent balance between attack and defense. The sweetspot is huge like a fly swatter and I felt some decent swing weight in defence and drives to keep the pressing going. Not nearly as fast as Master 900 but ain’t no slow slouch bag either unlike those Thor’s plaything.

This is an unconventionally aerodynamic Mjölnir that Thor may have preferred and certainly found a way in my heart as well though it did take some time to get a grip on. An attacking surprise albeit a delightful one to boot. It could prove to be the perfect foil when I needed some raw conventional power without exhausting much mojo. Drives and control are probably the 2nd in line to its attacking prowess. Not exactly top of the scale but surely a bang for buck racket at this price point.

 

Nice snaps. Spot on. Ninja 66 grew on me more as i stuck to it giving more time. Shots are bassy with a solid punch. Pretty like the feedback. Glad it didnt have any muffing on the frame. It didnt resonate at first. It should have been named a Shogun or Samurai since one would associate Ninja to be a swift assassin instead.

 

Master Mao Review

Baseline Comparison:
Astrox 100ZZ 4U
Mizuno JPX Limited
All 3 rackets are strung with the BG66 Ultimax at 24/26 with the same stringer.
All 3 rackets are set-up with an overgrip on top of the original factory grip.
Final weights with the overgrip and string are 93 grams on the Master Mao, 91 grams on the 100ZZ 4U and 92 grams on the JPX Limited.
Reviewer is a 46 year old singles player. Solid Intermediate.
Reviewer also owns 2 outdoor badminton courts at his home and in his rest house where plastics are used and goes to his club at least twice a week where feathers are used.

First Impressions: The moment this racket arrives you just feel a sense of awe with the case and accessories that accompanied it. Package actually looks like one of my rifle cases. The thing is that I actually received a sniper rifle with the package. But more on that later. In terms of looks, the Master Mao is a piece of art. Metallic Pink on Green is very risky but it came out classy. The 100ZZ and the JPX Limited are not far behind in looks. Both are classy too with their understated/minimalist look. Upon swinging it without strings, it felt fast and agile. Not 100ZZ 4U fast nor JPX Limited fast but certainly agile for a 3U racket. The Master Mao is rated 4 of 5 on the head heavy scale, but feels evenly balanced like the 100ZZ and JPX Limited.

Initial Feel: When I first play with advanced rackets, I usually have that getting to know and adjustment period. I never had that adjustment period though with the JPX Limited. Maybe because it has the least shaft stiffness among the 3. That racket is very easy to use. I had the adjustment period with the 100ZZ. It took me about 3 sessions of 3-4 hours each to begin to appreciate its merits. Once I got the hold of it, the 100ZZ continued to shine and surprise. The Master Mao, I would not lie, gave me the longest adjustment period among the 3. Initially, I was not generating much power with the racket and it felt a bit unresponsive. After 6 sessions though of 3-4 hours each, hitting both feather and plastic shuttles, the racket slowly but surely began to show signs of vigor. It was suddenly behaving like a true top of the line racket.

Clears, Lobs, Drives, Defense: This one once over the break in and getting to know period will put that bird consistently on the back lines. You have to put a bit of effort behind it though. The bonus is that, it will put it right where you want it to be. I play exclusively singles and the placement of my high clears and attacking clears needed to be right out there at the very edge to be able to compete with much younger players and move them back and front repeatedly without causing too many out of bounds shot. The Master Mao and the 100ZZ both excel at this. I had noticeably more out of bounds shot with the JPX Limited. Drives are fast and it is certainly capable in fast exchanges. On defense, short cross court lifts are easy and one could tire out and frustrate a heavy attacker with its pinpoint defensive returns.

Net shots, Drop Shots, Slices, Blocks: This is an area where the Master Mao and 100ZZ shone the brightest. Excellent control on both once I get the feel of it. At first, I was netting a lot of shots as these two do not have that bounce at net shots like the JPX Limited. Once I got the hang of it, you can even place that bird on top of the net cord. Tumbling net shots and drop shots are easy on these. Slices are right on the money. Blocks, an integral part of my game are controlled and never all over the place. These two behaved like the old Arc 10/11 at the net. Just fascinating control and precision.

Smash, Kills: The 100ZZ has the bigger/heavier smash among the 3 rackets. The 100ZZ was rated extra stiff but that solid core, hyper slim shaft gave it that extra whip for that extra power. The JPX Limited came in second and the Master Mao came in a close third. The shaft of the Master Mao for me felt the stiffest among the 3 and I truly understand why it will lag behind the other 2 in terms of smash power. I read a review on the Master Mao on this thread mentioning that it produces fast but not necessarily heavy smashes. I agree with that view. I do believe though that the Master Mao was never designed to be a doubles backcourt weapon. If you are looking for a hammer, you will not like this racket. Like the 100ZZ, it is a control racket at the truest sense of the word. The smash though it produces is just right for me. It is more than enough to finish off weak replies and end half hearted attempts. If you are a singles player that move their opponent a lot and is patient enough to draw out a short return before unleashing your smash then this racket is just right in terms of kill power.

Conclusion: I wrote earlier that I was sent a sniper rifle with the package and that remains true. The Master Mao is a tack driver. You will place that bird exactly where you want it to be. It is not a perfect racket like everything out there. It could use a little more power, it is certainly not for a beginner nor for a low intermediate as it will ask a bit from you and requires a good amount of technique and skill to fully harness its prowess. That is just about it in terms of its weakness. It is certainly better all around than the JPX Limited, but I would still give the edge overall, at this point to the 100ZZ. IMHO it is still the bench mark among control rackets. The 100ZZ though has been in my hands now for quite a while. Familiarity is on its side. However, I feel that the Master Mao is a racket that grows on you. I play better with it at every passing session. I alternately play now with the 100ZZ and the Master Mao and after each play day, the difference in performance is becoming ever slightly more unnoticed.

The Master Mao is my first ever Kawasaki racket. It has pleased me enough that I have already ordered the Master 900 3U and the King K9 3U. Hopefully, those are also gold finds. Good job Kawasaki. Cheers!

 

Massive review! Nailed it perfectly i like the sniper rifle bit. Master Mao's forte is its overall all round excellence. Never top the scale on any category but would say at least 80th percentile in most aspects. 100ZZ is an obsessive control freak thanks to its ultra slim shaft but may lose out on power for many players where Master Mao probably have an edge over. Yes it is pretty stiff though i suspect more than ZZ. And personally for me, the presentation and exterior design is a huge wow factor. For keepers.