Li-Ning AxForce 100 MAX

[ehGolden]

Newest AxForce Racket from Li-Ning seems to be releasing in China recently and starting to be available for imports.

Supposedly a direct competitor to the Astrox 99 Pro (not Astrox 100ZZ), some info on BadmintonCN but no good pictures yet.

Specs i could find:

Model: AYPW047
Weight/Variants: 3U/G5 ; 4U/G5
Frame: M50 ; M40X+Extra+Ultra ; M46 ; Thickened Box Offensive Frame ; 76 Hole String Bed ;
Shaft: 6.2mm ; 218mm lenght ; M46+T1100+Ultra
Stiffness: Very Stiff (Stiffest Li-Ning racket in current catalogue, stiffer than original AxForce 100 and AxForce 100 II)
Balance: Extra Head Heavy: +317mm (AxForce 100: 310mm+ ; AxForce 100 II: 305mm+)
Pro Players: Liu Yang Mingyu
Recommended for: Men's singles smash specialists with high physical fitness and stamina

So not a suggar coated AxForce 100 like the II, but a real hammer. The II is hard enough for me right now and the 90 New is my favorite so i won't be jumping on it , looking forward to see what others think tho. AxForce 80 II is also just around the corner, hopefully we'll see it this month.

 

[Ludwik]

I've been eyeing this release and the Axforce 80 2nd gen as well.

I currently have the 1st gen and 2nd gen both in 3U. I was going to try 4U of the 2nd gen but Max model was announced.

A youtuber has measured its specs unstrung with stock grip:

Weight 84.7 g
Head-side weight 43.9 g
Balance point 317 mm
Swingweight 91.0 kg·cm²
Weight class 4U


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[RatedRzz]

I grabbed the Axforce 100 II Max right at launch and put it against the original Axforce 100 II. Straight up, these two frames share zero similarities besides their paint jobs. (All my rackets are 4UG5 spec, and I only play ms).

This racket’s swing weight and head-heavy balance feel nearly identical to the 99 Pro gen2. I’m a die-hard 99 Pro gen2 user, so I instantly fell for its rock-solid hit feedback and brutal smashes.

Whether the 100 II Max is tough to wield? In my opinion, it’s far more maneuverable and less taxing on the arm than the 99 Pro gen2. Overhead drop smashes come together way easier, while full power heavy smashes still clock in at roughly 95% of the 99 Pro’s raw output.

I own the full flagship from Yonex, Victor and Li-Ning, so I would say this frame stands apart from every modern Li-Ning racket out there; It’s engineered purely for ms. Swinging it even brings back that brute force of the ZF2 and VT80.

As for the original 100 II, my personal take is that it leans much more into an even-balance all-rounder. It delivers vague, muted hit feedback, with shaft stiffness and weight distribution sitting totally middle-of-the-road across the board. Out of the entire Axforce series, the frame with the closest character to the 100zz is the Axforce 90 Dragon.

 

[Ludwik]

I grabbed the Axforce 100 II Max right at launch and put it against the original Axforce 100 II. Straight up, these two frames share zero similarities besides their paint jobs. (All my rackets are 4UG5 spec, and I only play ms).

This racket’s swing weight and head-heavy balance feel nearly identical to the 99 Pro gen2. I’m a die-hard 99 Pro gen2 user, so I instantly fell for its rock-solid hit feedback and brutal smashes.

Whether the 100 II Max is tough to wield? In my opinion, it’s far more maneuverable and less taxing on the arm than the 99 Pro gen2. Overhead drop smashes come together way easier, while full power heavy smashes still clock in at roughly 95% of the 99 Pro’s raw output.

I own the full flagship from Yonex, Victor and Li-Ning, so I would say this frame stands apart from every modern Li-Ning racket out there; It’s engineered purely for ms. Swinging it even brings back that brute force of the ZF2 and VT80.

As for the original 100 II, my personal take is that it leans much more into an even-balance all-rounder. It delivers vague, muted hit feedback, with shaft stiffness and weight distribution sitting totally middle-of-the-road across the board. Out of the entire Axforce series, the frame with the closest character to the 100zz is the Axforce 90 Dragon.

View attachment 206672

Thank you for the review.

I just want to ask for players who regularly play doubles rather than singles, how does the Axforce 100 II MAX hold up? Specifically, does it still feel quick enough in repeated drive exchanges and rapid attack–defense transitions, or does the higher swingweight become noticeable compared with the 99 Pro Gen 2 or the regular Axforce 100 II?


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[RatedRzz]

Thank you for the review.

I just want to ask for players who regularly play doubles rather than singles, how does the Axforce 100 II MAX hold up? Specifically, does it still feel quick enough in repeated drive exchanges and rapid attack–defense transitions, or does the higher swingweight become noticeable compared with the 99 Pro Gen 2 or the regular Axforce 100 II?


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The Axforce 100 II can just about pass off as an MD/XD racket, similar to the 88D Pro.
But as far as the 99 Pro Gen 2 goes, practically no players worldwide use it for doubles (Jiang Zhenbang tested it for a handful of tournaments right after its launch before switching back to the 88D Pro).
The Axforce 100 II Max shares the same flaw, its weight distribution slows down net exchanges, making defensive shots extremely tough to handle, and you have to execute a full swing to generate powerful smashes.
Even in the 4U weight class, the sluggish transition speed just isn’t viable for doubles game.