hey thanks alot guys!!! guess i'll try out the nanospeed 9900 and the z-slash and see which fits mt game style.
Guys, If a Pro can thunder down a smash with over 300 or even 400 km/h, it doens't mean you can do it the same way with an identical racket. I have seen couple of players using the Z Slash in one of my club and their smash power were weak. Paying for a good coach to train for better technique would be a better bet than buying the latest racket.
I agree with firedrive, in the uk you could get maybe 7, 1 hour coaching sessions (at £20 an hour). Or you could buy the new racket for £140. Coaching will improve your game more, I bet if £140 was given to most people on this forum they would buy a new racket If you are an amateur then buying the latest racket won't transform your game. Instead buy a racket that suits your playing style, see if you can demo a few models from a few ranges (from friends, club members if they let you) and make a choice from there. Btw I'm not criticizing anyone on here for buying the latest rackets, having just purchased two new rackets (of the same model) myself at a cost of around £160 and I'm thoroughly enjoying using them... Hype can get anyone to buy something, just don't buy it solely for that reason. Having said that, from other peoples views (I have only tried the 9900) the 9900 seems to be the easier racket to use, arcsaber zs seems to be more player dependant.
There are some people who just collect racquets. No amount of coaching will help, including financial coaching. But basically what I can see are incremental improvements made by Yonex from let's say 2007. The racquets have thinner frame (iso slim head) and thinner shaft (stiff/nanoscience engineered) to maximize aerodynamics, hence racquet head speed. But it still boils down to testing/demo which is right for you. The forum can either tempt you or confuse you.
ever since i sold my NS9900, i do not get excited about anything new from Yonex. not anymore. be it slash, chop, hack. there are many alternatives to Yonex.
I have played with NS9.9K almost 4 month now, like the feel of it, I'm not a hard hitter but NS9.9K suit my style of play. Punch a decent smash, suitable for fast drive exchange, easy to hit backhand clear and forehand clear and easy to maneuver when defence-worth every $ i spent. For me racket selection is a trial and error process, either you like it or hate it, before this i have tried AT900P and sold it coz i cant play with it. But most important thing is learning footwork so that you can get behind the shuttle fast to produce a proper stroke/smash. Fast wrist work is also important to get the extra "boom-boom-pow feeling". Now I'm enjoying my game-getting almost addictive to it.
What I find out was after using Lead-Tape on my racket, I was able to smash a lot harder after I took them off. If you want to achieve stronger smashes, try making your racket more head heavy, then play with it without having the Lead-Tape on it. I used the Tape on my Arc Saber 7.
Voted for NS 9900 too. And this is my opinion. 1.Smash from the rear court need more techniques and power to affort. 2.The head heavy but less stiff haft may not produce the power smash. 3.Choose racket that suited your style. 4.Change your rac with proper reason such as to improve your game. Zs , Ns9.9k , At900 P/T they are all great for sure. But I choose Ns9.9K that suited my style and improve all my abilities. Hope not so late.
sorry to interrupt, but there will be no point in getting neither rackets, you have to find a racket that would suit you. IMHO , since you are an amateur , and might not have the correct technique for the smash and that you are not a hard hitter , you will be better to get a racket that have a bigger sweetspot and one that is more flexible with heavy head balance for power. I would say Armortec 600 would be very suitable for you. It is more toward doubles play as well and it is very effective both the front and back court. Also it is much cheaper than either Arc Z or 9900. Good luck in finding the right racket !
