bit late in the day, but for what it's worth...
Meteor JJS review
3UG4 295/87, VS850 @ 30x32 PS
Impressions – 8/10
I don’t usually go for metal effects, but this one is well done. Nice contrast to the LYD, actually – darker and “angrier”. Colours are balanced nicely. If Jung-
seonbae had a hand in this paint job, he has good taste.
Dry spec really is 295/87, but not having measured it myself I would have put it 5 mm shorter and 2 grams lighter – it moves more easily, for some reason.
Stringing – 9/10 (now I’ve come up with a decent solution)
The idiotic Meteor pattern strikes again, but I’ve found a way to 2PTD it without mile-long tie-off loops. The resulting string job has very good frame coverage, in fact, and it’s rated to 30 by Victor. Absolutely fine at my 32.
Power – 9/10
Hits
very hard for me. I’m usually lazy and try to go around or in front of the opponents’ defence, but the JJS manages to get
through more often than most. When I use full smashes from behind the shuttle the angle and pace are outstanding – it really likes being thrown around and gives serious
weight to proceedings – but it copes equally well with short, stabby stick smashes and drives. Makes mincemeat of lifts and clears.
(I haven’t tried the MX80 with this string setup yet, but I think it’d probably win as far as the power
limit goes. However, the 80 is very uncompromising, and the JJS will offer much better
percentage on power. MX80 aside, the JJS is possibly the hardest-hitting Victor since the SW35.)
Defence – 8/10
There’s a really nice directness – if I anticipate the shot there are some great angles available, and there’s no flailing or lag if I have to adjust. For a racket with such an obvious attacking bias, this was a nice surprise.
Control/Stability – 9/10
Again, the balance belies the “tightness” of the racket, because it’s very well integrated. The T-joint area is particularly strong, killing pretty much all the frame torque; it’ll send round-the-head clears up the line all day long. I’m wondering how much the graphene is helping here, because the MX70 – to which it is ostensibly identical – didn’t strike me as anything special.
Feel – 7/10
Crisp and compact with hard hits, and gives good sensation with touch shots. Doesn’t seem to mind being hit off-centre, either – I lost power, but didn’t get that horrible feeling like I had my hand on a power drill.
Value for money – 7/10
You can pick one up for £120 over here these days, and that’s perfectly reasonable money, IMO. It’s cheaper overseas, though, and we only get G4 in UK (which is annoying, because I think the MX90 – same spec – will come in G5).
Conclusion
Had I gone just by the specs, I would have thought it was a repainted MX70 and never picked it up. And what a mistake
that would have been. The JJS somehow managed to fall into that very narrow cusp where attack and defence are both
good, and it doesn’t feel like a compromise at all. It hits hard when I want it to and defends when I want it to.
There’s a comparison Paul put in my head that I can’t seem to shift: the AT900T. That was also technically head heavy, but moved incongruously smoothly, making the 900P feel a bit disconnected even though they supposedly balanced the same.
An excellent racket from anywhere on court (but particularly the back
).
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