Badminton strings.
O.k choosing a good badminton racket is important. But if you have no strings you could only hit the shuttle with your frame , and that would be hard!. Badminton strings vary from company , gauge size , price and tension.
Many company's are starting to sell strings. But to be fair yonex strings are by far the most used and I prefer them.There are a few other brands which I like , like titan's badminton strings , ashaways bamdinton strings but my favourite has got to be yonex's strings.
Most International players use yonex's strings , but this should not effect your choice , just choose a string which suits you!
First of all tension.
Tension varies from players. Factory strings come in at around 18lbs , which is quite low. Most international players get 30lbs+. The string tension you decide to get will effect your badminton racket a lot! If you get your racket with factory strings , then change it to 30lbs - nearly every single player I have spoken to has said they can immediately sense a different feel. When playing with low string tensions , the strings are supposed to offer more power and less control , and on the other hand a badminton racket with high string tension offers more control and less power.
( This has given me an idea , I'm going to go into the science of badminton , and I still need to get the definitons of the techincal stuff and what it does.)
When you change from high to low tensions you can feel a considerable amount of change , power. If you play with a badminton racket that is strung at 30lbs for a week , then change to another badminton racket that is 21lbs - it feels like you have amazing power ,because when the strings are at higher tension - they offer less power.
O.k the other factor apart from string tension is string gauge.
String gauge or string thickness is the diameter of the string.
The thickness of the string does matter.
O.k in terms of durability , the thicker string offers more durability because there is more of it. Thin string is the opposite because there is less of it , so it will snap easier.
Thinner badminton strings should offer you mroe power and control because it bites into the shuttle base - this also gives the thin strings more power.
Theres also another reason why thinner strings offer more power. Thinner strings recieve less air resistance , making it easier for the person to swing there racket faster due to the decreased amount of air resistance. This decreased amount of air resistance offers the player to swing the racket faster than normal , thus resulting in increased power. Interesting huh? I was shocked when I learnt all this stuff , when I first started.
Thats really it , thinner strings are better , but not in terms of value for money. If you want your strings to last a lot longer , and save yourself quite a bit of time - then choose larger sized gauge strings.
Thats really all about badminton strings.
I don't know what else to write about.
If you want to contact me you can always email me at krisddon@hotmail.co.uk
about badminton.
Hope this helped everyone - now go choose your strings :-)
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Friday, 23 January 2009
Badminton Companies - Yonex
Yonex is the most recognised badminton brand in the world. It is massive and the most dominant badminton racket manufacturer in the world now. It is very expensive and there are many other racket companies which are cloning its ranges. It sponsors most of the best tournaments e.g the all england open , and other big opens. It also sponsors most of the best badminton players out there. 95% of the worlds best 100 players use yonex strings. Lin dan is sponsored by yonex. The all england open has been sponsored for 25 years. Yonex brought back 24 medals from the badminton in the olympics.
You get it really yonex is the biggest badminton brand at the moment. It does have lots of rivals but I don't think any are even close to defeating yonex's popularity. When I look at my badminton club 80% of the rackets they use are yonex even with there massive price tags.
Arcsaber series:
So the arcsaber is yonex's latest badminton racket. There are only 3 badminton rackets in this range so far the :
Arcsaber 7
Arcsaber 9
Arcsaber 10.
The Arcsaber 7 was released with the Arcsaber 10. The yonex later releaed the arcsaber 9.
First of all I will review the arcsaber rackets:
The arcsaber 7 :
The technical stuff :
Flex : Medium
Frame:H.M.Graphite
CS Carbon Nanotube
Shaft:H.M.Graphite
Weight/Grip size:3U (85-89.9g) G3
The arcsaber 7 is a very good racket indeed. The price tag is over £100. The Arcsaber 7 is technically not as good as the Arcsaber 10 , but I have seen many people play with both the rackets.
The arcsaber 7 is a very good badminton racket for an attacking singles player.
The arcsaber 9:
Flex: Medium
Frame:
HM Graphite
CS Carbon Nanotube
Light Feel Carbon
Shaft:
HM Graphite
New Built-in T-Joint
Weight / Grip Size:
3U (85.0-89.9g) / G3
This racket has been classed as a womens racket. The reason is , is that this racket is very flexible. And also the colour - which is pink. But I have seen men play with the racket. Overall this racket is a very good racket , a bit too flexible for me and the colour doesn't attract me too it. But anyway is a good racket.
The Arcsaber 10 :
Flex:Stiff
Frame:CS Carbon NanotubeSuper HMG.
Shaft:Ultra PEF H.M. Graphite
Weight/Grip size:3U (85-89.9g) G3
This is my favourite racket out of all the arcsabers - probabaly because it is more stiff than the Arcsaber 9 and 7. I enjoyed playing with this racket and it has lots of power and control. I did like this racket and it would be high on my list. But definitely not on the top! The racket has a very high price tag , just as the other Arcsaber 7 and 9 .
Conclusion:
To conclude the reviews for the Arcsaber 7 , Arcsaber 9 and Arcsaber 10 - All three rackets are very good and suited for different styles of play . I did enjoy testing these rackets but the price tag is very high. These rackets if cheaper would be very high on my best badminton rackets list but because it is £120+ it is not. I would say that there are other smaller brands which can offer a player the same technical abilities but for a smaller price tag.
The Nanospeed Series. The nanospeed series consists of very good badminon racets - but still at quite high price.
The nanospeed series contians 7(8)rackets.
These rackets are :
The Nanospeed 9000 X
(The Nanospeed 9000 S)
The Nanospeed 8000
The Nanospeed 7000
The Nanospeed 6000
The Nanospeed 4500
The Nanospeed 800
The Nanospeed 500.
Ok thats them.
The reviews and the technical stuff.
The Nanospeed 9000X:
The technical stuff :
FLEX: Extra Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
H. M. Graphite / Elastic Titanium
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
20-25 lbs
When I tested this racket over the weekend it was very stiff. The X does stand for extra stiff. It is the most stiff badminton racket I have ever played with. They have however made a S version : The Nanospeed 9000 S - which is less stiff.
This racket did make my shoulder hurt in the end because my friend who gave it to me - who by the way I am very gratefull to for , gave it to me strung at 30lbs even though its recommended tension is only 20-25lbs. So I had to put a lot of power in and this made me really dislike this racket. And also to my bad luck - ironically - I came to my club on a day where there was only 16 people playing , we have 6 courts and the average amount of people who come is like 30-40 so I played lots of singles. Ofcourse I was at a disadvantage with a racket that I had never used , which was extra stiff and strung at 30lbs. This racket was an allrounder - although smashing was harder witht he high tension and extra stiffness. In my warm up - my shots were a bit off timed but I soon adjusted. I definitly think this racket will suit most players , and most styles - you just need to adjust to it.
Unfortunately I didn't have a Nanospeed 9000 S so I couldn't review it - because he broke it. But I heard you can feel the difference between the X and the S a lot. The person said he preffered the S but because it broke he started using his X.
Nanospeed 8000X:
Ok honestly my thoughts , were oh no not another very stiff racket when I saw the specifications.
FLEX: Extra Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
19-24 lbs
This racket is quite similiar to the Nanospeed 9000X due to its stiffness and its 'feel'. I prefer this racket to the Nanospeed 9000X . This racket is another allrounder , I did have lower tension compared to before so that was a good one.
Overall : I say that this racket is quite a good racket , I would take this racket over the Nanospeed 9000X.
The Nanospeed 7000:
The technical stuff :
FLEX: Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
19-24 lbs
The initonal start was that this racket was quite light.This racket was hard too perform smashes - and to get my normal power I would have to focus on it. On the other hand drops and net was much easier. This racket enhanced my play there and I was impressed with it. Overall : not good for smashing but good for a controlled player , who doesn't smash as much or a player who has got really good power and wants to focus on there controlled play.
The Nanospeed 6000:
My favourite out of all the Nanospeed rackets.
The technical stuff for this racket :
FLEX: Flexible
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite / Fullerene / Elastomer
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
17-22 lbs
This racket was aimed towards women I think - the low tension boosting power and the flexibility.
I enjoyed playing with this racket and defending was a dream with it. I just has to focus on it not going out , the racket is very head light - and I really enjoyed it.
As I said before this racket is my favourite out of all the Nanospeeds. Everything was like usual and the enhanced defense was really usefull. I would recommend this racket I will try to find out a price for it , if this racket doesn't have a too high price tag then it is a good buy. But unfortunately the - ruthless yonex doesn't normally give low prices , but I can hope , can't I?
The Nanospeed 4500:
I had never seen a lot of people playing with this racket. But theres no harm in giving it a go , is there?
The technical stuff for this badminton racket :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
A pretty much allrounder racket - I enjoyed playing with this racket , easy to get used to and good to play with. Smashed , I found slightly easier , and the defense was relatively easier.
I liked this racket a lot aswell. Yonex have released lots of good racket - I do see why they are the number 1 in this industry , but I still think that there are better rackets than Yonex's . Just look around people - don't go and splash your money. Tactic and Apacs are very good brands. Hopefully I can get some apacs products to review. I've played with quite a few and they feel amazing.( I am trying to contact them)
The next racket in my line up is the Nanospeed 800:
The rackets techincal stuff first :
FLEX: Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
H. M. Graphite
SHAFT:
Carbon Nanotube Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
This racket was pretty ordinary - another alrounder , good at everything. It had a strange 'feel' but yeah , other than that this racket was good. I would say that there are better rackets though.
The next racket in the review is The Nanospeed 500. The last one from the nanospeed series.
First of all the technical stuff for this racket :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
Carbon Nanotube Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
I like this racket a lot , especially the deign. Another pretty ordinary racket. Overall it was good - I'm not saying it was bad but not excelling in anything in particular although I did do a couple of flukey shots with this racket lol. So if its a bonus 'this racket is good for flukey shots'.
Overall for the Nanospeed series :
The Nanospeed series was very good I am impressed with the series . Nothing bad with any of the rackets and they are designed for different types of players. The nanospeed series is a very good series - and yonex deisgned very good rackets in this series. Although again being an 'elite' brand yonex still overcharges customers for these rackets.
O.k the next yonex series in there all dominant powerful badminton range - the armortec range:
The armortec series consists of 5 badminton rackets.
The 5 rackets are :
The Armortec 900 Technique
The Armortec 900 Power
The Armortec 700
The Armortec 250
The Armortec 150
O.k time for the reviews and techincal 'stuff' for each of these rackets.
The Armortec 900 Power :
The techincal stuff for this racket first :
FLEX: Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
U.H.M. Graphite / Micro Ti / Elastic Ti
SHAFT:
H.M. Graphite / Elastic Ti
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
4U (80-84.9g) G4
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
19-24 lbs
The first feeling I had of this racket , it felt good , it had a nice 'feel'. The racket surely did feel head heavy - but not as heavy as the armortec 700.
This racket is a good racket , It does provide the power that comes with its name . It has good power which you can implement in the game. On the other hand I found defending harder , just having to work harder to keep them in . So that is good and bad sort of . I didn't have a lot of time getting used to this racket so I don't want to blame the defense of this racket too much.The net touches and kills were slightly harder to do , but not too bad - just average.
Overall : The racket is a pleasure to smash with and people will love smashing with this racket , it just feels so nice to smash with this. Although the defense is slightly harder and the net shots were slighly harder. But overall this racket was a pleasure to play with - when smashing the racket just flew like a bird. I am delighted with this racket but still as normal again - THE PRICE!!!
The Armortec 900 Technique :
First of all the technical stuff for this racket :
FLEX: Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
U.H.M. Graphite / Micro Ti / Elastic Ti
SHAFT:
H.M. Graphite / Elastic Ti
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
4U (80-84.9g) G4
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
19-24 lbs
This racket had a really good feel on first touch.
When playing with this racket I was amazed shocked. This racket was really good - I was always told by a couple of people that the Armortec 900 power was better but me I preferred the technique. Everything was good and this racket was truly a pleasure. My friend even said it maybe possible for me to get this racket. I was impressed and hopefully I will get the racket.I would rate this racket 9.5/10 - but still am disappointed about the price. These two rackets definitely remind me of the 800 defense and offense. I like the way yonex does this - and I think this is a very good idea - most people I have seen with one of these rackets has the other. So I am a bit of both for this advertising technique - buy buying both of these rackets its going to cost them £250 which is very expensive. So once again I would rate this racket 9.5/10.
This racket is my favourite out of the Yonex Armortec series.
The next racket to review is the Armortec 700.
This racket is the most head heavy racket possible in yonex's range and it is also VERY HEAD HEAVY!
The technical stuff for this racket:
FLEX: Extra Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
U.H.M. Graphite / gForce Ti
SHAFT:
U.H.M. Graphite / Ultimum Ti
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
20-25 lbs
O.k I didn't have to borrow this racket from my friends shop because My brother has 2 of these rackets : the normal one and the limited version of the racket - released for the beijing olympics.
O.k so obviously I chose the beijing edition of the racket just to show off!
Too my pleasure another amazing racket - everything was a beuty , and this racket was marvellous. I enjoyed playing with this racket and would recommend to it - if it was a lower price. I still think there are other rackets and this racket doesn't beat my favourite racket. Whats my favourite racket ?
Well I'm not saying!
So this racket again 9.5/10 but again my usual commment for yonex rackets - the overpricing.
The next racket in my series is The armortec 250 :
The techincal stuff for this racket :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite / gForce Ti
SHAFT:
H.M. Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
20-25 lbs
There is also an Armortec 250 limited edition version of this racket.
This racket was quite flexible , I didn't enjoy. This racket was good I did like it - but It didn't excell in anything , and average racket. The same for the Armoortec 150. I will still right the Techincal stuff for the racket though.
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite Super Alloy
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
20-25 lbs
This racket was an average racket aswell. I enjoyed playing with it but - it is an average racket. again. This racket is ok.
The next badminton rackets are the muscle power series.
The muscle power series consists of 6 rackets. Although the Muscle power 88 has been discontinued - so there are now only 5 rackets in this series.
I luckily enough have the muscle power 88 racket - so I can still review it.
The Muscle Power series consists of :
The Muscle Power 99
(The Muscle Power 88)
The Muscle Power 29 lt
The Muscle Power 19 lt
The Muscle Power 10
The Muscle Powe 7
O.k the first racket to be reviewed in the Muscle power racket series is the :
The Muscle Power 99:
The techincal stuff for this racket:
FLEX: Extra Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
U.H.M. Graphite / Ultimum Ti
SHAFT:
H.M. Graphite / Ultimum Ti
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
17-22 lbs
O.k this racket I did use to have myself - but unfortunately it broke - :-( . R.I.P My beloved racket.
O.k this racket is a very nice racket. It is good for both smashing and defending. And it does have evry nice paintwork (just saying). The power part of this racket wasn't amazing , but the net play and drives were. The light racket enabled me to play quick and rapid reaction shots.
This racket is a 7.5/10. But other people I have asked said that I underated this racket and said I should put it up to an 8.
Muscle Power 88 :
O.k first of all I am slightly biased with this racket - because I play with it and it is my backup racket. Infact I have 2 of these as backup rackets. ( Hopefully I can make a backup racket post.
The racket because it has been taken away - I can't give accurate details of its material atc. So no technical stuff for this racket. O.k this racket is really good - Smahing is a pleasure , and even though this racket is head heavy - my racket still defends quite easily. This is the racket I play with , I would rate it 9.75/10. I think this racket suits everyones needs. Although the price is high - but I got my 2 rackets original for only £30 each - and they were real.
Unfortunately I don't have the other rackets. I am really sorry but I will try to get them.
The only thing I can do at the moment is give the technical stuff for each racket - if it helps in any way.
The next racket is the Muscle Power 22 LT.
The rackets technical stuff :
FLEX: Flexible
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
The next racket to review is the Muscle Power 19 LT
The technical stuff for this racket is :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
The next racket to review is the Muscle Power 10 :
The technical stuff for this racket is :
FLEX: Flexible
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
The next racket to review is the muscle Power 7
The technical stuff for this racket is
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Aluminium
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
2U (90-94.9g) G3
Overall the muscle power series: O.k I can only summarise this racket series shortly because I only reviewed 2 od the muscle power badminton rackets. Them 2 rackets were of high quality , and for £30 each for two Muscle Power 88 - I was impressed which lead me to buy them. Once again I am really sorry , thhat I couldn't review all the other rackets in the muscle power series. Also I believe that there are more muscle Power rackets that I havn't mentioned i.e the Muscle power 100 .
I also couldn't get a hand of the Other racket series, which is very unfprtunate , and I do apologise.
The next rackets is the isometric series , again I can't review these rackets. But wehn I can get the rackets and review the 2 rackets in this range - I will.
Although I cant review these rackets , I can share the technical stuff for them:
There are only 2 rackets in the isometric series the isometric 24 vf and the isometric 22 junior.
The technical stuff for the isometric 24 vf :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Aluminium
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
2U (90-94.9g) G3
The technical stuff for the isometric 22 Junior
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Aluminium
SHAFT:
Steel
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
2U (90-94.9g) G3
.
Again I can't really summarise these rackets lol. Why? I havn't tested them.
There is also one more series in the yonex rackets , which I can't review the basic rackets.
The basic series only consists of 2 rackets aswell : the b600 df , and the b500.
I cant review these rackets because I couldn't get them , but I can give the technical sutff for these rackets , although there is not much technical stuff for them.
The b600df :
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Aluminium
SHAFT:
Steel
The technical stuff for the nect racket - the b500 is :
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Steel
SHAFT:
Steel
Overall : After reviewing most of yonex's major racket series. I have felt the amazing brand. The major brand , which controls , almost all of the badmintons market of rackets , and sells them for very expensive.
The rackets were cleverly designed , and most rackets were designed for specific types of players , which would draw in every style of play. If yonex sold there rackets for cheap - then I would be happy , because cutsomers would get good rackets for a fair price. But I am still unhappy that yonex does veyr unfair trades on there rackets.
Thats Yonex summed up : My next post will be about what yonex's technical stuff means.
You get it really yonex is the biggest badminton brand at the moment. It does have lots of rivals but I don't think any are even close to defeating yonex's popularity. When I look at my badminton club 80% of the rackets they use are yonex even with there massive price tags.
Arcsaber series:
So the arcsaber is yonex's latest badminton racket. There are only 3 badminton rackets in this range so far the :
Arcsaber 7
Arcsaber 9
Arcsaber 10.
The Arcsaber 7 was released with the Arcsaber 10. The yonex later releaed the arcsaber 9.
First of all I will review the arcsaber rackets:
The arcsaber 7 :
The technical stuff :
Flex : Medium
Frame:H.M.Graphite
CS Carbon Nanotube
Shaft:H.M.Graphite
Weight/Grip size:3U (85-89.9g) G3
The arcsaber 7 is a very good racket indeed. The price tag is over £100. The Arcsaber 7 is technically not as good as the Arcsaber 10 , but I have seen many people play with both the rackets.
The arcsaber 7 is a very good badminton racket for an attacking singles player.
The arcsaber 9:
Flex: Medium
Frame:
HM Graphite
CS Carbon Nanotube
Light Feel Carbon
Shaft:
HM Graphite
New Built-in T-Joint
Weight / Grip Size:
3U (85.0-89.9g) / G3
This racket has been classed as a womens racket. The reason is , is that this racket is very flexible. And also the colour - which is pink. But I have seen men play with the racket. Overall this racket is a very good racket , a bit too flexible for me and the colour doesn't attract me too it. But anyway is a good racket.
The Arcsaber 10 :
Flex:Stiff
Frame:CS Carbon NanotubeSuper HMG.
Shaft:Ultra PEF H.M. Graphite
Weight/Grip size:3U (85-89.9g) G3
This is my favourite racket out of all the arcsabers - probabaly because it is more stiff than the Arcsaber 9 and 7. I enjoyed playing with this racket and it has lots of power and control. I did like this racket and it would be high on my list. But definitely not on the top! The racket has a very high price tag , just as the other Arcsaber 7 and 9 .
Conclusion:
To conclude the reviews for the Arcsaber 7 , Arcsaber 9 and Arcsaber 10 - All three rackets are very good and suited for different styles of play . I did enjoy testing these rackets but the price tag is very high. These rackets if cheaper would be very high on my best badminton rackets list but because it is £120+ it is not. I would say that there are other smaller brands which can offer a player the same technical abilities but for a smaller price tag.
The Nanospeed Series. The nanospeed series consists of very good badminon racets - but still at quite high price.
The nanospeed series contians 7(8)rackets.
These rackets are :
The Nanospeed 9000 X
(The Nanospeed 9000 S)
The Nanospeed 8000
The Nanospeed 7000
The Nanospeed 6000
The Nanospeed 4500
The Nanospeed 800
The Nanospeed 500.
Ok thats them.
The reviews and the technical stuff.
The Nanospeed 9000X:
The technical stuff :
FLEX: Extra Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
H. M. Graphite / Elastic Titanium
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
20-25 lbs
When I tested this racket over the weekend it was very stiff. The X does stand for extra stiff. It is the most stiff badminton racket I have ever played with. They have however made a S version : The Nanospeed 9000 S - which is less stiff.
This racket did make my shoulder hurt in the end because my friend who gave it to me - who by the way I am very gratefull to for , gave it to me strung at 30lbs even though its recommended tension is only 20-25lbs. So I had to put a lot of power in and this made me really dislike this racket. And also to my bad luck - ironically - I came to my club on a day where there was only 16 people playing , we have 6 courts and the average amount of people who come is like 30-40 so I played lots of singles. Ofcourse I was at a disadvantage with a racket that I had never used , which was extra stiff and strung at 30lbs. This racket was an allrounder - although smashing was harder witht he high tension and extra stiffness. In my warm up - my shots were a bit off timed but I soon adjusted. I definitly think this racket will suit most players , and most styles - you just need to adjust to it.
Unfortunately I didn't have a Nanospeed 9000 S so I couldn't review it - because he broke it. But I heard you can feel the difference between the X and the S a lot. The person said he preffered the S but because it broke he started using his X.
Nanospeed 8000X:
Ok honestly my thoughts , were oh no not another very stiff racket when I saw the specifications.
FLEX: Extra Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
19-24 lbs
This racket is quite similiar to the Nanospeed 9000X due to its stiffness and its 'feel'. I prefer this racket to the Nanospeed 9000X . This racket is another allrounder , I did have lower tension compared to before so that was a good one.
Overall : I say that this racket is quite a good racket , I would take this racket over the Nanospeed 9000X.
The Nanospeed 7000:
The technical stuff :
FLEX: Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
19-24 lbs
The initonal start was that this racket was quite light.This racket was hard too perform smashes - and to get my normal power I would have to focus on it. On the other hand drops and net was much easier. This racket enhanced my play there and I was impressed with it. Overall : not good for smashing but good for a controlled player , who doesn't smash as much or a player who has got really good power and wants to focus on there controlled play.
The Nanospeed 6000:
My favourite out of all the Nanospeed rackets.
The technical stuff for this racket :
FLEX: Flexible
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite / Fullerene / Elastomer
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
17-22 lbs
This racket was aimed towards women I think - the low tension boosting power and the flexibility.
I enjoyed playing with this racket and defending was a dream with it. I just has to focus on it not going out , the racket is very head light - and I really enjoyed it.
As I said before this racket is my favourite out of all the Nanospeeds. Everything was like usual and the enhanced defense was really usefull. I would recommend this racket I will try to find out a price for it , if this racket doesn't have a too high price tag then it is a good buy. But unfortunately the - ruthless yonex doesn't normally give low prices , but I can hope , can't I?
The Nanospeed 4500:
I had never seen a lot of people playing with this racket. But theres no harm in giving it a go , is there?
The technical stuff for this badminton racket :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
H. M. Graphite / Fullerene
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
A pretty much allrounder racket - I enjoyed playing with this racket , easy to get used to and good to play with. Smashed , I found slightly easier , and the defense was relatively easier.
I liked this racket a lot aswell. Yonex have released lots of good racket - I do see why they are the number 1 in this industry , but I still think that there are better rackets than Yonex's . Just look around people - don't go and splash your money. Tactic and Apacs are very good brands. Hopefully I can get some apacs products to review. I've played with quite a few and they feel amazing.( I am trying to contact them)
The next racket in my line up is the Nanospeed 800:
The rackets techincal stuff first :
FLEX: Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
H. M. Graphite
SHAFT:
Carbon Nanotube Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
This racket was pretty ordinary - another alrounder , good at everything. It had a strange 'feel' but yeah , other than that this racket was good. I would say that there are better rackets though.
The next racket in the review is The Nanospeed 500. The last one from the nanospeed series.
First of all the technical stuff for this racket :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
Carbon Nanotube Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
I like this racket a lot , especially the deign. Another pretty ordinary racket. Overall it was good - I'm not saying it was bad but not excelling in anything in particular although I did do a couple of flukey shots with this racket lol. So if its a bonus 'this racket is good for flukey shots'.
Overall for the Nanospeed series :
The Nanospeed series was very good I am impressed with the series . Nothing bad with any of the rackets and they are designed for different types of players. The nanospeed series is a very good series - and yonex deisgned very good rackets in this series. Although again being an 'elite' brand yonex still overcharges customers for these rackets.
O.k the next yonex series in there all dominant powerful badminton range - the armortec range:
The armortec series consists of 5 badminton rackets.
The 5 rackets are :
The Armortec 900 Technique
The Armortec 900 Power
The Armortec 700
The Armortec 250
The Armortec 150
O.k time for the reviews and techincal 'stuff' for each of these rackets.
The Armortec 900 Power :
The techincal stuff for this racket first :
FLEX: Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
U.H.M. Graphite / Micro Ti / Elastic Ti
SHAFT:
H.M. Graphite / Elastic Ti
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
4U (80-84.9g) G4
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
19-24 lbs
The first feeling I had of this racket , it felt good , it had a nice 'feel'. The racket surely did feel head heavy - but not as heavy as the armortec 700.
This racket is a good racket , It does provide the power that comes with its name . It has good power which you can implement in the game. On the other hand I found defending harder , just having to work harder to keep them in . So that is good and bad sort of . I didn't have a lot of time getting used to this racket so I don't want to blame the defense of this racket too much.The net touches and kills were slightly harder to do , but not too bad - just average.
Overall : The racket is a pleasure to smash with and people will love smashing with this racket , it just feels so nice to smash with this. Although the defense is slightly harder and the net shots were slighly harder. But overall this racket was a pleasure to play with - when smashing the racket just flew like a bird. I am delighted with this racket but still as normal again - THE PRICE!!!
The Armortec 900 Technique :
First of all the technical stuff for this racket :
FLEX: Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
U.H.M. Graphite / Micro Ti / Elastic Ti
SHAFT:
H.M. Graphite / Elastic Ti
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
4U (80-84.9g) G4
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
19-24 lbs
This racket had a really good feel on first touch.
When playing with this racket I was amazed shocked. This racket was really good - I was always told by a couple of people that the Armortec 900 power was better but me I preferred the technique. Everything was good and this racket was truly a pleasure. My friend even said it maybe possible for me to get this racket. I was impressed and hopefully I will get the racket.I would rate this racket 9.5/10 - but still am disappointed about the price. These two rackets definitely remind me of the 800 defense and offense. I like the way yonex does this - and I think this is a very good idea - most people I have seen with one of these rackets has the other. So I am a bit of both for this advertising technique - buy buying both of these rackets its going to cost them £250 which is very expensive. So once again I would rate this racket 9.5/10.
This racket is my favourite out of the Yonex Armortec series.
The next racket to review is the Armortec 700.
This racket is the most head heavy racket possible in yonex's range and it is also VERY HEAD HEAVY!
The technical stuff for this racket:
FLEX: Extra Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
U.H.M. Graphite / gForce Ti
SHAFT:
U.H.M. Graphite / Ultimum Ti
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
20-25 lbs
O.k I didn't have to borrow this racket from my friends shop because My brother has 2 of these rackets : the normal one and the limited version of the racket - released for the beijing olympics.
O.k so obviously I chose the beijing edition of the racket just to show off!
Too my pleasure another amazing racket - everything was a beuty , and this racket was marvellous. I enjoyed playing with this racket and would recommend to it - if it was a lower price. I still think there are other rackets and this racket doesn't beat my favourite racket. Whats my favourite racket ?
Well I'm not saying!
So this racket again 9.5/10 but again my usual commment for yonex rackets - the overpricing.
The next racket in my series is The armortec 250 :
The techincal stuff for this racket :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite / gForce Ti
SHAFT:
H.M. Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
20-25 lbs
There is also an Armortec 250 limited edition version of this racket.
This racket was quite flexible , I didn't enjoy. This racket was good I did like it - but It didn't excell in anything , and average racket. The same for the Armoortec 150. I will still right the Techincal stuff for the racket though.
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite Super Alloy
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
20-25 lbs
This racket was an average racket aswell. I enjoyed playing with it but - it is an average racket. again. This racket is ok.
The next badminton rackets are the muscle power series.
The muscle power series consists of 6 rackets. Although the Muscle power 88 has been discontinued - so there are now only 5 rackets in this series.
I luckily enough have the muscle power 88 racket - so I can still review it.
The Muscle Power series consists of :
The Muscle Power 99
(The Muscle Power 88)
The Muscle Power 29 lt
The Muscle Power 19 lt
The Muscle Power 10
The Muscle Powe 7
O.k the first racket to be reviewed in the Muscle power racket series is the :
The Muscle Power 99:
The techincal stuff for this racket:
FLEX: Extra Stiff
COMPOSITION FRAME:
U.H.M. Graphite / Ultimum Ti
SHAFT:
H.M. Graphite / Ultimum Ti
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
RECOMMENDED STRING TENSION:
17-22 lbs
O.k this racket I did use to have myself - but unfortunately it broke - :-( . R.I.P My beloved racket.
O.k this racket is a very nice racket. It is good for both smashing and defending. And it does have evry nice paintwork (just saying). The power part of this racket wasn't amazing , but the net play and drives were. The light racket enabled me to play quick and rapid reaction shots.
This racket is a 7.5/10. But other people I have asked said that I underated this racket and said I should put it up to an 8.
Muscle Power 88 :
O.k first of all I am slightly biased with this racket - because I play with it and it is my backup racket. Infact I have 2 of these as backup rackets. ( Hopefully I can make a backup racket post.
The racket because it has been taken away - I can't give accurate details of its material atc. So no technical stuff for this racket. O.k this racket is really good - Smahing is a pleasure , and even though this racket is head heavy - my racket still defends quite easily. This is the racket I play with , I would rate it 9.75/10. I think this racket suits everyones needs. Although the price is high - but I got my 2 rackets original for only £30 each - and they were real.
Unfortunately I don't have the other rackets. I am really sorry but I will try to get them.
The only thing I can do at the moment is give the technical stuff for each racket - if it helps in any way.
The next racket is the Muscle Power 22 LT.
The rackets technical stuff :
FLEX: Flexible
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
The next racket to review is the Muscle Power 19 LT
The technical stuff for this racket is :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
The next racket to review is the Muscle Power 10 :
The technical stuff for this racket is :
FLEX: Flexible
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Graphite
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
3U (85-89.9g) G3
The next racket to review is the muscle Power 7
The technical stuff for this racket is
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Aluminium
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
2U (90-94.9g) G3
Overall the muscle power series: O.k I can only summarise this racket series shortly because I only reviewed 2 od the muscle power badminton rackets. Them 2 rackets were of high quality , and for £30 each for two Muscle Power 88 - I was impressed which lead me to buy them. Once again I am really sorry , thhat I couldn't review all the other rackets in the muscle power series. Also I believe that there are more muscle Power rackets that I havn't mentioned i.e the Muscle power 100 .
I also couldn't get a hand of the Other racket series, which is very unfprtunate , and I do apologise.
The next rackets is the isometric series , again I can't review these rackets. But wehn I can get the rackets and review the 2 rackets in this range - I will.
Although I cant review these rackets , I can share the technical stuff for them:
There are only 2 rackets in the isometric series the isometric 24 vf and the isometric 22 junior.
The technical stuff for the isometric 24 vf :
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Aluminium
SHAFT:
Graphite
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
2U (90-94.9g) G3
The technical stuff for the isometric 22 Junior
FLEX: Medium
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Aluminium
SHAFT:
Steel
WEIGHT / GRIP SIZE:
2U (90-94.9g) G3
.
Again I can't really summarise these rackets lol. Why? I havn't tested them.
There is also one more series in the yonex rackets , which I can't review the basic rackets.
The basic series only consists of 2 rackets aswell : the b600 df , and the b500.
I cant review these rackets because I couldn't get them , but I can give the technical sutff for these rackets , although there is not much technical stuff for them.
The b600df :
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Aluminium
SHAFT:
Steel
The technical stuff for the nect racket - the b500 is :
COMPOSITION FRAME:
Steel
SHAFT:
Steel
Overall : After reviewing most of yonex's major racket series. I have felt the amazing brand. The major brand , which controls , almost all of the badmintons market of rackets , and sells them for very expensive.
The rackets were cleverly designed , and most rackets were designed for specific types of players , which would draw in every style of play. If yonex sold there rackets for cheap - then I would be happy , because cutsomers would get good rackets for a fair price. But I am still unhappy that yonex does veyr unfair trades on there rackets.
Thats Yonex summed up : My next post will be about what yonex's technical stuff means.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
O.k more updates that I'm going to have in the future.
I have sort of done the badminton tactics and the badminton serve etc... It will be harder to explain the other shots because I will have to produce the images but maybe If I get enough time I will.
Im going to try to get a massive list as big as I can , all the badminton racket distributors I know , so people can look for them on the interent and compare them and look around for different rackets and possibly even get there dream racket for cheaper.
And after that list I am going to try and review all yonex's rackets. My friend who owns a shop has been kind enough to lend me some of his rackets for a bit. So It will be a delight to play with the main racket company of the world the dominant 'yonex'
I have sort of done the badminton tactics and the badminton serve etc... It will be harder to explain the other shots because I will have to produce the images but maybe If I get enough time I will.
Im going to try to get a massive list as big as I can , all the badminton racket distributors I know , so people can look for them on the interent and compare them and look around for different rackets and possibly even get there dream racket for cheaper.
And after that list I am going to try and review all yonex's rackets. My friend who owns a shop has been kind enough to lend me some of his rackets for a bit. So It will be a delight to play with the main racket company of the world the dominant 'yonex'
Weight system of yonex's rackets
The weight system of yonex's rackets:
Every manufacturer is different and most of them measure there racket's weight differently.
Well I'm going to explain there rackets weight system.
U = the heaviest racket that is in yonex's range.
In yonex the u is : over 95 grams
In yonex the 2u is : 90-94 grams
In yonex the 3u is : 85-89 grams
In yonex the 4u is : 81-84 grams
In yonex the 5u is : 80 grams or less.
And normall you will see the 'G' sizes on all yonex's rackets. The G stands for a thick handle.
Every manufacturer is different and most of them measure there racket's weight differently.
Well I'm going to explain there rackets weight system.
U = the heaviest racket that is in yonex's range.
In yonex the u is : over 95 grams
In yonex the 2u is : 90-94 grams
In yonex the 3u is : 85-89 grams
In yonex the 4u is : 81-84 grams
In yonex the 5u is : 80 grams or less.
And normall you will see the 'G' sizes on all yonex's rackets. The G stands for a thick handle.
Getting better at badminton:
When people start playing badminton they want to get better. But the first thing they think of is buying a brand new badminton racket wasting lots of money.
In badminton you should focus on holding the racket the right way for all your strokes. A good back-hand grip and forehand grip.
If you are new to badminton , then you will probably want to learn the correct way too play the stokes . You can loose accuracy and power because your stroke is incorecct.
FOOTWORK!
Footwork is very big in badminton , I have done god knows how many amount of shadows , drills , training excercise and multifeeds. Footwork is very important in badminton. Rerember theres no point of having a good shot if you can't get to the shuttle quick enough or on balance or be ready for the next shot.
Don't focus on other things in bamdinton expensive rackets , cool crazy tricks etc... This is a big waste of time - and I've seen people with huge amount of talent waste it because they practice on trick shots when they could practice that time on other shots or footwork.
I think the key to badminton is practice on the basics. Having good shots and good footwork is the best place to start.
When people start playing badminton they want to get better. But the first thing they think of is buying a brand new badminton racket wasting lots of money.
In badminton you should focus on holding the racket the right way for all your strokes. A good back-hand grip and forehand grip.
If you are new to badminton , then you will probably want to learn the correct way too play the stokes . You can loose accuracy and power because your stroke is incorecct.
FOOTWORK!
Footwork is very big in badminton , I have done god knows how many amount of shadows , drills , training excercise and multifeeds. Footwork is very important in badminton. Rerember theres no point of having a good shot if you can't get to the shuttle quick enough or on balance or be ready for the next shot.
Don't focus on other things in bamdinton expensive rackets , cool crazy tricks etc... This is a big waste of time - and I've seen people with huge amount of talent waste it because they practice on trick shots when they could practice that time on other shots or footwork.
I think the key to badminton is practice on the basics. Having good shots and good footwork is the best place to start.
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Badminton help - singles tactics
O.k singles tactics - as I explained before tactics are really important in badminton , and probably not only in badminton in nearly every sport.
In singles - you should play your shots in the four corners.
In singles - you should play flat clears reducing the time your opponent has to return your shots.
In singles - you should play fast drops reducing the time your opponent has to return your shots.
In singles - stamina is a big thing.
In singles - you should try to only play smashes if your opponent plays a weak shot.
In singles - you should aim your smash on the right side (if you are a right handed player opposite if your a lefty) because the most likely shot is straight back to your forehand.
In singles - you should try to disguise your shots as much as possible to keep your opponent from anticipating your shots.
Thats really it - Im not sure what else to say... for once :D.
In singles - you should play your shots in the four corners.
In singles - you should play flat clears reducing the time your opponent has to return your shots.
In singles - you should play fast drops reducing the time your opponent has to return your shots.
In singles - stamina is a big thing.
In singles - you should try to only play smashes if your opponent plays a weak shot.
In singles - you should aim your smash on the right side (if you are a right handed player opposite if your a lefty) because the most likely shot is straight back to your forehand.
In singles - you should try to disguise your shots as much as possible to keep your opponent from anticipating your shots.
Thats really it - Im not sure what else to say... for once :D.
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