Hi everybody, I used to play a Nanoflare 800 which I like a lot except for a little lack of power. So I thought an Astrox 100ZZ was a good choice. But even after playing it for quite some time, I still miss the controllability which my Nanoflare offers. Is there any racket in between those two which might suit my needs? thx!
The Arcsaber 11 Pro is coming out soon, the 11 was renowned for its control while still having a lot of power. Sent from my KB2003 using Tapatalk
Astrox 88 S Pro? Its stiffness is a tad lower than 100ZZ, its balance point is around 297 i think. I like to remove the original grip, add a layer of cusion wrap and then a replacement grip. It came down to around 90 grams. Weight is adjustable later Sent from my SM-G985F using Tapatalk
Both are rather stiff rackets with some kind of compact head. DuoZS might be an option from Yonex, but it's most likely stiffer then either of those. Then the JS10 and Wucht P8 come to mind, if you have the chance to try one of them. If you want to stick to the compact head those might be the choices. What do you think gives you the feeling of more "controllability" in the NF800? If it's the thicker shaft, you might also like the Babolat X-Feel Power or Blast, but at least the earlier generations (basically the same rackets like now) had a quite wobbly/twisty T-Joint.
I think controlability of the NF800 for me comes from the low headweight. So less momentum/inertia of the swing means full control of all movements. With my AX100 I have difficulties in controlling precise drops, because of the powerful swing. arcsaber 11 pro sounds good, Duora ZS as well.
That's interesting. Less (swing) weight also means that faster movements are necessary. In that case, you just cannot have both. DuoZS and Wucht P8 should sit somewhere between the two swing weight wise while also having a compact head. I guess that the Z-Strike is stiffer than either of your rackets. If you don't care about the compact head, there should be more options from many brands.
Was your NF800 4U? If so, try 3U. If still not enough, then JS10 3U, which is a little more head heavy. I have both and they feel similar but JS10 has more juice for power. But beware, it also has grommet sinking issue and develop cracks around grommet holes at high tension.
I have a 3U5 NF800. Wanted to try one, but normally play with head heavy rackets. I love the speed and control for doubles and defence, but hated the lack of power. I'm not that much of a wrist player. You can try to put some lead tape on the inside of your frame and play with amount and position. I now have some on 12 and 6 o'clock positions. It can help alot. I still prefer DZS. Just a little bit slower as it's slightly head heavy, but quite a bit more powerful. It is quite stiffer though.
The Astrox 77 would be nowhere near or between the 100zz and the NF800. It is simply too flexible. It is a great racket, make no mistake, but if OP really like the NF800 the A77 would be a long way of. The new Arc Saber 11 might be the best bet. Otherwise the 88 models might be a compromise. The 88s has a lot of control, and should have more power than the NF800.
Yea, that was just my suggestion. Just as a counterpoint, many professionals like Chen Yufei, Fajar Alfian, An Se Young, Huang Yaqoing, Huang Dongping etc many more still use it in the circuit, so does not mean anything wrong with the racket, just a person's like towards a particular feel of the racket. I agree that the 77 is not as good as the 100zz or 800 but still very nice racket and my favorite. So instead of making choices by reviews, I highly recommend you to try the rackets out.
The Nanoray Z-Speed (orange) is pretty much a beefed up NF800. More power while not being that much slower, thanks to the smallest frame it has. Don't bother with the yellow version as it swings much heavier than the orange one.
What about Duora 8xp? Less head heavy and less stiff compared to DZS, head is smaller than standard racket but not as compact as DZS, it is faster compared to DZS and being 3U is still has power enough...
Can't say much about it, as I haven't tried it - so I wouldn't know how it plays. But you might have to go outside the Astrox series for the best option.
Sorry, it was not a question, but my suggestion. I played with Nanoray 900 (same category as NF800), tried DZS and also Astrox100 zz and zx. Ended up with Duora 8xp. For me perfect balance between power, speed, manoeuvrability. Usable for singles as well as doubles. And the frame can stand high tention.
Actually IMO doura series are a bit outdated compared to astrox, yonex is releasing lots of astrox rackets and not any doura rackets, best bet is astrox
being an older model doesn't necessarily mean much. It's like saying arcsaber 11 is worse than other racquets now because it doesn't have new tech. Yet it's still one of the most beloved racquets out there. It all comes down the preference and maybe a dzs or d8xp will have what they're looking for. Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
Nanoray Z Speed should do you well. Slim shaft, similar head size, balance is right in between the NF800 and AX100, and incredibly fast and maneuverable. Don't worry about whether it's the orange or yellow version, both play great.