Used my friends 4U vt80 today, wih bg80 strings at 26lbs. I usually play at 24lbs but adjusting wasnt a huge problem. Was having an off day anyway. Anyway, just thought I would say to everyone this is a powerful racquet. My shots today were all over the place with my usual racquets, nothing was working. Used a friends z slash and have to say, not a bad racquet but didnt suit me. SO tried out the VT80 and though I was still hopeless, everything just became so much easier. Clears were literally effortless. I mean loads of people say this but I was actually barely swinging it and yet it was going from base-line to baseline so easily. Very happy. Also smashes were great in terms of power and im sure on a better day, my angles would have been a lot better. However surprisingly, this racquet was brilliant at the net. I mean I have used many racquets but the weight in the head gave me os much control and the net shots were clipping the tape or toppling nicely every time. One problem for me though was defending. Getting the racquet in place at the right time was far harder than it was with my mx80 however when i did get it there, the returns were going straight over my oppenents heads without much effort at all. I definitely want to try this racquet again when I'm on better form. Smashes-9.5 (Good angles are harder to get with this but with time I think I could sort this out) Clears-10 (Totally effortless) Drops-9 (very nice, slicing was harder however so 1 mark off there) Net play-9 (very comfortable, easy to judge height, could be a bit faster though) Defence- 8 (Personally, could be faster but returning once in position is a breeze) Deceptions-8.5 (the weight in the head is a double edged sword, racquet is slower but more oomph so deceptions are slower in action but the shuttle moves more accurately and quickly. This is my personal opinion. This racquet is very good. Only 3 racquets I can think of that really can compare to it. MX80, Z-slash and the arc 10. But there is something special about this racquet and I was very reluctant to put it down. Only had that feeling once before and thats with the MX80. I would get this racquet but I dont think my wrist is strong enough. With a stronger wrist however, this racquet would be deadly. Out of 10, this racquet is a high 9. I take away half a mark simply because firstly it costs £161:50 which is stupendously high and another half mark because I felt defence was lacking but that is to be expected from such a head heavy racket. I am an intermediate player who is a singles player but also play a lot of doubles (very good for training reactions and placement). Its a very good singles racquet and would also suit a doubles player who plays at the back. Hope this helps some people.
... started reading at page 1 on Tuesday, and by page 45 I went out and got one. *sigh*. Picked it up a 3U5G at Hock Eng, Bangi. They had a big discount which was helpful. Going to play tonight, will post up my thoughts on it later =)
a curious question.. maybe i too noob didn't knew it... since arcsaber z slash can make a speed of 421km/h smashing.. and voltric 80 got more power... why don't they use it to make another new smashing record ?
making a new smash record? I think they needs an extraordinary player to create a devastating smashes... LOL...
VT80 doesn't have more power, it's just that the power from the Vt80 is more accessible, than from the z Slash, therefore you can produce a good smash more frequently.
After my lessons...played singles with my friend. Was really tired from my lessons so it took some time to get back my second-wind. I definitely prefer the smaller grip (G5) on my VT80. I was correct that I was able to do some deceptive shots better. Also I can use finger-strength shots better. But I was tired and so the results were 2-2. At the end, my calf muscle started to cramp...so ended the night slightly early (ie. 5min). My forearm muscle started to get sore too. Not used to 2hrs of training/playing. But it will get better as I adapt to the regiment of training/playing for 2 hrs. Also need to start my P90X exercises. Played with RSL Classic Tourneys straight out of the tube. WOW...fell in love after the first couple of hits. So smooth. It is equivalent to AS40 in terms of flight and durability. Maybe AS50 on a good day. The shuttles lasted 1.5-2games. So will keep playing with it some more...but it's good so far.
I'm surprise you like the RSL Classic Tourneys so much... They were alright when we first started but they are not as durable as the Victor Championship 1. I've given up on my VT80... Gosen Ryoga Shiden is the way to go!
Haven't tried Victor Championship 1 yet so I can't comment on that. I was surprised as well since hearing that the RSL Classic Tourney quality had fallen. But it kept up to AS40 (from what I experienced) and is cheaper too. So far from all the shuttles I tested in ranked order of performance then price... Yonex AS50 RSL Classic Tourney Yonex AS40 Yonex AS30 Victor Tournment Blasphemy!!! VT80 is my go to racket. I was thinking of buying all sorts of brands to find the ONE but $$ is drying up since I started taking private lessons. So I'm going to stick with what I know and am used to. VT80 3UG5 for me.
Yea... I am trying other birdies at a lower cost... My list is like this for the ones I've tested: Victor Championship 1 RSL Classic Tourney Victor Blue The ones I'm gonna try: Yang Yang 99A - Feathers are very thin but surprisingly good. Definitely practice birdies for drills. Yang Yang Premier 1 Black Knight 6700 - Fairly consistent. Lasted 2 full games. Game ready and will order more if on special. Wilson Topline 80 I'm debating if I want to sell my VT80 3UG5 and getting another Shiden... But I don't know if I should give up on head heavy rackets completely... Maybe I'll just sell the SW35 and top up a bit to get another Shiden
I've been using the Yonex Voltric 80 for a few months now(4u-g5). It came out 6 months ago in Korea I guess. I think its a good racket for power and has a nice touch to shots, but it has some limitations on defense, especially when playing a good smashing team. The racket speed for defending from a smash takes a bit of getting used to on count of a heavier head, and although I would recommend it for a player that has a lot of power in the lower arms, I wouldn't use this if you are a speed player. In doubles, I would say try this racket before you buy it, as you WILL need to adapt for defense speed. I usually use a Gosen 5100, or Arc Saber 10, and now this racket. I use this racket for when I play defensive teams, but when I play strong, offensive, smashing minded teams I usually opt for a lighter racket so that I can have a better reaction time to smashes. It think it would be a good singles racket, for sure. Again, this is only what I've had occur with this racket, it might be totally different for you! Paul
Glad the G5 is working out for you! I've briefly warmed up with my G4 and it feels way more stable in my hands. I did feel that I lost some maneuverability for trick shots, but I've never been that great at them and typically fallback on pure power. G4 stabilizes my smashes so it's awesome in my books! Not sure if you've tried Aeroplane Black label, but you should if you haven't. Makes all other brands pale in comparison in terms of feel, trajectory, speed, and durability. Get the 3/50/77 speed to match the air humidity in north America http://www.mybadmintonstore.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=25_58_59_83&products_id=920
Here's a likely better deal for Aeroplanes and other badminton stuff: http://www.canuckbadminton.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=240_248
You'll just have to browse. This gives you another option though. I haven't shopped there yet, but many people swear by the place, or so I've heard. Maybe you can drop them a line asking about shipping...
Yeah I added some items to cart, seems like you have to order 4 before it's around even with MBS, 5 or more as long as shipping stays constant at $10, then you start getting savings. I'll give them a try when I need to order Only aeroplane birds is a good deal though. Just about everything else is priced higher than what can be purchased in stores locally.
Played singles again. 3-1 in my favour. G5 grip size is working for me so far. But fell out of love with RSL Classic Tourney. The shuttles barely last a game this time around. Went through 4 shuttles tonight.
