Apacs Lethal 70: A comprehensive list of reviews, including my own

Discussion in 'Badminton Rackets / Equipment' started by thejym, Jul 27, 2010.

  1. thejym

    thejym Regular Member

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    I haven't written very many reviews, but I definitely think it is worth writing a review on the Apacs Lethal 70. I've attached some pictures just for fun, and included a comprehensive list of reviews written by others at the end of my review, for your convenience.

    I have used/tested a wide variety of rackets in my years of playing badminton, including: Yonex AT900P, AT900T, AT700 new, Arcsaber 10 2U, Arcsaber 9, Wilson Dynapower 9500, Apacs Nano 900 White, Nano 900 Red, Edgesaber 10, Edgesaber 7, Z-Spark, Stern 100, Stern 85, Nano 9900, Nano 9990, and Lethal 70. I can definitely say that the Lethal 70 holds its own against much more expensive rackets like the AT700 or AT900P.

    I received my L70s around eight hours ago, and immediately strung one with Nanogy-98 @ 27x30lbs. This is my usual tension for my current rackets (3x Apacs Stern 100 and one Nano 900 White with 3g of lead tape on head). My first impression was that this was the most ridiculously solid racket I've ever strung. It's no wonder that they rate the frame up to 45lbs! There was ZERO movement at all from the frame when strung on my 2-point machine, whereas AT700s and AT900Ps would move a tiny amount in the direction that I was applying the tension. Even though I always use a 2-3lb offset for the cross, I usually end up with a racket frame that is slightly rounder/fatter than it is unstrung. This was not the case with the L70 - the frame shape post-stringing was identical to the pre-strung shape.

    I usually let my freshly strung rackets sit for a day to let them "settle in" (and I tend to string them a bit tighter initially so that after a few days they are at a perfect tension for me), but I was too eager to try it out today so I went to test it out as soon as I had finished the stringing. I first began with some drives and I was pleasantly surprised. The sound was very sharp and the shots were very crisp. Of course much of the sound can be attributed to the thin string (0.66mm NBG-98) at high tension, but I think the L70's stability definitely helped the strings resonate. But who cares about the sound right? Well, I like to listen to the sound to give me an idea of how the racket is performing. With a less stable racket (like the Stern 100, my previous singles racket), I hear a difference in the sound when I drive, and I can feel the racket frame twisting ever so slightly upon impact. Also, when doing some clears with the L70, the sound was again very crisp and more importantly, very consistent. When I clear with the Stern 100, the sound is not quite as consistent - it will sound very loud and distinct when I hit the shuttle right on my sweet spot, but if I'm off by the smallest amount, the sound changes drastically. This tells me that my sweet spot is smaller on the Stern 100 (at the same tension), and that when I don't hit a shot dead center, the frame twists a little and power is lost. By contrast, the L70 is so solid and resists twisting so much that it's so much more forgiving. Given the same amount of energy input and the same technique, I feel like I get more work out of the L70.

    Defensively, it's very advantageous to have a maneuverable but solid racket. I thought the head-heaviness and 3U weight of the L70 would hurt my defensive abilities, but the racket was surprisingly maneuverable. This might be attributed to my recent training with a lead-taped racket and racket cover, but nonetheless it felt good. The biggest bonus is again the fact that the frame is so solid that there is no twisting, so smashes are always returned in the same manner.

    I didn't go all out smashing today so I will have to test it out tomorrow and get back to you guys about it. However, the warm up smashes that I did do felt great and I think with less shaft flex and racket torsion, I will be able to improve the accuracy (and power) of my smashes.

    As I write this, I realize that I've lauded the Lethal 70's frame stability and torsion resistance in every paragraph. For me, this was the most distinguishing factor about this racket compared to other rackets. I like the shaft stiffness, which I would say is on par or stiffer than the AT700, however it feels more solid than the AT700 (though a bit less head-heavy). With a stiff and solid racket like the L70 as a standard reference point, you can always then add lead tape to the frame to modify the balance to suit your preferences.

    I can't say too much else about this racket just yet, but I'll update this thread when I play with it some more. Be careful though, just because I've praised this racket doesn't mean that you should go out and buy one right away. First you should think about your playing style, your strength, and what you are looking for in a racket. I switched to this racket because I felt that my previous racket did not have much potential for more power. Of course, give that racket to a pro and he'll still smash it hard, but I just felt that I couldn't squeeze any more power out of it (it was a light racket so power was generated through a fast swing speed, and I felt like my swing speed couldn't get much faster). By contrast, I will probably swing a heavier racket slowly at first, but the greater mass in the frame will result in a smash of the same power as the light racket. The difference here is that the more I play with the heavier racket, the stronger I will become and the more likely my swing speed is to increase, thereby giving me more power in my shots. My singles game currently relies on deception and accuracy to win me points. As I aim for a higher standard of play, and harder opponents at tournaments, I know that this is not enough for me to win matches. I will need a strong attack.


    Other reviews/information:

    Dinkalot's review of the Lethal 50 (very similar to Lethal 70)
    Antony's review on badminton-racket.blogspot.com
    APACS Lethal 70 vs APACS Tantrum 300
    Apacs Lethal 70, 40 lb max. tension!
    Apacs
    Sangoku's review

    If only there had been a post like this one which aggregated all the Lethal 70 reviews floating around on the Internet and in this forum, it would have made my shopping experience much easier...
     

    Attached Files:

  2. bbi2004

    bbi2004 Regular Member

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    Yes, I have one, it is really a lethal weapon.
     
  3. CYW2006

    CYW2006 Regular Member

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    Sorry.... May I know anyone has tried apacs lethal 90... Any review ?
     
  4. thejym

    thejym Regular Member

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    Wrong thread.. but from my research, it adopts the Victor PowerWave/SuperWave frame or whatever so it swings faster than the L50/60/70 but less powerful.

    I've played with my L70s a couple of times in the last two days and they're great. My smash accuracy has improved because this racket flexes less and twists less than other rackets, so the shuttle ends up going where I intend it to go. At one point, when I hit some shots I felt this weird twisting in the handle. I thought perhaps there was a manufacturing error but then I found out that it was simply the Supergrap slipping on top of the original plastic wrapping on the handle. I put some double sided tape under the Supergrap and that fixed the issue.

    On a side note, my friend put a chip in his wall with his L70 that I ordered for him. I asked about the racket, and he says there's only a very tiny mark that's unnoticeable unless you actually try to look for it. So the paint quality seems to be pretty good too, if it can withstand a blow against a wall (albeit walls have a hardness of like 2-3 on the hardness scale).
     
  5. kaloi01

    kaloi01 Regular Member

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    where do you buy?
     
  6. ApacsCanada

    ApacsCanada Regular Member

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    Congrat.. Thejym..

    You really found the main charateristic of Lethal 70. Everyone can make a head heavy racket .. Everyone can make a stiff racket ...

    But the main advantage of Lethal 70 is the Super Low Torsion. Under the twisting test on our lab in Malaysia. Most famous brand racket has a twist angle of 6 degree. That is the same as our Lethal 50. Lethal 70 has a twist angle of 4 degree..... That's why you can have consistent control and placement shot. In addition, all Lethal 70 I tested are between 88-90gm. At least for NA(North America) version. It is very closet to PRO player using ( They are using 92g version )..

    Lethal 90 is using different approach, it is a faster racket compare to Lethal 70. Next version will be going to more head heavy.
     
  7. bluecraze07

    bluecraze07 Regular Member

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    How would the L70 compare to the AMP95? I'm looking for a suitable replacement.
     
  8. what07

    what07 Regular Member

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    Don't you have like 3 AMP95s o.o
     
  9. thejym

    thejym Regular Member

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    I can now attest to the durability of this racket.. The other day, I was doing half court smashes with my doubles partner and during one smash my racket slipped out of my hand, bounced off the floor, and into the brick wall. An embarrassing story but in my defense it was unusually humid in the gym (from the rain outside) and my grip needed changing..

    Of course paint chipped off the frame and the outer layer of the shaft cracked, but because the shaft is made from many many many layers of carbon fiber, I don't think the integrity was compromised too much. I taped this area up so that cracks won't spread, but of course microcracks are developing all the time in the shaft (even in new rackets), but they're so minimal that the rackets can still last a long time. As a materials science major, it would be very interesting to put my racket through some tests and see exactly how much effect the clash with the wall had, but then I would need to sacrifice two rackets...
     
  10. johnnxiv

    johnnxiv New Member

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  11. thejym

    thejym Regular Member

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    It's a double shaft... so yes.
     
  12. johnnxiv

    johnnxiv New Member

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    is it light or heavy? I know it say 3U,
    a lot of head heavy or slightly HH?
    because my Lethal 90 say 3U, im sure it's 4U
     
  13. thejym

    thejym Regular Member

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    I think it was supposed to be 3U, but not every racket is made identical (even among the more expensive rackets, a 3U can be borderline 4U). The overall weight doesn't matter as much as the balance. It's head heavy, but not as much as the Yonex AT700, definitely not as much as the new Voltric rackets. Maybe comparable to AT900 or slightly less head heavy.
     
  14. albertchiew

    albertchiew Regular Member

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    Hi ApacsCanada,

    Mind to guide me where can I source for this 92g version? I have owned 1x Lethal 60 and 3x Lethal 70. But they are all around 87~89g. Prefer to have a heavier version as they just seems okay only. Dont get me wrong they are GREAT racquet for sure. Just wanna to have a heavier version if possible. And, personally really dont like to the idea by putting in additional add-on to spoil its original design. Hence....

    Hope to hear from you soon and thanks in advance.

    Cheers!

    Best regards,
    Albert
     
  15. ghooga

    ghooga Regular Member

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    Between the Lethal 70 and the Lethal 90, if you search this forum up...it's said that the Lethal 90 is less head-heavy! My 3U Lethal 60, which is the Asian version of North America's Lethal 70, is head-heavy but not as heavy as the AT 900P. Not sure what the balance point is but I could feel that even AT 900T is heavier than my Lethal 60. Just bought an AT 900T but haven't had time to string it yet let alone try it. I'll do a comparison once I get the chance to play with it. Hopefully soon :)
     
  16. johnnxiv

    johnnxiv New Member

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    is the weight of Lethal 70 you mention above included string? or grip?
     
  17. albertchiew

    albertchiew Regular Member

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    Hi johnxiv,

    Narh, just bare naked racquet. Frame only with original grip. I mean those Lethal 70s I owned.

    Cheers!

    Best regards,
    Albert
     
  18. BlueTornado

    BlueTornado Regular Member

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    Anyone notice that their Apacs rackets' paintjob is not even on both sides of the racket? My L70 looks like the decals are higher up on the frame on one side, but I didn't think it was supposed to be uneven à la Z-Slash.. Also, I think the racket's shaft is slightly twisted, as if the shaft was placed into the handle at the wrong angle. I think I see what everyone means now by getting what you pay for in terms of QC for Apacs rackets..
     
  19. johnnxiv

    johnnxiv New Member

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    To me, I find that Lethal 70 is too heavy, my swings are slower than L90. I have to use more power and my arm get tired fast. Is this because my technique is not good?
     
  20. phaaam

    phaaam Regular Member

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    The L90 has a more aerodynamic frame which is why you feel like it's faster. Check the weights, are they both 3U? If you just got the L70 it takes time getting used to the head heaviness (though it's not much compared to the head heavy Yonex or Victor) and for me it was the stiffness that took some time getting used to. Hopefully using the L70 will force you to use better technique. With most racket changes you will need some transition time.

    The T200 was the best introduction to Apacs that I could have asked for. But after a few months I yearned for something head heavier, which was the L60/70 at the time last year. For the past year I've played with the L60/70 and enjoyed the power without sacrificing too much on defense. Everything was just more powerful than what I had with the T200, so I benched T200 and used the L70 as my go-to racket. It stood up well to all of my string testings (10+ restrings) and played well the entire time. It was the racket that led to my go-to string: BG80. Before I sold them all off, I had 4xT200 and 2xL70.

    I used both for singles and doubles, but L70 was better suited for singles since it has more power but it's well-balanced enough that it could easily be a doubles racket as well. It has a boxy frame and a double shaft which adds a lot of rigidity for those controlled returns; I'd often do a crosscourt dropshot return off a straight smash pretty easily and netshot returns were not an issue.

    Anyway, I've moved on from the Apacs range seeing as the Lethal cost about $110, and if you add $50 more you could easily get a MX80 or AT900T (I have both) so I naturally decided to invest a little more. Some club members actually said they preferred the L70 over the ARC10, which is a huge compliment so I hope more players in the beginner-intermediate range would give Apacs a shot, or at least use it as a stepping stone towards the more demanding high-end models like Voltric or Meteor X; if anything it saves you the misery of clashing rackets with another beginner/intermediate and losing $160+.

    Just wanted to give a little insight on the L70 since it hasn't come up as often recently.

    Also, stick with Apacs' original series, they are in every way superior to cloned rackets.
     

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