Help! Arm hurt when using NS8K

100% not due to ns8000. Your incorrect arm swing is tolerated when using mp88 but not when using ns8k. WHen u learn the proper smashing technique, u can smash just as hard with a mp88 too.

 

start with clearing practice, too many beginners want to jump right into smashing. When ur arm is getting tired, u will start using less shoulder and arm. Keep practicing clearing, it shouldnt wreck ur arm.

 

i believe u need to use more wrist in your smash, NS8k is a much stiffer racquet that MP88 and requires a much faster swing

 

NS8k lack power for your kind of player, Aryan. So you had to put in more effort. That resulted in straining your arm in some way.

If it hurts, stop. If you don't, you might end up with an injury. An injured arm will give you minimal power as well as minimal speed. No racket will make up for a bad arm.

A good arm is where all your power will come from. So keep playing with the MP88. As you can already do kill smashes with that, what more do you want ?

 

i have a Kason Lepton F2, it's very light 77g+-2, but also head heavy and it's also flexible. i don't like it, instead i like to play with my tactic nb8000, which is very much opposite of the kason. we can swap rackets, if you like

 

I don't think this is serious at all. I think the more likely cause of your arm pain is due to significant difference in swing weight between the two racquets. The NS 8000, being both lighter and head light, allows you to swing much faster. Because you're unaccustomed to it, you're probably swinging it as hard as you can. The result is probably some stretched tendons. It is akin to going straight into a game without proper warm ups.

What you should do is rest the arm until the pain goes away. Then when returning to the NS8K, ease off from using full power for a few games or sessions and work your way up to full swings.

Mark

EDIT: Unlike in tennis where a lighter racquet can directly lead to arm/elbow/shoulder injury, there's no scientific reason that a lighter racquet in badminton can be the cause of injuries other than whacking yourself with it. It may reveal some problems in one's technique, as a poster mentioned earlier, but that's actually a good thing as you can then correct your technique.

 

The best replacement of a MP88 is.... are you ready?












Answer: Another MP88


If u r looking for a light and responsive head heavy manuevrable racket, save your sweat, stop looking, it hasn't been made yet.

read my product review on ns8k, suggested minimum requirement is B level. You dont sound like ur there yet.

 

As to the backup rackets, of course it is better to have identical rackets with identical strings and tension as backups. However, that's really a money/budget issue and not a performance issue. Naturally you should play with the better racket, which you already know.

That said, whether you choose the NS8k over the MP88 will depend on your answer to the following question. Are you a competitive person who wants to win now or are you a more laid-back person who is willing to sacrifice a losing period to get accustomed (and possibly develop/use new techniques) to a new racket that's better suited for you?

Mark

 

That seems to imply NS8k is a more suitable racket. Any reason why that is the case ? If the reason is because NS8k is more expensive, therefore it is more suitable, then surely going for the most expensive racket in the Yonex range would be even more 'suitable' ? Using this kind of logic, a racket encrusted with diamonds will undoutably turn anyone into world number one in no time.

 

It's not about price at all and I did not suggest that NS8K is a superior racket to the MP88 for all people. However, if you go back to Aryan's original post, you will see that in his own words he essentially said that the NS8K is the superior racket for him. I quote again,

He said that in using the NS8K, his control, response and power all increased tremendously compared to the MP88. Whether he currently has the proper techniques and strength to fully take advantage of the NS8K is thus irrevelant, he's already playing much better using it.

Aryan's only apparent issue is the arm pain, which I believe is a minor issue as I had stated earlier. In the worst case, he would have to learn how to proper "wrist snap" to reduce overswinging with his arm, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. However, learning to "wrist snap" will affect his timing and most likely will result in a period of poorer performance. Hence my suggestion earlier for Aryan to ask himself whether he's willing to accept a period of losing in switching to the NS8K.

Mark

 

It's quite easy.. If your arm hurts DON'T use it..put it aside or sell it and use the MP88 (or another flex-shaft racket).. If possible get someone to look at your technique to see what improvements could be done..

/twobeer

 

Wow, am I the only one who's in favor of Aryan using the NS8K?

While it's true that a less advanced player may not fully take advantage of a "player's" racket such as the NS8K, and this can lead to period of poor performance and possibly loss of confidence and interest in the sport, there are many positive advantages as well.

To start, let's address the downside first. Aryan has clearly shown that he's interested in improving his game and appears to be aware of the fact his performance will suffer in switching to the NS8K. He also appears to be willing to endure a period of poorer performance. Therefore, I think the risk of Aryan losing enough confidence to lose interest in badminton is minimal as he is fully aware of the downside and appears be willing to go through it to improve his game. The arm issue aside, the worst that can happen is that Aryan will find after a month that the adjustment for the NS8K will take too long and he abandons it. After all, he's already bought the NS8K.

Now to address the upside. Using a "player's" racket, typically associated with traits such as lack of power, stiffness, small sweetspot, can reveal very quickly areas that a player needs to work on. It quickly forces the player to develop better arm strength, better techniques (wrist work), form, footwork, and consistency. If the player doesn't, the racket will immediately expose him as he will mishit often (smaller sweetspot) and will hit weak returns because the shots he used to muscled through (i.e. out of position) he no longer can't.

This can be confidence shattering and a devastating process to an uninformed player or someone not in the proper mindset (i.e. willing to work HARD to improve quickly and not afraid getting his ego bruised). However, this is also helps the player improve quickly as he gets immediate feedback whenever he mishits or fails to use the proper footwork or techniques.

Now whether a player, like Aryan, should go through this process will depend on his personality, goals in badminton, desire and ability to get on a court to practice. No one can answer these question except for the player himself, in this case Aryan.

Of course he can keep using his head-heavy MP88 and he would be able to improve, although probably at a slower rate. A good analogy is to compare this to playing against more advanced player as opposed to players at the same level, which do you think will help improve one's game more? Sure, chances are you would lose much more but you will also improve much quicker.

On the arm injury issue, while I stated that I believe it is a minor issue, perhaps I should've been more clear -- you (Aryan) should definitely ease off and rest the arm until it's properly healed before playing again. As several posters have stated and implied, you do not want to let this arm pain progress into a serious injury by keep playing at your current high intensity (which you can do by stop playing, reduce your intensity, or stop using the NS8K).

I am guessing your arm pain is near your elbow area, correct? This type of injury (stretched tendons) can take several days to heal, more (at least 1 more week) if you take the NSAID class of anti-inflamatory drugs or painkillers.

If you haven't rested your arm yet, you should ice the afflicted area if it is still hurting (also after playing if it hurts) to reduce the inflamation. Then you should use heat packs to increase circulation in the afflicted area to speed up the healing. But just normal resting of the arm, i.e. no smashing at fullspeed with the NS8K or lifting heavy objects, will work as well.

Once you are ready to return playing badminton, you should probably ease off on using the NS8K. Instead of playing for 3 hours in one session smashing with the NS8K, start with 1 hour. Then rest or switch to the MP88 if you want to play more and work the other aspects of your game. Assuming no pain in the arm the following day, you can slowly boost your playing time with the NS8K in the following sessions. How much I will leave to you. Some weight training of your arms will help as well.

Finally, on the issue of MP88 backing up the NS8K and vice versa, this is not an ideal situation as I and other posters have stated. If you're rich and have the money, then go ahead and buy another NS8K or MP88 (depending on which way you decide in the end) and have it strung the same way as your current setup. Also if you are competiting regularly in tournaments or competitions, then you should get a proper backup (i.e. identical racket, string, and tension). But assuming you're like the rest of us and with the price of rackets nowadays, I would just keep the rackets that you have now and use it to backup each other until you have decided that you've found the "ideal" (for you) racket.

Mark

 

sound true IFF ns8k is indeed a better racket than mp88

now the question is: better in what way?

weight? mp88 is lighter, material? how does new material benefit anyways? all i see is "less = more" and less vibration, both doesn't seems to be beneficial compare to mp either, and weight distribution is just a matter of taste rather than "better" too

more holes might contribute to bigger sweet spot, but who are all the players that are used to cab series then?

all those "advancements" can be quite misleading



mp88 will give as much room for any player to improve compare to ns8k, all you see is marketing and promotions

maybe if you compare mp66 and ns6k, thats a better comparison as they are both flex and headlight