An alternative to Brave Sword 12 Today my friend tried my Brave Sword 12 and really liked it. But she did not like the price. Can you recommend something close to BS12 in specs but cheaper?
There are the middle class brave sword rackets Brave Sword 1600 and Brave Sword 1700. From the feel they should similar to the Brave Swords since they have also this "sword frame". They should be also more suitable for women. In Germany you get them for 90 Euros. Somwhere else you should find them even cheaper. I think that you need to invest at least 60 if not 70 Euros to get a proper racket which is full carbon.
Thank you terranerbana Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to try Victor rackets in Sweden. But there are Yonex, Forza, Babolat and Carlton. Something from these producers?
You can try the Babolat Xfeel Power (toward stiff shaft), or the Xfeel Essential (toward flexible shaft).
Hm, really. It looks exact like BS12. I have never heard about this type of rackets. Are they good? Is it legal to make clones? Does anyone have one? Can you describe your experience and compare this with the original one?
They might clones, and it's quite obvious which rackets they took took inspiration from. But they're certainly not blatant knock-offs like some of the counterfeit crap from China. Apacs make some pretty good rackets. The clones just don't perform identical to whatever they're cloning, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
I understand that. Apacs is quite famous brand, it they do something it should be good. So the question is how close these two rackets really are?
I'd say in terms of function, both "sword frame" give the same fast swing feeling and balance. All the complicated technology stuff from victor doesn't really affect our game unless you are a pro where you can really feel the difference. The only difference though is the build quality. I usually use 25lb (fleet 66) on my apacs clone racket and the frame only last for several month before it is broken.(I play like 4 time a week). Clones are cheap. If you get the AL10, you may spend your money more in shoes (a really comfy one). Just my 2 cents.
Several Black Knight rackets have the "sword" cross-section. There are quite a few in some reputable sporting goods stores in the city I'm in. I've spent days doing research on BK rackets (forums, google, youtube, even customer reviews) but there's so little info on them. Here's what I've gathered so far: 1. They have some ultralight rackets, although these seem to have durability issues. I have not seen any complaints about their regular-weight rackets. 2. They are made in Canada. I take this to mean they aren't a company that makes copies/clones of better-known rackets. 3. People who have used them either (a) love them; or (b) say they feel "weird". The most affordable one I've seen is priced at 1,299PhPesos or around 44USDollars, and THAT has a "sword" cross-section. I'd say it could be a more affordable BS12 if it's the aerodynamic qualities you're after.
If she likes the BS12, she should take a look at some Forzas. They have also the sword profile and should be cheaper than BS12. The FZ Titanium 6100 is a good racket. Sword Profile, better grommet system and close flex. Around 80€. Or BS 1500D from Victor are great options.
I have L10 and a big fan of BS series.. and I can say, L10 is good and more ease on your shoulder as well. In term of speed and performance, I don't have any problem at all playing with L10.
I am restringing my racket now and temporarily playing with Forza. I played a couple of games with Forza Light 8. It has sword cross section and very good looking, but too flexible. Titanium 11000 M is my second favorite racket, but the difference between BS12 and it is huge. I have never seen something as quick as BS12. I really want my racket back and think that I should buy a couple of blue BS12 in reserve. There is no alternative to this racket for me, because it is mine. If you had luck and found the one just stick with it. And the price... This piece of plastic makes me happy every time I take it in my hand. I wish all things what make my happy would cost so cheap.
Just purchased a Black Knight Dura Lite 35HT. This is the racket I mentioned in my post above. It's a strange one. The top of the frame uses Victor's sword design, but the rest of it uses Li-ning's 3d breakfree design. The first shot of the frame is at 12:00 on the racket face, and the next one shows it at 3:00. I haven't used it in a match yet, and I can't really give a review on its performance based on how it feels as I swing it around in my home. It's interesting to see the different aerodynamic designs of two separate makers combined into a racket by yet another company. This is also the first aerodynamic racket I've owned, and I'm itching to try it out. BTW I can't quite grasp the logic behind Li-ning's 3d breakfree design. It seems like the concave shape would "catch" more air than a regular shape would. I understand it's supposed to create "little pockets of turbulence" like the dimples on a golf ball, but the more I look at it, the more I think, "parachute." I mean, there's a reason car windshields don't bulge inwards.
Lethal 10 is less stiff than BS 12 . And Lethal 10 flex further than BS 12. It takes a little getting used to. I use Lethal 10 when my wrist is tired. I have BS 12 Grey.
