-Skip to the red heading at the centre if you want to get straight to the point. I mainly play men's doubles with the emphasis on the rear court (60%) but enjoy playing at the mid/front too. My main rackets are the Victor Auraspeed 90k (3u) and the ZF2 (4U) where I'd frequently be changing between them depending on either how bored or tired I am. Both strung with BG80 at 28 pounds. There were several rackets I've been wanting to try out between the Wucht P8, 88D, Z strike and so on but I chose a brand that most people wouldn't risk buying from. Jnice, a relatively young brand that most people wouldn't give a glance at which is fairly normal. For one it's obviously significantly harder to sell a racket from a brand that's not well known if you don't gel with it. Sure it could be possible but it will be relatively harder to sell compared a Yonex racket with all the marketed tech/gimmicks since they have a bigger reputation. Now I was curious to see why Jag from Badminton Racket Review rated this racket so highly compared to the several hundreds that he tested, and while a video can give a lot of information I find that it's always best to try it out yourself. I first tried the 4u version. You will be hearing the word "easy" a lot Well let's get onto the review! For a HH racket it's very light and fast. Stupidly fast. Now if it was a head light or even balanced racket like the NF800, JS10 or BS12 I wouldn't be that surprised but I expected it to be more sluggish compared to those kind of rackets. It's not, it's got the similar characteristics as them while packing more weight in the smash. One attribute that made the NF800 unique was "razor frame" which basically was a hybrid between an aero and box frame. The Black Panther shares that though that's reworded as the "slim frame". My theory is that the hybrid frame along with the longer shaft/shorter handle is what makes this to be fast and snappy despite having more weight in the head, though of course it's just a guess. Speed and feeling: This may sound like I'm exaggerating but few rackets can compare to this in terms of speed. This has the added bonus of also feeling lighter than it actually is. Jay was correct in this regard, this simply does not behave like a racket in it's weight category. The 3u version feels like a 4u and the 4u feels like a 5u, I really am curious to know what they did but whatever they did sure was magical. The feedback is nice and solid too but not dull like the ZF2 or numb like the 90K. With handling you can feel the head heaviness but it's just that quick, my 90K feels head lighter but no where near as quick. Like the Auraspeed 90k it is has no holding feel and it is repulsive. With such great speed: -drives cut through the air and is outpaces the 90K with ease. -holding and flicking to the corners is remarkable with this racket -interceptions have never been easier -it's excellent at the net, trick shots are much easier to execute -defence is easy, there can be rackets that will give you a similar defence but none that will exceed the ease that this provides. Overhead shots and power: Overhead shots did take a session or two to get used to but once I "clicked" with this racket it became very easy. The medium flex of the shaft doesn't compromise on control but it's noticeable, it can be a turn off for those who don't enjoy the feeling of a slight flex. -Clears can easily reach the end -Drops feel great with the solid feedback and the repulsion along with the HH head make's it all easy -lifts fly sky high Now despite it being slightly head heavy this acts like a speedster. Thus, the smashes that you do pull off successfully will be very quick like with the JS10 but unlike the ZF2/88D it doesn't give heavy smashes. If I were to give it a score out of 10 for power/smashes I would give it an 8-8.5. It gives good, accessible smashes that can pressure the opponent to lift poorly at the front but don't expect a one shot canon. That's not to say it can't give a good smash to win the point in one go but it's just less likely to happen with a good player. Backhands: The medium flex shaft helps makes backhand clears a lot easier. This might be me personally but I find that I can generate better backhand smashes and drives from the back with stiffer rackets so for me it was good but I did a better job with the ZF2/90K for backhand smashes. Overall pro's: -So light that you'll never feel fatigue -The flex and slightly HH head makes this an easy racket to use after a couple of sessions -Supreme speed = Great net, defence and drives -The build is of high quality, I had several clashes and not once has there been a paint chip. Yonex could learn from this -Good smashes -Great solid feedback and control Summary The Jnice Black Panther in my eyes has no equal in the front or mid court. From the back court it won't give you ZF2 smashes but it gives great control and good smashes. Overall this racket might not be suited for those that mainly like to use heavy rackets to use that head weight to carry the shuttle. This is more for those who like fast or all round rackets that like playing either a fast, controlling or relentless attacking style of play. For those types of players I'd recommend you to try this gem out yourself. Overall I'd like to thank Jag for the good work he brings towards this community and for leading me towards this smaller brand. I for one will be trying out more of their rackets in the future.
great review thanks, If I only could get my hands on elastic force PU in 3u... I would be very happy chap, but it is very difficult to do
Interesting, been waiting for a solid review from them. Might have to buy one but seems USA availability is rough but I keep hearing their name over and over again so might as well try them out
My 3U arrived today Can't play until Friday but here are my first impressions of it: Feels on the heavier side of 3U in the hand, but swings very quick in the air. Not quite NR Z-Speed fast but still surprisingly fast for it's weight and extra thicc shaft. Head weight is definitely there but the racquet still feels very maneuverable. Just from bending it, the shaft feels medium stiff as opposed to stiff like many sites describe the 3U version as. Graphics could use some work, though; a sticker or two looked discolored and/or in the wrong location, and there was a flake of something that was coated under the paint and protruded from the side (easily removed, however). So far, I like it. From just swinging, I can tell it'll be a fine performer, and those graphics issues are a negligible issue considering how small JNICE is compared to the other guys. I'll be providing a full review once I've spent an appropriate amount of time playing it on court. ✌️
I bought mine from www.qlt-sports.nl for 159€ (169€ with stringing). badminton-racket-review.com should have stock sometime in September for 149€. It might be cheaper for you to contact one of those guys and see if they'll ship to the US. It's a real bummer smaller brands are so hard to get in the US. When I still lived there I had to buy my Ashaway X Speed from a UK site even though it's an American brand.
Today I spent my first 3 hours with the Black Panther 3U (strung with Yonex BG65 @24lbs/11kg, wrapped with Victor towel grip). Other racquets I frequently used before this are the Yonex Nanoray Z-Speed, Victor Bravesword 10, and Ashaway Phantom X-Speed (as you might be able to tell, I love fast racquets lol). On to the Day 1 review. Maneuverability: Fast. It's pretty weighty in the hand (feels on the heavier side of 3U) but moves very quick in the air. A 3U head heavy racquet with an extra thicc shaft should not move this fast, but it does and it's great. The thin frame definitely does it's job well here. Not as fast as my other racquets, but for its weight it's fast enough to surprise anyone. Control: Precise. I played with both plastic and feather shuttles during my session, and control was consistently easy and precise. There was great feel with every shot, and the stability provided by the thicc shaft definitely helped with the control. I would say it's the most precise racquet I have now. Power: Strong (eventually). Initially, the racquet was quite disappointing in this department, but turns out it was due to me mistiming my hits. The racquet has a long handle, short and thicc shaft, and slim frame - qualities you rarely find together and make for a very uniquely swinging racquet. Once I was able to acclimate to it, I was hitting incredibly powerful shots, quite possibly the most powerful I've ever hit. My Yonex Nanoray Z-Speed might be a tad more powerful, but I'm certainly more consistent with my power output when using the Black Panther thanks to its stability and medium (borderline stiff) flex. I chose the 3U version for its power and it did not disappoint. If you hadn't guessed yet, I love this thing. However, I do have two small complaints. 1) I'm convinced one of the decals are placed on the wrong spot. Not a big deal, though. 2) It's quite heavy for a 3U racquet and can tire the arm during long sessions. Because of this reason, I am considering purchasing a 4U version for doubles. Overall, I'm very surprised and satisfied with the JNICE Black Panther 3U. It performs amazingly well, and it has a unique feel to it that makes it addicting to play with. It's a great racquet. Not "great for a small lesser known manufacturer." It's a great racquet among all the great racquets available right now. To anyone looking for something different yet amazing, I 100% recommend the JNICE Black Panther.
I'm glad that others have had a good experience out of it, as in my eyes this is a real gem under the radar.
You're absolutely right about that. I first heard of it from the badmintonracketreview youtube channel while searching for something new. Dude just would NOT shut up about the Black Panther in literally every single video. Lol. Eventually he sold me on it and I decided to bite the bullet. So far, absolutely no regrets, and I love the Jnice brand so much now that I even want to buy their bags. Haha.
Yeah basically I’m in that state. He hasn’t sold me on it as I’m currently infatuated with my 100zz. Can’t be spending more $ on rackets
