I found a great racket and string combination and want to share it with the community! If you are an upper intermediate attacking double player, this thread might be for you! My Rackets: Yonex Astrox 100 ZZ 4u (for faster games) Yonex Arcsaber 11 3u (for easy attacking games) Yonex Voltric 80 3u (for easy attacking games) I highly recommend you try: Astrox 100zz kurenai (4u) strung with Victor VBS66 Nano string at 29lbs (1 or 2 pieces both fine) Why: 1. Effortless Power: I found that all power shots can be produced with much less effort, If you want you can crank it up, it keeps up with you. I experience much fewer shots where you give 110% and end up hitting the net real hard. 2. Forgiving Forgiving Forgiving: I love Astrox 100zz for its fast (enough), consistent, and powerful characteristics. However, it is one of the least forgiving rackets I’ve played. Attacking, fast drive punch clear shots that are off sweet spots usually becomes openings for your opponent’s counter attacking. BUT not with this combination, your off-sweet-spots would still work somehow. This ultimately gives me more confidence to play more advanced shots. Basically, the opposite of Exbolt 63 in terms of forgiveness. 3. Feels and Feedback: I feel like I can feel my shots much better with this combination resulting in better shot timing overtime since you know what timing gives you good shuttle contact. On top of that, bad power shots do not vibrate through your hand as much and you produce fewer bad shots anyway. The new strung racket crisp feeling does not go away so quickly either. 4. Satisfying Hitting Sound: I rank this string hitting sound up there with VBS 63, Aerobite Boost, 66ultimax. This goes hand in hand with its forgiveness and feels, you can hear good shots, but bad shots don’t sound bad, they are just a little more dull. This also adds to my confidence. 5. 0.66mm Durability? I am fortunate enough to live in a country where cost of a stringing job is low and easy to find knowledgeable stringers. I lived in Europe for 5 yrs and know that is not always the case. With this string-racket combination, it lasted me 3 months easily with two rackets in rotation and 2 three-hour-sessions a week. Heck, with Yonex 66Ultimax, one session could break it. Beware: 1. Less Control: I feel like net shots that require a lot of touch and control are a little more challenging than Aerobite Boost or BG80. 2. Backline Cautious: Lifts from the net and mid court, clears and service-return pushes (basically every shot towards the backline) has a little more chance of going out but this you can adjust to. IMO, it’s better to have excess power to reach the back than not. All in all, finding this match has brought so much joy and confidence to my game. This equipment become less of a skill test and more of something that working for me. Would love to know your thoughts too; have you tried them?, how is your experience?, what other combination would you recommend?, etc.
