Right, I played with my friend's racquet some more. It really is good compared to my Slazenger, but that's no surprise for all the reasons I've stated before. I noticed the racquet had the model number 'MP 88 SP' on it though - is this what all the MP 88 racquets have, or is this a slightly modified racquet from the regular MP 88? My other friend has the Ti 6 and Ti 3. I think I'll see if I can try those out next time and see how that type of racquet feels while playing.
Perhaps you should go to a store called PWP. They specialise in racquet sports and let you try out a raqcuet for 14 days. There are a few of these shops within the UK. The MP88 is still a great high end racquet. Also I don' think there is such thing as 'reaching the full potential of a racquet'. The racquet has no potential. It is tthe player with the potential. Remember that the racquet makes litlle difference to the player, if you buy a mid to high end racquet. As other said the strings will make more difference.
im sorry if this have already been asked, but which of the two rackets (NS8000 and AT800) is better for singles? During a game, im more of a dropper because my smash isn't that great, but it be nice to have a racket thats good for dropping and decent at smash. can someone give me suggestions on which racket would suit me more?
Midget_Boy: I did try a few searches but there were some people saying things like the SP versions are head heavier. Just thought I'd double check in this thread. fast3r: I've had a look at their website. Unfortunately the closest one to me is 40km and currently I'm a bit overloaded with work for the trips back and forth to try out racquets. Living in London would have made things so much easier..... As for the 'reaching the full potential of a racquet' bit, I see how that may never happen. I may have phrased that incorrectly - what I meant to convey was the idea that someone's game may improve to a certain point with a racquet, beyond which further improvement is very hard to get. At that point, they may switch to a different racquet and improvements may come more easily. I don't know if this happens in real life, but it is something I have thought about. After all, why do people ever bother getting the latest racquet models along with their older ones? If they can never reach the older racquet's full potential, why do they feel like switching to another one with slightly different properties? Of course, maybe you are one of the people who believes that there isn't really any point in this, it's just what people try because they hope the new racquet will suddenly let them improve. Having little experience with proper (i.e. mid to high-end) racquets, I can't really give an opinion either way. I just don't want to be one of the people who in just two years time finds themselves having picked a racquet which perhaps no longer suits them, and longing for the other racquet that they initially turned down/ignored. This may be a silly worry considering what you say about mid to high end racquets all being pretty similar in capabilities, but it's a view that is reinforced when I read reviews from people saying that smashing is tough on such and such racquet, control can be difficult, etc. I know different racquets suit different people, but without trying the different models out how will I know which suits me best? (this is kind of rhetorical, as I can see that it isn't something anyone here can possibly answer)
I'm leaning more towards the AT800D now. From what I can tell, it probably plays similarly to the MP88 that I have tried out and like. However, the MP88 seems a little too flexible, and according to what people are saying the AT800D is stiffer. Besides that, reviews suggest that the AT800D is quite a forgiving racquet and at my level that is probably for the best. No one here has outright said so, but I get the impression that the NS8000 is more for upper end intermediate or the advanced players. Plus I don't have to worry too much about building up my offensive game if what reviewers have said about the AT800D being reasonably good for smashes, etc. is true. Right now my defensive game is the dominant one, and so I'll stick with this racquet. The only thing stopping me now is last minute jitters over spending ~£100 on a badminton racquet.
Thanks for the good wishes (and the piece of advice which has reinforced my worries ). Since I last checked the NS8000 on centralsports.co.uk has gone up a little in price. I'm taking that as a sign that I have made the right decision. Time will tell.
Yes AT800DE was the one I got in the end, for the reasons I stated a few posts ago. I get the picture that the NS8000 is not for my level of play, but the AT800DE could work out for any skill from my level right up to the advanced people. Now I'm left to hope that I was right. ~£98 isn't bad for the AT800DE considering my local shops (and some online ones) seem to want £150 for it. I don't know why, since the brochure from Yonex UK says the RRP is £130 - maybe the shops haven't updated their RRP since the newer Nanospeed series has been released? That should have pushed down the price of the Armortec ones. Should be here by the weekend, hopefully without any accidents by the delivery company - I've become really paranoid because of the expense combined with some of the horror stories I have read about the fragility of racquets. Thanks for your advice other. It was that which made me really reconsider the MP88, and if I hadn't gone for the AT800DE it would have been the MP racquet, not the NS8000, which I would have chosen.
i was wondering how high(maximum tension armortec racket can hold?) can more than 30lbs? Since Professional players strung it higher than 30lbs.
- AT can take ~40-45lbs, limited rather by strings. - professional players extremely rarely string their rackets.
