Hello friends, I have been playing (non competitive) badminton for about 6-7 yrs now, mostly MD. Went through a lot of different racquets as a beginner & even now I have about 7-8 racquets with different specs. None of them are 'Expensive'. All are less than $50.. infact my favourite one is nanoray 18i which is a 5u, headlight and I got it for less than $25. Now that I can comfortably spend on a high end racquet.. i would like to know the difference it will bring to my game. In other words, i wonder what performance upgrade should i expect from a similar 5u, headlight nanoray racquet that costs say more than $100 (if it exists). Because otherwise I consider myself really lucky to get really good games out of a cheap racquet and should simply invest in getting a few more of them. Thanks.
You shouln't expect any real difference, and you might even experience a regression in your play if you move to, lets say NF800 as an example. Currently you are familiar with the pros and cons of your current racket, and you have worked in a lot of muscle memory with that racket. A top end racket might have very different specs and playstyle then what you are used to. Which in the short term could hinder your game. In the slightly longer term, it might have no effect at all or it might have a minimal impact as a high end racket tends to be a lot stiffer and therefore requires you to generate a lot more of the power by yourself. This might not be a problem at all for your, or it might be a huge problem for you. But all that aside I would spend more time looking into which strings you put into the racket, as it is my personal experience that different strings change more of the experience of playing then what racket you play with (to some extent of course). But buttom line: it really depends on what racket you move to and if it suits your playstyle and needs.
You are very fortunate to have found the specifications you like without having broken the bank. Many players go from flagship to flagship and never find a racket they can stick with. Going from a random racket to a racket with your preferred specifications will improve your playing experience much more than going from a cheap racket to an expensive racket with the same specs. I usually advise people, if possible, to try before they buy. And if they want to experiment with different rackets, to buy cheap rackets. But if you found your preferred specs and have the money to spare, why not try to see if a flagship makes a difference. Better yet, if you know a player that has the racket you're considering you can ask them if you can play with it for a bit. Also consider if you have tried other similar specs. If you have 7 headheavy 3u rackets and the nanoray, then all you really know is that you don't like heavy headheavy rackets. The nanoray sounds like a very userfriendly racket. There is often a tradeoff between ease of use, and optimal performance. I have 2 different rackets I regularly use. I usually start out with one that is a little stiffer than the other one. It gives just a little more feedback and feels sharper and more crisp. I feel like I play my best games with that racket. However, if my timing is a little off and I'm not playing great, playing with that racket feels labouring and I will make more mistakes. If I feel like I'm not perfectly sharp on the day, I will switch to my other slightly more flexible racket, and its more forgiving nature ensures I never play badly with it. For both performance and enjoyment it's usually better to minimise mistakes rather than get 2% more from your smash. But if you have not tried a 5u headlight racket that is more medium stiff rather than flexible (generally a sharper feel while being less user friendly), I would say give it a try. I'm won't give you specific recommendations, because I think the racket brand and name is the least important part of the racket buying process. If you are not done experimenting, I would say buy a cheap 5u, headlight, medium stiff racket. If you are sure of your current specs and have the funds to spare, try an expensive 5u, headlight, flexible racket. If you are very happy with your current racket, then instead of buying something else and more expensive, you could also buy some spares. Keep in mind that difference in string and string tension can also hugely change the playing experience. So it is best to have the same stringjob when comparing rackets. Also keep in mind that specifications and the way they are classified can differ between brands, and that it is always better to play with a racket before buying it.
It could be an expensive process Hard to predict and it’s usually a buy and try process. If you found a cheaper racquet that is good, then consider buying a couple more of the same model. Be aware that the same model may have slight variations. In the past, I have found a couple of same model racquets might feel a bit different. For example there might be a couple of grams difference in weight. I put it down to some factory manufacturing tolerances.
Depend on the reason you play. High end generally are stiffer & more stable which help on control & accuracy, but are more demanding & tiring to use, some even to much for average player (ex : ZF). Do your games require you a great control & accuracy? Aside from sponsorhip that the pros had, they need the stability & control that the high end could offer. For us, sometimes a hair thin net shot, steep smash, & a tight line touch are what satisfy us. If you are playing for hobby, as long you get the enjoyment, i find no reason why high end is a must. But some people find their enjoyment through their ego owning expensive stuff. Its their money & their own right to enjoy their life, so who am i to judge them. So if you could afford it & makes you happy, its ok to play with high end one, just be carefull not to injury urself especially if its to much demanding like ZF. Does performace stability are your priority so that you own many same racket or at least keep buying the same racket not wanting to switch? Or you are collector, like to own many different racket? High end one had their model maintained well like for example Original Astrox 88D, 88D red/white, 88D Pro. While low end cheaper racket are 1 season release which is hard to find next successor for replacement. Would high end racket could improve someone games? I would say if you could make use of its control & stability it offer, yes it could improve your games by having shot consistency but it definitely wont improve someone skill if you couldnt execute the shot well by itself. Now that you could afford it, would you need it? I cant say for sure if you would get the enjoyment from it, but 2 thing for sure. 1. Finding a perfect racket is a long journey & you might not be able to found it just trying 1 or 2 high end racket. 2. When you finally find one & love it, then its no going back for you. You will be addicted to it & wont look for other low end. Like food, when you never try other food you wont know if its tastier, but when you find other more delicious food, you wont stop eating it & even forgot the least tasty food you love before.
If you like 5u racket and if it still available go try lining turbocharging n7ii light or 75i. I have n7ii light and it's my first flagship model. When you try budget racket and it suitable for you, than it's good enough. But when you try flagship racket, the budget racket will become so-so. For example Yonex has pro, tour, game, and play version. The pro version is the complete one and play version is lack one. Even though others can't really notice from far
Hello everyone and thankyou for the replies. I would like to explain my point a bit more clearly here.(and i might fail again because of my irregular thought process) My current racquets:- 1) Yonex Carbonex 21 special (2u, balanced, ?medium stiff, oval head) - i use it for wall practice, warm-up. It's my oldest racquet & i have never been able to play great with it. 2) Yonex Nanoray 18i (5u, headlight, flexible, isometric head) - i bought it without much thought after i broke my Yonex Duora 77 LCW edition (i played amazingly well with it). I have become so used to the Nanoray that it can take anywhere from 1-7 days for me to adjust to another racquet with different weight & flexibility. I feel so confident with it that I won't take it out of my bag unless it's a challenge match, or i really wanna put a dent in the opponents celebrations. 3) Yonex Astrox ? (4u, medium flex, somewhat headlight) - I bought it when I broke my first Nanoray, thinking that a 4u will give me more power. It did but my netgame suffered and also i wasn't able to do get the racquet back up for consecutive smashes(3-4). 4) Yonex Astrox lite 27i (5u, flexible) - But this racquet doesn't feel like a 5u and flexible. I bought it after i broke my Mizuno speedflex 7.0 (it was a bit head heavy, medium flex, felt like 4u) for singles and when I have front player i can trust. But I haven't played with it much as my good friend has taken a liking to it and plays with it daily. 5) Arcsaber 11 PLAY (4u, medium flex, balanced) - Never played with an Arcsaber before and have been always intrigued by 'shuttle hold' properties & accuracy hype etc. So nowdays i start my games with this.. but so far I'm getting nothing extra from the racquet.. it's just easy to wield. 6) Carlton Ultralite 7.6 (73gms, slightly head heavy, flexible) I bought it off from a friend this year. I had broken mine within 3 days long back when this was in circulation so never really got to test it. Im enjoying it as a fun racquet for now and trying to adjust to its weight/swing. Avoiding any clashes. 7) Lining Windlite ?800 or 900 i will recheck. I bought it from someone just to try out lining lightweight racquets as they are supposed to have better 'feel'. I have played relatively less with it, still trying different string/overgrips. That was all about my current racquets. When I broke my second Nanoray 18i during the final set and had to switch to the Astrox midgame, i couldn't perform and we managed a win by the skin of our teeth. That moment I realised the value of having multiple spares of your favourite racquet. Over the years, i kept losing my racquets to numerous in game clashes, which even though infuriating but also gave me a chance to look for a new one. Also, everytime I have been bested by a superior player(even in MS which I'm not used to) i try to improvise.. which may/may not inspire a new racquet acquisition. In doubles, i try to hog the shuttle. From the back i try to finish with well placed smashes otherwise retain the attack. In the front, i try to play more net dribbles and intercept. A lightweight, headlight, flexible racquet allows me all this + fast defence. I have struggled to get the same results from a heavy/stiff equipment. Nobody at my club plays with a Flagship model which is lightweight+ flexible+ headlight. That's why I was wondering if somebody can shed light on this concept. For example: You may like stiff, head heavy racquets. For that- you can have a starting Voltric 7 or the Flagship VZF2 (if both racquets share the SAME SPECS i.e. weight, flex, headsize, strings, grip size.) So how will the expensive racquet affect the overall game of the player ? I totally understand that may be the only way to find out is by going green.. but that's how I ended up with 7 different racquets in the first place . And now it's been a while that I have lost a racquet to in-game clash. Thanku again for the replies.
From my understanding, my answer still the same. Unless im missing ur point again No right or wrong here. Its different between person. Maybe abit about me. I own Very old Yonex racket legacy from my dad {my 1st racket) - broken Babolat ... (Forgot the model) - broken Lining Mega Power Series UC5000 - still exist. Mid end i think. Bought coz the prev are broken. Here i start my adventure. TK770HTi - still exist. Mid end. Just want a new toy. AVP - still exist. Low end... Or mid end. Not sure. Want new toy again & buy it due to the hype but end up dislike it. P8 - my sword. High end. 2nd hand, fall in love right away when im testing it. So i own 4 usable racket now. Can i play with any of it or any other racket my friend own which i always ask to test whenever i see new racket? Yes i can. But each racket had different characteristic. What the different between high & low end? The feedback are more solid & the head & shaft are more stable which help with shot consistency. Having new toy is fun for me. Able to consistently perform tight net or tight line placement makes me happy. Tasting many different racket also a fun adventure to me. Its my hobby & my way enjoy my life. Even now i actually scouting new toy. Dreamed to own all brand HH racket which i like both look & performance.
Rather than high end rackets, it might be better if you spend the money on training. Because any racket don't really make significant difference as long as it's well made, not extremely heavy/stiff and you have correct technique. So any racket from 3U-5U/Flex-Slightly stiff would be as good as anything. If your game suffers, it's usually only because you aren't used to the racket yet. Or your technique needs plenty of improvement, thus training would be a much better spend. Buying rackets are only for happiness. It's always exciting to try new rackets.
It sounds like you clearly have 1 favourite racket. You treasure it so much that you would not risk playing with it if its not an important game (if I understand correctly). Get yourself 2 more, and you can play with your favourite racket every game without worrying too much.
Perhaps a followup question could assist you even more; is what you are looking for a new head-light flexible racket? Is that is the case then Yonex Nanoflare 700 could be an option. I know Li-Ning have some great options as well but I am not really familiar with their lines. Victor have the Auraspeed, and the 90K is a great racket for a head-lighter option. There are not many high-end rackets which are overly flexible as top players prefer to have a stiffer racket. On most of our level switching from one similar high-end racket to another will not have a massive effect on our game. I have switched from Yonex Astrox 88s to 88D Pro to Victor Thruster F enhanced - due to small differences in the rackets. I could play well with all 3 but enjoyed the Victor the most. I would however say, that I truely believe too many players at an club/intermediary level are buying rackets which are too head heavy and overall to heavy. I have seen it in my local club and many places here as well - where a lot of players want to have the newest and heavies hammer of a racket. But generally switching between two similar rackets should not change your game dramatically - but going head-light to head-heavy and 5U to 3U would.
Hello, I have been asking myself the training question too. In a nutshell it's a timing & quality issue. The guy who is a coach at my current club is in his late twenties and on my good days i can defeat him in straight singles (with plastics). His doubles game also doesn't inspire me. The one who is supposed to be good, trains far away and charges about $150 a month. So by that calculation, I can buy a Flagship racquet every month & be exponentially happy Anyways, for now I just play with different groups and if i come across a well trained person then i ask them for guidance on various shots/footwork. But you are right that I need to spend more time with other racquets. I wish I could have hourly coaching too (l used to for tennis in college days) Thanks.
Hehehe.... No. It's a cheap racquet. And lucky for me it's actually selling in good numbers to still be in circulation. So I don't mind losing it in a clash. My point is that winning becomes really easy with that racquet. I can play all my shots with full confidence. My attack, defence, service, returns, trick shots everything comes naturally. There was a time when the moment i break my strings on Nanoray.. i would run to the stringer & request him to do it on an asap basis so I can play the next day (mind you i still got usable racquets in the bag). But nowadays I keep it away to challenge myself. And play more mindfully with a heavy/stiff racquet. So when I perform well with other racquets, i feel great because I know I'm better with the Nanoray. It's kinda the ace up my sleeve.
I would say that a suitable racket merely allows you to play to your potential, rather than adding to what you can already do. And that unsuitable rackets detract from a player's abilities. As such, in my view, deliberately playing with a racket that you play worse with compared to another racket, is almost like playing with shoes that are too big. Yes it could be a challenge, but why limit yourself? If you win too much you can always challenge stronger players, which would truly put your abilities to the test. Why artificially worsen your level? Having said that I understand wanting to be able to play with stiffer rackets, but then the goal is to eventually get as comfortable and consistent with the stiffer racket as with the nanoray to the point where the nanoray is no longer your favourite racket. It's similar to trying to push your string tension up. It is more demanding, but it could ultimately push your level up if you can get used to it. As for breaking strings. Why not string for yourself. You save money in the long run and have complete control over when and how you string the rackets (one of us, one of us...)
Hello I was about to buy spares for my main racquet i.e. Nanoray 18i. At the same time I thought if i should buy a high end Nanoray. As they are supposed to impart better control/accuracy/power etc. My confusion was between a cheap vs expensive Nanoray or Nanoflare 700 like you suggested. As i can get 4 spares + string job in the cost for buying 01 Nanoflare 700. Regarding new members with head heavy racquets.. i don't see that trend at my club but the craze for Playing with high tensions like 30 - 35 lbs definitely makes me chuckle (kids in their teens). Thanks.
Hello, You have a good point. I was thinking about taking a break from my regular peers & go knocking at other clubs. One more thing, the Nanoray serves me really well in my doubles but it tires me out or exaggerates my weakness in MS (i play may be 2-3 times a month, more if there is a local tournament). Agreed, my doubles mindset & habits also hamper my performance in a singles match. # i have to struggle for deep consistent fh/bh clears.. forget about a late bh/fh I was hoping for the high-end Nanoray/Nanoflare/Auraspeed etc to be adequate for both singles & doubles. Only time will tell. I play with plastics only. In my starting years i used to play with Voltric racquets. Then came the elbow/shoulder pains. I switched to light racquets & that helped. Haven't experienced that pain again so far. I know that's contrary to what everyone tells me. But this has been my experience till now. So I almost never play with head heavy/ stiff racquets. Only if I don't have my kit & borrowing someone else's for a few games. I have never thought about stringing my own racquets. I haven't done the math but it feels financially unwise.
How many spares should i get ? And how many should be kept strung/unstrung ? Assuming the days of losing racquets in a clash are behind me. Thanks.
Different people have different opinions and preferences. I'd say have a minimum of 3, so that when a string breaks, you still have 2 left just in case another string breaks. Keep all of them strung, and rotate between them on different sessions so the strings loosen equally between the three and there is no psychological favourite. If you rarely play important matches, you could get by with 2, but you might have to use a different racket if you are unlucky with 2 consecutive string breaks. Also consider how future proof you want your collection to be. If you are happy shopping for something else when the rackets finally break and the nanoray is no longer available, then 3 could be enough. If you plan on playing with nothing else ever after, you could get 6 or 10, depending on how sure you want to be to never need another.
Great. Makes a lot of sense . I have never had 2 consecutive string breaks. And the way racquet series are evolving.. there must always be a better weapon at reasonable price in future. A decade back i was in love with oval head Carbonex series.. but now it's nowhere. So I will order just one more for now. We have a veteran tournament in the second half of this month. Thanks.
