I'm looking to buy a new racket soon. My last racket was a Li Ning N9 II, before that I had the Li Ning N90 III and N55 II Flame. The racket I'm looking for should be slightly stiff, slightly head heavy and suited for a more aggressive playstyle. However I'm not looking for a super stiff sledgehammer either: I play both singles and doubles, and my technique is probably not good enough to handle such a racket, especially at the front court when playing doubles. So no VTZFII or Thruster Ryuga for me. I'd describe my self as an intermediate-advanced player and usually play 2 times a week + occasional regular season games/tournaments on the weekend. Right now, I've narrowed my choice down to these 3 racket: Li Ning AxForce 90 Max Tiger: Was recommended to me in another thread here, since it probably comes closest to the N9 II (medium flex, slightly head heavy). But recently I started to question whether this is actually a good thing. My relationship with the N9 II was kind of a love/hate-relationship: I really loved the speed and maneuverability and enjoyed playing fast flat exchanges. However I often felt like I lacked some power and as if my timing was always a little bit off. I always blamed my technique (which is definitely one of the reasons and could be way better) and thought if maybe the N9 II is too stiff for me or I'm not hitting the sweet spot correctly. But then at some point I remembered that I didn't have this feeling when playing with N90 III and N55 II, which are both considered relatively stiff. So maybe a stiffer, more solid-feeling racket might be a better option for me. Another downside: It's not even released here in Germany, availability will probably be a problem (most shops here dont carry a lot of Li ning rackets), and from what I've seen so far, it will be really really expensive. Astrox 100ZZ/ZX: I initially thought, that this racket will be waaaaay too stiff and head heavy for me. However, I went to a store, the guy handed me the racket and dry swings felt really good. After I've did my research, I learned that it is not one of those sledgehammers like I always thought. A lot of people described it as an aggressive-allrounder: Stiff but not too stiff, head heavy but still fast and surprisingly easy to play with. However I'm still a bit worried, if it might be too stiff for me, given the fact, that it is rated as "extra stiff" by Yonex. Does someone know how the Astrox 100ZZ/ZX compares to Li Ning N90 III and N55 II in terms of stiffness and ease of play? Victor Thruster F Enhanced: From what I've read it kind of falls in the same category as Astrox 100ZZ/ZX: Slightly head heavy, slightly aggressive allrounder. Unfortunately shops around me do not carry it, so I don't have the opportunity to dry swing it. How does it compare to the Astrox 100ZZ and my previous Li Nings? Given these informations, which racket would you recommend? Does my thoughts about the N9 II, timing, lack of power and stiffness even make sense or would you still recommend me to go for a medium flex racket, like I had before? Unfortunately I do not have the opportunity to test and play the rackets before buying, so I feel like no matter how much research I do, in the end I'm still buying a pig in a poke.. I'm grateful for any kind of advice. Thanks in advance
100zz is stiffer than tkfe. Idk about Axforce 90 tiger but lining stiffness is a little soft than Victor and Yonex.
1st of all N9ii by all mean easy racket to use. Good power & easy accesible power. Makes me thinking why are you having difficulty playing aggresive with it. Then why look for stiffer racket & head heavier racket? What do you want to achieve with the change or what the reason behind you looking for this change? My guest either you just want a new toy or you want to fix your lack of skill with racket. Hopefully its the 1st one as if its the 2nd one, you need to had coaching instead of new racket. Lastly for the racket itself. Next gen of N9ii are Turbo Charging 75. If you are looking for better power, there is 75 Combat, but keep in mind it will be slower.
I suggest to try Ax88d Pro or TKFE. While astrox 100zz is not a sledgehammer, it is one of the most stiffest racket out there and the compact head may become a problem for those who are not accustomed to it. As for TKFE, it might be one of the most popular victor racket right now, and its quite fun to use. Its stiff but not too stiff, quite fast and awesome all rounder, but i think its quite hard to find one these days. Astrox 88d pro also a good racket. It is on of the most popular racket, 7 out of 10 persons in the hall i play have 88dp. 88dp is a head heavy racket, has fairly stiff shaft, but also quite fast in manouvering. The power it produce also great tho. Or maybe the newly relaunched astrox 77 pro. I've heard many great things about that racket. You can try to find many references and review on Youtube. Many have reviewed 77p already, some of them are CK Yew, Vsmash, Volant, etc.
I have 100zz 3U in my bag. I play doubles on back line. Usually I prefer to play by Li-ning tectonic 7... T7 has better defence (significantly), stronger flat smash (a little).
The reason is, that my N9 II broke Generating power was not necessarily an issue, I just felt like I wasn't able to consistently hit hard and accurate shots, because it felt a bit laggy which sometimes led to my timing being off and also less solid feeling. When playing with N55 II and N90 III, I didn't have these issues (and this was at a time, when my technique was far worse). Therefore, I definitely do not want to buy another N9 II or the Turbo Charging 75. I kept the Li Ning, because a) it was expensive and I couldnt afford another racket for quite a long time and b) its by no means a bad racket either. So I kept playing with it, but often I thought "well, its good, but also I definitely wouldn't buy it again" So the reason I want to change to a stiffer racket, is that I want a more solid feel from my racket as well as more consistency and accuracy
My go-to racket now is 100ZZ. I recently got 90 Dragon & Ryuga 2. 100ZZ according to spec is head heavy & extra stiff. I particularly like this types of racket so 100ZZ is amazing. I've had stiff rackets before, but 100ZZ does really feel that stiff. There is a whip, I can feel it especially when doing backhand. Dragon is stiffer than Tiger. I think head heaviness is similar. In my opinion, this is the closest to 100ZZ from other brands. Overall it feels almost like 100ZZ. But I need to use it more, have only used it 1 session (2 games). Ryuga 2 is the most head heavy (which is why I got it), then TKF Claw. I think TKF-E is more balanced, many great reviews about it. Based on your preferences, I would recommend you to go for TKF-E.
I cannot comment on Axforce 90 as I never tried it. However, I am 100ZZ user myself and while it took me 2-3 weeks to get used to its stiffness, now it is my most favorite one. If you are hesitant due to the combination of 100ZZ stiffness+ head heaviness, then I would suggest TKFE. While I personally never tried it myself, I only heard good reviews of it. The only thing you might want to consider is TKFE is not as head heavy as you might think (or the typical racket from Thruster series). I think the consensus is that it's more like an even-balance racket.
Can you tell us more about Dragon vs Ryuga 2? I read some reviews and most saying that Ryuga 2 is not that head heavy as most people think. Between the 2, which one is stiffer, head heavier, and easier to play? And are both in 4U?
I have both in 4u. I'm explaining based on my feeling when I use it. I don't do measurements with devices. Others might give more precise info. For me Ryuga 2 feels head heavier than 90 Dragon. Stiffness almost similar. For now, I like to play with 90 Dragon more (if I compare it to 100ZZ). Ryuga 2 gives a different feeling when playing. I think why people are saying Ryuga 2 is not as heavy as they think, because they come from Ryuga 1. It's the same as if you previously played with VZF2 then moving to 100ZZ (like me), right away you can feel that it's not as head heavy. Another thing that I noticed, if you like isometric, then 90 Dragon will be better. But if you like it bigger, more oval, then Ryuga 2. So, if you come from 100ZZ, 90 Dragon might feel more familiar, easier to play with.
Thanks for your replay. To be honest, the only thing that makes me interested with Ryuga is their freecore technology. I have tried it in 100X and I have to say I like it! The thing is since it is a new technology, it's not perfect (from the reliability pov), proven by so many issues raised on forums/social media. On the other hand, for LiNing, they are proven with their A-grade product quality and it is something me as a customer appreciate.
I'm surprised to hear that you find the Dragon and Ryuga 2 to have similar stiffness. From what I've read the Dragon is one of the stiffest Li Ning rackets currently, but I guess if your reference point is 100zz, then most rackets will feel less stiff.
Yes... My main is 100ZZ. Again, I'd like to highlight. For me, 100ZZ's stiffness still has a great whiplash that I love. So far, I don't get it in 90 Dragon & Ryuga 2. Maybe they are a thud stiffer, but I don't think so. Sorry to be biased, but Yonex still wins in feeling/feedback Hopefully, others catch up soon, said my collector alter-ego.
Sorry to hijack this thread OP, happen to have a similar situation so hopefully experts here can help I'm at high-beginner>low int. level, have been using "difficult" rackets all the while - used Voltric ZF2 for years before recently changing to 100zz. Unfortunately my 100zz started to crack, wonder if there are any rackets out there that are very similar to it, just wanted to try different rackets. I've tried balanced & light rackets in the past like arcsaber, nanoflare but really do not enjoy using them, hope to find alternate rackets to the 100zz~ (I'll prob still buy another 100zz as an extra racket XD)
Buying another 100ZZ is the best way to go. If you are feeling adventurous, then 1st recommendation is Li-Ning Axforce 90 Dragon Max. If you are feeling exploratory, 2nd recommendation is Victor Ryuga 2 Imho, these 2 are top-of-the-line, recent rackets that are similar. Wanna try something else Li-Ning Tectonic 9, 3D Calibar 900C, Aeronaut 9000C, Victor Thruster Ryuga 1, Thruster F Claw, Yonex Astrox 99 Pro, 88D Pro, 88D og. The sky is the limit (more precisely, your wallet is the limit).
