taneepak was right about needing high tension for this racquet. With BG80@21lb, the racquet just feel dead, I felt like I was playing with a normal racquet strung at 18lb. I'll restring them tomorrow with BG85, 27 on the 3U and 26 on the 4U(even tho it says 25max).
Outlah, I am afraid your 4U is missing the bumpers and is probably the prototype racquet. If so, then the racquet is nowhere near as good as the ones with bumpers. Why didn't you get the 4U version with bumpers?
You be amazed at what Chinese vendors do to squeeze every penny from you. I was looking at the invoice Luxis made for my friend and I was laugh my ass off. They even put a price down for the bag, grip AND head cover. I don't even want to say how much they wanted for them. It makes me sad to be Chinese sometimes, seeing how dishonest we are. I thought I was getting the final 4U, because they charged me 655 and not 555 which you said was the going price for the early batch of 4U. But guess what? They wanted my money too badly. Last time I buy anything from them. But as long as the 4U is good, I'll be happy, until I can actually compare it with a final 4U. They price I paid is still better then what I would had to pay here. But sometimes, I just wish we were back in the 80s, when every store here has an amazing return/refund policy, until people from oversea ruin it.
Outlah, I thought I had given you enough information to stay away from the 4U without bumpers. Why, oh why did you not take heed? The difference between the one with bumpers and the one without bumpers is like day and night. They are two completely different racquets, with different dimensions, location and size of the sweetspot. Maybe, it is safer, and infinitely better, I dare say, with my smelly, second hand ones!
How good is the 4U as a Singles racquet? is it way too light? but since it works like a wipe u can give so much power from it right?
I don't think I am good enough to use 27lb tension, I played better with my 1st 3U strung at 24lb. I'll see how it plays in the next few sessions, and maybe change the BP a little to see how it goes, else I'll have to get it lower to 25. I only play 2 games with the 4U, as I was busy comparing the 2 3Us. I'll evaluate the 4U next time I play. taneepak, why don't you send me your smelly 4U so I can compare the 2.
Even young 11 year-old kids can whip the 3U at 25/27 lbs and they find it better than 23/25 lbs or 24/26 lbs. I think you are just chasing the rainbow trying to find some decent performance from your 4U where there is none. I ought to know. I spent one week trying to tweak the prototype 4U. The best I could get it to perform was perhaps a few shades better than a non-tweaked prototype, but I gave up because the dimensions were fundamentally flawed. That is why it was replaced by a revised 4U. I don't mind parting with my used 4U but it comes with nothing except old strings (2 weeks) and you have to get someone in HK to pick it up. It is not free either but I would not charge you more than what I paid for.
There will be 3 versions of the 4U, two are already in the market and another one to be released soon. Stay away from the 4U without the black bumpers at the throat end, because it was the first prototype and has design flaws. The 4U with the black bumpers come in two versions, the current one with a common grommet at 7T for the cross tie-off knot, and its replacement (also with black bumpers) with a revised common grommet at 6T and a single string grommet at 7T. The 4U with the black bumpers is good for singles and doubles.
I was just kidding about you sending me the 4U. Thanks though, if I really want one, I'll just buy one from Luxis. Yeah, to be young again. I think maybe my timing is still off, I didn't feel the kickback as I did when I used my 1st 3U. Maybe I need to move the BP on the 27lb 3U lower. I had the BP on the 27lb 3U at 31.1, maybe I should lower it and see. My 24lb 3U is still around 29.5. I'll use the 4U this Friday and see how it goes. I didn't even have time to change grip on both racquets, and the 4U was a G5. Now, where is that pot of gold?
If your 4U is the same one you showed in a picture earlier, it is better to expect the inevitable-there is no pot of gold. Why don't you ask Luxis if you can exchange your 4U with the real one, for a token exchange fee?
LF Ti500, 3U, 4U As 4U cost HK$100 more & risk in getting from old batch. Should we buy 3U? Is the difference on 3U, 4U so big & obvious?
You might have a point. But then the colour of the 4U is to all intents and purposes designed for the ladies and young girls. But beneath its sissy colour is real power, that is if you buy those with the black bumpers.
Actually, I think it'll be quite fun to play with a sissy racket, including pink strings and pink grip. That way, if you win, you can rub it in and just say "you got beaten by a sissy racket!!!" Wahahaa, that seems fun .
I had a friend pick them up in HK for me. A token fee? they wanted to charge me $180 for just one of the bag (2x180=360=more than half a 3U!), which should have been free. Don't you think that is excessive? I have their invoice if you want to verify my claim. It's my opinion that Luxis cheats their customers. Enough said. Who knows, maybe the prototype 4U will work for me. I will know tomorrow. *keeping all fingers crossed*
But if you don't ask how do you know they won't charge you just a token sum this time? You have nothing to lose. If it costs too much, just forget it. There is no magic in badminton racquet design. The prototype 4U has a longer and fatter telescope shaft than the optimum parameters. Its shaft will inhibit its repulsion power. There is nothing you can do about it except to ask for a replacement or to sell it.
The racquet is actually pearl white/light purple. The girls always opt for purple strings and purple grip. Now you cannot get more sissy than that.
Outlah, I think your 4U has been incorrectly strung. Your mains are tied off at grommets 7T (should be 8T) and your finishing cross tie-off is at grommet 8T (should be 7T). Your mains took a wrong turn after grommet 8.
I would definitely if I was in HK, but I'm not going to waste time and my patience on communication, arranging payment and shipping, not to mention having to pay duties when it goes thru Canada custom. If the stringing is wrong, then I add another complain to Luxis, since those were strung by Luxis. I played with them once and had to get them restrung with BG85s, 25x27lb on the 3U and 24x26lb on the 4U at Lee's.
Yes, I do recall this strange stringing pattern at Inskysport and some other sports stores in Mongkok. I have since persuaded Inskysport to use a better and more orthodox pattern, and lately an even better stringing technique. Whether they follow or not is another matter. You know it is hard to teach old dogs new tricks.
