What's the ideal badminton racket? Post your fave racket survey

[Devian]

im also using RSL 4700 bought last dec 2004. buhi pa tawon bisan daghan pahak pero wa gyud nabali.

[Von!-x]

devian, murag wa na ka magdula ug badminton dah. pasingot ta ugma sa poona. 7pm up.

[BaNGis]

Quote: Originally Posted by dubioz Sa Planet Sports a long time ago. Go for the Babolat!

Wer can we c dis brand here in Cebu?

[dubioz]

Planet Sports! The Babolat (pronounced Babo-lay) prices are about the same as the expensive Yonex models.

Quote: Originally Posted by BaNGis Wer can we c dis brand here in Cebu?

[Von!-x]

babolat looks tempting. but the price is too much. some other reliable brands on badminton racket. MMOA, Ashaway, Fleet, Winnex, Goosen, Victor, chao pai. There is also a store in BTC selling badminton gears. "MINT", in second floor. near mail and more.

[BaNGis]

Sports Planet just had a sale last Sunday and got a Babolat Satellite Synchro for 1.99k from orig price of 6.6k. Now I think I need to re-gut it with Yonex BG68Ti with a tension of 25lbs..... it may have a smaller head diamter but I'd like the grip coz of the pilot system at the cone.

Tip: check out the weight class of the racket and the grip size when purchasing. 3U is usually 85-90 grams, and the higher the G number eg. G5 the smaller the grip diameter. the Synchro is has G3 grip and its weight is at the min of the 3U class.

[BaNGis]

Up lang ta gamay.........

[dubioz]

Has to be Yonex. Even though I'm using a Prince now, my very first racket in competition was a Yonex, at the time they had not too long ago changed their name from YoneYama (YY) to Yonex.

Oh, you forgot to include Wilson, Donnay and Carlton. Daghan users ang Carlton dri. La man gani ko ka dungog anang Wish and that Karakal.

-------------------------addendum--------------------------

Hmmm.... I just read a report that Yonex keeps snapping in two after a few months. Anyone got feedback?

[Von!-x]

i haven't tried any MP yonex. too much for the budget. 99% of the world's top players are sponsored by yonex.
Wish is basically a basic racket. It's cheap and quite durable too. Sold in any sports shop.
Karakal is not available nationwide. It has the lightest racket frame in the world at 70grams. Excellent for defense. Only Toby's glorietta sells karakal. But it's a UK brand.
RSL is also a UK brand. It also sponsors one of the top european badminton tourney. Sold at metrosports, toby's, and quickpoints.
Victor is a top of the line racket manufacturer from Taiwan. I think this one is sold at metro sports.
SOTX is another top of the line brand from China. They sponsored top regional chinese teams. I heard they'll be a main sponsor for the beijing olympics. SOTX rackets arre sold in poona club.
Gooseflite is a pinoy racket manufacturer. It has a lifetime warranty. I saw one sold in whitegold.
I heard from a friend that Prince rackets snap so easily. His was only good for the first 15 minutes. But seller sent a free replacement. The second one lasted longer.
Goosen is a Malaysian brand. I saw lots of them sold at sportshouse.

[dubioz]

Hmmm.... seems snapping rackets have more to do with the player than the racket. Wonder if it has to do with the tension. I've never had a racket snap and I keep my tension on standard. I don't even ask how tight it is.

Feedback always appreciated! With Bangis' permission, of course....

Quote: Originally Posted by Von!-x I heard from a friend that Prince rackets snap so easily. His was only good for the first 15 minutes. But seller sent a free replacement. The second one lasted longer. Goosen is a Malaysian brand. I saw lots of them sold at sportshouse.

[BaNGis]

Tension indeed is a contrbutor to snapping rackets - my bro-in-law's Yonex snapped after he clashed it with his partner. He set the tension to max (28lbs). Weeks after so did my brother's unit still a Yonex.

I think it pays to research on the standards like the U-codes and the G-codes (weight ranges and grip size standards respectively) and the tension recommended in the unit itself....

[BaNGis]

Quote: Originally Posted by baju83 wilson nga brand bro naa man pud.. nindot pud cguro na ug quality sa name lang niya daan..

Quote: Originally Posted by dubioz Ga laway ko karon sa Wilson na flexible shaft.

Hehehe i just fell in love with a Wilson & a Gosen .... man when can i have some money for these babes......

[Von!-x]

I plucked this from the baddicts (www.baddicts.com) website, originally from Mark of SOTX.

Why is it so hard to choose the right racket?

Well, frankly, it shouldn’t be. The basic knowledge is a head-heavy racket generates more power while a well-balanced racket is good for net control and defense. Thus, a smasher will definitely drop a super light racket from his choices. Consequently, a player who covers the net more often would shy away from a heavy (much more, a head-heavy) racket. To take away the guess work, let us put figures …

With rackets now having their exact weight, balance point and length marked individually, choosing a proper racket should be easier. Weight, of course, is the total weight of the racket without the string. Length is self-explanatory. BWF (new name of IBF) rules allow 665-680 MM length. Balance point is the measurement from the racket butt to the point where the racket remains perfectly balanced horizontally (I hope I did not lose you there).

Simply put, there would be guidelines in weight, balance point and length that every player should look for when buying their rackets (more likely, you will find one that would fit your desired budget) to suit their playing style. Since most of our club players are into doubles game, let’s concentrate on this and break our levels into two; Beginner/Intermediate and Advance.

Obviously, an advance player is expected to handle heavier rackets than others. In the same way that male players can manage heavier rackets than their female counterpart. A defensive player, on the other hand, should be using a lighter weight than one who prefers offense strategy. A longer light racket would be best for defense while a shorter head heavy racket would be best for offense (Confusing as it seems but it is common sense).

Body structures and strengths vary from each individual. The best gauge for the right racket would be you and your body. It’s a matter of preference. Let me then emphasize that this as a guide; a guide to make you … more professional.


Watch out for the SOTX tournament in Cebu this last weekend of May 2007.

[teH_tHirD]

well, my aunt bought a pair of armortec 800 from her friend who is about to leave the US, and got both for about P2000 each!! then i used them in my school intramurals. they were the best rackets i have ever laid my hands on! And no, i can tell if a yonex racket is a fake or genuine.

later, i found out that stores selling these rackets (i went to chris and toby's), they cost about P13000! my goodness i took greater care of the rackets after seeing that price tag!

[Von!-x]

teH-tHirD, it was more expensive pa when it was first introduced in the market. Because of the newer models (nano), they slightly reduced the price. Original yonex sold in thailand is cheaper. Not within the 3-5k though. Armortecs are said to be sold at 7-8k only.