Badminton Racket Review: Bekia Bravesword 10 Replica

I remember when I started out with APACS rackets, I refrained from getting the replicas. I'd rather settle for the original to be honest, but the Bekia Bravesword 10 Replica changed my mindset towards the copy of a well-known brand.

This racket has got to be among the top 5 for my, earning itself a permanent placing in my doubles play.

I've previously done a review on the Victor Bravesword 15, and the racket came off very highly in my ratings system. The Bekia racket will give the BRS15 a run for its money.

This review's my opinion of the racket from using it in my games, my style. No one plays badminton the same way, so take this with a pinch of salt. I'm here to tell you, in as much accuracy as I can, how my games went with the racket. Comments welcome!

Ok here goes.

Bekia Bravesword 10 Replica
Est. Dry Weight: 85g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Even
Max String Tension: 28lbs
Flex: Stiff
Strings: Yonex BG80 Power @ 23lbs

I use this racket mainly for doubles play.

Defense
Much like the rest of my 3U, even-balanced rackets, the Bekia Bravesword 10 Replica comes off well when put to the defensive test. It's got good power that allows you to lift the shuttle high enough, while offering an equal amount of agility that gives your blocks that little element of offense to turn the tide.

The sword design of Bravesword fame also lends to the speed of the Bekia replica. I noticed that the head frame for the replica seems a little larger than Victor's Bravesword 15, which gives it a larger sweet spot and makes it more forgiving when it comes to pulling off the defenses.

One more thing I noticed is that this racket gives me a very good backhand swing. With just a slight grip of the handle, I'm able to pull off full court back hands. Very nice.

I won't kid - this racket gives me the confidence to seal off the front court when playing doubles. It's speed and accuracy makes it a very good experience in my doubles game.

Attack
What good is a sword without a good offense? A weapon by nature, the sword allows quicker swing speed by virtually cutting through the air. The replica performs well in this aspect, and I find myself enjoying throwing the frequent smash with this in my hand.

For some reason, the racket gives me a very decent swing speed, and a very good angle. The feel is perfect, down to a T, and this translates to my drop shots as well. The soft shots come off sharp and fast, and the smashes come off steep and powerful.

One thing that's missing is the drive speed. Though I remember pulling off a few of these, I've not had much to praise. But do note that it may also be because I've had so much fun driving shuttles downwards to bother about the straight reply.

I have very little bad things to say about this racket when it comes to offensive capabilities.

Control
Probably the only thing better than its offense is the Bekia Bravesword 10 Replica's control. This thing is fine-tuned to provide a very tight game.

I don't know if any of you can relate to this, but the feel for this racket is PERFECT. Every single shot goes off the strings well, and I can feel every movement, directing the shuttle to where ever I want to.

The smashes are well-placed, the drops are tight as a miser's purse strings, and blocks are decent enough not to give much of a second opportunity. I might have a little grip with the drop shot, but it's not bad enough to lower its rating.

Looks
It looks like the racket it copies, which actually scores high on my aesthetic scale. A dull blue mixes with white, gold and red to produce a very professional-looking piece of equipment.

Bekia Bravesword 10 Replica

Defense: 10

Attack: 10

Control: 10

Looks: 7