Not hit a shuttle with them yet, but I'm lying in wait...
New Hotness: Gosen Aermet 9500 Power and Explosion
Got my hands on two really great looking ones tonight. Both from the Roots series of the Japanese manufacturer.
Not hit a shuttle with them yet, but I'm lying in wait...
Not hit a shuttle with them yet, but I'm lying in wait...
Badminton Racket Review: Yonex Voltric 70
First impressions here.
So after a fun singles session and about an hour on the doubles court, I gather that I've had enough experience with the VT70 to write up a review.
To be honest, it's surpassed my expectations and performed quite different than what I thought it would. What felt like a really heavy flexible racket turned out to fit very well to my game. I use a combination of long swings and fast wrist turns during my games and the Yonex Voltric 70 is able to pull off all of those with gusto.
This leaves me with a very good choice of racket for every occassion.
Note. This review is my opinion of the racket from using it in my games. Take this with a pinch of salt since we all play the game differently. 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.
Yonex Voltric 70
Est. Dry Weight: 97g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Head Heavy
Stiffness: Medium
Strings: Yonex Nanogy 98 @ 24lbs
I recommend this racket for both singles and doubles play.
Defense
I love the heavy heads of the Voltric series. In addition to a powerful offense, they offer up a very good lift in defense when you want them to. The Tri-Voltage "lumps" on the head frame contributes to a little more push when you need to call upon it, sending a very nice weight transfer to the shuttle to handle the smashes with a little more ease.
Apart from the lifts, push and drive defense also get a bonus from the additional speed from the VT70, whose overall weight now feels slightly less than the VT80. That makes the racket feel quicker and more agile when it comes to defense.
What I noticed was, even when it comes to the defensive shots that come really close to your body, I'm able to push past the front net player with a block, averting the game-ending net tap.
Love the defense. Love the speed. Love the power.
Attack
Whip and weight gives you an awesome combination when it comes to the Voltric 70. Angles unimaginable came flying from my wrists, back court or front court. The speed I was able to get them down was also fast, posing a much greater threat than the other rackets that I used tonight.
Another strong suit for the Yonex Voltric 70 is the wrist smashes. With a very flexible shaft, I was able to twist the shaft downwards even more to get more power from the quick wrist smashes. When the weight from the Tri-Voltage system kicks in, it becomes a very good weapon to use around the front court.
I did find myself throwing off a lot more smashes than usual because of how enjoyable it became. The shuttle just thundered itself from the string bed and zipped off to the other side of the court so well.
Control
Power is nothing without control, and the Yonex Voltric 70 gives you the accuracy you need to get the smashes down and the drives through. Through the hours of play that I managed to get with the racket, I've not found myself asking for more control.
From the drop shots (though they came in less) to the drives and the oh-so-lovely smashes, I was able to place them nicely without too much hassle.
But I do notice that I hardly do any drop or net shots with the racket. Probably because attack with this is simply too addictive. I dare say, even more so that the VT80.
Looks
Suave. Yonex's signature black, red and white comes together one more time to give off a very classy paint job on the Yonex Voltric 70. The white streaks color the Tri-Voltage areas of the racket, while the red and black twirl around the frame and shaft in a freedom of movement.
So after a fun singles session and about an hour on the doubles court, I gather that I've had enough experience with the VT70 to write up a review.
To be honest, it's surpassed my expectations and performed quite different than what I thought it would. What felt like a really heavy flexible racket turned out to fit very well to my game. I use a combination of long swings and fast wrist turns during my games and the Yonex Voltric 70 is able to pull off all of those with gusto.
This leaves me with a very good choice of racket for every occassion.
Note. This review is my opinion of the racket from using it in my games. Take this with a pinch of salt since we all play the game differently. 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.
Yonex Voltric 70
Est. Dry Weight: 97g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Head Heavy
Stiffness: Medium
Strings: Yonex Nanogy 98 @ 24lbs
I recommend this racket for both singles and doubles play.
Defense
I love the heavy heads of the Voltric series. In addition to a powerful offense, they offer up a very good lift in defense when you want them to. The Tri-Voltage "lumps" on the head frame contributes to a little more push when you need to call upon it, sending a very nice weight transfer to the shuttle to handle the smashes with a little more ease.
Apart from the lifts, push and drive defense also get a bonus from the additional speed from the VT70, whose overall weight now feels slightly less than the VT80. That makes the racket feel quicker and more agile when it comes to defense.
What I noticed was, even when it comes to the defensive shots that come really close to your body, I'm able to push past the front net player with a block, averting the game-ending net tap.
Love the defense. Love the speed. Love the power.
Attack
Whip and weight gives you an awesome combination when it comes to the Voltric 70. Angles unimaginable came flying from my wrists, back court or front court. The speed I was able to get them down was also fast, posing a much greater threat than the other rackets that I used tonight.
Another strong suit for the Yonex Voltric 70 is the wrist smashes. With a very flexible shaft, I was able to twist the shaft downwards even more to get more power from the quick wrist smashes. When the weight from the Tri-Voltage system kicks in, it becomes a very good weapon to use around the front court.
I did find myself throwing off a lot more smashes than usual because of how enjoyable it became. The shuttle just thundered itself from the string bed and zipped off to the other side of the court so well.
Control
Power is nothing without control, and the Yonex Voltric 70 gives you the accuracy you need to get the smashes down and the drives through. Through the hours of play that I managed to get with the racket, I've not found myself asking for more control.
From the drop shots (though they came in less) to the drives and the oh-so-lovely smashes, I was able to place them nicely without too much hassle.
But I do notice that I hardly do any drop or net shots with the racket. Probably because attack with this is simply too addictive. I dare say, even more so that the VT80.
Looks
Suave. Yonex's signature black, red and white comes together one more time to give off a very classy paint job on the Yonex Voltric 70. The white streaks color the Tri-Voltage areas of the racket, while the red and black twirl around the frame and shaft in a freedom of movement.
Yonex Voltric 70
Defense: 8
Offense: 10
Control: 9
Looks: 8
Badminton Racket First Impressions: Yonex Voltric 70
I've had this racket awhile, but it got overshadowed by the awesomeness of the VT80 and the Z-Force. And then the other ones came in and I didn't get a good chance to use it till today.
I had a great singles session tonight - loads of running and chasing shuttles. For the last few games I took the chance to use the Yonex Voltric 70. I found that it's a pretty good racket - well-rounded in defense and offense.
In fact, I had this feeling that I was hitting harder with the VT70 than the VT80!
The flex in the shaft (it's rated medium by Yonex) also gave me one heck of a wrist smash. Those who like to use a quick turn of the wrist to get the element of surprise and some angle will certainly like the Voltric 70.
I'm going to use it for some doubles action this week. Let's hope the feeling continues and we've got a great racket on our hands.
Review soon.
New Hotness - Dunlop Vision Lite
The very small head frame of this racket caught my eye, along with its nice combination of yellow, white and grey.
Head light, flexible and overall light - looks like a bad combination, but the smaller frame gives it a deadly fast swing so I'm going to give it a shot.
Special thanks to a reader who was willing to let this go to me. Looking forward to playing with him in the future :)
First Impressions to come.
Badminton Racket Review: Yonex ArcSaber 8DX
First impressions here.
I've probably spent the most consecutive hours on this racket than any other... And not because it feels so good, but because I'm trying to get something good out of this racket.
I mean, it's a Yonex right?
Note. This review is my opinion of the racket from using it in my games. Take this with a pinch of salt since we all play the game differently. 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.
Yonex ArcSaber 8DX
Est Dry Weight: 98g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Even
Stiffness: Super
Strings: Yonex BG80 Power @ 23lbs
I recommend this racket for singles play.
Defense
Have you ever played video games and saw this big heavy dude with a gun? The Yonex ArcSaber 8DX makes you feel like that guy. Everyone thinks you're a pushover and takes a shot at you, only to have you have no choice to soak up all the damage because the darn racket won't allow you to move fast at all.
For smashes, it's too heavy to get a decent lift. The followup smash will be painful. For drives, it's too heavy to give a decent return. The followup smash from the front of the net will be painful. For drop shots, it's too heavy to give you decent movement on the court. The weak return drop will give a painful net tap.
Two things from the ArcSaber 8DX will be your challenge - its weight and its staggering stiffness. Both too difficult for me to overcome.
Attack
You know that big guy you always liked to aim at? He also always happens to have a big gun. The 8DX gives you a pretty good attack, what with the weight and the stiffness. Solid hits from the overheads have got to be its few redeeming qualities.
Shuttles will fly off fast from its string bed, and it will be a threat from the back court, but watch for that return drive because it'll be your downfall.
Control
Because it's an ArcSaber, the control that be that far off. The 8DX gives you a good sense of the shuttle, but seldom did it make me feel in control because of the lack of flex in the shaft.
Something so stiff gives every hit a dull feel, and that makes calculating the shot that little bit harder. From the drops to the clears to the smashes and drives, there's just that little bit of accuracy missing.
Looks
Classy. The Yonex ArcSaber 8DX combines white, red, black and bronze into a very nice combination. The beauty is also in the details - how the bronze becomes glossy at the ArcSaber's signature Carbon Nanotube decal at the head frame, the textured shine at the ArcSaber lettering down the shaft, and the bronze / gold finish at the cone when you hold it to a light. Delicate.
I've probably spent the most consecutive hours on this racket than any other... And not because it feels so good, but because I'm trying to get something good out of this racket.
I mean, it's a Yonex right?
Note. This review is my opinion of the racket from using it in my games. Take this with a pinch of salt since we all play the game differently. 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.
Yonex ArcSaber 8DX
Est Dry Weight: 98g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Even
Stiffness: Super
Strings: Yonex BG80 Power @ 23lbs
I recommend this racket for singles play.
Defense
Have you ever played video games and saw this big heavy dude with a gun? The Yonex ArcSaber 8DX makes you feel like that guy. Everyone thinks you're a pushover and takes a shot at you, only to have you have no choice to soak up all the damage because the darn racket won't allow you to move fast at all.
For smashes, it's too heavy to get a decent lift. The followup smash will be painful. For drives, it's too heavy to give a decent return. The followup smash from the front of the net will be painful. For drop shots, it's too heavy to give you decent movement on the court. The weak return drop will give a painful net tap.
Two things from the ArcSaber 8DX will be your challenge - its weight and its staggering stiffness. Both too difficult for me to overcome.
Attack
You know that big guy you always liked to aim at? He also always happens to have a big gun. The 8DX gives you a pretty good attack, what with the weight and the stiffness. Solid hits from the overheads have got to be its few redeeming qualities.
Shuttles will fly off fast from its string bed, and it will be a threat from the back court, but watch for that return drive because it'll be your downfall.
Control
Because it's an ArcSaber, the control that be that far off. The 8DX gives you a good sense of the shuttle, but seldom did it make me feel in control because of the lack of flex in the shaft.
Something so stiff gives every hit a dull feel, and that makes calculating the shot that little bit harder. From the drops to the clears to the smashes and drives, there's just that little bit of accuracy missing.
Looks
Classy. The Yonex ArcSaber 8DX combines white, red, black and bronze into a very nice combination. The beauty is also in the details - how the bronze becomes glossy at the ArcSaber's signature Carbon Nanotube decal at the head frame, the textured shine at the ArcSaber lettering down the shaft, and the bronze / gold finish at the cone when you hold it to a light. Delicate.
Yonex ArcSaber 8DX
Defense: 5
Offense: 7
Control: 7
Looks: 8
Badminton Racket First Impressions: Li-Ning Flame N55-II
There are flame designs on this racket because it's just blazing fast!
Whoosh! And flames are destructive too, so that pretty much describes the potency of this racket!
I had a great time using it for what must be three games just now, before I had to unwillingly switch to my lesser Yonex ArcSaber 8DX, which is pending review.
From what I felt, the Li-Ning Flame N55-II is the lightest Li-Ning in my collection, but the loss in weight does not covert to a loss in power in any way. Smashes with the wrist came down sharp and fast, and the times I had the chance to throw off a jump smash gave really satisfying results in terms of speed and power.
Defense-wise the N55-II also performed very well. I was able to repel most anything thrown at me, and with some time to think about where the shuttle should go.
The defensive and offensive capabilities of the racket is perhaps only matched by its dashing good looks. Red, gold and white come together in synchronized harmony, complimenting the large flame decals plastered all over the head frame and shaft.
Awesome. Review to come.
Whoosh! And flames are destructive too, so that pretty much describes the potency of this racket!
I had a great time using it for what must be three games just now, before I had to unwillingly switch to my lesser Yonex ArcSaber 8DX, which is pending review.
From what I felt, the Li-Ning Flame N55-II is the lightest Li-Ning in my collection, but the loss in weight does not covert to a loss in power in any way. Smashes with the wrist came down sharp and fast, and the times I had the chance to throw off a jump smash gave really satisfying results in terms of speed and power.
Defense-wise the N55-II also performed very well. I was able to repel most anything thrown at me, and with some time to think about where the shuttle should go.
The defensive and offensive capabilities of the racket is perhaps only matched by its dashing good looks. Red, gold and white come together in synchronized harmony, complimenting the large flame decals plastered all over the head frame and shaft.
Awesome. Review to come.
Badminton Racket First Impressions: Yonex ArcSaber 8DX
Fresh from the Yonex sale is my ArcSaber 8DX! I was talking about it awhile back, and it even made my wishlist before I could get it finally for cheap off the Yonex warehouse sale last year.
Frankly, I don't the badminton giants ever recovered from the great clearance. My stringer tells me that there's practically been no calls asking for Yonex rackets...
Though I'm very interested in the Voltric 80 PG that's rumored to be hitting us later this year.
Anyway, down to business and the ArcSaber 8DX.
At first touch, the racket is probably the stiffest one in the Yonex arsenal, even more so than the likes of the Z-Force. Being even-balanced kind of helped handling for the racket, and I was able to place shuttles relatively well around the court.
The killer came on the backhand. Stiff rackets seldom give me a good backhand, since I liked to use the whip from medium flex rackets to throw a little more distance. This stems from my improper technique of not getting behind the shuttle enough before I hit the backhand, coupled with low hitting point and incomplete supination.
So yeah, the 8DX didn't actually make me want to perform those killer backhand dropshots that I like so much.
The stiffness did come in handy when I wanted to do some attacking, but at the expense of agility that's the main sell of the ArcSaber series.
So far so good. The Yonex ArcSaber 8DX seems to be a hybrid of a head-heavy system and a more maneuverable even-balance one. Not that it's a bad thing, but I think we'll all need to get used to it.
More to come. I'm trying the racket out for doubles tomorrow.
Frankly, I don't the badminton giants ever recovered from the great clearance. My stringer tells me that there's practically been no calls asking for Yonex rackets...
Though I'm very interested in the Voltric 80 PG that's rumored to be hitting us later this year.
Anyway, down to business and the ArcSaber 8DX.
At first touch, the racket is probably the stiffest one in the Yonex arsenal, even more so than the likes of the Z-Force. Being even-balanced kind of helped handling for the racket, and I was able to place shuttles relatively well around the court.
The killer came on the backhand. Stiff rackets seldom give me a good backhand, since I liked to use the whip from medium flex rackets to throw a little more distance. This stems from my improper technique of not getting behind the shuttle enough before I hit the backhand, coupled with low hitting point and incomplete supination.
So yeah, the 8DX didn't actually make me want to perform those killer backhand dropshots that I like so much.
The stiffness did come in handy when I wanted to do some attacking, but at the expense of agility that's the main sell of the ArcSaber series.
So far so good. The Yonex ArcSaber 8DX seems to be a hybrid of a head-heavy system and a more maneuverable even-balance one. Not that it's a bad thing, but I think we'll all need to get used to it.
More to come. I'm trying the racket out for doubles tomorrow.
