Hello all, My question is to people who have 5 or more racquets in addition to their main go-to racquet. What do you do with all those racquets.. I'm assuming they are old and not in demand. So other than a collector's item.. how do you justify buying more equipment.. I'm a fan of lightweight, flexible and light head racquets but I still own a plethora of racquets from my badminton journey which kinda guilt me into limiting my further purchases . And on top of it.. I have started getting better with those head heavy/stiffer racquets I'm not sure about the correct path here... Should I try to streamline my racquets or just have a multitude of equipment to cater to current needs?
I will pass them to my kids or wife and I will go get new stuff for myself. But I reckon most players should have 3 or 4 rackets minimum besides our go to. Cos we maybe off form, tired etc...so we vary the play style and choose a most appropriate weapon of choice. Never try never know, I did try racket that I know it not my type and sold it quite fast. As long we can afford it just buy for the new tech or that new feeling Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk
I have chopped and changed my racquets list many times, and currently finalising the 3 that I will use for now: 1) Astrox 88S Pro JP 2) Auraspeed 100X (Thomas Cup) 3) BladeX 800 (New version) A healthy (?) mix of Yonex, Victor and LiNing rackets. Well, I might swap the 800 for Halbertec 9000 if too similar to 100X.... but that's another story for another day.....
Changing needs. I used the original carbonex 20 for over ten years. I was playing singles a lot and saw no need to change. Because of an association with Forza and changing to doubles, I switched to those for a few years. Those wore out and I passed them on to some students. After that I was using ZF2 for a few years. Didn’t change because of covid. Then sold those to use 88D Pro because of a coach. Now I am using Arcsaber 7 pro moving away from head heavy racquets to even balance. I do find clears a bit awkward with these but then again, I am playing doubles and there are less of those. I am changing my style a bit. The head heavy racquets were good for me as I would like to out manoeuvre the opponent those days. But now I am going into a flatter style of game.
Own 6 racket in total, 2 had broken already. Im starting to collect racket from my 3rd racket. Thats when im starting to know better about racket while my skill showing real improvement, i mean not just smacking the shuttle at the very least & having more techincal. Why im collecting racket, as im getting better in live & had better job, i guest my lifestyle are wasted on badminton... Lol.... 1. Wanting to try different racket. Classic mistake thinking, maybe i might getting better with better racket. 2. Wanting new toy. 3. Thinking to own different racket for every situation. Although latter when im getting better & swim deeper into the more serious group, i had access to more various racket owned by friend around me which save my pocket. In the end with currently 4 racket in the bag, My Lining & AVP is my borrowable racket. TK770 is my spare racket. P8 is my main. Planning to add more but i guest my busy work lately saving my pocket. & Again the reason is actually coz im wanting a new toy & a bad clash few month back strenghten my urge to get one.
I forgot to write I keep four racquets in my bag even though I play less than before. My kid has nine racquets - all the same grip, same string and same tension.
Surplus: Ones I keep as a token / memory of my badminton journey usually these are retired and will probably be max 2 rackets, where 1 could be taken out to play once in a full moon to bring back nostalgia and another in the best possible condition never to be used. There are also ones I keep where I would collect because of looks cool / prestige / rarity. This could be 1 to 3 rackets of the same model. Primary rackets: Where I had about 2 different models of around 6 of each so total of 12 rackets. The rackets are quite similar in terms of weight/BP but 1 model would be a bit more flexy/forgiving then the other. 5 of each model would be strung exactly the same usually, sometimes if I want to try out different strings/tensions I'll have 1-2 with a different setup. The sixth racket is typically set aside for safekeeping, as part of my memory. However, occasionally, if a replacement is necessary, it will be brought into regular use. I keep my primary rackets split into two sets, one set is kept at home which would be for my planned badminton sessions, the other is kept usually at work incase I spontaneously have to go to badminton without picking up gear at home. In other threads I mention I'm wanting to move towards head light rackets, so most likely I will have 3 different models in my rotations so will adjust numbers of rackets being strung and in the current rotation. Trial / Testing / Blind Date: Max 3 rackets, acquired from impulse purchases and borrow from friends. Sometimes the urge is too great to try a new toy and to pull something out that gives a refresh or different feeling from the main arsenal.
Other reason. (Not me but my friend). Split racket so her big lady at home wont turn into a beast mode. He keep his set of newer racket at the office. Even after his knee is greatly weakened due to age & hardly ever playing again, his racket still kept in the office.
Hahaha tell me abt it. Just ask her about her bags and clothes to see her transform fully! Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk
Primary Racket: Victor MeteorX JJS - 7 total. 3 in racket bag (All 3U, dry weights 88g, 87g, 86g). All strung with same string (XB-63 at either 25x27 or 26x28). 4 unstrung in racket cases in storage (dry weights 84/85g). Secondary: I keep a 4th in my racket bag: DriveX 10 Metallic 4U (same string and tension as above). Only experimenting with rackets similar to the JJS. Still haven't found anything yet. DX10 is close..but less pop in comparison. Legacy: Previous Go Tos (Chronological - Recent to oldest): Panda Power Precision Pro - zero left (owned 7 - all broke eventually on clashes...with Victor rackets - which is why I switched) Carbonex 30MS - 1 left (3U), 1 gave away to a worthy student who appreciates ovals. (owned 6). Still love this racket and may use it for feeding. Carbonex 50 - 1 (3U) Gift from wife (at the time gf). never selling. Will use it for feeding or hitting with my son. Black Knight M-2010 - 1 left. Used during my university days (~20 years ago!!) left it back at my parents place in Vancouver if I ever hit with my brother and his group.
If you love something, you likely blinded for the thing you love, willing to sacrifice time & even fortune for it, tho for others it might look wasted. For motorist they easily spend more for their motor accesories & all. A toy figure collector would spend more money on a toy that just sit at the cabinet. Or how we love our kids & willing to spend more for them than for ourself. I myself, my badminton shoes is more expensive than my workshoes. Im not much care for new clothing every year, the old one still good enough to wear, while i always had an extra apparel for badminton. Few extra overgip, extra wristband, extra towel, etc. i dont care much about my smartphone as long its works for me tho its 2 or 3 year outdated, but always wanting new racket which i find more attractive. Love is blinding & sometimes makes us think irational, yet we are an empty shell without love As long we could find balance with our life & family, & also we could afford it, i guest it could be justified rather than waste it on drugs, drunk, & gambling.
Some what like me. Even a late credit card fee is more than some of my rackets. Also smoking. It you don't smoke fantastic. That's 1 New racket almost every fortnight. Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk
Yea.. having the whole family invested in badminton is one way to go. I have a total of 7 racquets. A mix of 2u, 3u, 4u, 5u head light, head heavy, balanced, flexible, stiff. Although MD primarily but once a week I do get a chance to test my singles . (I really hate losing my singles here.) So I agree to having about 3 racquets for different formats or fitness levels.
I had 4 of them back in October 2013. Now it's 2024. In that period of 11 years I've broken 2, and acquired 5 more (used and new). I did not buy them all at once. If you look over a period of a decade, 7 (9 technically) rackets does not look bad at all from a value, bang for your buck perspective. I use this racket for both MS, MD, and XD and competed locally (in all disciplines - i'm not a good player). It is truly my swiss army knife of rackets. The ones in storage are the lighter 4Us...which i know i'll use as i get slower and older =) In that decade I also experimented with Jetspeed 9,10,12, YYS, Bravesword LHI, Thruster K9000, K9900, Falcon (blue/red/gold before enhanced), DriveX 9X. These days with the rapid release of racket models it would likely be much more difficult to go with this approach. When you find "that" racket and they stop making it...it's a tremendous loss. My 1 Carbonex 30MS i hold onto for dear life. I was not making that mistake with the JJS and accept the fact that they may all break someday but at least i did everything within my control to delay that as possible.
Actually from the models of racket we posted here 1 can get the number of yrs played as well as our age! It seems most of us are near our 40? Or older? Yes the victor JS series was notorious for imploding! Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk
Hahahahah. Im glad, i didnt smoke but had my 2nd kryptonite which is yummy stuff. Love to eat myself & almost never says no to anyone who offer me yummy.
Healthy mix of Li-Yo-Vi sounds wise... And extravagant My ongoing experiment of playing with my racquets in order of increasing difficulty:- broke strings of my go-to lightweight flexible light head racquets first.. kept them aside. Onto the even balance one.. broke. Currently playing with my second last Astrox Nextage (it's 4u, heavier and less flexible than what I'm used to) My racquets are not top of the line. May be sometime in future I would be confident enough to invest that sum into badminton.
Believe me when I say that the thread "best way to improve your game, not racket, nor your smash....." On this site put an early stop on my shopping spree as far as racquets go. Otherwise in my early days I used to be elated whenever I lose a racquet in a clash or lose a game because that would trigger a search for a new weapon . Isn't flatter game more fast therefore more difficult to keep pace with?
