cab explosion.

G'day Kwun,

Funny that you raised this now, as today I was mucking around with a friend of mine and just for a laugh, we both brought out our "old" rackets for a game of singles for old time sake. The racket I used was my antique Cab21, which hasn't seen any action since I brought whole lot of MP rackets off |R|S about 6 months ago.

So there I was, expecting some pretty ordinary performance out of this racket. But much to my surprise, I found the racket to be extremely punchy, crisp, and should I say, explosive, especially when it comes to smashes. The only other racket in my possession to provide the same sensation that I can remember, was when I first tried using my MP90 in a tornament with fresh strings.

I must admit though, that I found my backhand, flat drives, and clears required far more effort to excute using Cab21 when compared to say, MP77 or 100. But I guess that's not really the point of discussion here.

I know this isn't a conclusive discussion to say oval shaped racket is better than Iso shape, or vice versa, but just a note to say that I've had similar experience after using Iso rackets for so long, the Cab21 surprised me with a more satisfying feel than Iso shaped rackets.

 

I completely agree with this, with the caveat that you must hit the sweetspot perfectly to achieve this. I can easily get more power out of my Cab 21 when on form and middling everything (this very rarely happens ), and play a better game, however if I'm not on my game, my ISOs are so much easier to use. This isn't that big a deal in offence since a speed change isn't a bad thing, however in defence the difference to depth and speed of return can be quite annoying.

 

After owning three iso rackets (Ti-10, Slim-10 and Ashaway TMP500), i acquired a Cab 20 MS and Carlton Airblade .... I must say, that the feel to an oval racket is different in comparison to an iso racket..... I believe its easier to feel the shuttle with an oval racket, could this be because the strings on the oval head is much closer together than an iso head?

I too think that there is an explosiveness absent on iso rackets, but not on oval rackets, but when a shot is executed wrongly, the shot is much worse on an oval racket than an iso racket.

Overall, i prefer an oval head for its feel and its explosiveness

 

Welcome to the world of Carlton, Kwun.

I have quite a lot of experience with Carlton's Airblade series, especially the AB 2000. It is an attack racquet. Trust me, it is a very good alternative to Yonex's Cab series.

 

i also noticed this. switching between my Cab 20Ti, and TISPSS
Cab20 feels a lot more powerful, but unfair comparision since Cab 20 is at 23lbs and SS is probably around 20lbs now. i used my friend's winex oval (not sure of model) but it had nice feel and a good umph. lol.

 

Cab vs Iso

Strings on my MP100 (2u) finally snapped after 5 months . . . had to use my Cab20 (2u)

I found that the timing was off when I went to smash using my Cab20 - it seems that I am always hitting the bird with the upper quarter of the head / and sometimes the frame and not the sweet spot.

With the design of the iso head, it feels like that the sweet spot has been moved up and wider. So smashes seem to be easier.

However, I like the cab20 more than iso racquets for clears, drops, drives, back hand, etc . . . it is a lot more predictable - and when its predictable, confidence in the shot improves.

Does anyone else have difficulties smashing with the Cab styled racquets . . . does anyone have any suggestions???

 

Well, the Cab20 is shorter than the MP100, so this fact may attribute to your mis-timing. I recently got a Cab20MS(2U), and my previous racquet was an ISO 500 SS(3U), which is long. For a few nights, I would hit the frame many times. I would say partly because of the length difference, and partly because of the weight difference. Now, I have no problem smashing with the Cab.

Phil

 

To Phil: But my "MM-100(3U)" is still better, haha, I got a clone of MP-100, haha. Heard its different but still good racket. Off topic but still good.

Wildstyler

 

Laurence i would suggest doing alot of visualizing in front of a mirror with a new racquet you may be suprised to see where the racquet should be because of the difference in length and weight. And before any match or game just try doing some crisp clean clears. Look at the bird until you finally make contact with the head of your racquet. Do this about 20-30 times and you should be fine. Hope this helps.

Nick

 

Yes, I have the same problem with the short handle. In fact, a lot of people who have this racquet complains about the short handle.

As you mentioned, the thing is very powerful from such light weight - 90 g unstrung? It's quite sturdy and can easily take 25 lbs.

 

G'day,

Just got a brand new Cab22 SP 2UG4 recently and had a good chance to use it in anger last few days.

Even though the string on the racket isn't one of my favorite, the tension was pretty close to ideal and must say it was a wonderful sounding and performing racket. Smashes and cut shots were superb and the noise it made, as Modius puts it, like a gun going off. It felt like all the effort I put into a smash is transferred 100% into the shuttle.

Very happy with this latest purchase.

Just out of curiousity, I pulled out my MP90 for a game after using the Cab22 all day. Immediately I noticed Iso shaped racket being easier to do clears, drives, close net shots and excute backhand clears, and much more tolerant to off centre hits. Smashes, although equally powerful, felt damped and artificial, like only 60% of your power is passed onto the shuttle.

One benefit I've discovered when using oval shaped racket is improvment in one's stroke actions. It trains you to hit the shuttles consistently in the centre as any mishits are strongly magnified....

 

A question of density?

I agree with your observations, Kwun. I have also noted this difference between iso and oval frames. Although I use mainly iso frames nowadays, I still find that many ovals have that extra crispy punch to them.

My conclusion was that it has to do with the density of the stringing pattern. At least in the racquets I've compared, the oval frames had a denser string bed than iso frames. In other words, in iso frames the strings are further apart (especially the cross strings).

 

I've been extensively using Iso Ti SP SS for a couple years but am now using Cab 23 for the very reasons that you have described, Kwun. I feel that my shots are much crisper and punchier (all words used already) with the Cab. Specifically, my clears and drops are much closer to the line and net as I feel I have better communication with the shuttle. I also feel more wow on my smashes. The Iso makes the shuttle feel spongy and loose.

But the question I'd like to raise here is this. Are the smashes with a Cab racket more powerful because they ARE more powerful? Or do they only FEEL more powerful because of the oval racket's increased sensitivity? I guess the only way to tell would be to go through a session, smashing with multiple rackets against a radar gun or an experienced retriever who would then act as judge. Alternatively, do your opponents also say you smash harder with the Cab?

 

i think there is now enough observation that point to the above conclusion which i also support. Here is an analogy from golf in a form of a question, do you see pro golfers use 400+ cc woods?

 

Dear Kwun,

This is really an interesting topic.

In my opinion, Iso rackets like Iso 800, MP100 and MP99 are having larger frame, which gains the advantages on playing upper-hand shots like clears, drives and backhand. Iso rackets also help on players's mishits because of their larger frame and wider sweet spots.

However, as Iso rackets have larger sweet spots, shuttle hitting areas are "spread" wider, not as concentrated as Cab rackets for its comparatively smaller oval head, that makes the power transfer during shuttle impact for Iso rackets not as powerful as Cab rackets. I may conclude that Cab rackets have a more powerful sweet spot (though smaller) than Iso rackets that results in more explosive shots.

Anyway, I think Iso long rackets like MP100 and MP90 have their drawbacks. Returning those close-to-the-body shots would make more difficult for their longer shaft.

The above is just my limited experience.

 

You're not alone in this, kwun.

I hit some shuttles around yesterday afternoon, using a Cab20 and a MP77 and I do feel as if the Cab20 seem to (as you say it) have a more powerful impact 'feeling' than the MP77. In fact, my view of the MP77 somewhat dipped when I used the racquet, feeling as if it was much inferior to the Cab20 (I think some would actually agree on this).

Played with my old Cab 13 and 20, as well as some borrowed Mp55, MP77; and the conclusions seemed similar. Somehow the MPs don't feel so 'aggresive'. The raw 'aggression' is less apparent.

I often feel as if the racquet(MP) was in control of me rather than me being in control of it.

However, I stand corrected as I've only used a couple of MPs, but this is my experience, JIC you wanna know.

p/s - I hope I don't mistake vibration with explosion though...