Friday, May 31, 2013

Yonex SHB-01 Lee Chong Wei - Limited version

Comfort
The SHB-01 is meant to wrap around your entire foot - top and bottom - so as to achieve a non-slip feel as you move around the court. The tight hold it has probably means it's not really suitable for those with broad feet. 

For those whom it serves, it will serve well. The shoes offer very good comfort as they hold firmly. Apart from the feet getting really warm over time (it's not got a lot of ventilation like the Mizunos), the Yonex SHB-01 really did offer a lot of comfort.

One thing I did feel, however, was the tongue cutting into my ankle as I ran around. This was rectified by making sure you pull it right up when you wear em. Prolonged use will also soften it up. 

Stability / Grip
The soles of the shoe look like they're of some mid / low end range. No more of the complex sole mechanics that came with my previous SHB-101LTD. This one's more of a two-piece, no nonsense make. Not that it doesn't get the job done, but you get the feel that Yonex was probably pulling your leg about the previous one. 

Those who are used to a broader shoe (I'm talking to the Li-Ning users out there), watch your step with these narrower tips. 

One the court
I constantly find myself looking down at the shoe to see how nice they were. Other than that I don't feel any need to worry about my footing.

The Yonex SHB-01 Limited gives a very good grip, with excellent stability and a nice firm hold on your foot. Non-slip, fast-paced.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Yonex Arcsaber 11


Racquet Type : Yonex Arcsaber 11 SP version
Specs : 3UG5
Flex: Stiff
Balance: 285 mm (Even Balance)
Strings: Yonex BG80 Power
Tension: 27lbs, pre-stretched using Yonex ES5PROTECH
Grip: Yonex cushion wrap+ original grip + Toalson overgrip
Technology : (New) Sonic Metal, T-Anchor and CS Nanotube Neo
Shuttles used: Apacs Aeroflight 700


First Impression: 
I won't described the colors or the looks of the racquet as the manufacturer's website and badmintoncentral.com has plenty of those.
A successor to the flashy but difficult to use Arcsaber 10.
Similar in shape and flex to Arcsaber 10 but having different materials at the frame and the T-joint.
This racquet occupies the same niche and has the same specs as the Arcsaber 10 i.e. stiff flex and even balance.
To put things into perspective, I am benchmarking this racquet against Arcsaber 10 which is somewhat difficult racquets to use for the majority of non-competitive players.

Final comprehensive review

I played mostly doubles (and half court singles)

TOC (time on court) when making review:

total of 20 hours of game play.


Warm Ups:
Warming involves baseline to baseline forehand clears.
Clears are long and far owing to the aerodynamics, repulsion and the flex of the racquet.
If one word is to describe this racquet is 'comfortable'.
Drives are pretty fast owing to the 'repulsive' (Sonic metal) frame. The handle of the racquet is the same length as the Nanospeed and Nanoray range, hence very good for holding the racquet higher up the handle for faster reaction. 
The racquet shaft is similar to Arcsaber 10 and felt that the stiffness and kickpoint is the same.

The major difference I felt is that Arcsaber 11 have a more solid feel and more repulsive string bed.
Perhaps it's the effort of the designers to improve the somewhat lame duck feel of the frame of Arcsaber 11.
Cup stacked nano tube was originally design like (a spring) to provide a trampoline effect whilst (improving control?).
Quote,'Increased durability and improved flexibility allow the frame to return back to its original shape faster. Positioned at the sides of the racquet, CS Carbon Nanotubes improve the frame’s elasticity, holding the shuttle on the string bed for enhanced control at the point of impact.' -Yonex.com.


Game Time:
I won't go into detail each and every shots tried.
Generally since I am playing doubles, receiving of serve and serve are great as expected for a fast and stable racquet.
The ease of use of this racquet is apparent, as one can comfortably whip the racquet to hit shuttle gently or violently.

Front court: Aerodynamics of the racquet and the long handle of the racquet allows quick and fast reaction to perform netshots, netkills and crosscourt net shots.

Midcourt: This racquet shines best in the mid court range area as it is both good in attack and defence. As for drive shots, this racquet can rival the Nanorays in fast reactions, heck (it shares the same material as the king of drive aka Nanoray 800) Long handle and comfortable control support cap helps in using finger power (Thumb and grip tightening) for sharp compact backswing in backhand drives.

Back court:
The control and power suffers a tiny bit as it it not heavy nor stiff enough like Voltric Z-force for power smash and power clears to the back court.
Nevertheless, the sweet spot is rather large and felt very easy to whip this racquet as the kickpoint is leaning towards the handle.
Control is excellent, slicing (normal and reverse) and checked drops are precise, fast and accurate.

Conclusion: 
This racquet's playability is great as it is very comfortable to wield this racquet both forehands and backhands. An improvement to Arcsaber 10 with better repulsion and ease of use.

Feel: 9/10

Control: 9.5/10


Power: 8.5/10


Defence: 9/1
0

Maneuverability: 9/10

Pros: Ease of use and generally an all rounder racquet.

Cons: Almost none.

Suitability: intermediate/advanced players 3U and 2U

Player type: All rounder.