Yonex UK has introduced 6 new badminton rackets this year, following in the footsteps of the successful Arcsaber Z Slash.
Of all the new racquets, the Yonex Arcsaber 8DX is the one I’ve been wanting to get my hands on.
Unsurprisingly, the Arcsaber 8DX came with the usual full-length bag, standard among the Yonex Arcsaber range of badminton rackets. The racket has a striking look with a winning combination of red, silver, black and copper orange.
This particular model is only available in 3U (weight 85-89.9g) and G3 grip size (same as Arcsaber 10 and 7). This is the largest of the 2 grip sizes currently chosen by Yonex for the UK market.
You immediately pick up this racket, there is something in him that speaks of quality. It’s a lovely balance, not too heavy on the head, although you can feel a bit of weight on your head to get some meat behind the shuttle. The balance is more uniform compared to Arcsaber 10.
As with most of the best Yonex rackets in the range, the Arcsaber 8DX has a stiff shaft, which is ideal for power players who need a faster response from their racket.
While the material construction appears identical to other Yonex racquets in the range, the Arcsaber 8DX is designated as a high-tension racquet, with a recommended maximum string tension of 27 pounds, which is 3 pounds more than most other. rackets from the current range.
It is well known that many of the Yonex sponsored players have been stringing their rackets well above the recommended string tension values for years. Perhaps it is a sign of the times when Yonex has finally introduced a racket that aims to accept increased tensions, more so to meet Asia’s public demand for greater tensions. This is now creeping into the UK and is of particular concern to me. To play with high stresses, a player’s technique must be extremely good, otherwise injuries will result.
Let’s continue with the review …
The string tension on this racquet feels a bit tighter, so there was no need to fix a new string before testing. Readers of my reviews will know that I like to try rackets “straight out of the bag.”
From the first hit I knew that I liked this racket. The clearings were sailing towards my opponents’ baseline with very little effort on my part. The racket exuded power but was not difficult to tame like Z Slash. He performed like a thoroughbred champion, giving me everything I wanted and more at the right time.
So we know this racket packs a punch, even though it doesn’t measure up to the punching power of Z Slash. But it has a lot more consistency and control and that counts for a lot more. And in other areas of the court?
Defensively, this racket was delivered throughout and reminded me of the speed of my Nano9900, although not that light on the head. The combination of better aerodynamics and a slightly lighter head works great here. He was able to maneuver the racket very fast without any drag or lag caused by the extra weight on his head.
There is always a balance between head weight for power and a lighter head for speed, but Yonex seems to have the perfect match for this racket.
Unsurprisingly, if the racket works on defense, then it has to be good at the net. Yes, there are no surprises here, it was magnificent! I didn’t need to make adjustments for the racket, I just played net shots or kills with ease and quick recovery as well. Exactly what I want from a racket.
Will Arcsaber 8DX suit all styles of play? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean it suits your game. As you know, choosing a racquet is very personal and I imagine that for some there will be a few frowns, possibly thinking that the head lacks the weight to elevate it to the league of serious hitting. That’s what personal taste is all about.
I do not agree with this type of thinking, as there are power players who use very light rackets. As for me, I consider that Arcsaber 8DX is an Arcsaber 10 with more advantage, a little more alive and eager to play. He’s the little boy on the block compared to the wise man – he almost encourages you to throw caution to the wind and play on the dangerous side.
Summary
As you can see, I really like this racket. While it’s early in our relationship, I can’t wait to get back on the court and do it all over again. I haven’t felt this level of excitement for a racket since Z Slash last year. This time around though, I don’t have the frustration of running into time constraints – it’s almost like taking your favorite racquet, giving it a paint job, and returning it to you with an armed and dangerous sticker attached.
With a RRP of £ 150, this is quite a steep price. Online discount stores will undoubtedly sell for considerably cheaper than that, so expect to pay around £ 130, maybe less. That’s still a lot of money for a racket, which will put a lot of players away.
As much as I like this racket, the price will alienate players and therefore I need to reflect this in my scoring system. Consequently, I will rate this racket 4.5 stars in my 5-star system.
For me, the Arcsaber 8DX is close, if not right on the mark, on my Holy Grail racquet list. And that’s saying a lot!
#Review #racket # badminton #Yonex #Arcsaber # 8DX
