Badminton Racquet help

[Curry Burns]

I've been playing for almost 2 years now with a Carlton Isoblade graphite and have been very happy with. It has vastly improved my game, allowing me to get a better change in direction etc...

I have started to think about changing it to a carbon raquet, more specifically this carbon racquet -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Carlton-Badminton-Aeroblade-...

Will this give me a better advantage than the graphite or am I best sticking to what I know.

Any Thoughts?

[x5x3]

personally I have never got on with Carlton racquets - but that does not mean they are not good, I was told by an excellent (i.e. county/national) player years ago that it is worth the investment in a good racquet.

some reputable retailers will have loan racquets you can try, they may be more expensive than ebay but they may also have a bit more knowledge about the game and time to understand your requirements.

otherwise - can you not try racquets of friends you play with to see what suits your style of play?

[Curry Burns]

I forgot to mention that I have never played with anything other than Carlton, so recommendations are welcome too.

ETA - I've been playing for over 10 years and have tried a few racquets of friends (Yonex, Karakal) and never felt comfortable with anything other than Carlton.

Edited by Curry Burns on Tuesday 7th July 21:59

[arun1uk]

Depends on what type of player you are!

Are you mainly; defensive, attacking, hard smashing? Is it for singles, doubles? What level do you play at?

Looks like you are used to Isometric head shaped racquets so I'd stick with that if I were you, it makes a big difference if you switch to an oval head...
In that case, you could try the new range of Yonex?

But sticking with Carlton is probably best, as changing racquets can take months to get used to, so sticking with the same brand will always help.

It's a medium flex racquet which means you will be able to generate good power, however you may lose some of your control at the net.

[Curry Burns]

I am a very attacking player, but I like to be able to pull out a delicate positioned shot now and again. I'd say to put a level on me, it would be intermediate (but a long way from being consistantly good).

[AB]

Ive recently started playing with Ashaway - this one in particular;

http://www.ashaway.co.uk/index.php?category=12&amp...

Really light, if you are a naturally powerful player like I tend to be then it still generates a lot of power and it is incredibly accurate.

Drop me a PM if you want a price on it.

[Curry Burns]

Nice website that, I would be interested in the 79SQ in the same range as your racquet there, mainly because it's an ISO head, but it is £90!!!!

[arun1uk]

I doubt the racquet you were looking at (the Carlton) would suit you to be honest. If you are a power player, you'll find that you'll suit a stiff racquet a bit more.

It gives you the touch and feel around the net and, as you're a power player, you'll be able to use the stiffness to your advantage.

I wouldn't try the ashaway, it's far too light compared to your other racquet, and it's an oval headshape, so the "sweet spot" will be smaller compared to an Istometric. Switching to that means changing 3 variables (brand, headshape, weight) so it'll take a long time to get used to it.

Try this one instead:
http://www.sportdiscount.com/product/1249/CARLTON_...

[AB]

arun1uk said:

I wouldn't try the ashaway, it's far too light compared to your other racquet, and it's an oval headshape, so the "sweet spot" will be smaller compared to an Istometric. Switching to that means changing 3 variables (brand, headshape, weight) so it'll take a long time to get used to it.

79sq has an ISO head.

Will get a price and see if it interests you.