Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Prince Phoenix 1500 Team

Hey guys, found out some other site's been taking my article wholesale, so be a sport and bookmark the original site - http://everythinggoeshere.blogspot.sg

###

I remember when I was a kid, just starting out in the game, when there would be a tv commercial, and this Prince Y-Head racket would come on. Man I wanted it so much... but it was the thing at the time, and way out of the reach of a 10-year-old.

Fast forward twenty odd years later, the Prince Y-Head makes a comeback with the aptly named Phoenix 1500 Team.

I settled for the "Prince-colored" one. There's a select few who actually know what I'm talking about. The brand had always been characterised by the definitive white, green and black hues.

But away from the looks and on to the usefulness!

On first hit, the racket seems heavy. As heck. The swings are long and weighty, and the recover took quite a hit. You won't be able to move around as much as you used to on court, and switching defense from backhand to forehand was a major problem for me.

It took a bit of getting to - the unconventional-shaped head shifted the sweet spot really high, and I had a  lot of difficulty getting the right amount of force in my hits. The net blocks really took a hit - I lost 8 points in a singles match simply trying to put the shuttle at the net.

The racket really starts to shine on shots put over the shoulder. The massive head and large sweet spot makes smashing a breeze. The power seems to flow from the enormous head and onto the bedstring. Boom. Those who are used to rackets with really high sweet spots will love this racket.

Being so darn high up also means that the shots you manage to pull off can potentially be really steep. A well-placed smash with the Prince Phoenix 1500 Team is an awesome feeling.

Now only if I can get used to the whole Y-Head thing.

Review soon.

No comments: