[New post] The Complete Guide to Victor Badminton Rackets: Light Fighter Series
BadmintonBites posted: " Want to view the products? Click HERE Introduction The racket is arguably the most essential piece of equipment for a badminton player. While the court, shuttles and playing conditions are shared by all players involved in a badminton matc" BadmintonBites
The racket is arguably the most essential piece of equipment for a badminton player. While the court, shuttles and playing conditions are shared by all players involved in a badminton match, the racket is fully within the control of the player. The racket is commonly viewed as an extension of a player's arm. As such, it should complement a player's style and level.
Whether you gravitate towards pummeling your opponents with a flurry of powerful smashes or outpacing your foes with speedy exchanges of control and precision, a racket should work for you and not the other way around. When chosen properly, a racket can be your greatest ally on court, while carelessly settling for a racket can turn it into your biggest enemy. Learn about the different properties of badminton rackets below to discover which racket is best suited for you!
If you're interested in other badminton products, I highly recommend checking out our Badminton Equipment page where we gathered all of our product posts in one easy place for you to access so that you can make an informed decision before any purchase.
Racket Properties
Balance
The balance of a racket is determined by finding the position on the shaft in which the racket remains stable and completely parallel to the ground. The distance between the base of the handle to this position on the shaft is called the balance point. The balance point is used to categorize the balance of a racket. Understanding the traits of different balances will allow you to select a racket that boosts your gameplay.
Balance Point
Balance
> 295mm
Head-Heavy
285 – 295mm
Even Balanced
< 285mm
Head-Light
How to Check the Balance of a Racket
Head-Heavy
A head-heavy racket has a balance point that is over 295mm. They are suitable for players who favor an attacking style of play. Players who are smash-happy, enjoy powerful shots or prefer the back-court can benefit from choosing head-heavy rackets, as it adds extra force behind their shots. However, with great power comes decreased racket movement. Since the weight is concentrated at the head of the racket, it becomes more difficult for the player to swing the racket head quickly. Therefore, those who use head-heavy rackets may find it difficult to react to fast shots or play a solid defensive game. As the control of head-heavy rackets takes more effort and practice to master, these rackets are recommended for experienced players vs. beginners. Beginners who lack the experience to manage head-heavy rackets can suffer shoulder injuries from misusage or apply stress to the wrist from attempting quick drives or defensive shots.
Pros: Generates powerful shots Cons: Decreased racket handling, Increased risk of injury if misused Recommended for: Attacking players, Back-court play
Head-Light
Head-light rackets observe a balance point typically below 285mm. With head-light rackets, speed is the name of the game. The lighter frame gives players the ability to steer the racket to their will with more ease. These rackets are characterized as being superior at executing shots at the net, blocking smashes, controlling the shuttle and enabling players to have quicker reaction times. Players who enjoy games filled with fast drive exchanges and speedy rallies should look into playing with a head-light racket. Head-light rackets are suggested for doubles games, defensive game play and front-court players. While head-light rackets enable players with great speed of the racket, they give up power in exchange for it. With less mass at the frame, head-light rackets have less momentum transferred from the swing to the shuttle, making it more difficult to produce explosive shots.
Pros: Greater control of the racket, Improves reaction speed Cons: Decreased explosive power Recommended for: Defensive and doubles players, Front-court and fast-paced play
Even Balanced
Even balanced rackets can be viewed as Jack of all Trades, as they are able to adequately execute all of the different shots. The balance point for even balanced rackets have a length between the range of 285-295mm. An even balanced racket allows you to blend the benefits of head-heavy/-light rackets while masking the drawbacks. It allows you to achieve precision in your shots while also giving you a degree of power. If you are a player who does not have a strong preference towards any particular play style, an even balanced racket would be a solid choice to support you in any situation you find yourself in on the court. Additionally, for beginners starting to play badminton, an even balanced racket can help you uncover your badminton play style. When you make the discovery on whether you are inclined to power-plays or speed-plays, you can switch to head-heavy or head-light rackets, respectively. The even balanced racket is sub-optimal for players looking for specialization, such as playing remarkably fast shots or supremely powerful smashes.
Pros: Capable of executing each shot well (though not exceptionally) Cons: No specialization towards either defensive or offensive extremes Recommended for: All around players, Beginners
Author's note: Instead of purchasing or borrowing a racket with a different balance point to try it out, there are home remedies that a player can take to modifying the balance of point of the racket. To make a racket more head-heavy, a player can add lead tape to the head of the racket. Whereas to make a racket more head-light, a player can experiment with adding different types of grips to the handle.
Weight
Per Badminton World Federation (BWF) guidelines, the weight of a badminton racket should not exceed 100g. Most rackets have it broken down as follows:
Unit
Weight
1U
95g – 99.9g
2U
90g – 94.9g
3U
85g – 89.9g
4U
80g – 84.9g
5U
75g – 79.9g
F
70g – 74.9g
Lighter weight rackets are easier to control and are more accommodating towards improper form or technique. They allow for quicker recovery from shots and fluid execution of a variety of shots. As such, lighter rackets are recommended for beginners.
Heavier rackets are able to generate bigger force at the cost of racket handling. As it takes more strength to move the racket, it can be an injury risk for players who are not equipped to use it properly. Beginners are not recommended to use heavy rackets when starting their badminton journey.
Grip
The grip of a racket is measured by the circumference of the handle. Typically rackets are made in G4 or G5 grip sizes. The table below details the grips and their respective sizes.
Unit
Grip Size
G1
4 in / 10.2 cm
G2
3.75 in / 9.5 cm
G3
3.5 in / 8.9 cm
G4
3.25 in / 8.3 cm
G5
3 in / 7.6 cm
G6
2.75 in / 7 cm
Badminton Grip
Smaller grips are recommended for players who enjoy keeping their opponents on their toes. They allow for a greater amount of racket manipulation and make it easier to make last second deceptions.
Bigger grips allow players to deliver power by using more of their arm rather than their finger and wrist strength. Power players tend to grip the handle tighter, making a bigger grip the more suitable choice.
If you are uncertain about the grip you should select, air on the side of a smaller grip. There is always the option to add overgrips to increase the size of your current grip. Read the following post we wrote to determine the right grip to complement your play style: The Complete Guide to Yonex Badminton Grips.
Flex
The flex (short for flexibility) of a racket refers to how stiff the shaft is. The stiffness of a racket's shaft influences the racket stroke and recovery time of a player and thus is an important point of consideration when choosing a racket. By definition, when a racket is stiff, it does not bend as far back as a flexible racket would during a swing. This property makes it so a stiffer racket will return faster to its base position than a less stiff racket would (with all else being equal), giving the player a smaller time period to exert force onto the shuttlecock. There is an excellent explanation of it in this forum post. While a stiffer racket recovers faster than a more flexible racket because of the decreased vibrations after a hit, it is more difficult to time shots. Flexible rackets are more lenient towards slower shuttle strikes but increases recovery time. This means that a player should use a stiffer racket if he/she can generate sufficient power very quickly and a more flexible racket if he/she takes more time to generate power.
The Victor Light Fighter Rackets
The badminton racket is a pivotal piece of equipment for any badminton player. It's why a lot of thought (and money) goes into selecting the right one. With so many options on the market today, you'll likely fall victim to paralysis-by-analysis. If you're in the market for your next badminton racket, one series to consider is the Victor Light Fighter series.
The Victor Light Fighter Series has four rackets in its lineup. Each of these rackets boasts lightness and aerodynamics. The characteristics of each Light Fighter racket each model an excellent selection for your next game.
Find out more about Victor's high-modulus graphite rackets in my latest post!
The Victor Light Fighter Series
The Light Fighter Series is Victor's ultra-light graphite line of badminton rackets. Each model in the series has a sublime marriage of flex and balance brought by the graphite shafting.
Each model also features Victor's signature Aero-Sword technologies seen in the Auraspeed line of rackets.
The Aero-Sword technology in the Victor Light Fighter Series gives users a racket with little to no drag. This shafting technology makes Light Fighter rackets some of the most aerodynamic on the market.
Because power and feedback are as crucial as speed, Victor uses Seven Six and Seven Two technologies in the racket heads. Seven Six and Seven Two technologies eliminate the string friction generated at the grommets during impact. These technologies add optimal rigidity to the racket's head, making for more accurate and powerful shots.
Power Box tech gives Light Fighter rackets extra durability. This durability also provides the rackets in the series with their uncanny stability. In short, tension or impact will do little to sever the head from the shaft, thanks to this tech.
Light Fighter Products
Each racket in the series has its unique strengths. The series has four rackets in the line-up:
Auraspeed Light Fighter 40 D
The Auraspeed Light Fighter 40 D features many of the technologies seen in the Auraspeed line. This racket features a head-heavy design that concentrates impact force upon contact. The catapult head design enables the racket to accumulate inertial force, making for a powerful strike.
Despite the head-heaviness of the 40 D, the graphite material and Sword technology ensure easy usage of the racket. The racket feels light to players, so the 40 D is perfect for various skill levels.
The Light Fighter 40 D's shaft is the stiffest of all rackets in the series. As a result, you'll be maximizing your force production with each strike. Of course, this can mean having to generate force as quickly as possible.
Due to its power optimizations and lightness, the 40 D is excellent for beginner to intermediate, attack-minded players.
If handling is at the top of your list of priorities, the Auraspeed Light Fighter 80 A is for you. The Auraspeed Light Fighter 80 A features an ultra-thin shaft and head-heavy design. The lightness provided by the racket's thinness and the head-heavy balance gives players the perfect blend of control and power.
The 80 A has Seven Six technology. Hence, the racket loses no power or tension at the head during a strike. The medium-grade flexibility of the shaft adds to the 80 A's superior handling qualities. The moderate flexibility allows players of various skill levels to use the racket.
The racket's flexibility can be a limitation of the 80 A. Players who generate power too quickly or slowly will not be able to maximize force production with this racket.
Nonetheless, the flex and head-heaviness of the racket make it perfect for powerful, attack-minded players. The qualities of the 80 A make it an excellent racket for all skill levels.
Like the 80 A, the Drive X Light Fighter 60 E is the epitome of control and handling. The 60 E helps players deliver consistent shots, thanks to the head's Seven Two technology.
Head-heavy and medium-flexible, the Drive X 60 E impresses users with its power. The flexibility of the racket facilitates accurate and lightning-fast returns. The head-heaviness creates the benefit of force production, allowing players to deliver powerful drives and smashes.
The 60 E is light in its construction, allowing players to wield the racket for many sets. The graphite shaft and Inner Wave technology make the 60 E durable.
Despite its aerodynamics and ultra-thin frame, the 60 E is the heaviest of all the rackets in the series. The weight may cause fatigue in players who haven't developed the upper body endurance to play long games.
Nevertheless, the control and handling delivered by the 60 E's construction make it an excellent all-around racket. It's an excellent option for beginners who are picking up the game. It's also an excellent pick for intermediate players zeroing in on their accuracy.
The Thruster Light Fighter 30 F is the most flexible of all rackets in the series. Besides flexibility, aerodynamics is a selling point of the 30 F. Due to the racket's high-modulus graphite construction and thinness, the racket glides through the air with each stroke.
The Power Box frame design gives the 30 F its stability and durability. Players will marvel at the amount of punishment the racket can take and dish out.
The flexibility of the 30 F makes it the perfect racket for those looking to maximize power output. However, the flexibility may not be a welcome feature for those who can already generate power from the get-go.
Go With a Light and Balanced Badminton Racket From the Light Fighter Series!
The Victor Light Fighter Series boasts excellent durability and aerodynamics. Besides these qualities, the Light Fighter Series gives players of all skill levels the ability to control shots and stay consistent with their power production.
Indeed, these rackets do have their unique selling points. Regardless, pick the one that favors your playing style!
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