Yehlex Badminton Rackets

In the previous post i talked about Fleet, so now i want to talk about Yehlex badminton rackets. As you know, Yehlex falls under the Fleet umbrella, as one of their five trading names, however the rackets are different, although very similarly priced. Rememeber they are all made in the same factory in Tiawan. Yehlex and Fleet are the original product lines, and where there from the very beginning, in 1985. Now i have to admit, i have never used any of the Yehlex models, i always used Fleet, and that was because i got good deals on them, it could just as easily have been Yehlex though. There does not seem to be much difference between the two, apart from the name.

There are eight rackets in the range to choose from, and the entry level model is the Yehlex YX2000. This is marketed as an ideal starter/club player racket. It has a flexible rating, which most starter level bats have. This is to give a little more power to your shots. The weight is 86-90g, and it has a normal head shape, as well as being a full one piece carbon graphite model, not bad for an entry level. It also comes pre strung with Yehlex titanium string at 24lbs tension. All this for just £27, this looks like a decent price for a beginner to learn the game, and not spend a fortune.

Next up is the Yehlex YX5000 Nano, which as you can tell from the name, has nano technology in it. It weighs 86-90g and has a medium flex rating, with a conventional head shape, or classic, they both mean the same thing. It also has a wide body frame, and is made from ultra high modulus graphite and nano carbon. You can customize your stringing for a little bit extra, and the recommended stringing tension is 21-26lbs. Price is £45 for this one, so it is quite a jump in cost from the YX2000, but then again it has a lot more technology in it.

The Yehlex YX55 Nano is next, and is specially designed for the ladies, mainly because it is light, at 81grams. Made with nano technology and a flexible rating. It has a slim shaft and an isometric head shape. It also has a pretty colour scheme, as this is what ladies like! You can string this racket to 29lbs and there is a choice of strings from Yonex and Ashaway. The flexible rating and isometric head will give a bit extra power, however, the light weight will take this away. The price is £55.

The Yehlex YX6105 is the next in the range, and it is bit heavier at 86g, with the isometric head and stiffer flex. It comes pre strung ith Yonex BG65 Ti as standard, so you are getting a good quality racket string here. Again, it has nano technology, and the cost is £50. It also has a fancy design, with electro plated colour schemes to add a little glamour to your game if your into that kind of thing.

Next is the Yehlex YX6106, and is the same as the YX6105, but has a platinum black colour scheme. The price is also £50.

The Yehlex YX7 is a new racket for the 2007-08 season. There is more technology in this, with an isometric MP head shape. I have a feeling that MP stands for "muscle power", which of course is part of the Yonex technology. There is also kevlar woven into the shaft, but what this does i am not sure. Yehlex do though as they say it increases head speed and stability. Max string tension is 30lbs, so the head can take the pain. Price is £55.

The Yehlex YX99 is up next which has a much stiffer shaft than the others in this range. The weight is 86-90g with the isometric head shape again. The stringing tension is up to 32lbs, which is about as high as anything i have seen. Get ready for shoulder problems at this tension, and a racket re-string every other day. The price is £65.

The top of the range Yehlex badminton racket is th YXQ, which stands for quad power, and this allows for an 88 point stringing system which produces more power. The balance is head heavy, and the flex is stiff, so this is aimed at advanced players, who can get the most out of this racket. Price is £70, which is pretty expensive, and is on a par with the main big hitters in the badminton equipment world, except Yonex of course, who are in a whole price league of their own creation.

My view is that Yehlex are testing the market with the YXQ at this price, just too see if it sells. If it does sell it will stay at this price, but i have a feeling it will not be too long before there is a buy one get one free offer. You see this all the time at the badminton stores, if a racket has not sold well it will go on offer at a knock down price. The stores need to get rid of the stock before the new models come out, of course they all wish they could sell them at the highest price, but life isn't like that for retailers, there is fierce competition out there. But because of this very fact, we badminton players can get our hands on cheap deals all year round, but especially when a new range is being launched.

The exception seems to be Yonex. You will find it difficult to find cheap Yonex deals anywhere on the internet, or if there are, there is not much of a discount to be had. I am not sure why, because there is no way that Yonex can sell all their rackets all of time. Perhaps Yonex have put a minimum price on all their equipment, to stop a free for all.

Yehlex have a solid reputation so far, for producing affordable, quality gear, and i would recommend you give them a try.