Badminton Racket Review- Apacs Nanopower 8000

The next badminton racket on review is the Apacs Nanopwer 8000, which is new to the UK and as yet is not on sale at the Apacs website, so this is a little bit of a secret test so to speak. I am guessing it is based on the nanospeed 8000 from Yonex. First of all there is no spec for it, so i am going to give you my best estimate as to what i think the spec is.

The weight is around a 4U, it really does feel light indeed, and the balance is even, but when you add the overgrip, which almost everyone does, it becomes head light, much like the nanospeed series are. The grip is certainly G2, ie very small diameter. Of course this will increase when the overgrip is added as well.

Maximum stringing tension is 30lbs, just like the Edgesaber rackets are, which is good news because the frame must be able to take this tension, so it will be strong. The string in here is an Apacs 0.66mm.

First impression is that this is very easy to swing with due to it's light weight. You do get a very solid feel when you hit the shuttlecock, it feels different to the edgesabers in that there is not as much feedback, but this is replaced with a solid contact feel. Both are equally as good to me, they just take a bit of getting used to. The shaft is very slim, which is designed to help you swing this racket faster through the air and increase the swing speed. Well, it felt about the same as both of the edgesaber's did to me, and the 4U weight made it travel through the air quicker as well.

The trade off with this is that you don't get the same power as you would with a heavier model, it's the laws of physics coming into play, and so if you are a touch player or a defensive player then this racket will be more suited to you, simply because it is light and has a more even balance.

You can get power out of the nanopower because it does give a solid feel when you hit the shuttle, but as always it is down to your technique. The nanopower does have a stiff flex, and so there is added control to shots. I had no problem controlling the shuttlecock, and the racquet head is very stable through contact, even more so than the edgesaber's.

The string tension in the nanopower 8000 i tested was around 25lbs, which is a fairly average tension for most players, and the frame coped with this no problem at all. This tension is a combination between power and control, it's not too tight to wreck your arm after two hours, which is one of my main concerns, but you just will not have maximum control, like you will with high tension. So there is a trade off, and it all depends on how you like it, or if you can adjust your game to get used to it.

I would have it strung a little tighter, but not much, so it didn't take long to get used to it. I would say that the nanopwer is a very capable badminton racket, you would not be dissapointed if you like the feel of a top end modern racket with the stiff flex and head light balance.

My rating for power would be an 8/10, it is very easy to swing through the air and increase your swing speed with the nanopower 8000. If it had a bit more weight it would have got an 8.5/10.

Control is also very good, i would rate it as an 8.5/10 because it has such a solid feel when you hit it just right. You get the rewards when you use it right.

Value for money? Err... there is no price yet for this racket, i guess we will have to wait and see. I would expect it to be around the same price as the edgesabers, there is nano technology and high modulus graphite in it, and it doesn't usually come cheap.

Overall rating is an 8/10, certainly a very well made, quality racket, i enjoyed testing it, more suited to all round play/ defensive, but aimed at more experienced players due to the stiff shaft. Put it this way, this badminton racket will probably be half the price of the Yonex nanospeed 8000, and after testing it, there is not much difference between the two.