Ok i have now tested the the Apacs Fusion Hotshots 7777 and 7778 badminton rackets. First impressions are that they are virtually identical in the way they play. The specs are the same, ie the weight, balance and stiffness, so as a result they are very very similar. The weight is 85g and the balance is even in both rackets. Both have an isometric head shape, and they do feel pretty light, so they are easy to swing around.
I would place them as a defensive/ net play kind of racket, because i found they were at their best at the front of the court. From the back i found they lacked a bit of power. They are fairly unforgiving from deep at the baseline. You have to put in the work to get the power. This is not to say you can't get power, but it takes more work to get it. These two rackets are begging for some lead tape on the handle, i reckon this would really transform them in the power stakes. I found no problems with control at the front of the court, and net shots and drop shots were sound and consistent. This was probably due to the higher tension (28lbs). This always helps control, and you can comfortably string these to 30lbs, which is the max recommended tension. All the previous Apacs badminton rackets have shown no problems at this tension, they can take it.
I would give the hotshots 7777 and 7778 the following...
POWER= 7/10
CONTROL= 8/10
QUALITY= 9/10
Don't know how much they will cost so i can't give you a value for money rating. If i was mr Apacs i would price them at about £40-£50. If i spent this amount on them i would have no problems, they are quality rackets, well made and i had no problems with them at all, quality and build wise. As always you can choose the tension and type of string at a nominal price. Apacs are a lot cheaper than the other online retailers are for stringing your racket. I have been using the Apacs string and i have yet to have one break in any of the rackets i have tested, and i have given them some stick. This is quite surprising because of the high tension.
The Apacs fusion hotshots are a decent choice, but the Tantrum power 160 was the best of the test rackets so far. I am still testing that one, but it is a hell of a lot better than the tantrum power 11 that i tested a few months ago, and i mean a lot better. I will post that review within the next week. If any of the Apacs guys are reading this, then don't forget the shoes? (HINT, HINT).
Monday 29 June 2009
Monday 15 June 2009
Latest Apacs Badminton Rackets
I have just received another batch of Apacs badminton rackets to test. They are..
1. Fusion Hotshots 7777
2. Fusion Hotshots 7778
3. Nano 7007 Power
4. Tantrum Power 160
All these rackets are strung at 28lbs tension with Apacs strings. These are not available on the Apacs website yet because they are for the new season, so i have a little bit of an advanced testing on my hands. I also do not know how much they are going to cost. This a good thing because my reviews will be be purely based on how good i think the rackets are. If you pay a lot for a racket it can sometimes sway your opinion. Most people believe that if something costs more then it must be better. This is not the case, as the nano 999 Power showed last month.
There are a few other Apacs rackets on sale at the website at the moment that i have not tried out, hopefully this will change.. The product listings are also growing nicely on the website as more stock comes in. Give it another year and there will soon be a whole lot more to choose from. From looking at the Apacs catalogue there appear to be loads of rackets on sale in the far east that have not hit the UK yet. However, they are slowly making there way here.
There is also a special offer on at the moment on the Apacs site, with delivery just 1p. There is also a £7 discount on the Aero Flight 700 shuttles. I tested these a good few months ago, and was very impressed with them. The price has gone up since then, which is a shame, but all shuttle prices have gone up a lot over the last year. I really need to find some cheap ahuttles that are decent quality. If some manufacturer can come up with something right now then they could make a killing. The holy grail is a budget shuttlecock that has quality and durability.
I will be testing the rackets over the next few weeks, so look out for the up coming posts as i give my verdict on them.
1. Fusion Hotshots 7777
2. Fusion Hotshots 7778
3. Nano 7007 Power
4. Tantrum Power 160
All these rackets are strung at 28lbs tension with Apacs strings. These are not available on the Apacs website yet because they are for the new season, so i have a little bit of an advanced testing on my hands. I also do not know how much they are going to cost. This a good thing because my reviews will be be purely based on how good i think the rackets are. If you pay a lot for a racket it can sometimes sway your opinion. Most people believe that if something costs more then it must be better. This is not the case, as the nano 999 Power showed last month.
There are a few other Apacs rackets on sale at the website at the moment that i have not tried out, hopefully this will change.. The product listings are also growing nicely on the website as more stock comes in. Give it another year and there will soon be a whole lot more to choose from. From looking at the Apacs catalogue there appear to be loads of rackets on sale in the far east that have not hit the UK yet. However, they are slowly making there way here.
There is also a special offer on at the moment on the Apacs site, with delivery just 1p. There is also a £7 discount on the Aero Flight 700 shuttles. I tested these a good few months ago, and was very impressed with them. The price has gone up since then, which is a shame, but all shuttle prices have gone up a lot over the last year. I really need to find some cheap ahuttles that are decent quality. If some manufacturer can come up with something right now then they could make a killing. The holy grail is a budget shuttlecock that has quality and durability.
I will be testing the rackets over the next few weeks, so look out for the up coming posts as i give my verdict on them.
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