Yonex Arcsaber 8DX Review

Well, the Acrsaber 8DX caught my interest as it uses a bit of an ionic name, ie the 8DX, which as any older players know was the name of one of Yonex's most popular rackets. I used to play with an Cab 8dx many years ago, and it was a great racket at that time. I used to string it as tight as could be, and in time the actual head would deform and twist, but it still played just fine. So, to bring back the 8DX name for a completely different racket is a clever marketing ploy by Yonex.

The spec for this racket is as follows-

Flex:
Extra Stiff

Frame:
CS Carbon Nanotube
H.M. Graphite

Shaft:
Ultra PEF
H.M. Graphite

Weight/Grip size:
3U (85-89.9g) G3

Colour:
Copper Orange

The key point to note from this is the "extra stiff" flex. The balance is even by the way when you add an overgrip. I had BG65 string at 28lbs tension, which is just above the recommended tension. Yonex do appear to be moving with the times by recommending higher string tension, even though we all know you can string rackets much higher than they suggest.

First impression was that i noticed just how stiff the racket was. Clearing required quite a bit of effort, and the even balance, with little weight in the head added to the effort needed. This is not a "low work" racket at all. The head was pretty stable on impact, but in the same league as my Apacs lethal 70. So i was a bit disappointed to begin with. However, the way this racket is designed points to it being a more defensive racket, with an even balance and little head weight. Perhaps it would start to make sense around the net area, and for some fast flat rallies. Wrong again, i had trouble getting a good length on smash returns, i really had to force things to get a good length, and this was suprising to say the least. Power wise, the 8DX needs more force, so it is not the best racket for those who enjoy smashing all day. The extra stiff flex will eventually make your arm ache. So, it is not the best for power, it is hard work to clear the shuttle, it takes more force to get a good length on smash returns, so the question is, what exactly is this racket for? I don't really know is the answer. It is a huge disappointment in my eyes, and just a clever marketing exercise from Yonex to sell a few more rackets. For the price tag, i was expecting a lot more.

I am sure many will disagree, and say the 8DX is the best thing since sliced bread, and that it has loads of power and so on, but for me it didn't live up to expectations. I mean if you have an extra stiff racket with an almost head light balance, then it will always be lacking in power unless the technology is out of this world. This then means it should be better around the net and for defensive shots, but it didn't perform here either.

The 8DX name will still be remembered, just not for this racket in my opinion.