Badminton Racket First Impressions: Yonex Duora 10
How did Yonex fare in what seems to be the first new racket innovation for a long while? The rumors were true - one racket, two faces, and a multitude of possibilities for a player eager to try something fresh.
The premise? A combustion of hot and cold; boxed frame versus sword shape; pure power over swiftness. The choice is yours - two distinctly colored faces help the player easily identify the characteristic of the racket to deploy.
I had an hour of singles play with the racket, with Yonex Nanogy 98 at 27lbs tension. How did it fare? Not spectacular I must say. Definitely a pale comparison to the lustrous advertising claims.
First off, the weight. For something that's endorsed by the famed Lee Chong Wei, I was surprised that it would be something I would find light. Add in the flexible shaft and you have a formula for a lacklustre time in the smashing department.
There was a visible lack of power when it came to clears and smashes, even with the added grommets at the top. The shaft didn't help either.
The control in the front of the net was good though, with the shuttle hugging the white straight as it crossed over. I had fun with the tight net shots, for sure. That feeling of control was replicated with the defensive shots.
Another shot I found liking is the backhand, which I totally give credit to the green side of the racket for. The shots came off crisp and fine, with good placement. I enjoyed it so much I decided to use teh green side as a primary to experience.
Who knows that having the green side as the main face actually made my game better! The smashes came off a little faster and sharper, and the clears were getting a little more distance. Perhaps the sword side leading the box frame is the winning formula for me.
This also means that the Duora 10 is a different racket to a different player. An exciting possibility. I intend to give the strings a little time to loosen up before I have a serious go at it. The light weight seems to suggest that it's more suited to the doubles game, and I do intend to give that a try as well.
For now the conclusion seems to lean on the weaker side - the racket's usefulness is as long as its novelty will last, and till then, most players will probably have a little enjoyment experimenting the two types of gameplay accorded with the two opposing frame shapes.
A gamble won? I bet to differ. And looking at Lee's poor showing in the Japan Open, he would agree as well.
Till the review.
First off, the weight. For something that's endorsed by the famed Lee Chong Wei, I was surprised that it would be something I would find light. Add in the flexible shaft and you have a formula for a lacklustre time in the smashing department.
There was a visible lack of power when it came to clears and smashes, even with the added grommets at the top. The shaft didn't help either.
The control in the front of the net was good though, with the shuttle hugging the white straight as it crossed over. I had fun with the tight net shots, for sure. That feeling of control was replicated with the defensive shots.
Another shot I found liking is the backhand, which I totally give credit to the green side of the racket for. The shots came off crisp and fine, with good placement. I enjoyed it so much I decided to use teh green side as a primary to experience.
Who knows that having the green side as the main face actually made my game better! The smashes came off a little faster and sharper, and the clears were getting a little more distance. Perhaps the sword side leading the box frame is the winning formula for me.
This also means that the Duora 10 is a different racket to a different player. An exciting possibility. I intend to give the strings a little time to loosen up before I have a serious go at it. The light weight seems to suggest that it's more suited to the doubles game, and I do intend to give that a try as well.
For now the conclusion seems to lean on the weaker side - the racket's usefulness is as long as its novelty will last, and till then, most players will probably have a little enjoyment experimenting the two types of gameplay accorded with the two opposing frame shapes.
A gamble won? I bet to differ. And looking at Lee's poor showing in the Japan Open, he would agree as well.
Till the review.
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