Hello, and welcome to the review of the Yonex Arcsaber i-Slash.
The Arcsaber range has been with us for sometime now and while some predict its demise with the Voltric and NanoRay series, Yonex wanted to blur the lines even more and perhaps leave us with a swan song for the Arcsaber series? The Armortec range made its name for its hard hitting aggressive style. The Arcaber range added a touch of finesse and control to Yonex's lineup, this trend now continued by the Votlric series.
The i-Slash blurs the lines even more. Being a top-end racquet it is aimed and priced accordingly at professionals and those who take the game seriously.
As tested, this racquet costs £155. My thanks to United Sports in Gants Hill for letting me borrow and test this one.
As to be expected it comes in a full length bag and some retailers are even doing deals for free large training bags included when purchasing this racquet. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think the included Arcsaber bags are one of the nicest looking and well stitched together bags Yonex have ever produced.
The i-Slash comes in an all too familiar black, red and flashes of white livery which reminded me of the Armortec 900. The aesthetics while thouroughly modern doesn't stand out too much, if you like to be more discrete about the abilities of your weapon of choice.
It comes factory string with my favourite BG65-Ti string. The even balance and thin frame of the Arcsaber i-Slash gives it good aerdynamic qualities allowing it to be manouvered with ease. Clears to the bag of the court were easy enough and well directed. Returning defensive shots felt natural, but players have a little more to do than just stick a racquet out; that is bad technique anyway. The stiff frame means players need to direct a swing to get the best defensive play.
One thing I felt was really evident was that this racquet has very little natural power. What I mean by the that is players will have to generate most of smashing ability through their arm strength and technique rather than this racquet covering their abilities. Offensive play is not this racquets strong suit at all.
Should I buy this racquet then?
If you ask my opinion, No. The Arcsaber range is dying breed to be superseded by the Voltric series. It would be a different answer if this racquet was half the price. The lacking of power for a racquet labelled under the Arcsaber brand is a killer for me.
The Yonex i-Slash is not the swan song I had hoped for for the Arcsaber series, but I'm sure Yonex have many more surprises for us in the future.
Happy playing everyone!
The Arcsaber range has been with us for sometime now and while some predict its demise with the Voltric and NanoRay series, Yonex wanted to blur the lines even more and perhaps leave us with a swan song for the Arcsaber series? The Armortec range made its name for its hard hitting aggressive style. The Arcaber range added a touch of finesse and control to Yonex's lineup, this trend now continued by the Votlric series.
The i-Slash blurs the lines even more. Being a top-end racquet it is aimed and priced accordingly at professionals and those who take the game seriously.
As tested, this racquet costs £155. My thanks to United Sports in Gants Hill for letting me borrow and test this one.
As to be expected it comes in a full length bag and some retailers are even doing deals for free large training bags included when purchasing this racquet. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think the included Arcsaber bags are one of the nicest looking and well stitched together bags Yonex have ever produced.
The i-Slash comes in an all too familiar black, red and flashes of white livery which reminded me of the Armortec 900. The aesthetics while thouroughly modern doesn't stand out too much, if you like to be more discrete about the abilities of your weapon of choice.
It comes factory string with my favourite BG65-Ti string. The even balance and thin frame of the Arcsaber i-Slash gives it good aerdynamic qualities allowing it to be manouvered with ease. Clears to the bag of the court were easy enough and well directed. Returning defensive shots felt natural, but players have a little more to do than just stick a racquet out; that is bad technique anyway. The stiff frame means players need to direct a swing to get the best defensive play.
One thing I felt was really evident was that this racquet has very little natural power. What I mean by the that is players will have to generate most of smashing ability through their arm strength and technique rather than this racquet covering their abilities. Offensive play is not this racquets strong suit at all.
Should I buy this racquet then?
If you ask my opinion, No. The Arcsaber range is dying breed to be superseded by the Voltric series. It would be a different answer if this racquet was half the price. The lacking of power for a racquet labelled under the Arcsaber brand is a killer for me.
The Yonex i-Slash is not the swan song I had hoped for for the Arcsaber series, but I'm sure Yonex have many more surprises for us in the future.
Happy playing everyone!