Yonex have been trying for a few years now to consolidate their badminton racquets ranges, whilst keeping happy the legacy Nanospeed and Armortec users. 2013, saw the introduction of the Arcaber 11, another hybrid racquet trying to find its niche for players.
We take a look at it now...
When I first saw the racquet I thought it was a new Li Ning racquet because of the colours. But on closer inspection you can clearly tell its got the flashes and twists of Yonex designers. Despite using the tried and tested reds and whites, somehow the use of metallic graphics keep it looking fresh. Players will know they are holding somehow higher up the pecking order in Yonex's range. The Racquet comes in the usual ArcSaber full length bag, which as regular readers will know, is a fav of mine. Out the factory it comes in BG65Ti string which has excellent feel and longevity; extreme players can crank up the tension with confidence with this string. Yonex reckon the racquet can be strung to 24lbs, but the frame looks like it will easily take higher.
The Arcsaber 11 uses a new Yonex developed alloy called 'Sonic Metal', which first debuted in the Yonex *****. The Arcsaber 11 has a thin and stiff shaft aiding to its aerodynamic fast swing to obtain power.
I'm going to try and include a comparison between this and Arcsaber 10 in this review as I'm sure more players thinking one of the two will probably have the dilemma of which one to go for.
POWER!
With the stiff shaft and being more balanced than the voltric racuqets, the Arcsaber 11 relies on your arm swing and muscular strength if you want to get mind-bending smashes. While the slightly head heaviness does give you some extra oomph, players who love that ping and swoosh when the smash on the spot may want to look elsewhere. I was slightly disappointed by its raw smashing ability.
Smooth Sailing
Clears to the back of the court are effortless and more importantly accurate. I felt like I could hit to any corner I wanted with relative accuracy to the line. Very reassuring in instilling confidence and one of the things I disliked about the ArcSaber 10 is the lack of feel.
DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT
The feedback from this racquet means you get a very good idea of measuring out power. Net drops are sweetly placed and for more adventurous players, you can often dummy the shot because of the maneuverability of this racquet.
DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT
The feedback from this racquet means you get a very good idea of measuring out power. Net drops are sweetly placed and for more adventurous players, you can often dummy the shot because of the maneuverability of this racquet.
CONCLUSION
The Arcsaber 11 is the very epitome of the Arcsaber range. i.e. a racquet that is meant to do everything well. The Arcsaber 11 does exactly this and also leans towards the player looking for extra power.
The Arcsaber 11 sits on top of the Arcsaber range (Edit: Yonex have since launched new racquets to blend the range) and with good reason. It tries to be a jack of all trades, and being very good at power, speed and maneuverability.
For that reason, you could even justify the £175 RRP (edit: online retailers are doing it for £150 05/10/2013) making it even better value.
Would I want this racquet in my kitbag, YES, the Arcsaber 11 is an awesome bit of kit, only let down by its affordability.