NO.1 Badminton review site

Using the 3UG5.
Partly because I'm a doubles player who emphasizes repulsion, but it's a racket I'd like players with a similar style to try at least once. I also recommend it to those who were originally rear-court power types but want to strengthen their front-court play and receiving from now on.

Balance:
The head is so light it's no exaggeration to call it super head-light. However, since it's 3U, you feel a little weight overall (at the handle). The balance is good, so maneuverability is excellent.

Repulsion:
It's incredibly springy. Drives and receives can be driven in sharply. Cut shots are also easy to hit and drop sharply, so even with neutral shots you can force your opponent to return from an awkward position.

Power:
With a racket like this, it's only natural to think it might be hard to get the feeling of pushing the shuttle out or to hit powerful shots.. But this racket has the shaft's core running all the way through to the grip end, so naturally it generates quite a lot of power too. Of course, unless you're confident in your swing speed, combined with the head-light balance, the shaft won't flex and I don't think you'll be able to generate power...

My grip strength is over 70 kg and I'm confident in my arm strength, but since I started badminton as a senior, my arm swing is clumsy and my head speed is slow, so I usually chose 4U rackets as my main ones. Normally I used 4U rackets with even balance or slightly head-heavy, but my hitting point was too high and I couldn't shake the habit of forcing the angle with my wrist, so I'd never been able to hit a smash that goes down steeply, so I took the plunge and tried a head-light racket.
Since I switched to a 3U that's 5 g heavier, I thought my swing speed would be slower than before and I'd only be able to hit light shots, but it was very easy to swing, I could feel the racket head whip through, and being able to hit in front of my body, I became able to hit shots that spring off the strings, like throwing a ball, without swinging all out. For the first time, I could hit smashes with a non-jumping half smash from behind mid-court that dropped around the opponent's service line, and receiving became much easier. What I bought is the later model with the camouflage pattern that uses Silk Skin and other features. I keep 2 strung at different tensions in my bag, and I bought 1 more for home in case one breaks.

The shaft is a bit stiff, and it clearly feels like a racket for intermediate players and above. That said, I also found it easy to control once I got used to it. It's relatively light, so fast-paced play and skillful finesse shots are possible. The grip fits nicely in the hand.

It looks unusual, so people often asked me what brand it was, but it is plenty easy to use and easy to control. Doubles is all about covering for each other, and it proved effective in all kinds of situations. This model is characterized by how well the grip fits. It is easy to control during rallies.

This is the WILSON BLAZE SX8000J, and it really proved itself in doubles matches. At first, people said it was unusual and asked what brand it was, but even with the footwork and racket handling positions unique to doubles, it was plenty easy to use and easy to control. Doubles is also about covering for each other, so I experienced its benefits in all sorts of situations.

The grip fits nicely in the hand, and my impression is that it makes control easier during fast rallies. You can feel the smash impact right through your arm, so I'd say it's a racket with high all-around performance, starting with maneuverability.