- Yonex Nanospeed 9900
If you already play with a “head light” racquet like the Yonex Nanospeed series, then I suspect the transition to the 9900 will be a doddle.
Currently I play with Armortec 900 Power, a very different racquet with slightly more weight in the head. Because of this, I found the Nanospeed 9900 hard to get used to.
I suspect my test was slightly unfair as the racquets were strung at completely different tensions. My Armortec 900 Power is strung at 22lbs, whereas the Nanospeed 9900 was factory strung. This certainly made a difference with net shots as the shuttle didn’t have the same response off the strings compared to my higher strung racquet. That said, the racquet was very responsive at the net area because of its light head and I soon found that I could move the racquet that little bit quicker. I just adapted my technique to compensate for the difference in string tension.
This racquet is certainly no lightweight when delivering power from the back of the court. It took a minute or two to adjust my timing because of the weight difference. Once I made the adjustment, the racquet delivered every time, although I would have liked the extra string tension.
All Yonex top of the range racquets have a stiff shaft. It’s a personal preference whether this suits your game. Over the years I’ve seen many league players opt for the top of the range racquet with the stiff shaft when they don’t have the power to get the best from the racquet. Egos aside, they would certainly have benefitted far more by choosing a shaft with a medium rating, therefore allowing the racquet to provide additional power for them.
As you would expect with Yonex racquets, you’re buying quality and a nice looking racquet too. Yonex have certainly improved the “look” of all their racquets over the years. The difficulty for most players, me included, is deciding which racquet to choose. My advice to you is to find a dealer with demo racquets which I appreciate is not easy as there are only a few in the country (BWS Sports in Bury, Lancashire is very good for providing this service to local players). Test as many racquets as you can within your budget. It’s a process of elimination. Hopefully you’ll not be in the same situation as me when I really struggled to decide from 3 racquets!
I was recently talking to a scientist who specialises in polymers. He confirmed that what Yonex is doing with carbon fibre and nano science etc is absolutely true – certainly no marketing hype. The frame construction is such that, depending on the “mix” your could actually have a frame that is considerably lighter but up to 600 times stronger! I don’t we’ve heard the last of this particular frame construction and it will be interesting to see where Yonex takes this in the future.
In summary, the Yonex Nanospeed 9900 is a very good racquet. The technology behind this racquet has created a very strong but light head delivering tremendous speed and power. At RRP £170 it’s the most expensive racquet in the Yonex range alongside Arcsaber 10. Is it worth it? Only you can decide. If it helps you improve your game, then it’s a good investment. Try one today and let me know your findings.
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Just recently bought the NS9900 racquet and tested it on Saturday. Same as u, am actually using the AT900P racquet as well and its a really good racquet i must say. The performance on the NS9900 is as what u have describe..fast and good for net shots bt as for smashing, i still think the AT900P performs way better. Overall, its a good racquet and glad i bought it, no regrets. String tension on the NS9900 is 26lbs and for my AT900P is at 27lbs.
Hi Paul, I just bought myself a NS9900 just 3 weeks ago, strung it to 23 lbs with BG80 strings. Tonight something happened, i miss hit the shuttle and it bounced off the rim of the racquet head, and i continued playing, after 5 mins i realized that i had less power !! so i checked my racquet.. and i found that there was this crack line.. from under the head of the rim.. the earth-quake crack is diagonal.. omg im very very very sad
pls is there anything i can do ?
Hi Sam
If your racket was strung correctly with 2 piece stringing and there is no sign of a collision with another racket, then i would return the racket to the retailer I purchased from requesting they return it to Yonex. It would help the retailer if you wrote a history of the racket from when you bought it. Things like how often you played, string tension, what happened on the night it broke. In other words, give them the story.
It will then be up to Yonex to analyse the racket and decide whether there was a fault and whether they would replace it free of charge.
That’s all I can suggest. For every one genuine case like yours I’ve seen lots of broken rackets that have had collisions.
Please let me know how you get on.
Hopefully, you’ll win the Nano 9900 I’m offering to sign up for my secret and then the pain won’t be so bad!
To your success
Paul
Paul,
I feel very paranoid at sending in my racquet once more to the retailer, it was because last year i sent my racquet back to Yonex which was the Muscle Power SP 45, similar thing happened but it happened on the middle part, which that was due to racquet collision. Guess what !? they haven’t replied me 
I was wondering if u had free time maybe u could do a review on another fav racquet which i’m using now the NS9000 X/S , i will register myself asap to your secret ! keep up the work Paul.
Thank you for your advice and kind words Paul. I couldn’t sleep till 5am Malaysian time last night. Hahaha how silly !!
Thanks a million times again ! for allocating your time here on this blog to help people like us ! U R THE BEST !!!
Sam
You have a genuine case to take your racket to the retailer. If you have a collision, then there’s no chance of getting a new racket. But this isn’t the case with your racket.
NS9000 is not sold in UK anymore so sadly I am unable to test one in order to write a review. I have played with one quite some time ago and from distant memory it was a nice racket, a bit heavier in the head compared to NS9900 but only marginally. So, I would expect it to be fast in defence and around the net. I’m not sure how much power you get, but that really depends on the player.
Hope this helps
Paul
Hello paul,
i’m playing badminton from age 10 nd my uncle taught me playing.i’ve been using normal light racquets.now,as i played 10 years,i understand tht i have to change my racquet.i’m teen girl,nd gonna go to medical.i havn’t done any pro training,bt i can play well. I have prblem choosing right racquet.i’m right handed.with my normal one,i have to strike much powerfully to take shuttle to other side..bt,i feel tht those strike doesn’t need tht much smash to send to other. Tht’s y i have to find a suitable one..i have money,nd can afford any racquet. Jst need 2 find.i play social nd women club.my uncle says,i can smash shuttle medium powerfully,nd said it’s okay 4 ths age. So,i like 2 play power strike shots,defence shots,back hand stroke etc…i want a racquet which wil generate tht much power i give in tht strike,nt too heavy(i’m 5ft4,52 kg) head light,nd small grip..nd,my footwork is speedy..i got stuck with ns9900,at600,mp99…do u think i’l suit these 3?as u have soo much experience,u tell me.if u need more detail abt me,i can give..i can’t give trial of racquets cz i’m from bangladesh. Plz,paul,help me…i’ll wait!:-D
best wishes
lamia
Lamia
You’ve got three good racquets. You may find that you need to consider changing the string tension to get more from the racquets, but you certainly have a good collection. What tensions do you have in your racquets now?
Paul
And forgot to tell one more thing:
as in one of your reviews(which are awesome!),u said abt aerosensa shuttles. U said to buy aero30 and give tryout to test.bt,as i can’t give every shuttle a test,can u jst make it easier,which shuttle wil give me the perfect shot nd speed?durability is nt tht much important,quality is..plz,paul,solve my problem…
Thanks
No no…i dnt have them…i’m choosing among those…nd,my old racquets string tension is bit loose,whn i press,it get down 1cm..nd,body nt strong..judging my play,nd body measurement,my uncle said i can’t use headweight racquet. Do u think same?as i produce med-power by hand,i want tht i can make power smash..i do ur grip nd wrist exercise..i played with flex shaft racquet in club,nd i dnt like tht.then,can u tell me which model wil suit me?as u said,powerful player dnt need flex shaft,y u use nano9900?it’s headlight,ur old at900p is headweight, so,u need more power to strike frm end line,dnt u? u can suggest out of those 3 i wrote.,i need ur special suggestion…plz,jst tell me which one i shud buy?sometime,whn i strike hard,i get muscle sprain,i wanna get rid of tht,so,i need racquet tht wil generate some extra power with my shot..oh! I talk much..just judge my capability,nd suggest me any,cz only u have best knowledge
thank u 4 reply
lamia
Lamia
What I can’t do is choose a racquet for you as I haven’t seen you play and would need to discuss what your likes and dislikes are in a racquet.
As you say, you’re not really liking a flexible shaft so perhaps try medium flex like Arcsaber 7 or AT600. I’m not convinced Nano9900 is going to help you generate more power, but it may do.
All I can suggest is that you test or borrow these racquets wherever possible and rule out the ones you don’t like.
I understand Yonex may be stopping the manufacture of Armortec series so perhaps it’s better to concentrate on the better racquets that may remain such as Arcsabers.
By the way, are you playing singles, doubles and/or mixed doubles?
Paul
Hello paul
thanks 4 ur comment. U r helping me so so much..Yes,i applied ur suggestions nd chose racket. Nanospeed 850.bt,
i read ths tht,lower string tension(18lb-20lb) create more power,bt high tension create more control and feel of shot.is it true?my currnt one(chinese) string tension 19lb,bt i dnt knw the shaft stiffness..ths creating prb to choose racket.it dnt bend,aluminium alloy(i evn stood on shaft,ddnt change shape)so,can u tel me my shaft type??a site wrote tht,if i mix extra stiff racket and low tension(19lb),,i’l get best use in every style play..is it true?i dnt think so…i’m not pro,so,plz tell it as i’m intermidiate player nd good in defence nd wrist action.hope ths helps
plz reply
thanks
Lamia
If you’re good in defence and have a good wrist action then that’s a good start.
What I usually suggest for any player is that you play with a few racquets and find the one you like best. Once you improve your standard, you may decide you’ve outgrown the racquet and need to change to something different e.g. flexible shaft to stiff shaft.
Choosing string tension is as difficult as choosing a racquet. You need to test, which can be expensive. So if you like 19lbs, next time try 20lbs and continue to increase until you find your best performing combination. So a tension that gives you plenty of power and control is the right one for you.
What I can’t do is say that you should get a particular racquet and string tension. I can only act as guide – ultimately you are the player that knows how a racquet or string tension feel to you. It’s either good or bad and that will help shape decisions in the future.
To your success
Paul
And,i prefer playing single…bt,i played mixed single with my uncle,nd i beat him!! He plays in club
Thank you,paul…i chose mine..ns 850…i’m playing now with 20lb tension..xtra stiff shaft(my oldy one was xtra stiff,i took tht to shop,nd an advanced playr said it’s xtra stiff)..so,as i’m used to play with xtra stiff,i chose not to go lower..new one is much light nd felt good. Now,jst played a game,,checked ur reply…tooo much good performance than i used to…i’m in love with my racket…my arm paining a bit,bt it happens when i play aftr long gap..i’m playing aftr 1.5 years…so,it’s nt great prblem,isn’t it??
Dear Paul
i don’t know whether u know this, a new arcsaber 008 model came to market..it is within £82(a authorised by yonex site)..so,much less price nd affordable in arcsaber series..did u try it? I want to buy another racket,nd wanna buy it…if u can give a small review,i’l b helped a lot…as all arcsaber performs good almost in every point,so if u can just review about shaft,tension,weight,swing speed,string it’l help me lot…
I’l wait for ur great help
lamia
Lamia
I am aware about Arcsaber 008. I haven’t tested it yet as it depends whether the retailer I work it decides to order it.
All I know for now is that it has a stiff shaft. It will play different to your Nano850. Why do you want another racquet that is completely different to your new one?
To your success.
Paul
For my sister…her birthday coming..she plays v good at her age..wanted to give good one..she has mp21…she thinks she should change to stiff racket,tht’s y…she’s good like me,bt she dnt like xtra stiff..so,should i give her that?
Lamia
Why not let her try it first and see if she likes it?
Paul
She likes that…bt,she told me to ask you..arcsaber series are for advanced players,bt she found it friendly to her…tht’s y she’s confused to buy it…then,should i give her?
Hello there Paul,
I’ve been routed to your page quite a few times, so I decided to eventually register to ask you a question.
I’m currently using the NS9900 (I have two) and it also happens to be my first racket I’ve had. I play 6 times a week in clubs and drop-ins at Badminton Centers. I’m rather “new” to the sport (started 6-7 months ago), but since I play quite a lot I suppose I’ve “caught up” rather quickly.
I’ve never had a coach but I’m thinking of getting one this summer to train with and improve my skills.
However, here’s my question. I’ve always been a defensive player, I’m not a person who likes to play offence and smashing. I’ve always liked tactical shots that require finesse and a good touch, which was my reason for choosing the NS9900 in the first place. However, more recently when I started playing more games, I’ve realized that I’ve been smashing much more than I’m used to. Some of my friends at the club say my smashes are quite powerful, but I think it’s just quite average. Now I’m wondering, after looking at the Voltric 80, if perhaps that may be a better racket for me. I’m not particularly looking to change rackets at all, since I love my NS9900. But I’ve been so obsessed with the sport, I never really stopped to think that I’ve actually never tried anything else before!!
In your honest opinion, what do you think would happen if I picked up a Voltric 80? As in advantages and disadvantages. What would I be losing from using that racket instead of my NS9900?
Also, if there are any other racket recommendations you would have, that would be great.
Shou
You’ve asked a very good question.
Playing a defensive game is high risk these days. Badminton is an attacking game and as such, you need a good attack. Against good opponents you will not win playing defensively. So, whilst NS9900 is a good defensive racquet, you are now finding it may lack something to be a very good attacking racquet.
Voltric 70 and 80 could solve your problem here, however, only you will know by borrowing a fellow players racquet and seeing if it works for you. I know VT80 was a revelation for me when I tested it and has been for many other players too. However, we are all different and that’s why I cannot recommend whether the racquet will suit you or not.
Both VT70 and 80 are very fast but I wouldn’t consider them quite as fast as NS9900. However, with the right training, you could be very quick with these racquets (see my armchair exercises videos).
Sorry I can’t hep further than my comments above and reviews you’ve already read. It really is a matter for testing and feeling for yourself whether feels good or not.
Let me know what you choose.
To your success.
Paul
I see. Are there any other rackets you would suggest besides the Voltric?
And yes, you were definitely right. I mainly play doubles as my endurance isn’t as good as it’s used to. The NS9900 is a very good racket for that as I love to drop. But recently a few players have challenged me to play singles (which I’ve never played before) and I’ve noticed that I need more “point enders” and that dragging the game on would be in my disfavour, seeing as my endurance is bad as it is. The players I play singles with are able to get my Smashes back most of the time, and it gets somewhat frustrating sometimes.
And as I’ve been in Canada for the last few months and am probably going to do my training when I get back to China, I thought I’d leave my gear here and perhaps pick up a new racket over there.
Problem about trying a Voltric over here is… well… to be frank, I haven’t even heard of the Voltric until someone from Hong Kong called me to ask me about what type of Shuttles I wanted them to bring me and they asked me what racket I used and said that the Sales Clerk was showing her the newest “Voltric 80″, in which I stumbled back to your site again, haha. I’ve mainly seen Arc Sabers and NanoSpeeds in my club and was originally considering an Arc Saber 10, but then I saw the Voltric.
Hello Paul,
I am a recreational player and do make it a point to play badminton daily almost for 2 hours(mostly singles).I’ve bought a new NS9900 recently and have got it strung to 25lbs (BG65)(as per the advice of the person who did its stringing).We play using Mavis 500 plastic shuttles.The thing is that i find that the racquet just does not offer enough power for lifts to the back court as well as the toss shots while playing in the above said conditions.I guess the tension is too high for me(formerly i used to play using NS4500 at about 22lbs). However the control over the shots that the racquet offers is amazing and so are the snap-style half smashes.So do you think the problem has to do something with the tension?Also i need to know whether such high tensions(beyond the recommended maximum)could cause any damage to the racquet?
Have a good day!
Stringing beyond the recommended tension invalidates your warranty. Many players do it, especially the professionals although if they break a frame, they generally get a free replacement.
The fact you are playing with plastic shuttles suggests a lower tension will be better. I say this having strung racquets for over 20 years and seen so many players struggle with tight strings because they thought they would get more power. The truth is you get more control with higher tension but not necessarily more power.
Also, you’ve moved from a medium flex racquet to very stiff and therefore some adjustment must be made here too.
What you have done is get a completely different racquet and changed your tension at the same time. Consequently, you are going to get completely different results from the racquet.
It may be best to drop your tension to 23lbs and get used to the racquet or persist with it as the tension will be dropping anyway. But, you may need to be a little patient before you get some of your old game back.
To your success
Paul
Paul,
Thanks a lot for a prompt reply.I would definitely consider stringing of my racquet to 23lbs.Just wanted to know if the string matter?Rather how do the series of strings offered by Yonex differ from each other?Which string (and corresponding tension if needed)do you suggest for my racquet -given the conditions I play?
Have a great day!
Hey Paul, Ive been using yonex nanospeed 9000 for quite a while and strung it to 22lbs. Ive been used to playing an offensive game with other rackets but this one tends to fail my expectations. I dont know if it has something to do with the tension of it or just the racket itself. I found it hard to place the shuttlecock at the far side of the opponents court. It requires too much power out of me. can you recommend anything that could help my game?
Thanks in advance…….
This is a tough question to answer because i need more information.
Are you playing with plastic or feather shuttles? Have you tested other tensions to see if that makes a difference? Have you tested other racquets to see whether this helps your game? Have you seen a coach to check out your technique?
It could be that you need a racquet with different characteristics than NS9000. Perhaps you need a even balance or head heavy racquet with medium flex to get the job done. i honestly can’t say. Only testing will help you solve your current problem.
Let me know how you get on.
To your success.
Paul
Whoa. Thanks for your reply. I’m playing with feather shuttlecocks. I’ve tried other racquets but it seems to be pointing to same direction as the NS9000. The tension have been changed a little bit higher and i saw some difference. Do you think i still need to increase the tension a little more? What might be the possibilities? My uncle is quite a player, but i still haven’t consulted a real coach to test my capabilities.
Will your game change if you haven’t played much for the past few months? I’d like to know. Thanks paul…..
That definitely cleared up my mind. Thanks for your advice Paul.
As u may say…..
To your success!
hey paul,
i was wondering if a ns9900 would be a suitable racket for me. I am mostly an offensive type of player, smashes are my favorite hits and drops but defensive once in a while. And around what range of string tension would you recommend for my type of players( high tension/low tension and how many lbs)? Ive heard that the ns9900 is a terrific racket but i’d like to hear what you say. Also, what string thickness would be good for an offensive player along with the tension? Plz help thank so much in advance
I receive questions like yours every day.
Nobody can say whether a racquet will suit your game – only you, I’m afraid. You see as players we are all different. We have different badminton experience, technique, style, physique and muscular structure. There we all feel a racquet differently. The same applies to choosing string and tension. What’s good for me may be terrible for you.
NS9900 is a good racquet. It’s very stiff and therefore generally suits players with good technqiue who prefer a really fast head and don’t want any weight in the head. This is a good racquet for defence and around the net. Players with very good technqique and natural power generally like this racquet.
This is the best i can do. If I have described you above, then it could be a good racquet for you.
To your success
Paul
Shou
I’d wait until you return to China and find a player with Voltric to test. In my opinion they are already the best racquets Yonex make at the moment and that’s saying a lot!
Paul
Wow, that makes me all the more excited to test it out!
In fact, I had asked someone to place an order of Aeroplane Black’s a few days ago, and it seems they had gotten the wrong speed for me since they don’t know anything about Badminton and I had forgotten to mention speed as it had slipped my mind.
They had gotten 16 tubes for me, and as I am not trying to get them to return it, they are not sure if they are able to as they did it as a cash deal (they tend to give discounts in HK for that). So they had asked me that if they could exchange it, if there was anything else I wanted in the store. I mentioned the Voltric 80′s, so I may indeed end up with one after all!
You will need to test to decide which string you prefer. My top three would be BG80, BG65Ti and BG66 Ultimax.
Paul
OK, so we’ve establlished that you play with feather shuttles. That means your 22lbs tension is perfectly fine although you may find increasing will help a little.
I still believe a session with a coach will help identify major flaws in your technique if there are any. Quick corrections may solve your problem and save you a lot of money. What happened when you tried even balance or head heavy racquets? What were your thoughts? The reason for asking these questions is simple. If you focussed on something getting worse such as your defence with a head heavy racquet, you may not have noticed an improvement in your overhead power. You see sometimes players focus on what a new racquet doesn’t do well rather than the aspects of their game that improve a lot. The trade off can sometimes be better, especially if it means an increase in power for your overhead strokes.
Paul
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