The following video provides you with my review of the Yonex Arcsaber 8DX badminton racket which was introduced into the UK in March 2010.

Reference to technical aspects has been kept to a minimum – instead the video has been designed to give you a feel for the racket’s performance as compared to other Yonex badminton racket models.

Please feel free to add your comments or provide feedback on this format using the comment section at the bottom of the post.

Arcsaber 5

The Yonex Arcsaber 5 badminton racquet is one of three new releases by Yonex in Arcsaber range.

It’s a good looking racquet with graphics in purple, black and silver. Like Arcsaber 7, this racquet has a medium flex shaft and is a 3U (weight 85.89g) and a G3 grip (larger of grip sizes on offer). That’s where the similarities end.

There’s a question mark hanging over this racquet in terms of where it really fits, as the Arcsaber series tends to be liked and used by the better players along with high-end Armortec and Nanospeed series racquets.

The Arcsaber 7 has been a very good racquet for Yonex, although for some, they loved the flex in the shaft to give a touch more power, but felt the head was on the light side. For those critics, the Arcsaber 5 should be the perfect answer.

In the Arcsaber 5, Yonex have combined a medium flex shaft with a bit more weight in the head. This way, you get the best of both worlds in terms of smashing power, if you need the racquet to do that bit extra for you. You can certainly feel the extra weight in the head when you move the racquet although it’s not so much that you’d expect your arm to drop off with continuous use.

As usual, I used this racquet straight out of the bag, without re-stringing to suit my particular tastes.

Overheads

Overhead clears are easy and you can certainly feel the additional weight in the head. It’s a more solid feel and provides confidence that there’s some beef in this racquet. There’s slight drag on the frame but nothing concerning, so don’t expect this racquet to move as fast through the air.

The extra weight kept everything together for me in a controlled way. Drops, slices, smashes were very contained. The extra weight in the head is really noticeable when smashing, and this combined with the flexible shaft provides more power for me than Arcsaber 7.

Defence

Defensively, racquets with more weight in the head are slower to move. I have fairly fast hands so this wasn’t a huge problem for me and again, this is where the heavier head scores as there’s a bit more oomph in the drive return. Also, you can feel the racquet move where you want it to go. Whilst it’s a little slower to move, it’s very controlled and I can see this being very useful for a player learning how to defend because they are more aware of the direction the racquet is moving.

For some, the heavier head will be a turn off and considered too slow defensively. If you are a very defensive player and you like to counter hit rather than play an aggressive game, then I’d be surprised if you selected Arcsaber 5 as your racquet of choice.

Net Skills

Again, you can feel the direction of the head and this can be good for developing skills around the net. It’s a really solid feel. This is an area where you need extreme control and this racquet can deliver here, albeit slightly slower than other racquets. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it means that you’re less likely to snatch at the shuttle.

Returning smashes from the net area should be a joy as the superior solid feel will help provide control and direction to the shot.

Summary

RRP on this racquet is £140 which is expensive. I’d expect the major online retailers will be discounting this racquet and expect to pay £20+ less. If I had to describe Arcsaber 5 I’d say it’s a beefed up Arcsaber 7, designed for a power player rather than defensive style. It’s a solid hitter, a powerful racquet.

Whilst I liked this racquet a lot and I can see where it fits in the Yonex range, this is not a good all-rounder racquet. It provides plenty of power and control and will be an ideal racquet for a player who needs help to generate power or someone looking to get even more power from a racquet.

Because this racquet is “designed” for a particular style of play, it’s almost a one trick pony. But it does what it’s designed for extremely well. In view of this, and the current price tag, I rate this a 3 star racquet in my scoring system. For the right type of player, I’m sure they would rate Arcsaber 5 a lot higher.

Yonex UK have introduced 6 new badminton rackets this year, following hot on the heels of the highly successful Arcsaber Z Slash.

Out of all the new rackets, the Yonex Arcsaber 8DX is the one I’ve been longing to get my hands on.

Arcsaber 8DX

As you would expect, the Arc8DX arrived with customary full length bag, standard amongst the Arcsaber range. The racquet is striking in appearance with a winning combination of red, silver, black and copper orange.

This particular model is only available in 3U (weight 85-89.9g) and grip size G3 (same as Arcsaber 10 & 7). This is the larger of the 2 grip sizes currently chosen by Yonex for UK market.

Immediately you pick this racket up, there’s something about it that talks quality. It’s a lovely balance, not too head heavy although you can feel a touch of weight in the head to get a little meat behind the shuttle. The balance is more even compared to Arcsaber 10.

As with most of the top Yonex racquets in the range, the Arcsaber 8DX has a stiff shaft, which is ideal for power players who need a faster response from their racquet.

Whilst material construction seems identical to other Yonex racquets in the range, the Arcsaber 8DX is designated a high tension racquet, with a maximum recommended string tension of 27lbs, which is 3lbs more than most racquets in the current range.

It’s well known that many of the Yonex sponsored players have been stringing their racquets way above recommended string tension values for years. Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that Yonex has finally introduced a racquet purporting to accept higher tensions, moreso to meet public demand from Asia for higher tensions. This is now creeping into UK and is a particular concern of mine. To play with high tensions, a player’s technique must be extremely good, otherwise injuries will occur.

On with the review…

The string tension on this racquet feels a little tighter so there was no need to arrange a re-string before testing. Readers of my reviews will know that I like to test racquets “straight out of the bag.”

From the first hit I knew I liked this racquet. Clears were sailing towards my opponents back line with very little effort on my part. The racquet oozed power but it wasn’t difficult to tame like Z Slash. It performed like a champion thoroughbread, giving me everything I wanted and more at the right time.

So, we know this racquet packs a mean punch, although not quite up to the hitting power of Z Slash. But, it’s got far greater consistency and control and that’s counts for so much more. What about in other areas of the court?

Defensively this racquet delivered every time and reminded me of the speed of my Nano9900 although not quite as light in the head. The combination of better aerodynamics and slightly lighter head work really well here. I could manoeuvre the racquet really fast without any drag or delay caused by additional weight in the head.

There’s always a trade-off between weight in the head for power, and a lighter head for speed, but Yonex seem to have got the combination just right for this racquet.

As you would expect, if the racquet delivers in defence, then it’s got to be good around the net. Yes, no surprises here, it was magnificent! I didn’t need to make adjustments for the racquet, it just played net shots or kills with ease and a fast recovery too. Exactly what I want from a racquet.

Will Arcsaber 8DX suit every style of play? Absolutely. But, that doesn’t mean it will suit your game. As you know, choosing a racquet is very personal and I can imagine for some there will a few frowns, possibly thinking the head lacks the weight to elevate it into the serious hitting league. That’s what personal taste is about.

I’d disagree with this kind of thinking as there are power players using very light-headed racquets. As for me, I consider Arcsaber 8DX to be an Arcsaber 10 with more edge, a little bit more alive and wanting to play. It’s the young kid on the block compared to the wise man – it almost encourages you to throw caution to the wind and play on the dangerous side.

Summary

As you can tell, I really like this racquet. Whilst it’s early in our relationship, I can’t wait to get back on court and do it all again. I haven’t felt this level of excitement about a racquet since Z Slash last year. However, I don’t have the frustration of timing issues this time around – it’s almost like taking your favourite racquet, giving it a paint job and handing it back to you with an armed and dangerous sticker attached!

With an RRP of £150, this is a pretty hefty price tag. No doubt the online discounters will be selling for considerably cheaper than that, so expect to pay around £130, maybe less. That’s still a lot of money for a racquet, which will turn many players away.

As much as I like this racquet, the price will push players away and therefore I need to reflect this in my scoring system. Consequently, I’ll rate this racquet 4.5 stars in my 5 star system.

For me, Arcsaber 8DX is close, if not right on the mark, on my Holy Grail of racquets chart. And that is saying a lot!

Since writing my review of Yonex Arcsaber Z Slash, I have received many favourable comments about the content of the review. Thank you, I enjoyed writing it.

Additionally, I’ve had many people ask me what are the differences between the Arcsaber 10 and the Arcsaber Z Slash. This post is written especially for those of you who have asked this question.

Let’s cut to the chase here. I don’t need to describe the visual differences such as colour so let’s get into the important points…

Racquet Dimensions

The Arcsaber 10 follows the traditional Isometric shape and dimensions that Yonex have been using for some time. Consequently, the overall feel of the racquet is familiar.

The Z Slash introduces many differences such as the head shape being narrower by at least 5mm either side of the T piece. The length of the head is the same. The shaft is a good 1cm longer. The handle/grip is 2cm shorter and ferrule is a slightly different shape and a good deal smaller (I estimate 25% smaller).

What does all of this mean? Firstly, I must emphasise that the overall length of the two racquets are identical. It’s important in case you think something else is going on here to make the Z Slash so special.

The longer shaft will deliver more power because it flexes over a slightly larger area. The reduced handle/grip area potentially adds to the brilliant aerodynamic qualities of the Z Slash.

“Feel” and Playability

Picking up the Arcsaber 10 for the first time and playing well with it is easy if you’ve played with any of Yonex’s top-of-the-range racquets. For those of you who have consistently played with medium or flexible shafts, then this racquet may seem like hard work and “less powerful” than the racquets you’ve been used to.

I’ve said this so many times, but it’s important to say again. The top-of-the-range racquets may not play the best for you. It’s vital that you put your ego aside when testing racquets and buy according to what feels right and helps your game. It’s no good if you buy a racquet that feels alien and doesn’t suit your style.

The Yonex Arcsaber Z Slash is a different beast altogether. Balance wise, in some ways it’s not too dissimilar to Arcsaber 10. There’s a little bit of weight in the head, but the racquet is still evenly balanced.

Where the great chasm of a difference appears is in the feel of this racquet when hitting. The shaft is stiff just like Arcsaber 10. But, this racquet moves through the air faster by a country mile. Perhaps the frame is a slightly different shape (I haven’t seen any schematics to help me here). The top of the frame looks thinner – more in keeping with Nanospeed 9900.

I’m not sure how Z Slash’s weight is distributed but it feels different. In some ways it’s got a feel of Armortec 900 Technique so perhaps it’s weighted more in the throat.

Whatever is happening with the design, there is no doubt that the Arcsaber Z Slash generates significantly more head speed than Arcsaber 10.

One of the key ingredients of power is racquet head speed. Therefore it’s no surprise that I consider Z Slash is capable of delivering far greater power over Arcsaber 10. Remember, I reviewed Arcsaber 10 and it is a powerful racquet in the right hands.

The difficulty here is taming the Z Slash. Or should I say, getting used to the astonishing racquet head speed it can generate. Why? Simply this. The racquet cuts through the air so fast, it takes some getting used to. The faster you swing, the more this racquet works for you. But, you’ve got to be able to control it! Because of this speed, it really throws your timing out of kilter by a high margin.

It’s almost like wearing a really heavy pair of boots and being asked to sprint 100 metres. You then take the boots off and re-run the race. This time, your feet are so light, you almost feel like you’re flying. The first few steps are easy but as you pick up the pace, you almost feel you’re running too fast for your feet and could fall at any time. It’s exhilarating with an air of danger.

This is how I feel at the moment when hitting with the Arcsaber Z Slash. Badminton suddenly becomes unpredictable. Will I send a missile over the net or fluff another shot and give the point away. But whoa, the feeling you get when you connect with this beauty is amazing!

Summary

Personally, both racquets deliver in abundance in all areas of the game – whether we’re talking net play, defence, serving etc. They are both pro level racquets.

When I was initially choosing a Yonex racquet, the Arcsaber 10 was in my top 3. It lost out to Armortec 900 Power which I felt was right for my game.

You have to choose what’s right for you. By all means, read all the reviews you can. Bottom line here is simple. ..No matter what you read, it all comes down to how the racquet feels for you. If you believe (remember, put that ego aside) that the racquet in your hand is going to improve your game and you have a good feeling about it then it’s probably the right racquet for you.

If you ever get the feeling that the racquet has become an extension of your arm, then it’s definitely the right racquet for you.

You can probably tell from my review and this post that I really love the Arcsaber Z Slash. That said, I’ve not got my timing right with it yet so it doesn’t mean I’m going to change my racquet overnight. I’m going to test again this week and spend more overhead hitting time with it. If I get that “yes!” feeling, and I begin to sort out the timing aspects, then it could easily be my next racquet.

What about Arcsaber 10 you may be asking? Well, it’s a great racquet, but it just didn’t tick all of the boxes for me. It’s not a negative comment though – it’s a personal one. You may find it’s perfect for you so make sure it’s on your list to try. You may find that you have a horrendous experience with Z Slash because of the timing difficulties. But, that does not detract from the fact it truly is a great racquet.

It all goes to show that we’re all different. We have different wants and needs from our racquets and that’s why nobody, me included, can ever tell you what you should use on a badminton court. Only you, and you alone can make the choice. If you really can’t decide, there is usually a very good indicator here. Which racquet do you put down and keep returning to? That’s the one your body is most attracted too even though your head may be looking in another direction with a more expensive price tag and nicer graphics.

Right now my body wants to get on court and hit shuttles with Yonex Arcsaber Z Slash. Whilst I’m listening very carefully to what it’s saying, I’m tempering it with the rationality that not everything is going right yet. But, oh, am I longing to get this beauty working!