Yonex Armortec

Yonex Armortec 70MG Badminton Racquet

This my last review of Armortec series racquets from the selection of top-of-the-range and newly introduced in 2009.

Not that it matters much, but why Yonex chose to name this different to the rest of range is a mystery.

On with the review. Out of the bag, yet again this is a striking racquet in red, yellow and silver – a really nice combination.  It’s got as lovely balance, similar to 600 and 50 and thankfully not head-heavy like 30. Strings are nice and tight and suitable for most levels of play.

Technical specs for weight are handle size are 3U (85-89g) G3, the larger of the two grip sizes on offer. Again, this can easily be altered to suit. Whilst adding grips affect the balance of the racquet, it’s certainly not detrimental to playability.

The difference between this and Armortec 50 is the flexibility in the shaft (medium flex) so it will suit players who need the racquet to help them with power shots.  It’s one of two  racquets in this range with a medium flex shaft so if this is important to you and you wish to play with Yonex racquets, then you’ll also need to test Armortec 30, Arcsaber 7, Nanospeed 4500, 500 & 300. These are all good racquets to suit your budget.

As with all Armortec racquets, 70MG delivers power shots really well – drives, clears, smashes are nice and crisp and there’s little adjustment required to cater for the medium flex shaft.

Around the net, it’s a similar story. The racquet is quick, but not as fast as the Nanospeed series which are more head light. All this means is you need to work it a little more which could be plus really as it makes you play the shot fully and with purpose. Defensively it’s a little slower compared to the Nanospeed but, when you’re playing with one racquet consistently, you won’t notice it.

RRP is £90.00 so it will sell between £75-80.00 from many retailers. I’m giving this a three and a half star rating because it delivers in all areas and is pretty good value for money. I’m not sure why it’s priced more expensive than Armortec 50 when the difference appears to be the flexibility in the shaft. Perhaps it costs more to make a flexible shaft?

This racquet will appeal to social and league players. If you need a little help with power shots then Armortec 70MG racquet will do that. If you’re an out and out power player it’s unlikely to suit your game. But, as I always say, you need to test the racquet to know for yourself whether it’s the one for you this season. Finding a retailer with demo racquets is difficult. Check Yonex website (www.Yonex.co.uk) for demo days in your area or look up the Yonex retailers on their website and contact them direct.

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