Yonex Armortec 50 Badminton Racquet

Yonex Armortec 50 Badminton Racquet

This is my third review of a new Armortec racquet. I must confess at the outset that I’m a big fan of the Armortec range.  There’s a racquet to suit any standard of play here.  As you’ve come to expect from a racquet in the Yonex family, you’re buying quality.

Out of the bag the Yonex Armortec 50 Badminton Racquet has a nice balance. It’s not head heavy like the Armortec 30. It’s striking in appearance with purple, yellow, red and silver graphics – Yonex really seem to have escaped their bland past where every racquet was black.

The racquets has been factory strung and is pretty tight. For many players this will mean they don’t need to pay extra for a re-string thank goodness.

Technical specs for weight and grip size are 3U (85-89g) G3 which is the larger of the grip sizes offered in the Yonex range. It’s a nice size but potentially too big for those with smaller hands. That said, it’s easy to adjust the grip to suit and a good retailer should carry a range of grips and be able to re-grip the racquet in minutes.

Although the Armortec 50 is priced towards the budget end of the market, surprisingly it has a stiff shaft which I prefer. This is ideal for the bigger hitters who don’t need a flexible shaft to boost their power shots.

Being so familiar with the Armortec range, it took no time at all to get used to this racquet on court. It’s nice! With the balance slightly weighted in the head, you do feel that there’s some “meat” in the racquet. It’s still quick and the heavier head means you can really feel where the racquet is in relation to the shot, which helps with control.

Drives, clears, smashes were easy with this racquet, it delivers easily. Around the net and in defence you need to work that little bit harder compared with a Nano series racquet which is more head light but there’s the trade off.  It’s still fast, but as I say, you have to work it a little bit more. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because it means you’re playing the shot with more purpose and meaning because you’ve got to do a little bit more to get it in position.

The difference between this and the top of the range Armortec 900 Power is hard to define. The 900 is made from stronger materials which allows for greater stringing tensions. The shafts are also made from different materials but I’m not sure how much difference this makes. I assume the stronger graphite used in the top of the range 900 significantly reduces the chances of breaking when the top players generate so much power.

Under my rating system the racquet scores four stars. It’s a really good all rounder. RRP is £80.00 so shop prices will probably be less than £70.00. It’s really good value. So why the four stars? Compared with the Armortec 600 it’s just not as good. Remember, this is my personal opinion and racquets are personal to you, the player. The racquet delivered in every department, but the 600 or my 900 deliver better and this has to be reflected somewhere.

Bear in mind that these other racquets are significantly more expensive. It’s feasible that you could buy two Yonex Armortec 50’s for the price of an Armortec 900 so you’d be getting a great deal. For league play I advise buying two racquets because the last thing you want mid game is to break a string and then play with a different racquet.

Whilst the Yonex Armortec 50 is placed in the lower end of the Armortec range, it’s a really good racquet. Sometimes players buy top of the range racquets when they’re not going to get the best out of them. Put this on your list and give it a try if you’re a power player – it just maybe a late runner that will steal your heart.