Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Badminton Racket First Impressions: Li-Ning Flame N55-II

There are flame designs on this racket because it's just blazing fast!

Whoosh! And flames are destructive too, so that pretty much describes the potency of this racket!

I had a great time using it for what must be three games just now, before I had to unwillingly switch to my lesser Yonex ArcSaber 8DX, which is pending review.

From what I felt, the Li-Ning Flame N55-II is the lightest Li-Ning in my collection, but the loss in weight does not covert to a loss in power in any way. Smashes with the wrist came down sharp and fast, and the times I had the chance to throw off a jump smash gave really satisfying results in terms of speed and power.

Defense-wise the N55-II also performed very well. I was able to repel most anything thrown at me, and with some time to think about where the shuttle should go.

The defensive and offensive capabilities of the racket is perhaps only matched by its dashing good looks. Red, gold and white come together in synchronized harmony, complimenting the large flame decals plastered all over the head frame and shaft.

Awesome. Review to come.


38 comments:

Eric said...

I used the n-55 ii for a while but the swing felt a bit slow and it was too flexible for me. Best racket for backhands I have ever used!

Arthur said...

It swings ok for me. Think it's more of a wrist racket than anything. I got really pleasant hits from the wrists than the arms.

Unknown said...

Can't wait for the full review! Still waiting for my n-55 II to ship to my house :/
Have you tried the N-50 II by any chance?

Arthur said...

Hope you like it Stephen! The racket's been great for me the last two times I tried it.

Will be heading to the courts with it more often to see how it fares with more use.

Arthur said...

Realized I didn't answer your question about the N50-II.

I've not had the chance to use it.. More keen on the N55 though. Heard it's a good singles racket.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Wong. Maybe next time u can review kason racquet such as C7 and K9 used by Cai yun and Fu HaiFeng

Thanks

Arthur said...

I would too! Let's hope I get a good deal on the rackets :)

Anonymous said...

Hello Mr.Wong

Do you own all of this racquet ??
U must have a lot of stock. hahhaha

Arthur said...

Unfortunately, yes I do. Just interested in trying out new ones to see how they all perform.

Anonymous said...

Awesome. hahahaha

i wish i have a lot of stock like u too.

How much did u pay for ur nwood 90-II ?

Arthur said...

forgot.. it was long ago..

Unknown said...

Finally got to test out this beast on the weekend, and man it does not dissapoint! Played both singles & doubles and this racket showed itself in both departments of power and control :D Considering buying a second one now!!

Anonymous said...

Btw what is your favorite Racket?

(Very interested in the Li Ning N55 II + Karakal BN60 do not know which i should take)

Arthur said...

I can't really say... For now it's the Vt80PG because it looks soooooo good.

Anyway, the two rackets you're interested in are both very fast rackets. But if you're looking at a more explosive game you'd want to try out the Li-Ning.

Unknown said...

Arthur,

Full review coming up soon?

:)

Arthur said...

Soon I hope, Stephen. I've acquired a few more rackets and I've been distracted :)

But the N55-II is definitely a great racket..

Unknown said...

Greetings, I have found your postings and reviews really interesting.

I would love to know more about the Li-NING N55-II as COMPARED TO THE BRAVESWORD 15 or the MX JJS. Comparisons between shaft stiffness. Frame stiffness/response, sweetspot, racket speed, Head Heavy balance, AND RAW WEIGHT.Of course...the price as well in (RM)

At current Point, I own the ARC11, MXJJS, AND THE BS15. I haven't tried Li Ning before. Would want something between the same spec, as i wouldn't want a huge timing adjustment issue...if you catch my drift.

Your feedback is eagerly anticipated =)

Patty said...

Hi there. I just bought the N55II. I found that my hits are lacking in power. All my clear shots are half way to baseline. Can it be the string and tension? It is strung with BG70 Pro at 25lbs.

Can you recommend the best string and tension for this racquet?

Appreciate any advise.

Arthur said...

Clears should be relatively easy to execute.

And 25lbs is a decent tension not to require too much wrist to execute.

Might want to work on your technique. Otherwise I'd lower the tension or use a string with higher repulsion like the Ultimax.

Arthur said...

Sorry Patty, just saw your name in the comments.

Would like an effort to say hi and thanks for reading!

Patty said...

Thanks for the advise Arthur. Great website and great review on all things badminton.

I must say I am a self learned badminton player since primary. Definitely don't have the wrist strength and I do use more arm motion. So I do agree my technique maybe lacking but I didn't think that I was lacking that much that just hitting a lop during stroke will be so hard with this racquet.

However, when I used the N55 version 1 clearing with it was such a breeze and almost effortless. I know the the V1 is stiffer than V2. Could this be it? Unless there is fake but I did authenticate using the Li Ning website.

Again appreciate any insights you have on this. Can't wait to read your review on the racquet.

Arthur said...

Hi Patty,

I find that more flexible shafts require more wrist action to perform. An arm player like yourself might see a little drop in strength for shots.

Here's what you can do as an experiment. Use an overgrip and tie slightly higher up your N55-II shaft. See if that helps.

Let me know!

Anonymous said...

Hi Arthur

Sorry for the late reply. I have restring the racq with BG80 power at 25-26lbs. It plays better now. However I am curious how would placing the overgrip higher in the shaft help with improving strength in the shot?

Cheers
Patty

Arthur said...

Hey Patty, most players put the grip up higher to get a better grip when defending.

Wrapping the shaft after the cone increases the stiffness of the racket since it's not allowed to flex as much.

I've recently experimented with a Victor MX80 wrapped all the way up to the t-joint. It was great when it came to placement and control, but the lack of whip in the shaft made it harder to clear and smash.

Hope this helps!

Tan Wei Jun said...

How would you rate the
Offense -/10
Defense -/10
Power -/10
Control -/10?
Does it need a lot of wrist power?

Arthur said...

Sorry dude, gotta wait for the review. Not been using the racket so can't really make a good call.

Unknown said...

Hey Arthur will there be a Full review on n55ii?

Unknown said...

And if there isnt which of these two rackets have a much more smashing potential n55ii or n55iii?

Arthur said...

Definitely the N55II :)

Will work on that review... just have to get more games in.. just missed another session tonight.

Unknown said...

thanks Arthur and what makes you think the n55ii is better? and also i was kind of thinking about the n7, which one out of n55ii and n7 do you think is better for smashing because i love smashing :)

Unknown said...

oh im sorry i meant the n9 not n7

Arthur said...

The N55III is too heavy for me to use effectively.

I've not used the N7, so I can't really comment here.

Unknown said...

Oh sorry Arthur I meant the n9 vs n55ii in terms of smashing wise

Arthur said...

N55-II > N9

Unknown said...

sorry for asking so many question but i have one more in terms of better racket overall which one should i go for n55ii or n9 thanks Arthur, i really want to make sure before i buy and also what makes the n55ii a stronger smasher out of the two?

Arthur said...

The N9 is overall better for me.

The N55-II smashes harder for me because it is head heavier.

Unknown said...

i see thanks man!

Anonymous said...

Hi Arthur,

Are you planning to do a full review of N55-II soon, I am in the market looking for a racket.

Thanks,