Thursday, January 31, 2013

Badminton Racket Review: Yonex Voltric 70

First impressions here.

So after a fun singles session and about an hour on the doubles court, I gather that I've had enough experience with the VT70 to write up a review.

To be honest, it's surpassed my expectations and performed quite different than what I thought it would. What felt like a really heavy flexible racket turned out to fit very well to my game. I use a combination of long swings and fast wrist turns during my games and the Yonex Voltric 70 is able to pull off all of those with gusto.

This leaves me with a very good choice of racket for every occassion.

Note. This review is my opinion of the racket from using it in my games. Take this with a pinch of salt since we all play the game differently. I'm here to tell you, in as much accuracy as I can, how my games went with the racket. Comments welcome!

Ok here goes.

Yonex Voltric 70
Est. Dry Weight: 97g (3U)
Grip Size: G5
Balance: Head Heavy
Stiffness: Medium
Strings: Yonex Nanogy 98 @ 24lbs

I recommend this racket for both singles and doubles play.

Defense
I love the heavy heads of the Voltric series. In addition to a powerful offense, they offer up a very good lift in defense when you want them to. The Tri-Voltage "lumps" on the head frame contributes to a little more push when you need to call upon it, sending a very nice weight transfer to the shuttle to handle the smashes with a little more ease.

Apart from the lifts, push and drive defense also get a bonus from the additional speed from the VT70, whose overall weight now feels slightly less than the VT80. That makes the racket feel quicker and more agile when it comes to defense.

What I noticed was, even when it comes to the defensive shots that come really close to your body, I'm able to push past the front net player with a block, averting the game-ending net tap.

Love the defense. Love the speed. Love the power.

Attack
Whip and weight gives you an awesome combination when it comes to the Voltric 70. Angles unimaginable came flying from my wrists, back court or front court. The speed I was able to get them down was also fast, posing a much greater threat than the other rackets that I used tonight.

Another strong suit for the Yonex Voltric 70 is the wrist smashes. With a very flexible shaft, I was able to twist the shaft downwards even more to get more power from the quick wrist smashes. When the weight from the Tri-Voltage system kicks in, it becomes a very good weapon to use around the front court.

I did find myself throwing off a lot more smashes than usual because of how enjoyable it became. The shuttle just thundered itself from the string bed and zipped off to the other side of the court so well.

Control
Power is nothing without control, and the Yonex Voltric 70 gives you the accuracy you need to get the smashes down and the drives through. Through the hours of play that I managed to get with the racket, I've not found myself asking for more control.

From the drop shots (though they came in less) to the drives and the oh-so-lovely smashes, I was able to place them nicely without too much hassle.

But I do notice that I hardly do any drop or net shots with the racket. Probably because attack with this is simply too addictive. I dare say, even more so that the VT80.

Looks
Suave. Yonex's signature black, red and white comes together one more time to give off a very classy paint job on the Yonex Voltric 70. The white streaks color the Tri-Voltage areas of the racket, while the red and black twirl around the frame and shaft in a freedom of movement.


Yonex Voltric 70
Defense: 8
Offense: 10
Control: 9
Looks: 8



43 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great review! I also have a voltric 70-but it's 4u. How much difference do you feel when playing with a 3u as opposed to a 4u? I play both singles and doubles, but like singles better.

Arthur said...

Hey thanks for reading!

I've only the 3U VT70, so I can't very much give a good comparison.

But basically, the 3U ones give a bigger punch and ease on control.

Using a 4U racket will require a little more wrist strength to be able to generate a good distance.

TobyQingnan said...

Hi Arthur, thanks for your great review. I'm a casual player. I'm used to play 24lb racquet. What do you recommend my next racquet? Voltric 70 with 25lb or Yonex Voltric 80 with 27lb? Thanks. tobyqingnan@gmail.com

Arthur said...

Hey Toby, thanks for reading!

Sounds like you're eager to make the jump to a higher-end racket..

You've chosen two good models to try out with. The Voltric 70 and 80 are great, user-friendly rackets.

Before I can recommend you anything, can you tell me more about your current racket (i.e. specs, strings etc) and then what you feel is missing in your game that the VTs can help fill?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

TobyQingnan said...

I'm using nanospeed 100 with 24lb string at this moment. It feel a little bit soft when I smash. I just a casual player and never had any professional training. May be I need to improve my skill rather than racket?

Arthur said...

Hey Toby,

Getting some skills training to up your technique will help get those smashes harder definitely.

If you're looking for a quick fix to some power in your smashes, switching to a head-heavy racket will usually help too.

The Voltric series will help you out here. VT70 is a little more whippy than the VT80, if you're looking for something with a little more flex.

If you're strapped for cash, the VT7 is a pretty good starter to a head-heavy racket. Only comes in 4U though.

TobyQingnan said...

Thank you very much. I will take your suggestion to get a Voltric 7 with 25bl string. Once I up skill myself, I may go one level up to Voltric 70 with 26lb.

Arthur said...

Hope all works out well Toby!!

Happy smashing!

Anonymous said...

hi arthur,

couldnt agree more with your review...
everything were spot on...
i believe this is one of the best racket in the world so far....
it has a good blend between power and speed, easy to play with and very user friendly too...
sometimes i keep asking, "can yonex make a better racket than this after this?"..

Arthur said...

Thanks for reading!

The VT70 does indeed rate high in my list of "rackets to use for a good game"!

I think the VT80 does a pretty good job of improving on the power of the VT70, while retaining the user-friendliness. It's a little more stiff though.

Might want to give it a try if you're itching to try something else :)

Happy smashing!

Anonymous said...

hi arthur,

i choose VT70 because i just get back in badminton after 2 years, so im not confident if i can handle a stiff and very head heavy racket like VT80...
now im playing regularly, usually twice a week(sometimes once)...
maybe i will get a VT80 someday since it is not cheap(need to start saving :-D)
my friend also suggest me to try the old armortec 700...
can you differentiate between VT80 and AT700?

Zarul

Arthur said...

Hey Zarul, thanks for reading!

The VT80 is one of the most user-friendly racket in the Yonex line-up. You're pretty much very safe if you upgrade.

That said, the VT70 isn't a bad choice either. I myself prefer the VT70 to the VT80 when I'm playing doubles.

The AT700 is a monster. Very stiff, very head heavy. It will be hard to use if you can't even get use to the VT80.

Anonymous said...

Hi Arthur,

Thanks for your reply...
So VT80 maybe my next racket to try since you said like that....
What racket are using now??
i mean you main racket..:-)

Arthur said...

Most welcome Zarul (I presume it's you since you didn't leave your name the last post and it now says anonymous.

The VT80 will be a very fun purchase for you.

I don't have a main racket. This will sound very vain, but I usually use whatever racket that matches the clothing that I go to court with.

I guess that's the perks of having too many rackets to use...

This is also why I guess my skills haven't been able to increase much... most of the time I'm testing rackets and getting used to the one I brought to be comfortable enough around the court to start to learn something.

Anonymous said...

yah, it's me...
sorry, forgot to put my name...:-D

well, i dont have much money to buy many racket as u....
actually, i really want to try another brand like victor, lining apacs and others...
but since i had a bad experience with VT9, so im afraid i will get through the same thing if i change to other brand...
even when i want to buy VT70, i think many times either to get 3U or 4U....
in the end i take the 4U just to be safe and im glad i made a right decision...
is there too much difference between VT80 and VT70 in term of head heaviness and stiffness??

Zarul

renzo said...

Hi Arthur!

Nice reviews, im currrently exploring to replace my 9 year old RSL Millennium series. i recently came back to playing again after 3 years of hiatus. anyways, i my current racket is a head light medium stiff and currently having a hard time doing deep smashes.

I like powerful plays (drives and smashes) and looking for an upgrade for racket.

which would you recommend? VT 70, VT80, VT ZF or Victor? which also have great control.?

Been playing for 6 years (minus 3 years of hiatus)

Enzo

Anonymous said...

Hi Enzo,

Your situation is similar to mine, i also "hibernate" from playing badminton around two years...
so last year i decided to buy a new racket since my old carbonex 10 SP is quite outdated....
i bought a VT9 and it turned out to be a bad experience to me...
the head heaviness and the stiff shaft made it hard for me to play..
the skills and techniques still there, but my arm makes me unable to play my own game...
maybe 2 years of "hibernete" made my arm strentgh deteriorated, so it is hard for me to handle VT9..
so i had to sell that VT9 at discounted price which means a loss to me...

based on the racket you enlisted, i would suggest you to try VT70 first(i dont know about victor rackets, so cant suggest any)...
VT70 is medium stiff but a head heavy, it may give you more power...
but the decision is up to you, if you are confident, you can take VT80 or even VTZF....
Welcome back into badminton world...:-)

Zarul

Arthur said...

Hey Enzo, thanks for reading!

I would take Zarul's advise and spring for the VT70 if you've got the budget.

It's an easy-to-use racket, and gives plenty of power on the smash.

Let me know the results if you do!

Anonymous said...

Hi Arthur,

I just want to know, is there too much differences between VT70 and VT80?

Zarul

Arthur said...

Hey Zarul,

The VT80 is head heavier and a little stiffer.

Because of that it offers me better control, but a slightly slower defense.

Anonymous said...

Hi Arthur,

Thanks for the reply...
now im in dilemma since armortec range is on discount at my place...
just tempted to try armortec...
lol

Zarul

Arthur said...

Everything's worth a try :)

Mind you, this is coming from a guy with 55 rackets.

Anonymous said...

well, i would like to try all racket in the market if possible, but all the upper level rackets are expensive...
i dont have much money to buy all rackets...
lol :-D

Anonymous said...

Hi arthur,

I just bought armortec 700 premium 2012 3 days ago and just by holding it i can tell this racket is a beast, it feels heavier than my VT70 although both are 4U...

I just managed to test it last night for 2 1/2 hours...
i think the result is the same like other armortec racket, the racket makes me cant stop smashing...
when defending i have to put a bit more effort since the racket heavier than my VT70 but i still can manage it...
overall i feel happy that i purchased this racket, the defense might be an issue, but i think i will get used to it later...
but the power is hell!!
i think my favourite might shift from voltric to armortec..lol :-D

Zarul

Arthur said...

Hi Zarul, glad you found more rackets that you might like!

The AT700 is an awesome attacking racket for sure. I had a 3U one a few months back, but had to let it be because it was too heavy to do anything much...

Seriously not my playing style..

Hope yours serves you well!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Arthur,


There is also an old AT700 in that shop but in the end i bought the premium 2012...
My previous experience with VT9 taught me a lesson...
im glad i bought that one, with just 4U it feels quite heavy..
i cant imagine if i buy the old 3U AT700, i think i will crush my shoulder that night...
i feel like im anti-3U racket now, lol :-D...
but i still dont try 3U and even balance racket, that might feel different...
im thinking about arcsaber 11, have you try it arthur??

Zarul

Anonymous said...

I tried my newly bought VT70 3U and I must say I had a very fun time with it. I am just an OK player and I was experiencing the quick reflexes that the racket is offering. I am saving up for VT 60 as collection.

William

Arthur said...

Hey there William!

Glad you found something you like!

The VT70 and VT80 are very forgiving rackets and are easy to pick up and use.

The VT60 feels a little too light for my, but it sure is a handsome-looking racket!

Phil said...

Hi Arthur,

Really enjoyed reading your blog. "Angles unimaginable came flying from my wrists"... Pure poetry!!
I have been using an Armortec 900 Technique for a couple of years and really like it. While it was being restrung recently I went back to my old Ashaway 79SQ - a really light (5U!) flexible racket. Obviously much less powerful for smashes, but I'd forgotten how much fun it is to have such a quick defence.
So I'm looking for a replacement for the inevitable day when I break the AT900T, and it seems that this VT70 might be getting close to providing the holy grail of both power and manoeuverability. Have you played with the AT900T at all, and could comment on how it compares to the VT70?

Phil said...

Hi Arthur,
Sorry - just saw that you have an entire review of the AT900T! Your playing style seems similar to mine, but at a much higher level I'm sure. Would love to know what current racket you would recommend for someone whose game is well suited to the AT900T.

Arthur said...

Hey there Phil! Thanks for reading!

The closest thing to a AT900T is another AT900T! They're pretty rampant in Singapore, thanks to the July Yonex warehouse sales, so you can post up a WTB in the forum for a good deal.

Don't know the situation outside of my country though.

The AT900T has a nice combination of head-heaviness and stiffness. That magic formula somehow gives you a very good defense and offense at the same time.

What I've really grown to love is the Victor Bravesword 10. That racket is insane! While the offense might not be as good, the defense is simply amazing.

Since we're similar types of players, you might want to give that a go and let me know how it feels?

All the best, and happy smashing!!

SooraJ said...

I bought a voltric 7 4U racket..I like to know the better string tension for this racket and also like to know better string name for tthis one?

Arthur said...

Hi there SooraJ, string tension and type are quite personal choices. Players tend to like a certain type and tension after they start experimenting.

I'd advise you stick to what you were using, and then adjust from there.

Anonymous said...

Hello
How do u compare V70 with N9 Fu hai feng?. Because both of them is flex racquet.

Arthur said...

The VT70 seems to produce a more satisfying smash, though the N9 gives more control.

Chin said...

Hi Arthur, can you share experience between votric 70 4u and 3u difference? here i only can get 4u. currently i using light head which need more power to clear over head shot to baseline. but when i try with head heavy racquet it work better for me. but i worry if get 4u is light and need compromise too much power to overhead clear to baseline. if get 3u i worry head heavy hard to play for me in defend and handling. please advise. thanks

Arthur said...

Well the VT70 can be quite head heavy, so if you play more doubles you might want to ease the transition from head light to head heavy using a 4U racket.

Anonymous said...

Hi Arthur, I am Shiva here from India, I am using Votric 70, I was using BG65T string with it, which was awesome, but sadly the string didn't last long. I broke my string yesterday. Can I use BG65 with VT70, which tends to last long than the BG65t. Also please advice me on the string tension for VT70, I am scared to go for high tension because I broke my new Carlton racquet after have it in high tension. so please advice me on the string tension. Thanks so much. Cheers: Shiva

Arthur said...

Sorry Shiva, I don't have experience with either string you mentioned, so I'm afraid I'm of no use here.

However, string type and tension are very personal preferences. A good Yonex should be able to take 27-28lbs tension easy.

Anonymous said...

Hi..
Which grip size is better for intermediate player

Arthur said...

No offence dude, but an intermediate player should pretty much be able to tell which grip size they prefer...

Unknown said...

Hi arthur,

If you dont mind, could you give me a comparison between vt70 and vt70 etune?
In terms of feel, speed, control around the net and drives.

Thank you

Arthur said...

Hey there Jovan, I'm afraid I've not used the etune, nor will I ever.

My opinion is that it's a marketing ploy by Yonex to make up for the lack of new technology.

If one had to cut stings to make adjustments to their racket, the only winner there is Yonex, who made the most strings.