Jayce
In badminton, speed and power go hand in hand, becoming the purest expression of ability in this sport. However, as badminton techniques continue to evolve, some of the racket designs that worked well in the past are being stretched to their limits, forcing manufacturers to continually apply new materials and structures to meet both these needs. For most advanced amateurs, speedy attack or attack-oriented speed rackets are the largest overlap of preferred equipment when in good shape.
This season, Bonny brings us a new product that embodies the brand’s understanding and interpretation of “offense fusion and consistency”. As the name suggests, the Sharpen Arrow is designed to be a more penetrating and attacking member of the Ujiao family.
Parameters: 4UG5, with sole, total weight in used condition 93.64g, balance point 305mm, 6.5mm center shaft, length 222mm, medium-high stiffness, wind-breaking frame, 72-hole string bed, 9-3 point string groove, 30 lbs. warranty, stringing 25-27lbsVBS66n.
This racket is one of the rare ones from Bonny that has the ultimate in detail, and the paint quality is comparable to its own 40th Anniversary Edition. The one I have in my hand is the navy model, and its cool color makes it match the feeling of “sharpness”, which is like the cold light from a sharp blade under a certain angle of illumination. The center stick font and frame are stamped with gold, not a lot, but it can outline the exquisite feeling of the racket well, with the black semi-matte primer, deep and elegant. The Polaris art department, this time, can get away with spitting on me.
The weight of the racket is moderate, but the head has a strong presence, with a falling effect that reminds me of a longbow or a heavy crossbow. Although you can immediately sense the aura of power projected behind it, this type of weapon is also often difficult to master. At the beginning, the heavier head and stiffer center stick of the Sharpen Arrow will make it difficult to find the right swinging rhythm and power pattern, but it is still within the normal range of difficulty. However, it is still within the normal range of difficulty, and you will find that the increased swing speed of the Windbreaker makes up for the heavier swing speed. Combined with the smooth launch and easy feel of the racket, the whole process of getting used to the racket is not too high. In addition, it is expected that all future high-end products will adopt the new beak cone cover to take into account the feel of the draw and the driveability of the mid-range.
It is worth mentioning that its force feedback can restore effective information about the angle and speed of the ball, and even after the first few high shots, it is already possible to achieve a certain degree of control over the landing point of the long ball, which is really good for a racket with a full windbreaker frame treatment. Moreover, the elasticity of the center stick is still excellent, and the power transfer efficiency is high when swinging with a strong follow-through, and according to the official introduction, I believe there is no need to be skeptical about the same product anymore. With the internal rotation, the bent center stick is like a full bowstring, ready to fire, and the power is not to be underestimated.
The large surface of the Sharpen Arrow also allowed me to be more consistent with the quality of my small ball handling at the net. To be honest, the head-heavy setup is a bit difficult for me to maneuver the wipeout that closes the net, but a simple rub-and-release shot after getting a high point is quite guaranteed to hold the net more easily to create output space for my backcourt teammates.
At the same time, the higher tolerance with the racket’s abundant elasticity allows me to realize effective struggle in a very passive situation, when it is too late to borrow the power of the body to hit the small arm power can also hit the backcourt ball in place, this point in the backhand when dealing with the incoming ball will have a clearer embodiment, and there is no need to rush to hit the ball, and go along with their own power habit with the pace of the ball can be played.
The larger racket face does not necessarily mean that the sweet spot is loose. The stiffness of the frame maintains the tension of the string bed well, so the explosive power of the ball when hitting the sweet spot is also very good, especially in the short power shots with the medium-high stiffness of the center stick can be a punchy shot. So, even though the high balance point may cause a little problem with consistency, the harshness of the windbreaker frame combined with the high forgiveness of the racket face gives the user the ability to get a lot of quality out of the flat draws and quick blocks in the first half of the middle court.
And this feeling of Sharpen Arrow is continued in the catching of kills and bounces on the baseline or draw blocks, often a beat of the ball or top back to the ball can be a turn of the attack, the defense does not have too much to worry about, but in the backcourt really need to pay attention to the strength of the ball, otherwise it is really easy to put the ball on the top of the boundary of the high elasticity.
After getting used to the Sharpen Arrow’s power pattern, you’ll find that it’s quite talented on offense. First, the racket’s downward pressure is strong, do not need to worry about reckless power to hit out of bounds to hit the floating situation, long attack can not follow the potential of the head of the racket to play a shot of hanging or skateboarding can be high quality; Second, whether it is full strength of the heavy kills or a sudden point kills, the racket’s power to respond to the direct and fast, the center stick can withstand more explosive force, active power opportunities arise when there is more confidence to play suppression. Admittedly, the Sharpen arrow can be a bit inconsistent in its post-swing setup and lead, but this does not negate the Sharpen arrow’s advantage of high offensive efficiency and rich attacking tools.
It is also true that as its name Sharpen Arrow, especially in various active power situations, the ball feels straightforward, and in the execution of draws, kills, and flat high shots, the whipping effect of the racket is like releasing the bowstring to let the bow and sword shoot out instantly, which possesses a good penetrating and destructive power. Therefore, I would recommend to put a high hardness string on it, and use the cool and elastic racket surface performance to match its advantages in blocking and attacking.
