Karry
I have a badminton friend who is not able to play often. She is about 150 cm tall, with very slender limbs and has not undergone specialized training in techniques or footwork. Generally, such women are positioned as front players in mixed doubles. However, since the other players do not usually hold back, despite having capable partners, dealing with varied shots and intense attacks can be challenging. For her, even though she can return high-clear shots actively, she still often ends up only managing mid-court returns.
The first hurdle for beginner women is the difficulty in handling high-clear shots without proper power techniques. We can’t expect every beginner to use high-end rackets like the NF600 or NRGZ. If relying on equipment, it should at least meet these criteria: 1. Affordable, under 200 RMB; 2. Ultra-light, as some players only use 5U or lighter rackets; 3. Flexible shaft, making the racket easier to handle; 4. Some elasticity to ensure good shot quality; 5. Aesthetic appeal.
The A72 meets these requirements well, despite not being part of the “what more could you ask for” series (it’s more expensive than the K07).
Specifications: 5UG5, full weight 85g, balance point 300mm, 210mm long middle shaft, moderately soft tuning, box frame, strung with about 25lbs training string.
For a racket clearly aimed at amateur beginners, paying some attention to aesthetics can be an effective strategy to boost sales. It features a white base similar to the K520, Y1L, and K07, with colorful rainbow fonts and lines creating a basic sense of layering. Although the paint still feels cheap, it is visually acceptable and suitable for giving to young women (9500 tears). The paint quality is also decent (important for beginners who might hit the frame frequently), and during my testing, despite several frame hits and one collision, there was no noticeable wear. However, if the paint chips, the white appearance and carbon fiber black spots might be visually unpleasant.
The feel of swinging the racket is familiar, having used many ultra-light rackets. It gives a feeling of “light in hand, some weight in swing, overall fast swing speed,” similar to the VTFB, but with a noticeably softer middle shaft, allowing for noticeable deformation.
The middle shaft is interesting—it’s not as excessively soft as some entry-level rackets from Victory. Although my power shots almost max out the potential of the middle shaft, it provides a slightly rare resilience in its feedback, similar to bamboo bending and rebounding. The A72 is described as having a medium-soft shaft, and this resilience may be due to slightly higher modulus carbon fiber. Thus, while smashing may feel a bit stiff, the shots are crisp and fast, suitable for rapid downward shots, with the 300mm balance point being just right for this purpose.
Compared to the 6U WS72, the A72 performs better in the front court. Its faster start-up allows players who have good front court habits to apply more pressure on opponents without fearing shots going out of bounds. The flat drives are crisp, handling various line changes and positioning well in amateur play, and recovery speed is adequate. Directional control is good for rackets in this category.
Due to its weight, the racket has a slight feeling of power loss when receiving smashes. However, using the racket’s own power for smashes makes it easier to handle close-net shots, but lifting shots can be a bit challenging, especially for beginners who might rush their shots. The racket’s crisp shot quality can make it harder to lift effectively.
The reason I’m discussing the high-clear shots last is that this was my primary reason for testing this racket. I believe even advanced players wouldn’t mind using it for high-clear warm-ups. The resilience in the middle shaft makes the power application process more linear. While not comparable to high-end rackets like the NF600, the A72 is more controllable than those overly soft rackets aiming to lower the power threshold. With a 5U weight, it allows for smoother power application, and the middle shaft helps somewhat in the case of insufficient power.
In my opinion, Xunfeng is often criticized mainly because its target market doesn’t align with the forum’s mainstream preferences. Currently, the A72’s performance surpasses the Y1L, B110, and K520, and differs from the K07 and small iron hammer primarily in playing style. I recommend it for beginners with absolutely weak power, and it can be used by men as well. It’s good and offers better performance compared to the “what more could you ask for” series, without compromising. Using a 66U string might improve performance further.
