Badminton Racket Kumpoo Shanhai Review

Karry September 29, 2024 0

The equipment used by professional players has always attracted the attention of amateur players. The topic of which player uses which outstanding racket is often a hot topic among enthusiasts. Today, we are focusing on the Shanhai racket, specially designed for the Hebei provincial team from Jizhou. Recently, Shanhai made a stunning appearance on the Zhongyu Unboxing column, and now it is in the Zhongyu Online Review Room. Let’s take a look at its performance from various aspects.

—Detailed Specifications

The Shanhai racket I have is 3UG5; the recommended string tension is ≤32lbs; the shaft is moderately elastic with a slightly hard feel; it has a 76-hole string bed with a relatively small frame area, and the total length is 675mm; the unstrung weight is 87.1g (98.3g with overgrip); the unstrung balance point is 308mm (309mm with overgrip); the string setup is Kumpoo-K70, with a tension of 28lbs; and it features a carbon fiber cone cap. Kumpoo is known for its bold use of carbon materials, and this time, even the cone cap is made of carbon fiber, showcasing a significant cost in both carbon materials and the new mold.

—Appearance and Finish

As a domestic brand, Kumpoo’s design is strikingly innovative and vibrant, with a rich use of traditional Chinese elements. Upon close inspection, some bubbles can be seen in the frame stickers and paint. Although Shanhai is positioned as a top-tier gift box racket in the brand’s lineup, the quality of the paint needs improvement.

—On-Court Experience

During practical use, the Shanhai racket leaves a deep impression with its excellent and comfortable medium shaft elasticity. The racket offers a noticeable ball wrap and holding sensation. The slightly higher balance point and low shaft threshold allow the racket to perform well even with incomplete swings. The racket’s concentrated sweet spot and moderately hard frame, combined with the elastic medium shaft, provide ample resilience.

However, despite its attractive exterior, the Shanhai has some drawbacks. The medium shaft exhibits excessive oscillation during rebound, leading to a slower recovery speed, especially in prolonged rallies. While it excels in ball holding, it compromises shot accuracy, making it less effective in fast-paced exchanges and continuous attacks, but well-suited for singles and defensive positions in doubles.

The Shanhai’s use of internal foam molding avoids dullness and excess vibration, creating a surprisingly impressive impact feedback. The high overall swing weight and solid frame shape give it a natural advantage in attacking play, with powerful smashes and long shot placement. The combination of internal foam molding and T800 carbon contributes to its strong smashing performance, similar to most attacking singles rackets. However, the racket finds it difficult to achieve tricky shot placements. Its stability and moderate performance at the net are expected.

—Passive Defense

In passive defense, Shanhai demonstrates its excellent performance as a balanced racket. The return of power and comfort is effective, but the medium shaft’s deformation can affect shot accuracy, resulting in slightly erratic placements. The smaller frame also reduces the margin for error during defense.

—Recommendation Summary

Shanhai focuses on a comfortable attacking experience and high cost-performance. In its price range, it offers a balanced yet offensive racket with superior qualities. While it may be considered a luxury even in practical use, its overall resilience and comfort, along with decent smashing capability, make it suitable for controlled and single/double offensive play. It is recommended to use a hard and thin string for attacking or a soft string for a balanced approach, ensuring control over shot strength to avoid out-of-bounds shots.