Karry
The Reputation of This Racket Might Suffer Due to Quality Control and Pricing Issues
Although this racket should be considered a good mid-to-high-end model based on its appearance, materials, and actual experience, the quality issues have had a detrimental effect on its reputation. This highlights the irreversible impact of quality control on a product’s reputation.
Specifications: 4UG5, total weight 89.0g (with overgrip), balance point 309mm, 6.8mm shaft, length 210mm, moderate hardness, 8-4 o’clock string grooves, 76-hole string bed, three-in-one frame, string tension 28lbs with Aerosonic.
This racket is endorsed by Tian Houwei and comes with a cover featuring his signature, which is quite sincere for fans of Tian. As for the racket itself, I find the frame design more aesthetically pleasing than the shaft. The font on the shaft is a square black typeface with a gray-black stripe resembling a car’s chrome trim, which doesn’t appeal to my taste. However, the frame’s color is richer, with many details and a layered look, making it one of the most attractive Kumpoo products I’ve used recently, surpassing the Taiji in terms of appearance.
Don’t assume that because Tian Houwei endorses it, the racket is difficult to handle. Similar to how Hong Wei endorses the Shiri Racket, the 4U option indicates the target audience for this product. The quality of a product isn’t solely determined by its level; it’s essential to evaluate the actual user experience. Improving the experience can be achieved through better materials, and the 6.6mm shaft is quite impressive. Although the 40T material may not be top-notch, the thinner diameter and graphene technology enhance the shaft’s elasticity. The large 76-hole string bed, especially with the frame’s expansion at the 2 and 10 o’clock positions, gives the racket a “square face” feel similar to those on the TK Falcon and Altius J1, which increases the sweet spot and tolerance.
Before using a new racket, I usually warm it up by hitting a few shots to get a feel for it. Early use of the Tian Houwei racket clearly shows it as a “sugar water” racket. The 4U weight, moderate balance point, and the three-in-one frame with low wind resistance significantly reduce the driving difficulty. The medium shaft hardness makes it easier to flex. The racket is very user-friendly; a few high clears can reveal its character, making it easy to handle. However, the three-in-one frame design is rare, especially the box-like frame structure at the T-joint, which I’ve only seen on the HX900X. While it may improve frame stability and torsion resistance, I wonder why it wasn’t placed at the T-joint, where the wind resistance effect would be more noticeable. The likely reason is to avoid patent issues, but it does work and supports a maximum tension of 35lbs.
The frame stability is good, with above-average directional performance compared to similar products. Except for some extreme power attacks, it can accurately target shots, especially for high flat shots. With the current string setup, it offers good shot speed and effective pressure, with accurate placement.
The Tian Houwei racket also performs well in attacking. Besides the consistent characteristics of a “sugar water” racket, its elasticity and pressure provide a good smashing experience. Despite using 40T material, the shaft quality is impressive, achieving the highest elasticity among Kumpoo products I’ve used. It’s recommended to pair it with a hard, high-elasticity string. Although it doesn’t have the head-heavy feel of the Titanium Extreme, it still offers similar downward pressure with sharp shot placement and powerful smashes.
However, it’s less suitable for general speed play. While stable in mid-front court blocking, it has a slower pace and less crisp response in fast exchanges, often requiring high clears to escape. Fortunately, its defense benefits from a large sweet spot and high tolerance, making it reliable for continuous defensive play. Overall, the Tian Houwei racket is more suited for doubles than singles.
I agree with many players’ opinions that the Tian Houwei racket shows performance similar to some classic mid-range rackets, particularly a box-frame Falcon. It’s visually appealing and, if Kumpoo keeps it under 400+ RMB, it should perform well in the market. However, its rating on the Equipment Library has not exceeded 8, possibly due to initial quality issues with the string holes, which have had a lasting negative effect. This is somewhat unfortunate.
