Curiosity Series 58 — Mizuno ALTIUS 01 Speed

Karry September 20, 2024 1 0

Recently, I’ve come across several posts saying things like, “The racket is still the same racket, but anyone can give a review, and the feelings from a test play will change depending on personal skill level or even intent.” This makes a lot of sense. What I write tends to have more of a personal diary feel, and isn’t all that rigorous, so it’s only for reference. However, amidst the commercialized hype often seen in badminton communities, I hope that my writing, with the aim of promoting genuine exchanges, can serve as a kind of ballast.

After using this racket, I was reminded of a series of anime characters that show my age—Tessa from Full Metal Panic, Henrietta from Gunslinger Girl, Rika from Higurashi When They Cry, and female leads like those in Mardock Scramble, Kite, and Saikano…

What does this say? I’m a fan of petite and slender characters, but this racket, despite its “loli” appearance, is one tough cookie.

Specifications:
4UG5, total weight 95.8g (with strings and grip), balance point 290mm, shaft length 205mm, medium stiffness (slightly stiff when tested), aerodynamic frame with full grooves, normal-sized head, strung at 26lbs with NBG98.

I’ve had my eye on this racket for a long time, purely because of its appearance. The glossy white paint finish, with the technology specs and model name clearly marked on the shaft, the trademark diagonal pattern from the long-established brand, the frame featuring similar designs, and the iconic “Seven Wolves” logo on the shaft—all of this is unpretentious. The only difference between this and the regular version of the 01Feel is the purple color scheme. White hides many flaws, and with its clean and simple design, slim shaft, and overall petite aesthetic, this racket perfectly fits the tastes of both macho men and delicate ladies. The paint job quality likely maintains Mizuno’s usual fragility. When I first picked it up, it didn’t feel especially light but rather solid. Interestingly, the initial user of this racket wasn’t me. I got it at a good price, alongside a 10P, for my partner to use in the frontcourt during mixed doubles.

At that time, she said it was easy to use, but after testing it myself today, I realized it’s not quite the same story.

The first thing I noticed is how stiff it feels. Coupled with the head being slightly light, while its swing speed is excellent, it’s not easy to leverage power for clears. Despite being strung with NBG98, it feels as hard as 80P at the same tension. My girlfriend mainly plays the frontcourt, so she didn’t notice this, but after hitting a few clears, I could immediately tell that this racket doesn’t offer much “sweetness.” However, when I changed my approach to using more wrist and finger action to drive flat clears, the racket’s sharpness was revealed—it delivers incredibly fast shots with excellent control. When it comes to pushing and lifting shots from the rear court, I could instantly sense the quality of my return. Compared to the 01Feel, the 01Speed actually feels more aggressive to me. Even though the 01Feel is more of a balanced racket, leaning towards offense with its weight and balance point, the 01Speed behaves more like an attacking racket akin to the DZS.

The reason likely comes from the material and shaft:

The carbon fiber used in the 01Feel is slightly softer than the 01Speed, but the 01Speed’s material grade is not as stiff as the FT series in Mizuno’s stiffness hierarchy.
The 01Speed’s shaft is 10mm shorter than the 01Feel’s.

Because of these differences, having already gotten used to the FT10P, I felt less energy loss and was pleasantly surprised by the explosive power of the 01Speed during smashes. The initial and terminal speeds of the smash were both high, capable of both surprise attacks and sustained offense. As long as the user has enough explosive power, the attacking capabilities of this racket won’t disappoint, and its performance contrasts greatly with its appearance.

With these specs, the racket’s flat drives and blocks are naturally strong, but its precision with soft touches and small power actions was unexpectedly sharp. The feedback from each hit is very direct, and combined with the large head and sweet spot offering high forgiveness, though it doesn’t have a strong hold on the shuttle, it still gives the user confidence in slicing, drops, and net play. In mixed doubles games where there was a noticeable skill gap, I consistently used it to transition from lifting to the far net to cross-net shots.

When under pressure, whether defending against smashes, interceptions, or kills aimed at the non-dominant hand side, this racket excels in recovery due to its fast response. Returning a smash to the opponent’s backcourt often left opponents, who weren’t able to retreat quickly enough, at a disadvantage. But I did find it slightly awkward when hitting defensive shots on my forehand side (maybe I’m just not good enough). After a few games, my old injuries in my elbow, wrist, and shoulder flared up, proving that the racket is indeed on the stiffer side and not very user-friendly for everyone.

I’m a bit confused about this racket’s positioning now. The Altius series is indeed marketed as a singles line, and its precision and aggressive shot-making do meet singles demands. However, it’s energy-intensive and has a higher skill threshold, which sets it apart from the 01Feel. At the same time, this racket is also highly competitive for doubles play, with its fast swing speed and direct shot-making providing good flow in rallies. While the racket can produce high shuttle speed and powerful shots, it requires a high level of strength to fully utilize its flex, and it doesn’t offer much sweetness (contrary to some reviews that called it a “sweet” racket; I reserve my opinion). However, its superior net control does make it a good choice for more casual games. Overall, it has excellent quality and feel, though its price tag is a bit steep. Aesthetics-conscious players with a certain skill level and financial means won’t regret picking this up.

Using this racket feels like watching a pretty schoolgirl in a uniform, with twin ponytails, don a helmet, skillfully ride a Honda CBR250RR, leave a trail of smoke, and drive off—an extreme contrast.