[Review Experience] THRUSTER HMR

Jayce September 6, 2024 3 0

It’s been a few years since such a classic starter racket came out, which is obviously very relevant now. In fact, I licked my face to borrow from my best friend to try out the racket itself was two years ago as a birthday gift to him, but then he got married and gave birth to a baby a dragon directly deserted badminton. But thanks to that, the racket is in great condition.

Parameters: 5UG6, de-bottomed, total weight of 82.3g in used condition, balance point of 303±4mm in empty racket, 7.0mm soft centre pole length 210mm, boxed frame, 9-3 point cable slot, 31lb warranty, 28-30lb bg65 in pull cable.

This is the first version of the hammer to be painted, with a Prussian blue base colour throughout plus matching orange on the inside of the frame and elsewhere, although I’m not too keen on the blue, I can’t help but think that this is a very young and vibrant look indeed. It’s a very attractive look for the demographic it’s aimed at, and quite successful. At the same time, most of the young people who are new to badminton are ‘powerful enough to attack’, so as long as the paint job boasts a youthful feel, an entry-level ‘high poundage-resistant attack racket’ is bound to become popular.

I always think that I bought the 4U version, but my friend gave me the 5U, probably because the vendor sent me the wrong one and I didn’t realise it ……Anyway, like all the 5U rackets, this hammer feels a little bit lighter on the hand, and at the same time, it is heavier than the 5U hammer I gave to another friend. It is also a bit less head-heavy than the small 5U hammer I gave to another close friend, so this more balanced setup allows the hammer to be swung quite fast in a pure box frame. It’s a shame that the centre is so soft and slow to recover, otherwise it would be a good flat drawer. The hammer doesn’t have a lot of plastic and is quite easy on the hands.

I’d like to say a few words about what I thought about the Hammer’s high poundage resistance feature before trying it out. I don’t think it makes much sense for a starter racket to be high poundage, after all, 99% of the people it’s aimed at can’t hit high poundage, and high poundage cables don’t break through the low ceiling of the racket itself. Although FRS is almost certainly the cheapest item of Victory racket technology, and even if it isn’t, you can see that the little black rackets all over the streets fooling budding racers aren’t labelling themselves as being able to pull 30/35?It’s never the person who can hit the high poundage line, not the racket.

I tend to take more time to get used to some of the ultra-light, box-frame rackets when getting started, and the Hammer is no exception, and it really should be easier to get used to the 4U ones. And out of the performance characteristics of the racket’s high poundage resistance and to verify the proposition of the 65-string high poundage miracle, the author is also the first time to play hard to take the initiative to ask for a pull of 28-30lbs. However, a 5U racket to this extent, even if the racket can stand it, but I’m afraid that I can’t stand to play it. Of course, after such a high weight, the control feeling at the net did open up a new world for me.

In fact, I did overthink it a bit. After taking a few shots of the Hammer on the court, in addition to the ultra-lightweight racket’s floaty feel and the need to instantly hit the ball, the Hammer with the high-pound 65 line is really quite comfortable, not particularly hard feedback, no shock feeling, and also slightly suppressed the 65 to give me that kind of unloading feeling of the ball does not come out of the current pairing of the success of the Hammer. The Hammer really isn’t difficult to get the hang of, as long as you can hit the sweet spot, the feeling of the ball coming out is quite good, one of the biggest considerations of the starter racket is the ease of borrowing power, and the Hammer is quite comfortable in the backcourt against the pulling of long balls. The Hammer is very comfortable in the backcourt against lofted shots, and it would be very beginner-friendly if it were replaced with a low-pound, high-bounce string.

The frames of the Hammers and Hammers Jr. join the K600 and X1 in being among the most standard box frames I’ve seen, with a square shape and high wind resistance. However, since they are 5U, the lightness of the racket is a bit hard to adapt to. The box frame does have a more stable shot, not easy to hit the ball, and is very forgiving. However, the stability of the ball and the accuracy of the ball can not be simply equated, in the trial of the hammer in the sideline drop control performance is more or less different from their own expectations, which may be subject to the middle of the rod configuration. However, this is not a primary consideration for a starter racket, and even if directionality is taken into account, its performance should be at a good level for its class.

After pulling that poundage on the Hammer and playing a few serious games against it and going dozens of rounds, I feel that the Hammer’s high poundage is serving a purpose. Neither the clarity of the stroke feedback nor the explosiveness of the attacking downward pressure is comparable to my other buddy’s small hammer that carries a 24lb vbs66n. Instead, the buddy with the small hammer complains about how hard it is to use when he uses the hammer. High poundage won’t make a racket go from a 60 to an 80, but it will allow an 80 to play a 60 with a 60 instead of just a 48, which equates to the wire becoming a factor of its own. If the racket is not resistant to high pounds, then even this coefficient, which might serve as a boost, is missing.

Of course, this starter racket with basic offensive capabilities did smell and still smells pretty good, and with casual pressure you can kill off attacks that won’t be easily gotten rid of, the bar really isn’t that high, and you can still be a backup racket. For the players who do not know how to choose the small hammer hammer, in fact, I personally feel that the same 5U of the two rackets, the same pull to 27 pounds, the small hammer with its more significant sense of weight of the head in fact has a better offensive feel, and the hammer higher poundage advantage can only be fully exploited by advanced players. The most fun to play with is the 6U small iron, and the most playable is the 4U hammer, depending on your preference.