Tag: BRAVE SWORD

As a “grave digger,” I’ve now extended my business to include the Super Waves and BRAVE SWORD series.

Models 168 and 169 are the only two remaining BRAVE SWORD series rackets positioned in the high-end segment, with noticeable differences in their tuning styles. After trying out the 168, I suspect that collecting slightly lower-end models like the 150/170 will be even more challenging, so I’ll have to take it step by step.

Specifications: 3UG5, no cap, total weight 91.94g, balance point 336mm, shaft length 215mm, medium-high stiffness, diamond wind-break frame, 72-hole string bed, 9-3 o’clock string grommets, warranty up to 26 lbs, strung with 26 lbs VBS66N.

Compared to the more feminine color scheme and design of the 169, the 168 is much more masculine. The racket’s paint job is primarily blue and white, similar in style to the 169 but with different colors. There’s a black and white square at the base of the shaft, though I’m not sure of its purpose. Other than that, there’s not much to say about the appearance without repeating myself. However, I have to complain again about the BRAVE SWORD series’ paint quality—it chips easily. I’m not sure if it’s just my racket, but it seems to suffer from the same issue as the JETSPEED 10, with the T-joint paint cracking easily.

Seeing the specs, many players might be shocked by the balance point after removing the cap, as was the previous seller who warned me that this racket is a wrist-breaker. Upon first handling it, I was reminded of the BRAVE SWORD 09, which also has a significant head-heavy feel and a hefty swing weight. However, the wind-breaking effect of the BRAVE SWORD series is well-known, so I didn’t encounter any difficulties in generating power during use. The strong head weight provides excellent power transfer, making it easy to clear the shuttle far with almost anyone, especially when both players are feeding the shuttle accurately.

There’s no need to analyze the power from an elasticity perspective for this BRAVE SWORD. Its inherent characteristics naturally result in shots with substantial weight.

The downside is also apparent: using the 168 significantly increases the physical burden. Aside from potential injuries caused by the increased swing weight, it also places a considerable strain on the user during prolonged rallies. To maintain high-quality rallies with the 168, the user’s physical fitness must be quite high. Several times, after intense rallies, my forearm felt sore.

Additionally, the increased swing weight reduces agility, making the low-profile frame’s benefits less noticeable in flat drives. The heavy frame lengthens the preparation time, and short bursts of power don’t feel great. In fast-paced mid-court exchanges, its continuity ranks among the lowest in the BRAVE SWORD series. This also led me to adopt softer blocks and drops when faced with pressure from the opponent.

With poor continuity, the focus naturally shifts to the quality of individual attacks. The racket’s natural smash feeling is substantial and satisfying. Even when not fully powered, it can produce sharp, soft smashes or drop shots with precise placement. However, when I had ample time in the backcourt to fully unleash a smash, I noticed a slight power loss at the racket face, reflecting a common issue with the 169.

Perhaps switching to a stiffer string might directly address the issue of the racket face not delivering enough force. But the 168 allowed me to execute deceptive kills that exceeded my expectations. The shots had unexpected suddenness and sharpness, often allowing me to target the opponent’s weaker partner during sustained rallies or semi-opportunities for effective pressure training.

Of course, after executing many of these deceptive kills, I noticed that my wrist and arm felt more fatigued than usual after the game. It seems that the surprise performance was achieved at the cost of improper technique, so it’s not exactly a legitimate gain. Additionally, I shouldn’t set such high expectations for the racket’s performance under passive situations. When I was repeatedly stretched to the corners by the opponent, the 168’s relatively forgiving face allowed me to make life-saving transition shots during repeated turns, but hitting a solid, relieving shot was challenging, especially when receiving backhand shots where it tended to produce half-court, half-high returns, making it awkward to generate power.

Oddly enough, the 168 still belongs to the “sugar water” category of rackets, but with a personality akin to a hardcore music enthusiast—it occasionally bursts out with death metal. This gives it a unique character, and I love it.

During the holiday, I went back to my lifelong mixed doubles partner’s home, which is in a relatively remote area. However, I have friends from all over the place in my usual chat group, and I happened to meet one of them locally this time. We had a great time setting up a game together. Thanks to the friend for the arrangement.

Of course, I also played to my strength—mooching.

Specifications: 3UG5, with cap, weight 94.4g, balance point 293mm, 7.0mm shaft, length 215mm, medium stiffness, diamond wind-break frame, 72-hole string bed, 9-3 o’clock string grommets, warranty up to 24 lbs, strung with 24 lbs VBS66N.

The grass green color, I like it. Although the racket doesn’t have many stickers, this unique color choice is very successful and offers good visibility. The green, white, and black transitions on the frame are basic but create a natural layered effect. This is more comfortable compared to some workshop models with pure white or pink, and it matches the glossy finish well. However, it seems that the 1500 series has several different color options, indicating substantial tuning differences within the low-end range from 1100 to 1900.

Despite the cost constraints limiting the material quality, the BRAVE SWORD frame retains its original features, resulting in low air resistance and high swing speed, providing a sense of agility. The cutting air sound is also present when applying force.

The lower-end materials cannot completely hide the fact that the racket has a relatively stiff face. The 1500, with its current string setup, still exhibits a somewhat crisp rebound characteristic. The moderate stiffness of the shaft, combined with the large sweet spot, offers a pleasant hitting experience. However, its control over shot placement, particularly in high clears, is somewhat limited due to the reduced rigidity of the frame.

Even though the racket’s swing weight is slightly head-heavy, its smash feel is quite good, even better than the entry-level JETSPEED 02 I used before. Although it can’t achieve powerful smashes due to the shaft’s elasticity, the relatively stiff face helps in maintaining confidence during smashes. The actual power output depends more on the user’s skill and string condition. It may not be very friendly for beginners, but intermediate players will likely find it suitable.

The racket’s flat drive feel is not as bouncy as high-end BRAVE SWORD models, which makes it more controllable in net play and less prone to hitting the shuttlecock too high. The large racket face provides ample tolerance, and the high swing speed enhances its performance in defensive situations. The backhand power feel is also quite good, providing a reliable safety net.

In summary, the 1500 is a product that, despite using lower-end materials, meets the expectations for entry-level players. It’s not particularly exciting but serves its purpose well. I actually quite like it; the color and feel match my expectations for a racket at this price point.

I never expected it to be such a BRAVE SWORD. Six months ago, I wouldn’t have felt the urge to complete the collection of this decade-old speed racket series. Although it’s called a classic, it could also be seen as outdated, especially considering how much I like the Hyperion series, where performance is the priority and retro isn’t necessary.

Yet, I’ve ended up using an even older model.

Specifications: 3UG5, without cap, weight 92.9g, balance point 311mm, shaft length 215mm, high stiffness, diamond wind-break frame, 72-hole string bed, 9-3 o’clock string grommets, warranty up to 28 lbs, strung with 24 lbs Victor NS880.

I find the BRAVE SWORD 09’s appearance quite dull, with a silver base and a bit of red on the racket head, making it look unremarkable and blunt. The racket seems to lack intentional embellishments and has minimal stickers. There’s no indication of advanced technology, but it retains the BRAVE SWORD’s notorious paint-chipping issue and the old problem of paint peeling off the cone cap, making it look quite worn over time.

The feel of this racket is surprisingly heavy. Isn’t it supposed to be a speed racket? It reminds me of the 3U Hyperion 70k but with noticeably higher rigidity. Initially, I worried that the old strings would cause excessive ball pocketing, but I underestimated the string tension. The racket still has a crisp and elastic feel. The BRAVE SWORD series indeed excels in providing a direct, stiff feel.

Even though the string elasticity has significantly diminished, the head-heavy feel provides a powerful leverage effect, sending high shots with a steep arc to the baseline. Compared to later models, it doesn’t show obvious lagging performance. I believe that if the strings were replaced, its shot speed and overall performance could improve.

This is the first time I’ve used such a heavy BRAVE SWORD, and the first time encountering such a solid feeling in a BRAVE SWORD. Besides the improved grip from the racket’s weight, the NS880 strings enhance the feel, giving excellent performance in net play. During pre-game net drills, it gave me a clear sense of how to get closer to the net with each shot. In doubles, I managed to execute some impressive net rolls. Even with my rough technique, I began to appreciate playing at the net.

Additionally, the large racket face provides higher tolerance, reducing the risk of mis-hits due to over-aggression.

However, the increased head weight does sacrifice some agility. Agility is not the same as swing speed; the characteristic “whoosh” sound when cutting through the air is still present, but the BRAVE SWORD 09 slows down during flat exchanges and fast blocks. In passive play, it sometimes struggles to react quickly, and continuous defensive play can strain the small joints, causing forearm and wrist fatigue.

The BRAVE SWORD 09’s added control comes at the cost of some continuity and agility, making it more suitable for singles play.

The racket’s offensive feel is close to traditional offensive rackets: rigid with a slightly head-heavy balance, offering excellent smash capabilities. Due to the string’s condition, I didn’t push for full-force smashes, instead focusing on maintaining continuity with about 30% power. Even so, the BRAVE SWORD 09’s sharpness and power exceeded my expectations. Despite the loss of string tension, it still delivers impactful smashes.

As for shot placement, it does exhibit some inherent twisting issues.

In summary, as long as you don’t view it as an old relic, it remains a capable and aggressive racket. I didn’t expect Victor to release an upgraded version of the BRAVE SWORD 12 this year, and I didn’t anticipate that this older high-end model still has strong performance.

Its worn appearance matches its enduring capabilities.

The BRAVE SWORD 15 is in a somewhat awkward position. It is said that when Victor sponsored the Korean team, Lee Yong-dae chose his equipment. Although the BRAVE SWORD 15 was positioned higher than the BRAVE SWORD 12, Lee Yong-dae preferred the feel of the BRAVE SWORD 12, which contributed to its strong reputation and popularity.

However, there is another version that suggests the BRAVE SWORD 15 was intended to be a mid-to-high-end product. Despite having a stiffness just below the BRAVE SWORD 10, its quality wasn’t as high. Even so, this doesn’t quite explain the dramatic price drop of the racket.

Specifications: 3UG5, without cap, weight 93.0g, balance point 296mm, shaft length 215mm, medium stiffness, diamond wind-break frame, 72-hole string bed, 9-3 o’clock string grommets, warranty up to 28 lbs, strung with 25-27 lbs BS710/KT66F.

The cone cap style is similar to my MX-90, showing its age. The pricing confirms it’s not at flagship level, correctly positioning it as mid-to-high-end. The frame’s color scheme is banana chocolate, with a dark red Sword emblem at 4 o’clock, which looks good. The pearlescent paint raises its visual appeal, but the BRAVE SWORD’s wind-break frame is traditionally prone to damage. My sample, having been battered over the years, shows many flaws, with the whole series often termed as “flower swords.”

Upon closer inspection, the BRAVE SWORD 15 has a slight flat-head feel, suggesting a smaller sweet spot, which may increase the difficulty of hitting. In practice, however, the racket’s hardness isn’t as aggressive, and deformation is not as hard to achieve. I do like a slightly firmer feedback in doubles speed rackets, but perhaps after years, the BRAVE SWORD 15 has softened a bit. After all, it was once said to have stiffness just below the BRAVE SWORD 10… Well, I haven’t tried the BRAVE SWORD 10 yet.

The large racket face doesn’t significantly help with shot tolerance; there is still a noticeable difference in performance depending on whether you hit within or outside the sweet spot, a characteristic of the flat-head design. Over time, the BRAVE SWORD feels a bit worn out, with the racket face not feeling too stiff. Perhaps the string setup is not ideal, as there’s some ball sticking, which feels somewhat off.

However, the swing speed is quick, and the racket produces a sharp sound when cutting through the air, a notable feature of the current frame design. The BRAVE SWORD 15 performs excellently in the mid-court and front-court. Despite being a 3U racket, it is very agile, excelling in flat exchanges and defensive play. The quick response and feel for both forehand and backhand flat pushes or net blocks are very good. The BRAVE SWORD maintains excellent speed in doubles play, achieving a prominent level of agility even as a mid-to-high-end product.

Though it is more agile than the 09 due to its swing weight, its smash quality and shot tolerance still fall short compared to other BRAVE SWORD models I have used. The flat-head design’s concentrated power is diminished by the shaft’s elasticity and hardness, combined with a smaller swing weight, making its smash quality merely above average among speed rackets. To achieve effective smashes, a consistent and aggressive approach is necessary, relying on speed and strategy rather than pure power.

I rarely consider using it for delicate net shots; only when playing at the net with less aggressive intentions do I use it for soft blocks. While the BRAVE SWORD 15’s rear-court lifts feel good, this is not entirely due to the racket’s large face but also the string setup’s ball-holding effect, which enhances net control.

Despite the numerous shortcomings when compared to flagship models, its very low cost—around three times cheaper—makes it highly cost-effective. For players seeking elasticity and advanced attacking experience in a speed racket, it may not be the ideal choice. However, the BRAVE SWORD 15’s overall versatility and its adherence to the BRAVE SWORD series characteristics make it a great value at a price of 1180, even compared to newer JETSPEED or Hyperion series models. At this price, it offers a significant advantage in the speed racket category.

It’s really old, so much so that I’m not particularly interested anymore. The motto of my equipment preferences is “buy new, not old.” The last time I saw it on the international stage was during the Rio Olympics men’s doubles quarter-finals with Long Xing. As expected, it lost to the pair using the newer JETSPEED 10/12.

If we look back to the end of last year, there was a batch of clearance stock that made this racket available at a relatively good price, offering some value for money at that time. But now, it has even increased in price along with other new products…

Thanks to a friend for lending it to me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have voluntarily picked up the BRAVE SWORD series for a test.

Specifications: 4UG5, without cap, total weight and balance point not measured, high shaft hardness, wind-break frame, 72-hole string bed, strung with 26-28 lbs BG80P.

Let’s briefly discuss some now less common parameters or features of the BRAVE SWORD. First, its shaft remains at 7.0mm, which, after the paint is applied, is noticeably thicker compared to today’s rackets, reminiscent of the Yonex CP7000. Then there’s the inner wave frame, which many other brands use to enlarge the sweet spot, reduce vibration, and improve stability. Lastly, the special material single-line vibration dampers at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions are said to benefit the feel.

Victor is indeed known as the “Blue Factory” for a reason; blue is a prominent color in many of their rackets. The BRAVE SWORD 12 features a classic color scheme with black, blue, and white. To be blunt, it reminds me of Akiyama Mio’s underwear… it’s that classic. Combined with its full wind-break frame, it certainly has a sharp sense of speed.

Although it is categorized as a head-light racket in Victor’s performance matrix, it actually has a certain head-heavy feel and is quite comfortable to handle. Nowadays, many speed rackets feature complex wind-break frame shapes, but only the BRAVE SWORD series (including the Force 3) produces a “whooshing” sound during swings, as if cutting through the air. After spending so much time with the JETSPEED series, I would unconsciously think that Victor’s speed rackets have increasingly larger string beds, but the BRAVE SWORD 12 shows that this is not the case; its string bed is also quite large.

A large racket face is one reason why the BRAVE SWORD 12 is easy to handle. The shaft tuning is also quite reasonable—though stiff, it’s not difficult to drive. During smooth swings, it deforms slightly, and the large sweet spot is easy to find, reducing the chance of mishits due to fast swing speeds. The BRAVE SWORD still maintains a high swing speed, and its wind-break sound can be heard during actual play. Coupled with the appropriate head-heavy feel, the racket, as a flagship of Victor’s old-school speed rackets, is quite adaptable.

Moreover, the frame feels quite solid overall. It is said that wind-break frames have significant torsional resistance issues, which I also experienced with the Force 3, feeling less solid in shots and with deviations in landing points. This floating sensation is reduced in the BRAVE SWORD 12, making shots feel more stable. Interestingly, both models use the inner wave treatment on the frame, but whether this difference in feel is due to brand psychology or actual performance differences remains unconfirmed.

Another point is that the BRAVE SWORD 12’s shaft issues are widely recognized. In actual use, I do notice a perceivable difference in elasticity compared to current high-end rackets, but the negative impact on feedback is less severe than expected. The concentrated sweet spot still feels good. Perhaps the vibration dampers play a part in this. In comparison, there are speed rackets that are much stiffer, such as the Wind Blade 500.

So, in summary, it remains a capable speed racket.

As an old flagship for doubles, it embodies the qualities of a pioneer speed racket, with its inherent advantages: high swing speed, good maneuverability, and excellent shot feel during flat exchanges. The large racket frame and sweet spot effectively increase the tolerance, making it particularly good for receiving smashes and defensive plays. With appropriate swing weight and some head-heavy feel, even the 4U version maintains enough power for back-court attacks. The feel for small shots is average, and there are no significant weaknesses.

If not for the sentimental value, the BRAVE SWORD 12 still offers value during clearance sales due to its forgiving nature, decent feel, and effective attacking quality. However, considering the brand advantage, many mid-to-high-end speed or balanced rackets now offer comparable performance at competitive prices. If you still want to purchase this flagship, its current price might be more about nostalgia. There are already many good speed rackets available now.