There is a player known for his “charming and suave” style of play, with a graceful posture, aggressive attacks, and an elegant playing style. Affectionately called “Daren Liew” by fans, Daren Liew was once a member of the Malaysian national team in men’s singles. He began to make his mark on the international stage in 2009, quickly rising as a new star in Malaysia. In 2012, he clinched the French Open championship. At a young age, he was seen as the successor to Lee Chong Wei, with fans placing great hopes on him. While anticipating his performance on the court, our attention also turns to Kumpoo, the brand he signed with. Following the success of the Guo Lun D83, Kumpoo has launched the latest racket, “2300 Guo Lun,” tailored for Daren Liew’s continuous attacking style.
Appearance
The 2300 Guo Lun racket features a starry deep blue body with mint green accents reminiscent of a kingfisher. The side of the cone cap is adorned with Daren Liew’s signature. The 2300, as a classic and evergreen series from Kumpoo, has been a bestseller for over ten years, often seen on the international stage in the hands of players like Thailand’s top men’s singles player Boonsak Ponsana and Polish national player Michał Łogosz.
The starry deep blue base color, combined with mint green accents and gold embossed patterns on the racket frame, gives the racket a refreshing, elegant, and visually appealing look. From the Hou Yi to this 2300 Guo Lun, Kumpoo has visibly improved in terms of paintwork, design, and overall feel.
Specifications:
The 2300 Guo Lun I have is a 4UG5 model, with a recommended string tension of 28-35 lbs. The shaft has moderate flexibility. With 76 string holes, the racket has a relatively large frame area. The overall length is 675 mm. The unstrung weight is 82.1g (92.0g with strings and grip tape). The unstrung balance point is 293 mm (292 mm with strings and grip tape). The strings used are BG-80P at 28 lbs.
First Impressions:
The first impression of the 2300 Guo Lun is its long-missed sense of stability. Despite the measured 4U weight and a balanced 293 mm balance point, the intentional weight distribution of the racket gives it a surprisingly noticeable head-heavy feel.
As expected, a few high clears and baseline rallies are enough to experience the effortless and relaxed shot-making that the 2300 Guo Lun’s head-heavy characteristic offers. With its large sweet spot and forgiving nature, the 2300 Guo Lun is undoubtedly an easy-to-handle racket.
In the shaft, the 2300 Guo Lun incorporates a patented technology with an internal six-sided cone. This design enhances the bending point and increases the stiffness of the shaft’s base without altering the shaft’s inner and outer diameters. This results in faster shaft recovery and improved torsion resistance. Thus, the bending point of the 2300 Guo Lun’s shaft is slightly forward, making it more suitable for downward pressure shots, despite its moderate balance point of 293 mm. Even with this balance point, the 2300 Guo Lun allows for easy, precise control in slicing and drop shots.
During offensive sequences, the 2300 Guo Lun maintains sharp downward trajectories. With its lightweight 4U specification and 40T high-modulus carbon fiber reinforcement, the racket’s frame resists torsion well, ensuring stable shot-making. Combined with the shaft’s quick rebound, the 2300 Guo Lun excels in fast-paced, continuous attacks. However, the forward bending point of the shaft may cause a slightly unfamiliar and awkward feeling in downward pressure shots, requiring more time to adapt.
Despite the 2300 Guo Lun utilizing a dynamic three-stage aerodynamic frame design—diamond-shaped at the head, fluid-shaped in the middle, and box-shaped at the base—it still struggles to shed its “bulky” characteristic. This heavy frame feeling directly affects the swing speed, causing a noticeable lag in execution.
In fast-paced front-court exchanges, the 2300 Guo Lun faces challenges, as the large frame can be less responsive when hitting outside the sweet spot, resulting in unclear feedback and less decisive shots. However, in defensive situations, the racket’s ability to quickly lift and drive the shuttle compensates for this flaw, providing a similarly effortless experience. Players would likely prefer not to back down in net exchanges, so adopting a more strategic, evasive style may better suit the 2300 Guo Lun. When transitioning to the front-court duels, where the 2300 Guo Lun excels, its stable frame torsion resistance allows for smooth and controlled net play.
Conclusion:
With a price close to 2,000 yuan, the 2300 Guo Lun, as a signature racket, undoubtedly makes a statement, whether as a gift or for personal collection. Despite being positioned as a mid-range racket in terms of actual sales price, its ability to deliver continuous offensive attacks and solid defense gives it a certain “value for money.” The author particularly recommends it for advanced mixed doubles back-court players and singles players.
Kumpoo 2300 Guo Lun Specifications:
- Frame Material: 40T High Modulus Carbon Fiber
- Shaft Material: 40T High Modulus Carbon Fiber
- Racket Length: 675mm
- Racket Specification: 2#/4u (82±2g)
- Shaft Flexibility: 8.0±0.2mm
- Recommended String Tension: ≤ 35lbs
- Balance Point: 290±3mm
