Having not found a decent review in the Li-Ning racket fans threads (or just losing patience from sifting through the absurd length of the entire thread), I've decided to post my own N55II review here.
Background: My regular arsenal of rackets includes a BS12 (most frequently used), VT80PG, MP100 and Arc8DX. I play 2-3x / week, 2 sessions of feathers, third session on plastics (just due to the groups i happen to join).
How did I come by this racket? apparently a friend of mine decided that he wants to retire from the game :confused:, and offered up his rackets for sale. Having never tried a Li-Ning racket before, I jumped at the chance. I didn't even get a chance to check if its legit, but I trust him.... At this point, I should point out that I am a bit of a racket junkie - Experimenting with different equipment is a ton of fun for me. Just a month ago, I picked up a Cab 8DX... Anyways, I digress.... on with the review
Review time: 2 sessions, 3 hours each, played doubles and singles
Config:Li-Ning NS95 String 24x26 (not strung by me though)
This thing looks nice. the paint quality is miles ahead of Victor and Yonex's paint imo.
Dry swings - Racket feels like it's got some nice weight to it... as if I should expect to get a lot of power out of the racket. I would rate the flex as stiff, but not as stiff as my VT80PG...
Clears: Very nice - I find that it requires less effort to clear well with this than it does with my other rackets. Good solid feel.
Defense: Defensive clears are solid, but in terms of speed, it's not the best - I'd still say it's adequate though. I feel like this racket is more geared towards an attacking style player. I could get my racket in position most of the time, but sometimes the direction I intended to flick the shuttle was not quite as accurate as I'm capable of doing with the BS12.
Smashes: In the smash department, There's a ton of power to be had with one caveat... I find this racket to be not all that forgiving. It's like playing golf: When I hit with proper technique and got the shuttle right on the sweet spot, I was rewarded with an incredible shot that had me grinning from ear to ear, but if I mishit, I'd give up a soft shot or an easy kill, plus I felt like there was some feedback/vibration so you know you've screwed up.
Drops/net shots: Fantastic. I was nailing these all night long... great spins, tight shots just skimming the top of the net.... although once again, if your technique gets sloppy, well, prepare to have a shuttle flying at your face at top speed.
Drives: Not too shabby... Even though the racket felt a bit slower than say my BS12, it packs a punch, so I was winning more drive contests than not.
Summary:
Color me impressed. I think I'm keeping this racket. Sure, it's not as forgiving on mishits as my other rackets, but I figure it's a good way to try and get rid of some bad habits anyways. For the most part, this racket was a joy to use. It packs a lot of power and has good accuracy to boot. I'd probably turn to this as my go-to singles racket for the next few sessions just because it's been fun and keeps me wanting more.
You do need to have good skills and consistent technique to get the most out of it, but when you do, wow it's fun.
Here are some pics:
PS: Does anyone know if there are any pros who use this racket?
Also, I'm fairly certain it's authentic, but wouldn't mind an education on how to tell if a Li-Ning racket is real or fake
Background: My regular arsenal of rackets includes a BS12 (most frequently used), VT80PG, MP100 and Arc8DX. I play 2-3x / week, 2 sessions of feathers, third session on plastics (just due to the groups i happen to join).
How did I come by this racket? apparently a friend of mine decided that he wants to retire from the game :confused:, and offered up his rackets for sale. Having never tried a Li-Ning racket before, I jumped at the chance. I didn't even get a chance to check if its legit, but I trust him.... At this point, I should point out that I am a bit of a racket junkie - Experimenting with different equipment is a ton of fun for me. Just a month ago, I picked up a Cab 8DX... Anyways, I digress.... on with the review
Review time: 2 sessions, 3 hours each, played doubles and singles
Config:Li-Ning NS95 String 24x26 (not strung by me though)
This thing looks nice. the paint quality is miles ahead of Victor and Yonex's paint imo.
Dry swings - Racket feels like it's got some nice weight to it... as if I should expect to get a lot of power out of the racket. I would rate the flex as stiff, but not as stiff as my VT80PG...
Clears: Very nice - I find that it requires less effort to clear well with this than it does with my other rackets. Good solid feel.
Defense: Defensive clears are solid, but in terms of speed, it's not the best - I'd still say it's adequate though. I feel like this racket is more geared towards an attacking style player. I could get my racket in position most of the time, but sometimes the direction I intended to flick the shuttle was not quite as accurate as I'm capable of doing with the BS12.
Smashes: In the smash department, There's a ton of power to be had with one caveat... I find this racket to be not all that forgiving. It's like playing golf: When I hit with proper technique and got the shuttle right on the sweet spot, I was rewarded with an incredible shot that had me grinning from ear to ear, but if I mishit, I'd give up a soft shot or an easy kill, plus I felt like there was some feedback/vibration so you know you've screwed up.
Drops/net shots: Fantastic. I was nailing these all night long... great spins, tight shots just skimming the top of the net.... although once again, if your technique gets sloppy, well, prepare to have a shuttle flying at your face at top speed.
Drives: Not too shabby... Even though the racket felt a bit slower than say my BS12, it packs a punch, so I was winning more drive contests than not.
Summary:
Color me impressed. I think I'm keeping this racket. Sure, it's not as forgiving on mishits as my other rackets, but I figure it's a good way to try and get rid of some bad habits anyways. For the most part, this racket was a joy to use. It packs a lot of power and has good accuracy to boot. I'd probably turn to this as my go-to singles racket for the next few sessions just because it's been fun and keeps me wanting more.
You do need to have good skills and consistent technique to get the most out of it, but when you do, wow it's fun.
Here are some pics:
PS: Does anyone know if there are any pros who use this racket?
Also, I'm fairly certain it's authentic, but wouldn't mind an education on how to tell if a Li-Ning racket is real or fake