Background
As I work for a badminton retailer, I am occasionally asked to review rackets from other manufacturers. In this context, I recently tried a Victor Bravesword 10 badminton racket and was very surprised.
A few years ago the Victor brand was extremely small in the UK, mainly considered a European brand. We knew very little about their products and level of quality. That changed a little over a year ago when it was announced that they were the new sponsors of the Korea National Badminton Team. This was a huge step forward for Victor and finally gave them an international stamp of approval in terms of quality. After all, if a racket is good enough for Lee Yong Dae, reigning Olympic mixed doubles champion and world silver medalist in men’s doubles, and his team, then it must be good!
To my review…
The Victor Bravesword 10 is the “second” racket in the Bravesword series, the cream of the Victor badminton range, sitting on either side of the 9 and 11.
It’s an attractive racket in charcoal grey, with flashes of red, white and what looks like a holographic stripe along the side of the head. It arrived in a full body bag in red with the name on the bag to differentiate it from the 9 and 11. This is also a high quality full top bag, nothing flimsy here.
The grip size is G3, which is the smaller of the two grip sizes on Victor rackets. It equates to a 3.5-inch or Yonex G4 size, which is a bit confusing. The weight is 86g. Interestingly, this racket has a maximum recommended string tension of 30lbs so it must be very strong and extremely popular in the Asian market where string tensions are much higher.
This is a fairly balanced badminton racket, a bit heavy on the head, but not too heavy. The axis is designated rigid.
Usually when I test and review rackets, I like to play with the racket factory strung. On this occasion, the Bravesword 10 had been customized to around 26 pounds. Instead of being disappointed, I was absolutely delighted and you’ll see why when you read on.
The Bravesword technology revolves around the shape of the frame, which is actually in the shape of a sword. And this racket certainly sounds like one, as you can hear it slice through the air!
Overhead performance
Do you ever pick up a racket and know it’s going to be good? When I walked onto the court with Bravesword 10, I had one of those moments.
The first hit confirmed that this badminton racket had that special quality. Clearances were effortless and there was plenty of touch for dropshots. The racket really cuts through the air quickly, allowing for great speed, yet control is still there. String tension felt “just right” for this racket. Sometimes they can be too tight and it’s harder to generate power. It would be exciting to experiment with the string tensions on this racket as I think it has even more to offer.
There is a bit of head weight which is good as you can feel the flow of the racket in the swing and it improves performance and control.
The combination of the racket’s air-resistance qualities, stiff shaft, and light head weight generate a lot of power. Yes, it is definitely a powerful racket.
Defending
Defensively, this racket was easy to use. Again, the air resistance qualities of the head made the racket easy to maneuver and the light weight in the head was insufficient to counteract this speed. In fact, the combination worked very well, as he felt there was some meat behind the drive returns.
net area
A racket that performs well on defense always performs well around the net area. After all, we’re talking about generating controlled racket speed here, in very short bursts with the slightest touch for really tight net shots. Once again, BS10 was outstanding.
Summary
It’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of trying a racket of such quality from another manufacturer. The Bravesword 10 was outstanding in every area that I tested. The RRP is £109.95 which is incredible for a racket of this quality. Retailers will discount below £100, so you’ll be getting an absolute bargain here.
The Bravesword 10 has the accolade of being my first 5 star racket in the Victor range and also my first 5 star racket out of all the other manufacturers’ ranges I have tried. Thanks to Victor for producing such a brilliant racket.
There is no doubt that the Victor brand is now world class. While it is relatively unknown in the UK at the moment, I’m sure its quality and price will easily find a way into the market. You’d be wise to try Victor’s Bravesword 10 if you can find one, because this level of quality deserves a place alongside the more well-known brands.
