Background
Since 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 quite 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 quality level. That changed just 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 ultimately 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 men’s doubles world silver medalist, 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 Victor’s badminton range, sitting on either side of the 9 and 11.
It’s a handsome racket in charcoal gray, 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 racquets. It equates to a 3.5-inch size or Yonex G4, which is a bit confusing. The weight is 86g. Interestingly, this racquet 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 little heavy on the head, but not too heavy. The axis is designated rigid.
Usually when I test and review racquets I like to play with the racquet factory strung. On this occasion, the Bravesword 10 had been customized to around 26lbs. Rather than being disappointed, I was absolutely delighted and you’ll see why when you read on.
Bravesword technology revolves around the shape of the frame, which is actually shaped like a sword. And this racket certainly sounds like one, as you can hear it slice through the air!
Overhead Yield
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. Punts were effortless and there was a lot of touch for drop shots. The racket really cuts through the air quickly, allowing for great speed, yet the control is still there. The string tension felt “just right” for this racquet. 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 weight in the head, which is good as you can feel the flow of the racquet in the swing and it improves performance and control.
The combination of the racquet’s airtight qualities, stiff shaft, and light head weight create plenty 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 at 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 those really tight net shots. Once again BS10 was outstanding.
Summary
It had been a long time since I had the pleasure of trying a racket of such quality from another manufacturer. The Bravesword 10 was outstanding in all areas that I tested. The RRP is £109.95, which is incredible for a racket of this quality. Retailers will discount under £100, so you’re going to be getting an absolute bargain here.
The Bravesword 10 holds the accolade of being my first 5-star racquet in the Victor range and also my first 5-star racquet of any other manufacturer’s range I’ve tried. Thanks to Victor for producing such a brilliant racket.
There is no doubt that the Victor brand is now world class. While 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.