Yonex Nanoray 900 Badminton Racket, fast and maneuverable!

First impressions

Unlike many of the shiny and colorful badminton rackets introduced by Yonex, the Nanoray 900 badminton racket is bla·sé. The dull grey color with green decals is far from shiny. Where the Nanoray 900 badminton racket truly shines is performance. It has a fast aero frame that is maneuverable and allows for enhanced repulsion. A thinner top of the frame sides minimizes air resistance for greater head speed, while the thicker sides at the bottom of the head generate maximum repulsion through greater frame stiffness. The X-Fullerene technology is incorporated into the full length of the shaft to increase stiffness and repulsion power. Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan from Indonesia are among the many great players that used this Yonex Nanoray 900 badminton racket. Saina Nehwal, the great Indian badminton player, made the Nanoray 900 her racket of choice for a while. Only available in 3U, the Nanoray 900 has a stiff shaft and is headlight for fast racket swings.

Smash - 9

Despite a responsive frame with a stiff shaft and head light balance, smashes felt ok but not great. Changing to the BG 80 Power string from BG65 made a huge difference. Our proprietary four-corner smash test yielded incredible power and precision. Our team of experts recommend using the BG80 Power to take advantage of the fast racket speed and maneuverability of the Nanoray 900. A score of 9/10 for smashes

Drop - 8.5

Drop shots can be tricky and difficult to execute. At first, the Nanoray 900 seemed a bit rigid, perhaps due to its stiff shaft, but with increased use, our experts experienced increased accuracy and precision. All in all, a great racket to play good drop shots. A solid 8.5 out of 10.

Clear - 9.5

A good clear can save you from losing a crucial point. Seemingly easy to execute, it requires technique and timing. A racket with a headlight balance and fast swing speed definitely helps. The Nanoray 900 badminton made clears easy to execute. Two of our BW experts executed a 5-minute back-court to back-court clear drill with ease and experienced no fatigue. A great racket for crisp and precise clears.

Drive - 9.5

The Nanoray 900 badminton racket really came through with flying colors when executing drives. It is hardly a surprise that Mohammed Ahsan & Hendra Setiawan, doubles players par excellence, used this racket over a long period.  The head of the Nanoray 900 badminton racket is fast and maneuverable. The stiff shaft makes the racket powerful in flat drives. The BW experts observed that minimal backswing is needed for fast and attacking drives. The BW team gave 9.5/10 for the drives.

Defensive Lift - 9.0

The Nanoray 900 badminton racket’s light frame and stiff shaft allowed for quick lifts and blocks. The blocks were fast and well placed. Lift defenses were high and deep backcourt of the opponent easily with this racket. Our experts gave 9.0/10 for defensive lifts.

Net Kill - 8

Good net kills require incredible racket speed and maneuverability especially when executed while shifting from a defensive position. Technique and skill are paramount, no doubt. But a racket with quick swing speed can help tap the shuttle downward from just over the net to the opponent’s court. The Nanoray 900 performed admirably with net kills. A net kill drill performed by several experts yielded decent results. The shift shaft helped with decent control for sharp net kills. The maneuverability of the frame helped with quickness and deft touch required to execute net kills. A score of 8/10 is not bad for net kills.

Summary

If you are looking for a fast, maneuverable badminton racket, look no further than the Nanoray 900 badminton racket. There may be other rackets that may be more powerful (Yonex Astrox 99, Yonex ZForce 2, Yonex Astrox 88D),  but the Nanoray 900 is an excellent choice for the attack-minded player who simply wants fast swing speeds and quickness. Like most advanced Yonex badminton rackets though, the Nanoray 900 is expensive. If you are looking for a similar racket at a lower price range, the Yonex Nanoray 20 badminton racket may be worth considering. Sure, it does not have the feel or overall quality of the Nanoray 900. But at around $55, the Yonex Nanoray 20 badminton racket is an economical alternative for the intermediate player. If you desire the quality of a Japanese made Yonex badminton racket, then the Yonex Nanoray 900 should be on your list. Selecting a badminton racket can be tough. Badminton Warehouse has tried to make it easy with a simple badminton racket selection guide.