Li-Ning Woods N90-II Review

Well to start i would admit that I've not had a good impression for Li-Ning rackets. They're really Expensive and their design sense needs a hell lot of improvement. Whenever i go the shop i see all of their rackets hanging off the racks store, usually dusty and not really in a rush to go anywhere.

But that was until I got one of this. The Li-Ning Woods N90-II proved to be a really good racket both offensively and on the defense. While weighing a tonne, the racket somehow allows a very delicate and overwhelming sense of control and speed.

I would even say that it's right up there in terms of usability with the Yonex Voltric 80 (which in my opinion is the best Yonex has ever made).

First off all, the N90-II looks like a very fiery dream. It screams made in CHINA, and might even impart some of the skill of their best players to you.

Its been two months since getting my hand on a Li-Ning Woods N90-II to write this review, mainly because I don't really use it too much in case I damage the very awesome paintwork.

But enough of my vanity and onto the review proper.

This review is based on my opinion of the racket from using it in my games according to my style. There are a lot of ways to play badminton, so take this with a pinch of salt. I'm not an expert but i will try to be as much accurate as I can, and will tell you about my experience with racket as well as its usability. 

Comments welcome!

OK here we go.

Li-Ning Woods N90-II

Est Dry Weight: 90g (3U)

Grip Size: S2 (eq. Yonex G5)

Balance: Head Heavy

Max String Tension: 28lbs

Flex: Stiff

Strings: Yonex Nanogy 98 @ 24lbs

I mainly used this racket for single games.

Defense

At first handle, I felt tremor to think what my defense with this racket gonna be. I remember when I first used the Yonex Armortec 900 Power and how it destroyed my defensive capabilities….

The N90-II comes heavier and bulkier than the AT900P, but when it came to swing the racket in a drive or smash, the Li-Ning racket performs very well. It's able to deflect most of the attacks with as much finesse as it has power.

The nest about weight is the way it helps you deliver a good block or defensive shots to the back of the court without use of much energy.

On the softer blocks, the weight of the racket head also helps when you want to play  all those tricky dropping net shots that are really close to the net. A light touch is what it usually needs to get the shuttle just over.

I don't know how Li-Ning pulled it off, or if it's because I was lucky with the weight distribution of this racket, but the N90-II is insanely easy to use on the defense, outclassing any of the other head heavy rackets that I've come across.

Attack
The first smash I threw with the N90-II got praise from my playing partner. I remember how fantastic it felt coming off the strings, and how good the sound was. I'm not a power player, so my shuttles don't have that much speed, but the Li-Ning Woods N90-II delivers a rather satisfying speed with the shuttle.

The well-made racket also brags a nice driving speed, with the shuttle moving a fast speed away with the lightest of touches. Wrist players will really enjoy this recket as you get a high yield with very little effort.

Swings on the racket come off really fast too, and the added weight in the head gave me a great angle with the natural follow-through that came with the downward swings.

However, I did feel a gradual loss in speed when it came to the flat exchanges. The wrist cant be able to support that much weight of the racket or as long as your other rackets that for sure. The  whip-like nature of the shaft helps in this situation, allowing better transfer of energy when you need it.

Control
Have you ever seen “Lin Dan” throw off shot after shot of impossible angles and velocity? Well, using the Li-Ning Woods N90-II really made me feel like I can play most of those shots if I wanted.

The slightly larger head frame of the racket delivers the potential of a wide collection of shots into your arsenal. And not to forget the larger string bed, larger surface area to play shots around with.

Need a tighter spin on your net drops? Take aim a little off the center for a harder feel. Want the disgust to push the shuttle off the back line? Take the shuttle with the enlarged sweet spot to get max distance without using too much of the strength.

Once again, I'll give credit to the heavy head of the racket for the sensational drop shots that it managed to pull off. The shuttles spin off the string bed seldom fails to find its way sharply towards the other side.

I can judge how good the control is for a racket by how I'm able to direct the play of a game. The more I walk around the court, the more control I feel I am getting, not to mention more comfort and better shot quality.

The Li-Ning Woods N90-II really took my game to next level.

Looks

I call this the dragon. It's primarily red, with white yellow and gold strips running down the head frame and onto the shaft, where gold writing completes the magnificence of the Li-Ning Woods N90-II.

My Ratings:

Defense: 9/10

Attack: 8/10

Control: 10/10

Looks: 10/10