A bit of backstory:
I own a 3U Arcsaber 11 Pro since March and I think it’s a more playable racket than its predecessor, the Arcsaber 11. I owned Arcsaber 11 twice in the past and each time I have to sell them off because it is more demanding for me to play my type of game. I find Arc11Pro easier to play and generate power with.
When I first heard of the announcement of Arcsaber 7 Pro, to be honest, I chuckled and dismissed the idea of a 4U even balanced racket that hold shuttle longer on impact.
So why did I get it?
I got old and wanted something easier to play with. I once had a 4U Jetspeed 12 II. It was easy to play with and backhands are comfortable. But I sold it a year ago and there is a huge shortage of Victor rackets in Malaysia, so no easy way to get one. I gave up on a light Victor racket and went for the Arc7Pro. When I saw the Arc7Pro in person, the color is great, far better than the pictures from Yonex. So I got one.
How good is it?
The racket grew upon me faster than I expected. It is fast, very fast and easy to play with, to be expected from a 4U even balanced racket. I honestly don’t feel much hold on impact with shuttle, its stringbed feels pretty repulsive for an Arcsaber. It might be due to the Kizuna D66 Lusty that I strung it with at 26lbs.
Low error rate is the key point for me to eat my words for doubting Arc7P being a good racket. After one session, this racket gave me a lot of confidence as I’m making less mistakes than I could with my usual rackets. I was so surprised to have more control on my slice smash and slice drop because I occasionally sliced them out or into the net. I didn’t experienced this with JS12II that I owned previously.
I’m sure a lot of people would be skeptical with the power generated from Arc7P, I’d say they are right to think so. Its power ceiling IS lower than a 3U Arc11P, but it is also better at continuous attack. Given its weight, I find it easy to whip it at full force for at least 3 consecutive times. Even with a medium shaft, I think the shaft recovered fast enough for me to continue my attack. This is something I couldn’t do with my Arc11P due to its heavier weight.
Defensive and counter attack shots without a doubt have been made easier with the racket’s light weight and seemingly larger sweet spot.
Last thing I really like about Arc7P is really suitable for my backhand shots. Backhand clear, drop and smash have been an enjoyable experience and again, less prone to errors.
What I wanted more?
Weight and grip size, there is only 4U G5 available in my area. Thank god it suits my need.
Who is it not for?
Strong players who like a lot of weight or penetration behind their shots. And if your shot has very little variation, Arc7pro doesn’t help you a lot.
A little comparison with the rackets I frequent (All 4U unless specified):
Arc11P: Impact feels about the same but Arc7P has lower power ceiling.
Bladex700: Bladex700 is 3U, hits heavier but smaller sweetspot and less maneuverable.
NF700: Impact feels harder and for some reason, NF700 is less maneuverable.
AS80X: a 3U version, a very comparable racket with Arc7P. Sting less in attack but great in defence.
AS100X: 100X is much stiffer and has a harder feeling on impact, more repulsive too.
Falcon Enhanced: FE is head heavier and less maneuverable, has similar hitting feel.
JS10: JS10 feel much harder and a tad slower, sweetspot is much smaller.
