Some story
This racket is super duper popular and in super high demand that victor TH stocks literally ran out. I’m also in the market for a “speed – control” type racket as well and my senior who own 4 of 100X rackets tout this racket to be “Best speed-control type racket in the market and BS12 is not even close to this racket” so I decided to pull the trigger.
My current racket:
Victor Auraspeed 100X (Victor VBS 66 Nano 26lbs)
Victor Jetspeed S12 ii (Li-ning No.1 Boost 27 lbs)
Jnice Black Panther 4U (Exbolt63 26.5 lbs)
I own and operate badminton court for rent in Rayong, Thailand, I play + train 6 days a week to rapidly increase my skill since I just started playing when I open my own badminton court (6 months ago).
Specs
Victor Auraspeed 100X 2022 Power Ring
Weight (with Victor grip and without string): 84.1 grams
Swing weight: 83 kg
Balance point (with Victor grip and without string): 298mm
Shaft: rated as stiff
Initial Thoughts
– Confident
– Lighter in hand
– Superfast through the air
Swinging 100X through the air feels light and swift which is weird since the balance point is 300mm, I thought it should swing a bit slower than BS12, surprisingly it swings as fast as BS12. I will be comparing 100X with BS12 a lot since both rackets are built of similar purposes which are “racket that is easy to play with and racket that have extreme speed” 100X frame is not as aerodynamic as BS12 but it doesn’t make the swing feels any slower.
Clears
Anyone that have played with BS12 before will understand that “smooth feeling”. Clears are effortless. I have to adjust my power on clear a bit since on my warm-up I overshoot the court every time I hit. Back hand clears are now super easy.
Drives
On drive situation this racket is a BEAST. The repulsion I get from this racket is insane and the handling speed is super good too. You can basically drive and keep pressure while walking forward since this racket will make you be able to keep up with the speed. This racket is built for dominating the frontcourt. 100X have more repulsion than my Jetspeed S12ii.
Smash
Even though this racket is classified as a “speed” racket. This guy packs a punch on smashes, this racket not gonna give you super hard and heavy smashes like 88D pro or TK-F SE. What this racket provides you are solid and effortless smashes. I would say 100X smashes are “fast” but not “heavy”, front – midcourt smashes are killer. Rear court smashes are good but not as deadly as my old trusty Jnice Black Panther.
You probably won’t be able to brute force your way through with rear court smash like 88D pro if your opponents got decent defense. But this got better smashes than BS12, if you like BS12 but wanted more smashing power from it. 100X will do the job.
Defense
With insane repulsion and good handling speed. This racket is great at defense. 100X gave me a shot that I don’t have before which is the drive counter if the opponent smashes trajectory doesn’t point downward, I will be able to drive it straight back to the smasher which he/she doesn’t have a chance to reply, or I can just smash the shuttle back if the timing is right as well, super satisfying.
Control
This racket is one of the best in control department IMO. Super easy to guide the shuttle to where you want it to go. The racket doesn’t have that “hold time” that Arc 11 pro have but you normally wont need that much holds time if you’re not a player who likes deceptive shots anyway. Because the racket is on the lighter side. the “double-action” or hold flick shots are easier than ever for me.
Mishits
The reason why I’m now a Victor fanboy is because of the free-core tech. The unwanted vibration-absorbing is super good for both elbow and shoulder. Don’t misunderstand, this technology wont make your mishits fly better. It only makes your body feels less awful when you mishit which is what I think everyone will be ok with.
100X is an excellent choice for all-around players that are looking for a racket that provides great speed, ease of play, and decent power. 100X will now be my replacement for Jetspeed S12ii when I play male double and I will still use my Jnice for mixed double since I will primarily be in the rear court, but will change to 100X on my bad day or when I’m not 100% healthy.
If you’re more of a power smasher, I would suggest TK-F SE or 88D pro instead since you will find 100X lacking in power and that “oomph” when you smash.
For those who’s in the market for 88S type of racket, I think you should give 100X a chance.
For those who’s looking for BS12, just buy 100X instead.