Yehlex Championship (Orange Label) Yehlex state that their Championship line are made from the highest grade goose feathers, but make no mention of the cork. I reviewed a speed 78 shuttle in the UK, late spring/early summer. Price paid: £17.35 per 1 Tube (12 shuttles) Country sourced: United Kingdom Source of purchase: http://www.directbadminton.co.uk/index.aspx (No pictures of new shuttles available) Flight Quality – 7/10: Having played with Yehlex’s tournament line from time to time, I didn’t expect any particular issues with the flight of Yehlex’s shuttles. This proved true for as long the durability of the shuttle; there was no wobbling or issue unless the durability and wear-and-tear came into question. These shuttles are quite fast for a speed 78, clearly overshooting Yonex or Li Ning shuttles by comparison. That said this shuttle doesn’t feel particularly heavy – despite my primary problem with the shuttle below, the shuttle feels and looks like decent product. The feel behind hitting these shuttles is quite rewarding; the cork feels solid, and while it’s neither soft like Li Ning’s shuttles nor hard and crisp like Yonex shuttles, it feels satisfying to strike. Clears couldn’t be easier, but I feel like the shuttle being fast is lending itself to this factor. I wish I could say the shuttle plays well at the net, but with the durability problems, the shuttle often ends up damaged too quickly and thus makes it worse for net play. Durability – 4/10: Having used someone else’s Yehlex Tournament shuttles (purple tube), I can reasonably assume that Yehlex’s shuttles have lacklustre durability throughout the lineup. These shuttles disintegrate unexpectedly quickly without excessive punishment. I did not notice any cork deformation, but the feathers they use are incredibly brittle and will split or straight up break without much play. Cork Quality – 8/10: Even though this is the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] to top of the line shuttle from Yehlex, we still aren’t seeing a whole natural cork. We have a three layer composite cork with compressed cork in the middle and natural on the top and bottom. This isn’t necessarily the most ideal, but I find that having natural cork on the top and bottom prevents a hollow feel – it retains similar standards to whole natural cork without the additional cost. Overall Shuttle Quality – 6.3/10: This shuttle is severely let down by the lacklustre durability. If these shuttles could survive a reasonable period of time, they’d get a better rating from me. Given how quickly the feathers break, and the corners cut on the cork, it’s safe to say this shuttle isn’t a premium grade product. It’s a very average product. Overall Shuttle Value – 4/10: For an average product, it’s far too expensive. £17.35 a tube is the same as a tube of Yonex AS 30s, which do use a whole natural cork, and have slightly more durable feathers. Moreover, if you exceed the cost just a little bit you can find a shuttle that far supersedes the Yehlex Championship line. These are not a shuttle I would buy again, with many of them failing to last even a single game.
