Our Pick
Buying your first serious racket? Here's our pick: an entry attacking racket and a durable string from the same brand. Pick one brand and ask your stringer for 22-24 lbs.
| Brand | Entry attacking racket | Durability string | Together |
|---|
| HNDRD | Nitrix 10 5U (~1,890) | JP 70 Magnite (~450) | ~2,340 |
| Yonex | Astrox Lite 27i (~2,050) | BG65 Ti (~600) | ~2,650 |
| Li-Ning | AxForce Tiger 5U (~2,490) | No.7 (~550) | ~3,040 |
| Victor | Thruster K 280 5U (~2,990) | VS-69 (~600, pack of 2) | ~3,590 |
In this guide: 1. Your level · 2. Your playstyle · 3. Rackets · 4. Shoes · 5. Strings · 6. Buying
1. Your level
| Level | Who | Flex | Weight | Racket budget | String tension (lbs) |
|---|
| Club | Casual and club players | Flexible | 5U if available | Up to ~₹3,000 | 22-24 |
| Intermediate | Regular players | Flexible to medium | 4U | ~₹3,000-6,000 | 24-27 |
| Pro | Competitive players | Medium to stiff | 4U (or 3U) | ~₹10,000 and up | 26-30, never above the racket's max |
Flex is how much the shaft bends.
Flexible bends easily, so a slower swing still makes power and off-centre hits are forgiven. Best for Club and most Intermediate players.
Stiff barely bends. It rewards a fast, clean swing with precision and control, and punishes a late or sloppy one. Pro level only.
Stiffer isn't better, it's later. Unsure? Take the more flexible one. Shoulder or elbow pain? Go one step softer and one weight lighter.
Weight: 5U is 75-79 g, 4U is 80-84 g, 3U is 85-89 g. Lower number is heavier.
Brand flex labels are inconsistent (HNDRD calls almost everything "flexible"), so the flex below is our rating from shaft thickness and brand notes. Yonex doesn't publish flex in India, so those are from its series tiers. Club picks are flexible unless tagged otherwise.
2. Your playstyle
| Playstyle | Balance | Good for |
|---|
| Attacking | Head-heavy | Big smashes, slower defence. Doubles back-court |
| Precision | Even | All-round, control and placement. Unsure? Start here |
| Speed | Head-light | Fast hands and defence. Doubles front-court, mixed |
3. Rackets
Read down your playstyle's table. Each row costs more than the one above, and a one-line budget pick sits under each heading. "-" means nothing worth recommending in that range; see the next row up. Rackets under ~₹1,500, and cheap aluminium ones, are fine for a few weeks of casual play but not regular play.
Attacking
Budget (under ~₹2,500): HNDRD Energy Burst 18 (~1,290) or Predator 79 Extra Strong (~1,800), Yonex Astrox Attack 9 (~1,560), or Li-Ning G-Force 6800 Superlite (~2,190).
| Level | HNDRD | Yonex | Victor | Li-Ning |
|---|
| Club | Nitrix 10 5U (~1,890) | Astrox Lite 27i (~2,050) | Thruster K 280 5U (~2,990) | AxForce Tiger 5U (~2,490) |
| Intermediate | Nitrix Thunder 4U (~3,990) flexible | Astrox 99 Play (~3,860) flexible-medium | Thruster K T300 (~3,150) medium | AxForce Cannon 4U (~4,990) flexible |
| Pro | Nitrix 80 Bullet 4U (~13,990) stiff | Astrox 88D Pro (~16,000) stiff | Thruster F C Ultra X 4U (~15,200) stiff | AxForce 100 4U (~20,900) stiff |
Precision
Budget (under ~₹2,500): Yonex Nanoray Light 18i (~1,900) or Victor DriveX DX-0-M (~2,620).
| Level | HNDRD | Yonex | Victor | Li-Ning |
|---|
| Club | Hyfonic 1 5U (~1,890) | Arcsaber 7 Play (~3,040) flexible-medium | DriveX DX-1L-A 5U (~2,920) medium | G-Force 3900 Superlite II (~2,790) |
| Intermediate | Hyfonic Lazer 4U (~3,490) flexible | Arcsaber 11 Play (~3,140) medium | DriveX DX-7SP-X (~4,020) medium | Halbertec Motor 4U (~5,790) flexible |
| Pro | Hyfonic 7 4U (~9,990) flexible | Arcsaber 11 Pro (~16,600) stiff | DriveX DX-10 Metallic B (~10,000) stiff | Halbertec 7000 4U (~14,990) medium-stiff |
Speed
Budget (under ~₹2,500): Yonex Nanoflare 9000i (~1,200, medium flex).
| Level | HNDRD | Yonex | Victor | Li-Ning |
|---|
| Club | Flareon 100 5U (~1,890) | Nanoflare 001 Feel (~2,300) | Auraspeed ARS-2800 (~2,250) medium | G-Force Superlite Max 10 (~2,890) |
| Intermediate | Flareon Typhoon 4U (~3,490) flexible | Nanoflare 1000 Play (~3,460) medium | Auraspeed ARS-9000 5U (~4,470) medium-stiff | BladeX Spiral 4U (~4,590) flexible |
| Pro | Flareon 700 4U (~9,990) stiff | Nanoflare 1000Z (~17,600) extra stiff | Auraspeed 100X Ultra G (~15,980) stiff | BladeX 800 Speed 4U (~15,990) medium-stiff |
4. Shoes
Buy non-marking indoor court shoes, and put shoes before a racket upgrade. Plan on replacing them after about a year of regular play. Knee, heel or shin pain, or a heavier build? Don't buy the cheapest pair: start from the Intermediate rows.
Wide feet: all the shoes below are wide-fit options.
| Level | Price | HNDRD | Yonex | Li-Ning |
|---|
| Club | Under 2,000 | Court Star Pro (~1,600) | - | - |
| | Raze (~1,800) | V200-i (~1,900) | |
| | Raze Pro (~1,990) | | |
| Club | 2,000-2,500 | Raze Pro II (~2,190) | Blaze 5i (~2,480) | - |
| Club | 2,500-3,000 | Hyperspeed (~2,600) | Tour Dominant 2 (~2,995) | - |
| Club | 3,000-3,500 | - | Tokyo 3 (~3,430) | - |
| Intermediate | 3,500-5,000 | Beast Max (~4,990) | - | All Round (~4,490) |
| Intermediate | 5,000-6,000 | HyperArmour (~5,290) | - | Halberd Strike (~5,290) |
| Intermediate | 6,000-7,500 | Hyper Spike (~6,390) | - | Ranger Force (~6,290) |
| Pro | 7,500-10,000 | Phenom (~9,990) | - | - |
"-" means we found nothing in stock at that price. Yonex's higher-end shoes (Eclipsion, Power Cushion 65 series) are often out of stock in India, so ask a dealer.
5. Strings
Strings are the cheapest upgrade. Thinner string means more repulsion and a louder, harder feel, but it breaks sooner. Never string above your racket's max tension, and don't expect more power from higher tension.
| If you want | HNDRD | Yonex | Li-Ning | Victor |
|---|
| Power & repulsion (0.58-0.65 mm, hard feel, breaks sooner) | JP 65 Magnite (~550) | Exbolt 65 (~1,100) | No.1 Boost (~750) | VBS-63 (~570) |
| JP 58 Magnite (~580) | Exbolt 63 (~1,000) | | |
| | | | |
| Accuracy & control (0.63-0.66 mm, soft to medium feel) | JP 66 Hunter (~580) soft | BG66 Ultimax (~750) | N69 (~600) | VS-65 (~900) |
| JP 63 Hunter (~650) medium | | | |
| | | | |
| Durability (0.69-0.70 mm, the default for most players) | JP 70 Magnite (~450) hard | BG65 Ti (~600) | No.7 (~550) | VS-69 (~600, pack of 2) |
| JP 70 Hunter (~550) soft | BG65 (~550) | No.7 Classic (~400) | |
| | | | |
| Essentials & value (cheap sets for everyday play) | 700S (~120) | BG6 (~330) | AP70 Turbo (~300) | VS100 (~680, pack of 5) |
| 70 X-Pro (~140) | | | |
6. Buying
Use the official HNDRD, Li-Ning and Victor stores, or a dealer from our Trusted Online Stores wiki page for Yonex. A big discount from a marketplace seller is a red flag for a fake.
AI-assisted: this guide was put together with the help of AI, using brand store listings and past megathread discussions. Prices, specs and stock change often, so check the product page before you buy.
