Yonex Duora 8XP Badminton Racket. A worthy alternative to the Duora 10.

First Impressions

The Yonex Duora 8 XP badminton racket is glitzy looking compact frame.  It features the Dynamic Dual Design- two unique frame shapes into one revolutionary racquet combining alternating box and aero-shaped structures which delivers the power of a box frame on the forehand side and, swift and quick repulsion of an aerodynamic frame on the backhand side. The Duora 8XP with it's even balanced frame and slim, stiff shaft feels similar to the Duora Z-Strike.  There is one big difference though.  The Duora 8XP can be strung at 35lbs of string tension; the highest for any Yonex racket. Our team strung the  Duora 8 XP 3U5 at 35 lbs..  Interestingly, at a strung weight of around 93 gms the frame felt light and swift.   Our intense seven-day test yielded some interesting results. 

Smash - 9.0

The stiff shaft with the combination of the heavier (3U) frame and a responsive head helped generate powerful smashes.  Executing stick smashes was easier than full smashes.  Its even balance allowed for reasonably quick racket swings generating significant power on smashes.  A four-corner test conducted by our experts demonstrated increased accuracy over time. The BW experts agreed that smash was one of the best features of the Duora 8 XP badminton racket.

Drop – 8.5

Our team tested several variations of the drop including the cross drop, slice drop, reverse drop and even the backhand drop.  The Duora 8XP provided adequate control and consistency.  The 35 lbs string tension helped. The racket felt responsive and maneuverable except it took a bit of time to get adjusted to backhand cross drops, perhaps because of the unique design of the frame. An overall score of 8.5/10

Clear - 8.0

Surprisingly, the Duora 8XP scored similar to Duora 10 in executing clears.   Backhand clears were surprisingly easy to execute proving that the aero design in the dual optimum system works well. The BW experts felt there was ease in clearing with the aero frame side of the racket.  Our team was disappointed with the Duora 8XP's performance when clearing from backcourt to backcourt with the box frame side  Their clears were not as precise and fell short.  It is probably due to the slim, stiff shaft. Our BW team of experts gave 8.0/10.

Drive – 9

The compact and aerodynamic frame of the Yonex Duora 8XP really helped with drives both attacking and defensive.  The frame was easy to maneuver and felt responsive.  Our team felt that dual frame - box for forehands and aero for backhands, combined with a stiff shaft made for powerful and consistent drives despite its 3U weight.

Defensive Lift - 8

Defensive lifts are an important shot in a player’s arsenal and is quite often used to extend rallies to win crucial points. The Yonex Duora 8XP performed really well when it came to returning drops and smashes back to the front of the opponent’s court. What was surprising, according to our experts, was the ability to return smashes when playing doubles, for this required additional maneuverability and quickness to return it to the backcourt. The Duora 8XP  proved that it can perform admirably as a doubles racket as well. BW experts gave it an 8 out of 10.

Net Kill - 9

The speedy and maneuverable frame of the Duora 8XP helped with sharper net kills.  Despite the fact that the strung weight of the tested frame was 93 gms, the accuracy and control on net kills were admirable. Our team gave 9/10 for the racket.

Summary

BW experts concluded that the Yonex Duora 8XP plays faster and lighter than most badminton rackets in its weight class (3U).  The frame performed as prescribed by Yonex with powerful forehands and quick backhands.  The ability to string the Duora 8 XP at 35 lbs makes it unique.  Our team concluded that this higher string tension does help players add control to their drops and clears.  Playing with  a 3U frame strung at 35 lbs can result in muscle fatigue over time.  Overall a good singles or doubles frame the Yonex Duora 8XP is ideal for players who prefer stronger quicker frames. 

Players considering the Yonex Duora 8XP should also take a look at the following badminton rackets: 

1. Yonex Duora Z-Strike Badminton Racket

2. Yonex Arcsaber 11 Badminton Racket

3. Victor Auraspeed 80X Badminton Racket