Today I'll be reviewing the 2nd generation Yonex Nanoflare 700, the Nanoflare 700 Pro. Spoiler alert, I liked it so much that I’ve actually decided to swap my day-to-day rackets from the 2nd generation Astrox 88D Pro to these Nanoflare 700 Pros!
By the way, Yonex launched their full series of the Nanoflare 700 series rackets with their Tour, Game and Play rackets too. You can check out my in-depth review of the Nanoflare 700 Tour, Game and Play (video here) in another separate blog!
You can get the Yonex Nanoflare 700 Pro here!
Review of Appearance & Materials Of Yonex Nanoflare 700 Pro Badminton Racket
The midnight purple matte paint coupled with the sunset decals really gives me quite a chill and easygoing vibe... I like it a lot! The other colourway in silver and sunrise is only available for the tour, game and play rackets so the Pro here is only available with the purple/sunset combo.
However, there is one thing that I noticed with the sunset or sunrise decals on the rackets. I think Yonex tried to get the decals on their higher-end models to show depth and shadows but it felt quite pixelated when compared to the Play model, which is the most affordable model. The Play’s sunrise or sunset decals were super smooth and I think it looked nicer at first glance compared to the others.
Also, it would’ve been amazing if the decals were able to wrap all the way around the shaft but knowing how decals are put on, it’s probably more of an operational challenge to get it perfectly around the shaft with no gaps or overlaps.
In terms of racket frame and shape, this new Nanoflare 700 Pro retained a similar shape compared to its previous generation model but does have something new embedded in its frame to help with how the racket feels. Servo Filter is now added to the racket which is a vibration dampening film that’s baked into the racket to provide a softer feel. I really liked how the Astrox Nextage felt previously with VDM (vibration dampening mesh) so I think Servo Filter is another step up from that technology.
Another thing that I really liked was the grommets around the T joint. Those U-shaped grommets are now semi-transparent and have a better shape which looks nicer. I don’t think they’ll impact performance but definitely no harm in having nicer, cleaner-looking grommets.
Specifications & Measurements Of Yonex Nanoflare 700 Pro Badminton Racket
In terms of specs, the Nanoflare 700 Pro has a shaft length of 21cm with a diameter of 6.9mm. Pretty standard nowadays in terms of modern rackets. The shaft is then connected to the racket handle that’s 17cm in length.
For its frame, it’s common for Yonex Nanoflares to have a wider, thicker frame on the outside. This is part of Yonex’s Sonic Flare racket frame technology. The Sonic Flare racket frame also has a sharper leading edge if you’re looking from the front or back of the racket.
This design looks to promote faster swing speeds by having a smaller surface area of the frame through the air. It will feel slightly draggier if compared to a super thin round-edged frame but if you’re not sensitive, it’s perfectly fine. The frame thickness is around 12.6mm around the 3 and 9 o’clock areas and tapers down slightly to around 12.2mm around the 10 and 2 o’clock regions.
For dimensions, the 700 Pro had a frame height of 23.8cm and 18.5cm in width. Just a touch slimmer than other usual top-end rackets but full height of course. Obviously as a speed-based racket, the Nanoflare 700 Pro has a fully recessed frame profile all the way for the full racket.
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In terms of strings, Yonex recommends their Exbolt series strings for this racket but for testing consistency, I went with my usual set-up of Aerobite at 27 by 29 lbs of tension.
The Nanoflare 700 Pro comes in 2 weights - 4U and 5U. For those unfamiliar, 4U weights are rackets around 80-84g and 5U are 75-79g rackets. Super light indeed!
Both rackets held really well to stringing. There was some flexing at the very top of the frame under tensioning but it was a normal amount. The 4U rackets are rated to 28 lbs on tension and the 5U to 27 lbs.
Here are the swing weight measurements on the Yonex Precision scan:
So, how does it play?
Playing Feel & Performance Of Yonex Nanoflare 700 Pro Badminton Racket
If you’ve followed my reviews for a while, you would’ve known that the Astrox 88D Pros that I have been playing with for the last few years are pretty head-heavy. So how did I go from head-heavy and stiff to then switching to this relatively head-light and more flexible racket?
Well, the reason was simple. The Nanoflare 700 Pro was just super super easy to play with. Both on great days and on off days too! This was very important to me.
Generally, I find head-light rackets “harder” to play with because I can’t utilise its head weight to get me out of trouble when I’m put under a lot of pressure in rallies, especially deep in the rear court.
However, because I now train with a group where I'm often one of the weakest ones, I find myself in trouble easily and quickly, especially in doubles. This is because I’m not able to take the shuttle early enough in the front court or can’t cut out the 3rd or 5th shot quickly enough. Once I start lifting, I’m quickly in even more trouble.
I also find that with a head heavier racket, my swings aren't compact when I’m trying very hard to generate a lot of power. Essentially, I have a big swing which isn’t great for badminton, especially on the front court. This is down to my technique and just physically not strong enough I guess. So that’s where this new 700 Pro really helped me a lot.
The lighter, faster head helped me out significantly in terms of the more technically challenging forecourt fight for the 3rd, 5th and 7th shots, allowing me to be more compact and react faster to changes of directions. There’s plenty of power to my shots when you catch the timing right. But because the 700 Pro isn’t extremely stiff, you have the best chance at a good connection with the shuttle. Off sweet spot shots do suffer a little depending on how badly timed they are but generally; this is an excellent racket for getting out of trouble! I also like the very pleasant hitting feel with the Servo Filter.
For the rear court, I can’t hit through the guys and girls I play with anyway with one smash so it’s all about setting the rallies up. If you play at a good, decent level, you’ll also understand it’s impossible to hit through your opponents with one shot nowadays. Yes, the 700 Pro’s head is lighter compared to the 88D Pro but if you can change your technique slightly to focus more on bringing your body weight forward, you won’t feel like it doesn’t smash well. Or at least I don’t feel like it’s got a weak smash!
I normally play with a 4U weight racket anyway so I will be going for the 4U Nanoflare 700 Pro. But when I tested the 5U model, I was very surprised that there wasn’t too much difference in terms of power. Granted, the key for smashing or power shots from the rear is being relaxed and making sure you are transferring your body weight forwards and moving into the court. So with the 5U, you do have to put your weight behind it for your power shots to have more sting but the flat, fast stuff is just incredible. Very surprised at how close it is to the 4U.
I actually played quite a few games of singles with the 5U 700 Pro and it held up pretty well although I would recommend the 4U option if you’re going to be doing a lot of singles. The 700 Pro does have a good feel, and fresh strings feel crisp and it has a really lovely bite off the strings.
All in all, I’ve tested the rackets for quite a few weeks and I remember how great it felt on a good day but was also cautious for bad days. But when bad days feel like a very decent day then I immediately knew this was the one.
I value user-friendly rackets very highly and my needs have changed as a player as I try and improve my game. I might want to hit like Viktor Axelsen or Lee Zii Jia but physically it’s just not possible. So I’m trying to find the best fit for my game and I really like this one, hence I'm finally making the switch!
The Nanoflare 700 Tour, Game and Play rackets do feel slightly different though so check out my review for those before pulling the trigger. Until then, I’ll see you in the next one!