RKEP AT800Tec Review
3U
Strung w/ BG66UM at 22x24lbs
Slightly stiff
Strung BP w/ original grip – 285mm
First Impressions:
The paint quality of the AT800Tec is definitely far superior to that of the AT800P. It looks really good in a not-too-attention-grabbing kind of way but still retains some of the looks found on the Yonex Arcsaber Z-Slash and the AT800P. The grommets are improved from before but still look somewhat cheap and breakable. Swinging it around, the shaft feels slightly stiff but not overly so. If I were to compare it to a popular Yonex racket, I would say that it is like the not-so-stiff Arc10. Another strange thing, although the balance point with the racket strung was measured at 285mm, when swinging the racket, you can feel some weight in the head but it might have just been me.
Warm-Ups:
Being slightly flexible, the racket can really launch the shuttle with minimal effort on my part. Clears were good but when you are well rested, the flexibility can really be felt. Drives were a pleasure to do with this racket but the racket isn’t as fast as the Victor BS12 or the Yonex NS9900 but then again, very little are =P On a slightly different note, the one I had felt rather heavy, I don’t have a balance to measure the weight but I suspect that it is on the upper-end of the 3u scale. During warm-ups, everything felt pretty good. The racket feels very solid and there wasn’t too much vibration, kind of reminds me of my Arc10 again.
Game Time:
I had my doubts about whether the racket would work well for me in a fast-paced game but it did not disappoint. Like I said before, it was not the fastest racket in the world, but it was still faster than my AT900P (it better be xD). The flexibility really helps with defence as I was able to block and lift smashes with ease. Smashes were decent. They were not hard and fast like with the AT900P, nor were they slow but what is really good to know here is that it is really easy to generate smashes of consistent speed without too much effort – and I’m talking about decent smashes, not fast drops. Drop shots from the back, forehand and backhand, were fun to do but took some time to get used to. Net shots were interesting, they weren’t great for me but this could be due to several factors. Maybe I’m not fully comfortable with the racket yet. Maybe I’m not fully used to BG66UM yet. Maybe I prefer more feedback (spoiled by the Victor SW35).
Conclusion:
The AT800Tec is a very admirable racket for people who don’t like super stiff rackets but who find medium-flex too soft. It performs well at everything while being the king in none. It’s a very fun racket to use especially if you are at the tail-end of a long tournament or practice session. Everything feels very accessible but it will definitely not suit super hard hitters who prefer really stiff rackets. For the price, you can’t really go wrong with the RKEP AT800Tec. If you’re interested, Eric of Squash Mart will hook you up =P
Ratings:
Power – 8.5/10
Defence – 8.5/10
Feel – 8/10
Value – 10/10
Speed – 8.5/10
Please note that all these ratings are subjective, especially for the “feel” category. I personally prefer a racket with more feedback but the AT800Tec is definitely very solid and well constructed.
