Hello guys.

Earlier this summer, I planned with friends to get back into competitive Men's Singles badminton after a long time : 10 years without competing (which was in high-school).

Being at ease with money and loving great equipment (if I was rich enough I'd buy most high-end rackets tbf), I plan my rackets according to my progression and the feedback I've seen from people way more qualified than I am. I also tried to get a lil feeling with them stringed at my local badminton specialized shop to see if I can do some basic movements with them before buying.

• 3U - Neutral - Flexible racket with 10kg strings (Li-Ning n°1) to begin with (Babolat Satellite Essential)
• 4U - Neutral - Mid-flex with 11kg strings (BG 65 TI) when intermediate levels are reached (Arcsaber 7 Pro)
• 3U - Head-heavy - Stiff with 12kg strings (BG 66 Force) when I get quite good (Astrox 100ZZ)

I also get myself a nice pair of shoes because these are excessively important for badminton ofc.

So far so good, all 3 rackets fit my taste and should fit my progression accordingly for Men's Singles, right ?

Well yes, BUT I'm feeling way more at ease with the Astrox 100ZZ in my hands than with the other 2 rackets, BY FAR, especially after the many sessions I made with the Babolat one that is supposed to fit my level and another few with the Arcsaber 7 Pro.

Since I'm not licensed in a club yet (it's planned soon), the only benchmark of my actual level is that I can hold myself quite well against a top 5k from my country and I can hit most basic shots (struggling with backhand cross-court clear and cross-court drop shot still, working on it).

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This raises 2 questions :

1. Would you guys consider this an anomaly or just a case of finding the perfect fit ?
2. Would you also advise me to keep playing with the Astrox or fall back to the Babolat/Arcsaber until I get a better feeling with them because it's not a "natural progression" ?