Best Yonex and Victor Badminton Rackets for Intermediate Players

Congratulations, intermediate badminton players! You've successfully moved past the beginner stage and are ready to elevate your game.

As you celebrate your progress, it's time to invest in a badminton racket that matches your evolving skills and style of play. Your beginner-level racket will not cut when you propel your game to new heights. Your existing racket does not complement your evolved playing skill and style.

Now that you know the kind of game you like and the type of shots you enjoy, you must choose a badminton racket tailored to your requirements and skills as an intermediate player.

1. Yonex Nanoflare Nextage

For intermediate players who want an exhilarating feel and lightning-fast speed, the Yonex Nanoflare Nextage badminton racket can quickly become their top choice. This head-light racket is budget-friendly and perfect to match your elevated badminton skills. With a softer feeling, the racket can help you increase speed and ensure a hitting experience like no other.

Incorporating the original features of Nanoflare, the Yonex NF-NX badminton racket has Nanocell Neo graphite for superior resilience. It also has the Sonic Flare System for power, stability, and maximum acceleration. It has a super slim shaft and Aero frame for reducing wind resistance and ensuring zero lags in connecting with the shuttlecock. It has a medium flex to make shots easier for the intermediate level of play. Overall, the shape of the racket is designed as such to make quicker rallies enticing for you.

Available: 4U

Ideal for: Intermediate players who want a fast racket with a soft-hitting experience.

2. Yonex Astrox 88D Game

If you enjoy a game of smashes and aggressive shots, the 2024 Yonex Astrox 88D Game badminton racket can be your choice. Although the company markets it as a doubles racket, many players prefer the racquet for its head-heavy frame and lightweight design. It is a decent racket for generating power and ensuring smooth movement and maneuverability.

The budget-friendly and intermediate-level badminton racquet can help you elevate your skills and practice more aggressive shots without weighing you down. The racket has an Aero+Box frame and Rotational Generator system for the perfect blend of power, flexibility, and speed. The company has used innovative 2nd generation Nanomesh NEO technology in the shaft for faster snapbacks and better performance. The latest 3AX88D-G also has the Power Assist Bumper for increased power.

Available: 4U

Ideal for: Aggressive players who want uncompromising power and speed.

You can consider the 2024 Yonex Astrox 88S Game racket if you are a front-court player and require a head-heavy racket that holds the shuttle longer than the Astrox 88D game.

3. Yonex Nanoflare 1000 Game

Along with the Nanoflare 1000 Z, Yonex introduced the Nanoflare 1000 Game badminton racket for intermediate players. This racket is ideal for mid-to-high-level intermediate players who need enhanced speed and agility in their rackets. It offers additional swing speed and flexibility to make your shots unbelievably fast on the court.

The NF-1000G has a wide frame and aero shape with sharp edges. It reduces the problem of frame warping and increases swing speed. The Nanocell NEO graphite material increases durability and repulsion.

Available in: 3U and 4U.

Ideal for: Intermediate players with a need for a lightning-fast pace.

If you are a high-level intermediate player, try the Yonex Nanoflare 1000 Tour racket with a compact frame and Speed-Assist Bumper for extra speed.

4. Yonex Arcsaber 11 Tour

If you have developed the skill of making accurate shot placement and require a badminton racket that allows for extra milliseconds of contact time, look no further. After years in R&D, the Yonex Arcsaber 11 Tour badminton racket will add more control to your shots and make your game more accurate than ever.

The ARC11-T racket has a large isometric frame for easier access to sweet spot. And, with a super slim shaft and a stiff flex, you can reduce air resistance and unnecessary impact for improved accuracy. With the Pocketing Booster technology and Control-Assist Bumper, your accuracy will be off the charts. In short, it is a racket for controlled offense.

Available in: 3U and 4U

Ideal for: High-level intermediate players who require more shuttle hold.

5. Victor DriveX-9X B

One of the most successful rackets from Victor, the DriveX 9X-B badminton racket has a unique FREE CORE handle technology that took almost three years for the company to build. It is a good all-around racket with equal emphasis on strength, speed, and stability. Priced affordably, this racket is easy to use and can deliver effortless control to ensure accurate shot placement.

You will enjoy better elasticity leading to faster response on the court. With a lighter and faster swing movement, you can practice your shots for a long time without feeling tired.

Available in: 3U and 4U

Ideal for: Mid-level intermediate players who want an all-around racket.

6. Yonex Astrox Nextage

Introduced in 2023, the Yonex Astrox NextAge racket is designed for intermediate players who love to play smashes but do not have the strength to hit powerful shots. The Yonex AXNT racket has a head-heavy balance with the usual Rotational Generator System to avoid the racket from feeling heavy in your hands.

With the Vibration Dampening Mesh (VDM) technology in the racket frame, you will experience reduced vibrations and unnecessary impact upon contact. It will also lead to reduced energy loss and thus, help you to add more power to your shots. The medium flex of the racket and the innovative grommet pattern also aid intermediate players in enjoying an addictive hitting feel.

Available in: 4U

Ideal for: Intermediate-level players who required unfiltered power for their shots without feeling any strain.

7. Yonex Nanoflare 800 Tour

The Yonex Nanoflare 800 Tour is a mid-level racket by Yonex, specially designed to cater to the needs of advanced intermediate players in search of a Speed racket. The company has used the core concept of “Drive” meaning the racket focuses on making your drives faster and more aggressive than ever.

The NF-800T has a new stringing pattern to increase the surface pressure and repulsion of drives to a phenomenal level. With a head-light balance and a more aggressive drive, the racket will outshine your opponents with incredible speed. You can overwhelm your competitors with rapid drives and confuse them with the speed of your shots, thus making you a more assertive player.

Available in: 3U and 4U

Ideal for: Mid-to-high level intermediate players with a demand for faster swing shots.

8. Yonex Astrox 99 Game

If you enjoy a game of smashes, the Yonex Astrox 99 Game badminton racket will offer incredible strength to your shots. The head-heavy racket has the heaviest swing among the Astrox series, thus, making it the perfect choice for aggressive players. It also has the Power Assist Bumper to add more power to the shuttlecock.

In comparison to its PRO version, the Astrox 99 Game offers easy playability because of its medium flex. The AX99-G has the Nanomesh NEO frame for more flexibility, which ensures that your shaft will create power even if you cannot hit like an advanced player. Yonex has used its Rotational Generator System to provide a balanced weight distribution throughout the racket to help you quickly transition to the next shot.

Available in: 3U and 4U

Ideal for: Mid-level players who want an aggressive racket

9. Yonex Astrox 100 Game

The Yonex Astrox 100 Game is an intermediate-friendly version of its best-selling Astrox 100 ZZ racket. Similar to the Astrox 99 Game, it has the Nanomesh NEO frame and shaft, with a Rotational Generator System and a built-in T joint for adding more balanced strength to the racket.

It does not have the tungsten Power-Assist Bumper which makes the racket faster than Astrox 99. Additionally, in comparison to Astrox 100 ZZ, the racket has a more medium flex to enhance its playability.

Available in: 3U and 4U

Ideal for: Power players who want a head-heavy racket without compromising speed.

If you want an advanced racket than the Astrox 100 Game, you can try the Astrox 100 Tour badminton racket with extra-stiff flex and Nanomesh NEO frame.

10. Yonex Nanoflare 160 FX

The Yonex Nanoflare 160 FX badminton racket is one of the head-light rackets from the series. The company has designed it for intermediate players seeking a speed racket with improved maneuverability. Although Yonex marketed it as a backcourt racket, singles players can also use it for incredible shuttle acceleration.

It is a lightweight racket under 80 grams! But, by no means, it is a fragile racket. With Nanocell NEO technology and an improved grommet pattern, the NF-160FX becomes a high-performance racket with max acceleration.

Available in: 5U

Ideal for: Intermediate-level speed players.

11. Victor Brave Sword 12 New

Did you know the Victor Brave Sword 12 New badminton racket has a headlight balance for mid-to-high-level intermediate players? It is ideal for increasing the swing speed of your game and making your shots faster than ever.

Like its name, the diamond-shaped racket design cuts through the air like a sword and reduces wind resistance for a phenomenal game. We recommend the racket to intermediate players with several hours of playing experience so you can get more consistent and stable shot placement with the BRS-12N.

Available in: 3U and 4U

Ideal for: Mid-to-high level intermediate players who want to reduce air resistance while making contact.

12. Victor Thruster K Hammer Light

If you are looking for a lightweight badminton racket with head-heavy balance, the Victor Thruster K Hammer Light is a decent choice. Although the company markets it as a beginner-friendly racket, a low-to-mid-level intermediate player can use it especially if they require a 5U/6U racket.

The TK-HMR-L is comfortable to use and does not weigh you down during long practice sessions. Even while being under 80 grams, the racket offers great stability and anti-torque features at high tension. And, with an internal T-joint, you can be assured of its durability.

Available in: 5U and 6U

Ideal for: Serious low-level intermediate players who want a lightweight head-heavy racket.

13. Victor Thruster K 7U

Another beginner to the mid-level intermediate racket from Victor is the Thruster K 7U. You may be surprised to know that this 7U racket is head-heavy and ideal for players who want to improve their smashes and spend long hours in practice.

Part of the Thruster series, the TK-7U R racket is an intermediate-friendly racket that is affordable and durable at the same time. The Power Box design of the racket increases stability even if you string it at a high tension. Victor has used its advanced Fiber Reinforced System (FRS) to improve the flexibility and maneuverability of the racket.

Available in: 7U

Ideal for: Low-to-mid-level intermediate aggressive players with a demand for lightweight racket.

If you want a heavier racket with similar technology, try the Victor Thruster K 15L badminton racket.

14. Victor Auraspeed 9000 C

The Victor Auraspeed 9000 C badminton racket can be your weapon if you are a low-to-mid-level intermediate player. It is a part of the Speed series from Victor and focuses on reducing air resistance to make your attack sharper and crisper than before.

Even while being a mid-level racket, Victor has included the FREE CORE technology in the ARS-9000 C racket to ensure more free movement of the shaft. It makes the shaft more flexible. So, it is a helpful option for new players still learning the game.

Available in: 4U and 5U

Ideal for: New intermediate players who want a lightweight speed racket.

Happy Playing!

As you embark on the next phase of your badminton journey and elevate your skills, choose the right racket to unlock your true potential. Do not make a hasty decision based only on price and available discounts.

When choosing from these top picks for intermediate players, consider your goals, playing style, and preferences. With the right racket in your hand, you can take your game to the next level.