The Yonex Nanoflare 800 Pro is used by women’s doubles players Chiharu Shida from Japan and Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand. The Nanoflare 800 Game I’m looking at today is the intermediate version of that racket.
As usual, I bought this racket with my own money to give you an unbiased review and I’ve had it on court for ten hours to see how it feels.
While Yonex’s Nanoflare series tends to be known for fast and head light rackets, the Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game felt almost evenly balanced.
Being an intermediate player who enjoys fast-paced games, I was excited to see how this racket would perform on the court and if it might be worth switching to from my Arcsaber 11 Play.
As usual, I had it restrung with my go-to Yonex BG80 string at 10.5 kg tension to keep things consistent.
Table of Contents
Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game review
Let’s dive in!
Power
Generating power with a head light racket is naturally tricky compared to the head heavy sledgehammers many of us enjoy as we aren’t getting any help from the momentum of the racket head.
Usually, that shows in power smashes or clears when we’re under pressure. The raw smash power for someone like me with technique that isn’t exactly amazing, wasn’t a lot. I kinda expected that since it falls somewhere around the even balance and head light category, but I’ve come across worse, and stick smash or half smash shots came with decent power fairly easily.
Sure it wasn’t as easy to generate as with power-based rackets when you’re under pressure, but I wasn’t struggling as much as I was expecting.
The extra strings added allow the racket to offer good repulsion, which is useful in doubles as the game tends to be faster than singles and you often don’t have time to prepare a big swing to generate power.
I especially found blocks, drives, and what I’d call “dirty lobs”, when your opponent is rushing forward, like on a flick serve but during the rally, to be fun. You can gain that extra bit of easy power when things are moving fast.
For me, the trade-off is that the power (repulsion) makes things more difficult to control on drop shots and other shots that require finesse.
As an intermediate player whose stroke skills aren’t perfect, I found myself more hesitant to play tight control shots to avoid making dumb mistakes and offering easy points to my opponents.
Badminton brands these days appear to always be working to get more power out of head light rackets. I like the 800 Game’s approach with the extra strings more than other similar options I’ve come across thus far (even if it’s hard to give up that extra control when coming from the Arcsaber 11 Play).
Defense, midcourt + net shots
This racket is fast and moves quickly, so defense was fun as I had expected. It did take me a while to adjust my timing on blocks and counter-attacking shots, since this racket feels much stiffer and crisper than other similar rackets I’ve come across in the intermediate and fast category.
That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for as an upgrade from my regular Arcsaber 11 Play which is beginning to feel that bit too flexible for my liking. The Nanoflare 800 Game felt stiffer in both the shaft and the string bed due to that extra string.
In all those midcourt exchanges that often happen in doubles, where shots are flying back and forth at medium speed without going all the way to the backcourt or getting tight at the front, I found that the extra strings actually did help surprise opponents with power just that bit more.
The situations that we intermediate players often find ourselves in when we’re not fully utilizing the whole court.
That often resulted in them returning the shot a split second later, which can mess up the timing and make it hit the net or just play a shot that was easier to kill than intended.
This is something Yonex mentioned in their marketing video for the 800 Pro, and it’s one of the few times I’ve actually noticed it on court as well.
I found it particularly fun during drives and blocks as I could often just put the racket in place and let the repulsion do its work. Similar to what I’ve experienced with more powerful rackets. But you do trade some feel in your shot in exchange for that extra power.
Returning net shots felt decent, but the extra power and lack of feel made tight net shots that bit thicker.
The verdict
POSITIVE
It’s fast while offering good power, which is great for midcourt and defense in doubles.
NEGATIVE
It lacks feel and control on delicate shots.
Hey reader, a quick interruption...
I’m experimenting partnering with webshops that sell badminton gear, like Amazon. I’ll include links to buy the gear I review and if you do, they’ll pay me a small commission. That doesn’t change your price and you’ll get more play-tested gear as a result but I thought it was fair to let you know.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I appreciate your support,
Aske
Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game: the verdict
Summary + the beasty score
I noticed that the Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game doesn’t seem to have as much feel as I’m used to from other badminton rackets.
This is likely due to the extra strings on the string bed. It’s not the easiest racket to get started with if you’re a low intermediate player, as it wasn’t particularly forgiving when I had a bad day.
Interestingly, I had fewer issues on overhead shots and more on quick blocks and midcourt shots coming in fast. This could be happening when I’m in a bad position, unfocused, or playing with a partner I’m not used to.
This racket strikes me as a racket more suitable for the mid- or upper-intermediate player who prefers doubles games. Many players mention that they want both power and speed in a racket (don’t we all?) and this is the racket I’ve found to best match that, even if we give up some control and feel to get it.
Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game racket specifications
| Flex | Medium flex |
| Balance Point | Head light |
| Weight / Grip | 4U G5 |
Comparisons with other rackets
Nanoflare 800 Game vs Nanoflare 1000 Game
The Nanoflare 800 Game feels easier to play with compared to the Nanoflare 1000 Game. The 1000 Game feels more hollow and dull when you don’t hit the smaller sweet spot just right (it’s harder to hit cleanly). Perhaps this is due to the “whippy” feel of the shaft.
Even though they appear to be in the same area in Yonex’s racket matrix, I found the 1000 Game more difficult to play with compared to the 800 Game.
The Nanoflare 1000 Game’s whippiness takes some getting used to. It’s great on good days but I found that it felt less forgiving on bad days, even more so than the 800 Game.
I’ve likely experienced the most power in a single shot with the 1000 Game, but I’m hitting with good power more consistently with the 800 Game.
Nanoflare 800 Game vs Nanoflare 700 Game
The stiffness in the Nanoflare 800 Game feels crazy coming from a few games with the Nanoflare 700 Game.
It’s so crisp and responsive—I love it!
But, it requires different timing, and I doubt low-intermediate players would like the 800 Game as it takes some getting used to.
The 800 Game felt easier to produce more power with than the 700 Game. On the other hand, the 700 Game is more forgiving and might suit players who prefer a softer feel and easier handling.
Nanoflare 800 Game vs. Arcsaber 11 Play
The 800 Game seems like the opposite of the Yonex Arcsaber 11 Play’s “hold time” and has more repulsion power from those extra strings.
The Arcsaber 11 Play offers better control and a more solid feel, which might be preferable if you prioritize precision over speed. It’s also more flexible, which is better suited for players around the high beginner level.
