Category: Badminton Racquets

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Demo Program Details

Demo Program Details

This program is the best way to ensure that the racquet you purchase is the right racquet for you.

Pro shop customers demo more than 2000 racquets every year. The satisfaction rate for customers who participate in this program is nearly 100% six months after their purchase.

This program is offered only in-store. It is not available to online customers.

Customers who wish to enter the demo program or talk to staff about this program, must do so in person. The pro shop does not conduct demo program business over the phone, by email, or by text.

Book an EXPRESS SERVICE APPOINTMENT to discuss this further.

How much does it cost to test drive racquets?

Test driving costs nothing, but customers who enter the program are committing to buying a racquet from us at the end of the one-month trial period.

How does it work?

Test drivers put down a security deposit. This allows them to test drive any racquet we have in our demo program. They can then test each racquet for up to one week. At the end of the one-month trial period, they choose the racquet they want to purchase and their deposit is refunded against the purchase price.

How much is the deposit?

The size of the deposit depends on the number of racquets the customer wants to take out each each week. If they are testing one racquet at a time, the deposit is $50.00. If they are testing two at a time, the deposit is $100.00.

What if I change my mind and do not want to buy a racquet?

Our demo program is only offered to customers who are committed to purchasing a new racquet from us within 30 days. If you do not intend to buy a racquet from us, please do not enter our demo program.

Can I apply my demo deposit to an online racquet purchase?

Our racquet demo program is offered to in-store customers only. Demo deposits can only be applied to in-store purchases. They cannot be applied to online purchases.

How do I start?

Simply make an appointment to come into the store. Bring a valid credit card. One of our experts will set up a demo account and help you choose your first racquet to test drive. This process usually requires about 30 minutes on the first visit. Subsequent visits to drop off and pick up only required a couple of minutes each.

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Racquet Recycling in Calgary

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So you just cleaned your garage out and found some old tennis, squash, badminton or racquetball racquets. They seem like they are still in good shape — in fact, they are practically new.

So what to do with them?

You could give them away … if you knew somebody who wanted them.

You could sell them … but that’s a lot of work for the $5.00 price you might get on Kijiji.

Or you could recycle them … or can you?

Can old racquets even be recycled?

If you read the City of Calgary’s website regarding advice for recycling used sporting goods, you will note that they advise putting these things in your black bin.

In other words, they tell you put them in the garbage. This is because, Calgary’s recycling system cannot recycle things like tennis, squash or badminton racquets.

The only way to recycle them is to sell them or give them away so that they can be used again. In doing so, at least you might prevent somebody down the road from buying something new which will also end up in the garbage.

If you are faced with this problem, Racquet Network can help you. We recycle some old tennis, squash, badminton and or racquetball racquets by refurbishing them and selling them to families and recreational players who prefer not to buy something new.

We don’t pay for the old racquets people bring in to be recycled, but neither do we charge people for them. All we do is recover the cost of refurbishment. So if we take an old racquet and refurbish the grips and strings, we sell it for the cost of the grips and the strings. We don’t charge for the racquet itself because we didn’t pay for it.

Now … there are some limits to this program.

First, we don’t refurbish old wooden racquets unless they are in pristine condition and could be used for decorations or props. But if you bring them in, we will look at them and determine what if anything might be done with them.

Second, we don’t repair broken racquets. If the frame is broken, the racquet cannot be recycled. So please put it in your black bin.

Finally, we will not offer you so much as a penny for your old frame. So please do not imagine you are going to come in and haggle with us, because that’s not going to happen.

If, however, you have an old racquet and you want us to help you get it into the hands of somebody who will use it, bring it into the store and leave it with us. If it can be salvaged, we will salvage it. If not, we will dispose of it for you. Either way, your conscience is clear.

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Free Laser Engraving

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Laser engraving permanently marks your racquet and racquet cover for identification.

Laser engraving cannot be rubbed off or overwritten. It ensures that if somebody steals your property, you will be able to positively identify it.

But the best part is that it is absolutely free for customers who purchase premium racquets from us in-store.

Laser engraving is absolutely essential for school and club players as it is most often these players who have their racquets and/or racquet covers stolen.

Our laser engraving program offers the first 10 letters free. Additional letters (or numbers) are $1.00 each.

This is enough to engrave your initials, your last name, or your phone number on your new racquet and your new racquet cover.

More than Racquets

In addition to racquets and racquet covers, Racquet Network offers laser engraving for bags, shoes, and accessories.

We engrave shoes and bags in spots where the engraving is easy to spot. So when somebody in your school or club pilfers your stuff, it’s easy to figure out who has it.

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Protect your property. Laser engrave your name on your shoes, bags and accessories.

More than one parent has told us the story of stolen shoes, a stolen bag, or a stolen racquet that was quickly reclaimed thanks to our laser engraving program.

We are happy to help.

Laser engraving is a service we offer to our in-store customers on virtually all premium items.

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Theft Protection Program

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Every Yonex and Victor racquet purchased in-store is covered by our Theft Protection Program.

Our Theft Protection Program helps police locate people who break into parked cars and deal in stolen property. It also helps our customers recover racquets after they are stolen.

In some cases, the serial number on a single stolen racquet can lead to the recovery of a whole bag full of stolen gear.

How does it work?

All Yonex and Victor racquets are marked with a unique serial number. When customers purchase these racquets from us in-store, we record these numbers in their customer files.

If a customer’s racquet is stolen, all they have to do is file a police report that includes these unique numbers and then let us know that they have reported the theft. We add these numbers to our Stolen Property Watch List.

More than 2000 racquets come through our store every year for re-stringing. We log the serial numbers of every Victor and Yonex racquet we service. We also check the number of every racquet that has one.

When a racquet with a number that matches a number on our Stolen Property Watch List comes through the store, we alert the police.

In this way we help police locate thieves who break into cars and fences who deal in stolen property. We also help customers who have had their property stolen.

How do I participate?

Anybody who purchases a Victor or Yonex racquet from us in-store is automatically covered. We record the numbers and add them to the customer’s file. All the customer has to do is notify us when their property is stolen.

What else can I do to protect my property?

The three things most likely to be stolen from racquet sports players are racquets, shoes and bags. We recommend putting a name and phone number in your bag, so police know who to contact if they recover it. If your bag does not have an id tag, we can engrave it for you or you can use a felt marker to write your name and phone number inside on the bag’s lining. We also recommend engraving your name on shoes and racquets.

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How to Customize the Astrox 88

A pair of Yonex Astrox 88D Badminton Racquets strung with BG80 Power.

About the Yonex Astrox 88

The Astrox 88 comes in two versions. The Astrox 88D and the Astrox 88S. The models are identical with one exception, the 88S is about a centimeter shorter than the 88D. This is because the 88S is designed for players who play mostly from mid-court to front court while the 88D is for players who play mid- to back-court. Given the marketing for this racquet, stringers should expect that the Astrox 88D will be used by smashers and drivers while the 88S will be used primarily for drops, lifts and clears.

How to String the Astrox 88D

If you are stringing for advanced to elite level men using feather shuttles, we recommend using one of these strings.

If you are stringing for rec level men using nylon shuttles, then we recommend selecting something from this group.

Nylon shuttles, of course, are much harder on strings than feather shuttles. So some men may break strings more often than they like using string from the group above. In that case, it may be advisable to switch to something more durable.

How to String the Astrox 88S

As this is a shorter racquet intended for front court usage, it is most likely to be used by shorter and lighter players (ladies, for example) than the 88D. Our advice, therefore, it to string it with thinner, less durable strings.

Our string suggestions for players using feather shuttles includes this group of string options…

Our string suggestions for players using nylon shuttles includes this group of string options ..

As always, these suggestions are just starting points. Players who are having particular issues are advised to come into the store and discuss options with our experts.