Li-Ning Halbertec 9000 Badminton Racket (4U)

God of Sports Expert Take on Li-Ning Halbertec 9000 Badminton Racket:

• The Halbertec 9000 is one of the most technically impressive rackets we’ve tested in this price range. The T1100 graphite construction is immediately apparent in the hitting feel — the frame is extraordinarily stable on contact, with almost no flex or torsion even on hard off-center smashes. Energy goes into the shuttle, not into the frame.
• The ACC Rifftech frame does exactly what it claims: air resistance through the swing feels reduced, and the racket head arrives at the contact point fractionally faster than you’d expect for a 4U frame. Combined with the 6.6mm slim shaft’s stiff-but-responsive character, drives and flat pushes feel particularly explosive — the shuttle leaves the strings with sharp, direct precision.
• The HDF shock absorption is the feature that surprised us most in extended play. Rackets at this stiffness and performance level often feel harsh on the arm over a long session. The Halbertec 9000 doesn’t — the damped, smooth feel at contact is genuinely comfortable even across multiple sets. Players who have dealt with arm fatigue from stiff premium rackets should note this specifically.
• Honest caveat: the even balance will not satisfy players who specifically want a head-heavy power racket’s smash momentum. The Halbertec 9000 produces excellent smashes — crisp, controlled, fast — but not the same heavy, penetrating feel of a head-heavy frame. This is a precision instrument, not a blunt power tool. In the right hands, that’s a strength, not a weakness.

Technology used in Li-Ning Halbertec 9000 Badminton Racket:

• ACC Rifftech Frame Technology : ACC Rifftech (Aerodynamic Carbon Construction Rifftech) is Li-Ning’s proprietary frame engineering system that optimises the cross-sectional profile of the racket frame to simultaneously reduce air drag and increase structural rigidity. The result is a frame that moves through the air faster on the swing arc while delivering more direct, less energy-absorbing contact with the shuttle. In practical terms: your drives and smashes feel faster and more explosive than the frame’s weight would suggest, because less energy is being lost to air resistance and frame flex during the swing.
• HDF Shock Absorption System (High-Density Foam) : The HDF system uses a high-density foam material embedded at key stress points within the racket’s construction — primarily at the T-joint and frame junction points. This foam layer absorbs and dissipates vibration energy that would otherwise travel through the shaft into the player’s wrist and arm on impact. The practical benefits are twofold: first, shots feel more controlled and smooth rather than jarring, particularly important on defensive blocks and off-center contacts. Second, reduced vibration transmission meaningfully lowers long-term arm strain, making the Halbertec 9000 one of the more arm-friendly rackets at the advanced level. Players managing mild wrist fatigue or recovering from elbow strain will notice this particularly.
• T1100 Ultra High-Modulus Graphite Construction : T1100 is Toray’s top-tier industrial graphite grade — the same material used in aerospace and military applications. Its extremely high modulus of elasticity means the material bends less per unit of force than standard or high-modulus graphite, and returns to its original shape almost instantaneously. For a badminton racket, this translates into near-zero energy loss through frame flex on every shot — the force from your swing goes into the shuttle rather than bending the frame. This is the material that separates genuinely professional rackets from performance-tier rackets, and it is what gives the Halbertec 9000 its characteristic direct, precise hit feel.
• Dynamic Optimum Frame : Li-Ning’s Dynamic Optimum Frame is an isometric head design that has been geometrically optimised to expand and shift the sweet spot slightly upward toward the crown of the frame — the zone where attacking players most frequently contact the shuttle on smashes and drives. A larger, better-positioned sweet spot means that shots struck slightly off-center retain far more pace and direction than they would on a conventional frame. For advanced players who are generating high racket head speed, even marginal sweet spot expansion translates into meaningfully more consistent shot quality across a full match.
• 6.6mm High-Modulus Slim Shaft : At 6.6mm in diameter, the Halbertec 9000’s shaft is aerodynamically optimised — narrower than most standard shafts, which reduces drag through the swing and increases head speed without requiring the player to generate additional arm force. The high-modulus carbon construction gives the shaft a stiff-to-hard-flexible character: it provides enough give to store energy through the swing arc, then releases it cleanly at contact rather than continuing to flex after impact. The net effect is crisp, direct shuttle feedback and fast repulsion — essential for the control-oriented power game the Halbertec series is built around.
• Even Balance with SW Balance Technology : The Halbertec 9000 uses SW (Swing Weight) Balance Technology to precisely calibrate the weight distribution across the racket. Unlike head-heavy rackets that bias momentum toward the frame, or head-light rackets that bias toward the handle, the Halbertec 9000 sits at a neutral even balance. This is the defining characteristic of the entire Halbertec series — and it is a deliberate design choice for a specific style of player. Even balance means the racket is equally responsive in attack and defence, equally fast at the net and from the rear court, and equally controllable on power shots and touch shots. It requires more from the player technically (the racket won’t carry your smash the way a head-heavy frame will), but rewards advanced players with full-court versatility that specialized attack or defence rackets cannot match.

3U vs 4U of Li-Ning Halbertec 9000 Badminton Racket — Which Variant Should You Choose?

The Halbertec 9000 is available in two weight variants — 3U (89g) and 4U (84g). Both share identical technology, balance, and construction. The only difference is mass, and that difference has meaningful implications for how the racket performs: Our recommendation: The 4U is the more versatile default choice for most players. Choose 4U if you play doubles, frequently rotate between positions, or prioritise swing speed and racket recovery. Choose 3U if you play singles primarily, or are a rear-court doubles attacker who specifically wants more smash weight and physical presence behind attacks.

Is Li-Ning Halbertec 9000 Badminton Racket (4U) Right for You?

• The Advanced All-Round Player : The Halbertec 9000’s even balance is precisely designed for players who need to operate effectively across the entire court — attacking from the rear with drives and smashes, defending with quick blocks and counterattacks, and controlling the net with tight drops and kills. This is the racket Li-Ning built for players who don’t want their equipment to limit which zones of the court they can dominate. If you play a full-court, tactically intelligent game and your strength is in adaptability rather than specialisation in one dimension of play, the Halbertec 9000 is engineered for exactly your game.
• Control-Dominant Singles Player : Yuta Watanabe — elite mixed doubles world-class player known for his exceptional control, drop shot precision, and ability to dominate rally tempo — chose the Halbertec 9000 as his racket of choice. This tells you something important about what the racket does best: it excels in the hands of players who win through shot placement, rally control, and intelligent shot selection rather than pure smash power. Singles players who construct points through varied pace, tight cross-court exchanges, and deceptive drops will find the even balance and HDF control feel ideally suited to their game.
• Mixed and Men’s Doubles Attack-Defence Specialist : In doubles — particularly mixed doubles where roles require constant switching between attack and defence — an even-balance racket like the Halbertec 9000 handles the transition demands better than specialized head-heavy or head-light frames. Daniel Marthin and Bagas Maulana (Indonesian men’s doubles) have both been seen using the Halbertec 9000, which validates its doubles credentials at the highest level. The racket is fast enough for quick net exchanges, powerful enough for back-court pushes, and controlled enough for the precise placement that doubles tactics demand.
• Advanced Club Player with Strong Technical Foundation : The stiff shaft and even balance of the Halbertec 9000 demand a consistent, technically sound swing to extract full performance. Players who have invested in developing proper stroke mechanics — a smooth overhead action, a reliable low backhand drive, a controlled net game — will find the Halbertec 9000 rewards that investment comprehensively. If you’ve been using a more forgiving, head-heavy frame and feel your technique has now grown beyond what it offers, the Halbertec 9000 is the natural progression racket.
• Doubles Specialist — Fast, Agile Play (4U Specific) : The 4U is the weight class most commonly chosen by doubles specialists globally — and for good reason. At 80–84g, it swings faster, recovers more quickly between shots, and handles the rapid direction changes that modern doubles demands better than a heavier frame. If you play doubles in any format and your game requires constant transitions between attacking smashes and net interceptions, the 4U Halbertec 9000 handles those transitions with noticeably less effort than the 3U. Yuta Watanabe tested the 4U specifically, which gives a strong indicator of the weight class’s suitability for high-speed doubles play.
• Mixed Doubles Player Requiring Speed and Control (4U Specific) : Mixed doubles is perhaps the format that benefits most from the 4U weight class. The format requires explosive speed at the net, powerful smashes from the back, quick transitions, and precise drop shots — all in the same rally. The 4U’s lighter weight makes it fast enough for net-dominant play while the Halbertec 9000’s even balance and HDF control system provide the shot precision that mixed doubles tactics demand. It is not a coincidence that Yuta Watanabe — a mixed doubles specialist — chose this racket and this weight class.

Stringing Recommendations for Li-Ning Halbertec 9000 Badminton Racket:

The Halbertec 9000’s stiff shaft and even balance work best with strings that complement its control-first character. Here’s our tested breakdown:

String	Tension	Best For
Yonex BG66 Ultimax	27–29 lbs	Best all-round: crisp repulsion + control feel
Yonex Exbolt 63	27–30 lbs	Excellent shuttle hold for control players
Yonex BG80 Power	28–30 lbs	For players who want to push the power side
Yonex Exbolt 65	27–29 lbs	Durable with good repulsion for frequent players
Victor VBS 66 Nano	26–28 lbs	Budget-friendly option with solid repulsion

Our pick for the 4U: Yonex BG66 Ultimax at 27–28 lbs perfectly complements the Halbertec 9000’s precise, control-oriented character — giving you crisp repulsion without pushing the 4U frame close to its 30 lbs limit. Players who prioritise shuttle hold for drop shots and touch play should consider Exbolt 63 at a lbs lower.