Hey again. Slightly longer review with photos this time!

This will be my first non-Victor review, and I wanted to share with you an Aussie brand. I'm not affiliated with the guys at Volant and bought this racket with my own money, so my bias here would only be that I am Australian but made in Taiwan - just like this racket, the Volant Rogue S1.

In reviewing this racket, I played a few hours of social doubles but also two matches of men's singles.

YMMV

I have here a 3U version of the Rogue S1 purchased this year (2023) at 165 AUD minus a return customer discount. Custom stringing and shipping were included in this price.

It has been strung with Yonex Exbolt 65 string at 25 lbs. I have additionally placed a LiNing GT22 overgrip on top of the factory grip.

I am swinging this racket with a body that's 185 cm and 94 kg.

Handling

I must say it feels a bit nostalgic going back to a solid handle after using mostly FreeCore handles in the last couple of years. So, the Rogue S1 gave me a bit more vibration and feedback than what I've been used to.

With a reasonably thick (7.2 mm) and flexible shaft and stiff-ish head, the Rogue proves to be quite lively in play. It's a fun and forgiving racket, with a 290 mm balance point (even/slightly head light).

During hits, the Rogue has good stability and decent shaft snap back.

The g5 grip is also small enough for me to handle this racket just with my fingers when I need to. As it's an even balanced 3u racket, the Rogue is quick and light in my hands.

Control

Keep in mind I had chosen the Exbolt 65 string at 25 lbs rather than a 28 lbs tension that Volant recommended.

The Rogue was consistent and reasonably accurate in play, and I experienced a lower error rate compared with playing power rackets. Defensive returns were snappy. Shot placements designed to run my opponents around were easy to execute.

It did, however, lack the precision on bigger smashes that I enjoyed with stiffer rackets.

Speed

The Rogue S1 is reasonably quick through the air, though not primarily a speedster. It's one of the faster 3u mid-tier rackets I've swung, and decently quick to manoeuvre too. Definitely front court capable.

Power

The Rogue offered easy but limited power. With my string configuration, I found it easy to generate power for stick smashes and net-kills, but full smashes weren't as powerful as those produced by head-heavy, stiff-shafted rackets. It's not a power racket by any means.

Technology

For a MiT (made in Taiwan) racket in 2023, the Rogue S1 has decent but older tech specs. The Toray 30T carbon fibre, octagonal aero-frame (recessed from 9 to 3), 3-point dynamic distribution, Y-type T-joint, etc all remind me of Jnice rackets.

Regardless, the Rogue has a no-frills approach towards extra features. It doesn't have the newest tech to upgrade your court effectiveness, but neither does it have unnecessary tech that will throw off your game.

Quality of Manufacture

My own Rogue S1 looks to be well made. There are no major flaws that I could detect either visually or in play.

The frame is made strong enough to be strung up to 30 lbs safely, which is impressive for a mid-tier racket.

Aesthetics

I love the Volant aesthetics. And the Rogue S1 captures the modern, minimalist look perfectly. The racket is black throughout, and features black decals that are more tactile than visual. Understated yet elegant. The logo and name are done in white. I particular like the raised metallic logo on the butt cap.

On a side note, one advantage to the minimal monotone appearance is that acrylic/epoxy repair of surface chipping is much easier and less conspicuous.

Value

I would consider the Rogue S1 to be a mid-tier racket. Here in Australia, unstrung mid-tier rackets usually start around 150 AUD and up. Below 150 AUD, you're mostly left with low-end pre-strung rackets. As such, the 165 AUD RRP of the Rogue represents decent value.

For reference, Volant's offering sits between the 100 AUD pre-strung 'Play' tier rackets (MiC) and the 200 AUD custom-strung 'Tour' tier rackets (MiT) from Yonex.

How does it play in games? The Rogue S1 at 3u was a fun & effective tool for me in social doubles. It handled front and back court duties well. Defence and net-play were solid. Drives and drop shots were easy. Clears had plenty of power. Stick smashes were straight & fast. However, full smashes were awkward & a tad slow. The Rogue, whilst quick, was not as speedy as my usual doubles racket, the Jetspeed JS12ii.

In my two men's singles matches, I was up against an opponent who had an excellent service game and an aggressive play style with particularly good lobs, drop shots, offensive clears and a tendency to smash/kill the birdie every chance he got. The Rogue really troubled me initially, as I couldn't smash with the power I could usually produce with my singles racket (Thruster K F Claw). So in the first game, I went down 1-7 initially - I felt like I didn't have the fire power to fight the offensive pressure my opponent was mounting.

However, I got myself together mentally and adapted my play style, running a defensive and control game. The Rogue produced great defensive & offensive clears, which really helped me put my opponent off balance and run him around. The Rogue's snappy drives further worked my opponent and often forced him into using his weaker backhand play. I came back from the deficit to win the match in two games, perhaps scoring only one point from a full smash during that match.

The next match played out similarly, with me shelving my usually offensive game play and scoring points by setting up easy put-aways through drives and clears, which the Rogue exceled at. Again, to my surprise, I won the match in two games.

Who is it for?

I believe the Rogue S1 would be of interest to beginner and intermediate players in Australia and perhaps North America. It is a user-friendly, fairly flexible and even balanced racket with no major drawbacks in play for beginner & recreational play.

For balanced, defensive, countering, control and front court types of players, the Rogue is a good fit.

For doubles play, the 4u version would be suitable for everyone apart from advanced players or large adult males who should use 3u. For singles play, it would only be the 3u version.

Who is it not for?

If you are from Asia or badminton-prone parts of Europe, the value proposition of the Rogue S1 is not the same for you. You'd have so much to choose from in person at your local badminton store that it's probably not a smart move to order a racket from Australia.

If you are an aggressive player of at least intermediate proficiency, then the Rogue is not for you. It's not designed as a primarily offensive tool - its 290 mm balance point should be telling - and its limited full smashes will likely dull your attacking edge, and, perhaps like me, force you to run a different style of play.

Pros:

Jack of all trades

Quick in the hand

Great defensive racket

Excellent clears & drives

Moderately forgiving

Responsive, stable, with good feedback

Good value for the local (Australian) market

From a small business founded by guys who love badminton

Option to string up to 30 lbs

Cons:

Limited absolute power, timid full smashes

Not the best choice for aggressive players

Too head-light at 290 mm for most singles players' preferences

Strong competition both in terms of performance & value from the newly revamped Arcsaber 7 series rackets, which are also even balanced with a flexible shaft

Personally, the Rogue S1 won't be replacing my current main rackets for doubles or singles play. But it is good enough that I will keep it around for recreational doubles play. It has the most headlight balance out of my rackets, so definitely something of a curiosity for me.