Heya, back here with another review of a weird & wonderful racket! This time we have the Gosen Inferno Smart. Let's have a look.

YMMV

I have here a 4u 2022 version of the Gosen Inferno Smart.

It has been strung with Yonex Aerosonic string at 25 lbs. I have additionally placed a thin overgrip on top of the polyethylene grip protector.

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

Background

Gosen is a Japanese racket sport equipment company that has been around since 1951. It is quite conservative with distribution and releases new products at a glacial pace, and thus it isn't well known or commonly encountered outside of East Asia. However, within its home region, its rackets are well respected and very popular. The original release of the Inferno sold out in Japan and Taiwan instantly. Not to mention the rare MiJ Ryoga line racket releases - these are considered collectible by enthusiasts, such is the quality of manufacture. Gosen is known for the quality of its shafts and its well considered details.

The Inferno range is MiT (I think by Fleet OEM?) and launched with the original Inferno back in 2016. It was one of the most daring releases for Gosen - a new (and weird) looking spiral frame! A series of modifications on this base model were released subsequently, including Plus, Lite, Touch, EX, etc.

In 2022, series has a soft relaunch with the Smart (direct upgrade of the original Inferno), Raid (direct upgrade of the EX variant) and Air being released. Let's check out the Smart today!

Handling

The Inferno Smart feels great in the hand, with its medium flex 7.0 mm shaft and rigid head giving it a whippy feel in motion - hits are stable but somewhat bouncy & soft, in a good way. The snap-back of the shaft is incredibly quick, and there's no lag on big hits even if the shaft doesn't have the usual rigidity of most pro-tier rackets.

Overall, the Smart plays comfortably and gives you plenty of feedback, whilst being relatively forgiving for an intermediate player. It is ever so slightly head heavy. It's a great racket for whipping, rather than solid bat smashing (think Astrox).

Keep in mind tho, the handle is rather stiff - with polyethylene coating on wood - and very thin at G5. Most people will need a thicker overgrip on this.

Control

The Smart produces good accuracy and consistency across all types of shots, though it doesn't have the pin point precision on big hits of similar quality rackets with a stiffer shaft (Thruster F variants, for example) that very advanced players may be seeking.

Net play and drop shots/lobs are very easy with the Smart. It also plays well defensively and can handle smashes & pressure very well. One interesting thing with the Smart is that my steeper shots are more reliable.

Speed

The Inferno frame is not only strong, but also very quick. It's not an absolute speedster, but is noticeably quicker than power rackets and many all-rounders, to the point where you'd need to make timing adjustments if you're coming from an Astrox, for example.

It's fast enough to be formidable at the net in doubles play, though it may still be one step behind absolute speedsters like the Jetspeed 12 ii I reviewed previously.

Power

The Smart offers decent power ceiling and great power generation, but it is by no means a boom stick. You'd need to get the Raid version of this release, with its stiffer head & shaft, to have an offensive oriented racket.

What the Smart excels at is the ease of generating a harder hit and the slightly steeper angles on a smash you can achieve. It offers an easier and more forgiving power transfer, with a flexible but snappy shaft and a stiff & steady head - the birdie can be whipped, rather than batted.

Technology

The Inferno line of rackets, at its core, is built around the Inferno head shape, which is the most dramatic yet still functional frame shape I've seen. Gosen claims the shaping gives the head increased strength by 13% and increased impact stability and torsion strength at 6 to 7%. Indeed, it's while being 4u at the lightest (the Smart coming in at 82 grams), most Inferno rackets have Gosen endorsement to be strung up to 32 lbs.

The Smart is constructed from Mitsubishi'a Pyrofil and M30 carbon. All-hot-melt process was employed to ensure better structural uniformity throughout the frame, which ideally should (and certainly does) lead to better shock absorbance and feedback quality.

The Smart includes a new feature not present in the original, which is a polyethylene grip cover over the wood handle instead of a traditional factory grip tape. Which means you can continuously reapply overgrips (or even replacement grips) without worrying about what's underneath. The Smart also has an improved matt paint compared with the glossy original, making it a much sexier racket IMO. It has has refined weight distribution and utilises a new resin, making it stronger than the original Inferno but one gram lighter overall.

Quality of Manufacture

The Inferno Smart has a level of craftsmanship that rivals the top tier products from the Big 3 brands - it looks sleek, flawless and very premium. Which is not surprising, given Gosen has excellent R&D, and actually take the time needed to refine a product, rather than push out a new model every 3 months.

Aesthetics

The matte black coating is sexy! This is my favourite looking racket of all time - almost Giger-esque... well, as much as a badminton racket can be.

Keep in mind though, because the spiral shaped frame does have sharp edges, any impact during doubles play might be hazardous!

Value

With a RRP of 26000 JPY, the Gosen Inferno Smart is certainly a luxury racket and not a value-oriented product. I picked it up on discount at 75 GBP, and at that pricing the Smart was a steal!

Who is it for?

The Smart is for players of all proficiencies who have an all-around style of play. It excels as a general doubles racket.

The Smart is very suited to recreational players - it offers a fun and well rounded experience.

Who is it not for?

Players who are looking for absolute power or prefer a stiff shaft will not gel with the Smart. The shaft will likely prove too flexible for very advanced players.

Pros:

Very high quality racket

Truely for all levels

Well balanced all-rounder

Snappy but stable

Faster and more powerful than you'd assume

Relatively forgiving and very fun

Looks otherworldly awesome

Stringing up to 32 lbs

Cons:

Limited distribution/hard to buy

Very thin and hard handle at G6

May be too flexible for very advanced players