Kawasaki Master Mao 20 review: a budget brand starts pulling its punches up
Coach Li Mao's signature attack racket pushes Kawasaki into pro-tier conversation. Surprising weight transfer, solid build, and a real argument against paying double for Yonex.
Overview
After reviewing the Master series flagship shoe KACE in early April, Kawasaki’s depth in equipment R&D is already hard to ignore. I tested the Master series offensive racket MASTER MAO 20 (hereinafter Spear 20 / MAO20). With globally renowned coach Li Mao as technical advisor, the MASTER MAO (Master Li Mao) line merges Kawasaki’s classic “Spear” series into the Master line as a high-end violent offensive product. If the Master series represents the high end of Kawasaki’s product matrix, MASTER MAO sits at the pyramid’s apex. In specs it uses Toray carbon yarn plus a box frame, carrying the new patented Butterfly Burst Sonic System and innovative flat-frame grommets. Through unique drilling combined with material optimisation, grommet caps sit nearly flush with the frame wall, improving tension retention while making force transfer at contact more direct and crisp. According to official description, in early product development Coach Li Mao noted that in modern badminton’s fast-paced rallies, pure violent offence is not hard; the difficulty is whether you can recover quickly after a heavy smash and link into continuous transition. Spear 20’s design targets this pain point. By enhancing control quality and shaft resilience, it helps players finish explosive shots with smaller motion and ensures fast follow-up after offence. Spear 20 is also the racket of former national team member Wang Zhengxing and international doubles pair Jacob and Lindo Lindo, accompanying them on court. The Butterfly Burst Sonic System uses titanium-aluminium alloy reinforcement. The titanium alloy structure produces nonlinear vibration. Through titanium alloy parts combined with ultra-thin grommets, it lowers the chance of sweet-spot string tension loss and preserves high-tension hitting performance. Simply put, this tech gives the racket two traits. First, it helps players very sensitively distinguish the sound of slight slice contact versus full sweet-spot face hits, so in fast rallies you can judge shuttle landing more accurately, anticipate the opponent’s next move, and gain initiative. Second, it suppresses string tension loss to some degree. Titanium’s high strength compared with traditional grommets—where high tension easily dents grommet caps and causes tension drop—means Spear 20’s tension loss rate is effectively controlled and poundage is preserved. Behind this seemingly simple innovation is non-trivial process change. Traditional frame drilling is one-pass plus through-hole in two steps. Spear 20 uses two different diameters and two turning methods for secondary drilling so grommets sink perfectly into the frame. High-strength carbon layup and skilled workers together ensure frame strength so direct string pull on the frame does not collapse. With the 360° uniform-elastic coreless ground shaft, players can create maximum smash explosiveness with smaller motion, improving efficiency on the next shot. Precision coreless grinding on the shaft outer wall minimises carbon fibre damage, improves shaft uniformity and resilience, and delivers strong explosiveness with fast reset. In appearance, Spear 20 takes concept supercar elements to match its explosive performance positioning. Dream Purple uses black, purple, and gold. Body geometry mimics supercar lines; model numbers look like body numbers. Streamlined glossy design shows modern industrial simplicity and flow. Most striking is the titanium alloy block of the Butterfly Burst Sonic System—like a supercar front splitter and rear wing, visually distinctive and emphasising Spear 20’s competitive tech identity. Spear 20 uses a box frame. Empty, you feel frame weight. This review strung without removing butt cap, with Kawasaki BG-XB63, tested across singles, doubles, and mixed in many sessions. Subjective summary: In use, swing speed is much faster than expected. This mainly comes from special embedded grommet channels and full groove design, greatly cutting drag and largely fixing the traditional box “half-beat slow” weakness. With large frame forgiveness and 6.6 mm shaft, high clears come quickly with little adaptation—solid output, easy acceleration. In control, for example four-corner drills, frame advantage shows further—direct, clear feedback. With some swing speed help, fast drops are crisp and solid yet fast. In practise, landing mostly stays within expected range with precise direction. In singles, swing advantage becomes sharper downward placement and richer shot variety. In long, intense doubles, box frame stamina cost is real, but for violent offensive players, the stronger you are, the higher Spear 20’s ceiling. Recommended for players who like continuous offence and value offensive continuity. With excellent swing optimisation, it suits doubles rear continuous output and also pull-drop-attack singles. If you like traditional box solidity but worry about stamina and continuity in fast rallies, Spear 20 is low threshold with high ceiling.
Racket Technology
Butterfly Burst Sonic System
Innovative Flat-Frame Grommet Process
Compared with traditional grommet mounting, this industry-first flat-frame grommet process makes grommet caps parallel to the frame and strings sit directly against the outer frame wall. String-to-shuttle feedback is more direct and clear. Without increasing frame area, the hitting sweet spot is larger.
360° Uniform-Elastic Coreless Ground Shaft
The 360° uniform-elastic coreless ground shaft is a Kawasaki shaft process refined over years and one core tech supporting Spear 20’s smooth switch from offence to control. In full smash players use large motion; heavy smash is often a double-edged sword. Spear 20’s design core is how to create greater kill power with smaller motion.
Racket Paint Analysis
Spear 20 launched in three colours: Dream Purple, Warm Sunset Gold, and Silver Grey Blue. Styles differ—Dream Purple is fashionable, noble, and mysterious; Warm Sunset Gold is steady and dignified; Silver Grey Blue is more restrained. This hands-on review unit is Dream Purple.
Racket Parameters
Detailed Racket Experience
High Clears and Control — Stable with Speed
First, standard high-clear rally test. Spear 20’s traditional box frame gives the solid feedback typical of this shape. Unlike today’s thinned or rounded box variants, Spear 20 stays very traditional and square, with diamond aero treatment only near the T-joint.
Offence — Catch Chances, Fast Continuity
Spear 20’s offence was hinted at by swing speed. In doubles (mainly men’s rear and mixed rear), the sped-up box frame shows aggression—smash is solid and heavy, follow-through after contact smoother. Even when pushed rear and passive, soft press or lift high clear transition is relatively easy to prepare the next attack.
Mid-Front and Defence
Mid-front net kill remains fierce, continuing offensive aggression. In flat drive and fast block, Spear 20 lacks speed advantage; it shows more in solid placement handling. In fast rhythm you may not win absolute speed initiative, but stable feedback keeps you from falling too passive—overall middling.
Backhand and Low Position
At backhand or low position with larger backswing, Spear 20 feels like high clears—solid feedback, easy to borrow power. Large frame forgiveness improves stability on passive or semi-passive returns.
Net Front Soft Shots
For net soft shots—push, cross, drop—Spear 20 is smooth under fine force. Solid shaft feel lets you sense force clearly; feedback is stable without drag.
Summary and Purchase Recommendation
Spear 20 is a standout flagship in Kawasaki’s Master series. While keeping traditional box solid stable feel, innovative flat grommets and full grooves fix the “half-beat slow” weakness of traditional offensive rackets in fast rallies. Violent output plus Butterfly Burst Sonic System and large frame give clear feel and good forgiveness, so downward threat stays while passive handling is relatively steady.