Kumpoo Shanhai NEW review: stable, heavy, and more patient than flashy
Shanhai NEW looks like an Arcsaber 11 Pro reference point, but on court it trades whip for steadiness and a heavier finishing ball.
Overview
Parameters: 4U G5 after cap removal, strung with overgrip 88.23g; balance 308; warranty 35 lbs; handle 205mm; shaft 215mm; Yonex EXBOLT65 at 25–27 lbs with 10% pre-stretch; two weeks of use. Thanks to the community test for the chance to share and to Kumpoo for the product. This seems my second "win" in club play—both Kumpoo premium rackets—so I feel quite fated with Kumpoo. I regret not trying the previous Shanhai; this NEW design is close to Arcsaber 11 Pro, and I have 11 Pro as a comparison. Here is how Shanhai NEW plays. (No match video this review—friends disliked being on camera during the holiday break; video would only be reference anyway.) Swing feel differs greatly from 11 Pro. Arcsaber 11 Pro has obvious whip with late swing acceleration; Shanhai NEW stays steady and even throughout—you get what force you give, with noticeable shaft deflection mainly on full smashes. (Though labelled shaft hardness 8.2, consider the shorter shaft length and 6.8mm diameter.) Flat drives honestly fall short. Initial swing is not fast, so grabbing the ideal point is hard, and the racket feels slightly heavy. Weight and swing weight sit on the heavier side—for someone long on 5U lightweight low-swing rackets it feels slow. The upside is stiff frame and fast output; high-level strong players may suit it better. During holiday singles I repeated pushes and flat lifts to control the back court, then drops, net spins, or repeated placement for kill timing—so it suits patient controllers with one-shot finishing ability. Elastic: XB65, XB63, JS65, Z63X. Offensive: BG80, BG80P, XB68. Use your usual tension. NFC cap chip verifies authenticity—phone NFC tap on the Kumpoo cap enters the mini program.
First, racket quick facts:
Kumpoo’s new premium balanced racket uses a full fluid box frame (reference Arcsaber 11 Pro), moderate hardness tuning, and moderate head weight. Versus Yonex Arcsaber 11 Pro it gives more stable feedback and heavier full smashes, but lacks 11 Pro’s elastic whip feel. The steady style suits multi-shot singles stability—high directionality with non-trivial full smashes. (Though I keep using it for doubles.)
Looks and misc
The Shanhai NEW frame uses cyan-blue wave texture with gilded lines simulating mountain ridges—white-black base like clouds and reefs. The Chinese imagery stays restrained without flash. Black-gold on the shaft echoes mountain-sea steadiness and grandeur; lines are clean and coordinated, with broad yet refined identity.
Feel
Shanhai NEW contact is steady and crisp. Steady because torsion is excellent—the 6.8mm shaft emphasises stability and solidity, and the full fluid box avoids the lateral wobble of sharp wind-cut frames. Crisp because frame hardness is high—crisper than Arcsaber 11 Pro and stiffer on full smashes.
Clears
Shanhai NEW does not borrow force obviously—large face and large sweet spot make clears steady and easy, but high-quality deep clears need active extra force. Direction and accuracy are excellent with minimal extra frame shake; even when you drive actively you can sense approximate landing. Push, lift, and transition control are excellent—stable handling throughout.
Front court net and flat drives
Net control is surprisingly good with clear contact feedback. I rarely dwell on net play, but Shanhai NEW especially on tight net replays and spins feels very comfortable—still heavily dependent on string, tension, and player level.
Smash
Offence barely relates to Arcsaber 11 Pro—more like DriveX 12 without Whipping Gain 3.0: heavy and stable throughout. Rush-push and point smashes are ordinary balanced 4U, as above. Full smashes stand out in doubles—not the fastest, but opponents often fail deep lifts, which shows the weight.
Recommended strings and tension
Strongly suggest harder elastic or offensive strings—0.7 mm durable strings feel too dead.
Summary
Very Kumpoo-style balanced racket—stable and heavy from start to finish—a calm master’s choice.