Yonex BG80 review: classic hard attack string that still sets the bar
Yonex BG80 taught me what a hard attack string feels like. Before EXBOLT 68 and the rest of the thin hard pack, 0.68 mm BG80 was the Yonex reference for direct …
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Overview
Yonex BG80 taught me what a hard attack string feels like. Before EXBOLT 68 and the rest of the thin hard pack, 0.68 mm BG80 was the Yonex reference for direct feedback and smash weight. I still use it as the benchmark when I talk hardness — not nostalgia for its own sake.
What it does on court
True hardness from the material, not fake hardness from high tension on a soft gauge. Feedback is immediate; direction control improves when you centre the bed. Elasticity sits mid-pack — livelier than thick durability strings, short of classic thin-spring gauges. The rough jacket helps net brushes and cuts versus smoother attack beds like older BG65 Ti in my hands. That hardness plus moderate dwell compresses the shuttle harder at contact, so finished smashes often feel heavier through the court. It suits controlled net aggression and rear-court hits when timing is clean. It also taxes the user: every vibration comes through, and single-string zones die fast when you load them hard.
Cost of ownership
BG80 never lasted like BG65 for me. Early sets died inside a month while durability strings ran for seasons. That trade-off still holds. High tension without solid technique is a wrist and elbow tax. I pull it on frames that want honest hard feedback — or when a second-hand frame arrives with it already on — not as my weekly default when softer or friendlier hard strings cover the same job.
Versus EXBOLT 68
EXBOLT 68 is the evolution story in my string drawer: similar hardness band, clearer spring on cramped balls, friendlier damping. BG80 remains the historical hard reference and still plays correctly when I want that older direct character. I do not pretend 80 is obsolete; I do admit 68 forgives more club nights.
Verdict
BG80 is still the classic hard attack string: direct, rough-jacketed, smash-heavy, and short-lived. Pull it when you want that reference feel and will restring often. Skip it if your arm or budget wants EXBOLT 68 or a softer bed.
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