The two, on top of each other
Nox X-Hero BlueStarVie Shade
The Nox X-Hero Blue is 5 g lighter than the StarVie Shade.
The dot is the balance the brand states (low, medium or high), not a measurement.
Nox X-Hero Blue vs StarVie Shade
Two brands, side by side: what each one says about its racket, card against card.
Feel
- Nox X-Hero Blue2/10
- StarVie Shade2/10
Power
- Nox X-Hero Blue1.8/10
- StarVie Shade1.7/10
Weight
- StarVie Shade350–370 g
- Nox X-Hero Blue350–360 g
Fact by fact
| Fact | Nox X-Hero Blue | StarVie Shade |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | 2/10 | 2/10 |
| Power | 1.8/10 | 1.7/10 |
| Shape | Round | Round |
| Style | Control | Control |
| Balance | Not stated | Low (to the handle) |
| Weight | 350–360 g | 350–370 g |
| Level | Beginner | Not stated |
| Core | HR3 WHITE EVA | S-EVA |
| Face | Fiber Glass 3K | Not stated |
How we place them
Feel is the one each brand states, from 0 (soft) to 10 (hard).
Power is our own sum, from 1 (control) to 9 (power), of what the brand says: style, shape, balance and, when it publishes them, its own scores.
Everything comes from each brand’s own site, with a link to its page. No shops, no review sites.
Feel. When the brand gives it in words, we turn it into a number: "soft" is 2 and "medium-hard" 6.5.
adidas does not give the feel of each racket, but it ranks its cores and faces from hardest to softest. We turn that order into a number: the core sets the base (EVA High Memory 7, EVA Soft Energy 5, EVA Soft Performance 3) and the face moves it (Carbon Aluminized 2 to 1 or 24K +1.5; 15K to 18K +1; Carbon 3K or 6K 0; flax −0.5; glass fibre −1). If the face is not in that ranking, the racket has no feel.
Power. We add up what the brand says, each with its weight: style counts half (control, all-round, power); shape three tenths (round, teardrop, diamond); balance two tenths (low, medium, high). When the brand publishes its own power and control scores, they count as much as everything else together. Weight counts a little: heavier leans to power. It runs from 1 to 9, not 0 to 10, because no category makes a racket all power. When a brand says little, the racket stays near the middle.