I recently tested the new Yonex Astrox 88 D Pro badminton racket to see how it compared to the 88 S Pro model which I rated so highly. On Yonex’s specification chart this racket is pitched as more head heavy vs the 88 S Pro, and with more rigidity in the shaft. And in fact, it sits in the same position as the first generation Astrox 88 D.
I’ve never had the chance to hit with the original 88 D so was really looking forward to seeing how this thing performed.
First impressions
Unlike the first generations of Astrox 88 where the colour schemes were very similar, the new 88 D Pro and S Pro are very different. The 88 D Pro comes in a copper/orange (official Yonex colour is camel gold) and black colour scheme. There are little nods to the 88 S Pro with flashes of emerald green found on the racket frame.
The spec of the racket I tested was a 4U G5 and strung with Yonex BG80 at 27lbs. I recreated my usual set up which is to remove the factory grip and use a few wraps of cushion wrap with an overgrip on top. This gave an overall weight of 90g and a balance point of between 305 - 310mm.
Upon first picking this thing up the shaft definitely feels stiffer and there is significantly more head weight vs the 88 S pro.
So what’s changed?
Unlike the 88 S Pro, Yonex have opted to keep with their original stringing pattern on this model which means there are the standard four single pass grommets found at 2am and 10pm positions on the racket head.
Like the 88 S Pro, the 88D Pro features the fully recessed frame profile which should makes this racket quicker to handle vs the original 88 D. This new model also features a slimmer shaft and a new streamlined cap at the top of the handle.
Time to see how this thing plays…
Rear court
So this is where the 88 D Pro really excelled for me. The extra head weight gives this racket that extra punch from the rear court that the 88 S Pro didn’t have. Despite being stiffer, the power was still relatively easy to extract and the new frame profile meant this racket was still quick to swing.
Rear court to rear court clearing remained effortless with the 88 D Pro and you still get that lovely solid feel off the string bed, albeit the sweet spot feels slightly smaller compared to the 88 S Pro – maybe due to the different stringing pattern
Smashing is where this thing comes into its own. The extra power obtained was noticeable with smashes coming down harder and slightly steeper as well. I can see why the 88 D is favoured by a lot of rear court doubles players as it’s so much fun to play with.
Mid court
This racket is by no means slow in the mid court area, but the extra head weight does make it feel slower compared with the 88 S Pro. Drives felt solid and accurate, blocks and pushes also easy to execute.
Defensively, the 88 S Pro is easier to use, however, I had no issues with this racket either.
Front court
The 88 D Pro also felt comfortable in the fore court. I sometimes find head heavy rackets can feel more cumbersome to manoeuvre. However, I didn’t get this feeling with this racket
Summary
I really liked this racket which I don’t often say about a head heavy frame. The faster frame profile almost offset the extra head weight as it still felt easy to swing. I loved the power this racket provided at the rear court and the slight reduction in speed in the mid court wouldn’t put me off using this racket.
The Astrox 88 D Pro racket costs in the region of £150.00, but is well worth the money if you’re looking for a racket with an added punch. They are available now at YC Sports.