I’ve already done an in-depth review of the 3rd generation Yonex Astrox 88S Pro (UK here) and Yonex Astrox 88D Pro (UK here) models here, so let's now take a closer look at the more affordable, budget-friendly versions - the Yonex Astrox 88S & 88D Tour, Game and Play rackets!
What Is The Difference Between These Yonex Astrox 88S and 88D Pro, Tour, Game And Play Models Badminton Rackets?
A quick reminder that Yonex splits their rackets into different price brackets with the top-of-the-line models getting the ‘Pro’ label behind their model number, the ‘Tour’ being one price point below the Pro and the ‘Game’ one more step behind the Tour with the 'Play' coming in as the most budget-friendly of the bunch.
Obviously, the specs within the more budget-friendly rackets are also tailored with trickle-down technology so they are designed to feel somewhat similar to the Pro models but carry almost identical looks. The highest-end Pro rackets are produced in Japan whilst the mid-range models (the Tour and Game) are produced in Yonex’s Taiwan factories whilst the Play models are from China.
With that said, we have plenty of rackets on our hands today, especially if you’re considering both racket weights of 3U and 4U. So let’s go through some of the highlights and differences within this 3rd generation of the Astrox 88 series.
Key Similarities & Differences
Many of you will immediately recognise that there isn’t a specific S or D model for the Play racket. The previous generation had both the 88S Play and 88D Play. Personally, only producing 1 racket for the most budget-friendly racket in this series is a great move. This narrows down the options for players and this will help many players go for the right racket which fits their budget and needs.
Next, all S model rackets are still 5mm shorter than their D counterparts as they’re designed to be quicker and more manoeuvrable, especially to help players during shots that require faster reactions. Also, all the rackets look almost identical with silver and black being the main colours of all the rackets.
To help you spot what rackets are they, especially when you’re in store, look out for the racket handles. Black racket handles are the S variant rackets and white racket handles are the D models. Alternatively, the opposite works for the colours on the T joints. Silver is for S rackets and black is for D rackets.
All rackets have the Power Assist Bumper on top of the racket at the 12 o’clock section, including the Play model. I did say in my 88S and 88D Pro review that Yonex did a great job at getting the Power Assist Bumper to fit the frame really well, to be as seamless and aerodynamic as possible. I then realised after removing a set of the Power Assist Bumper from the 88D Tour (UK here) racket that Yonex had customised the top of the frame to ensure the fit was completely seamless and that section does have a different profile compared to the rest of the racket where other grommets sit.
That Power Assist Bumper section has a little lip in the middle whilst other sections are flat. I don’t expect many replacements of the Power Assist Bumpers are needed throughout the lifetime of the rackets as the mains strings shouldn't tear or damage the Power Assist Bumper. But standard grommets fit just fine and will conform to that little lip in the frame once the strings are pulled under tension. It’s good to see Yonex standardising this design feature across all the Astrox 88 rackets.
Speaking of frames, remember to protect your precious badminton rackets from chips and scratches with the Premium Racket Protection Tape with free delivery worldwide on ckyew.com/shop.
Another design spec which is standardised is the shaft length across all the rackets. All models of rackets had 21.5cm of shaft length except the 88D Game (UK here) and 88 Play (UK here) which was only 0.5cm shorter at 21cm. There are some slight differences with shaft diameters but mostly almost identical to the 88S Pro and 88D Pro rackets.
Frame size and thickness across the whole series were also pretty standardised too with every single racket, even the Pro models. The frame thickness for all the rackets were between 9.6mm to 9.9mm, and all the S model rackets had slightly bigger frames measuring at 23.8cm tall and 18.7cm wide. The D models were a touch smaller with their frames at 23.5cm tall and 18.5cm wide. The 88 Play had the biggest frame at 23.8cm tall by 18.8cm wide.
All models except the Play have fully recessed frame profiles from the 8 o’clock area to the 4 o’clock area. The Play has a standard 60% top-half recessed frame profile. For racket handle lengths, all S model rackets have a 16.5cm racket handle length and all D models have a slightly longer 17cm handle. The 88 Play has the same handle length as the S rackets at 16.5cm.
String
Yonex recommends the Aerobite Boost (UK here) for players who prefer the 88S series and the plain Aerobite (UK here) for the control style player. For the 88D rackets, Yonex recommends their latest string, the Exbolt 68 (UK here) for hard hitters and again, Aerobite for the more controlled player.
Personally, I string all the rackets with my usual string set-up of Aerobite at 27 by 29 lbs and all the rackets have no issues at all with stringing. All 4U weight Astrox 88 rackets are rated to 28 lbs of string tension and 3U models up to 29 lbs.
So how do they all play compared to their Pro counterparts?
Playing Feel & Performance
Yonex Astrox 88D Series
I’ll start with the 88D Tour (UK here) and 88D Game (UK here) models first. I focussed on spending more time with all the 4U variants as I personally play with 4U weight rackets and also, Yonex’s 3U models scale very well in terms of the racket weights, weight distribution and handling.
As expected, the 3rd generation of the Yonex Astrox 88D Tour is very similar to the 3rd generation 88D Pro. This is because the 88D Tour carries almost every single piece of technology across from the Pro model. The frame design and shape, Power Assist Bumper, and 2nd Generation NAMD Flex Force!
The only difference is the use of the Flexible Repulsive Composite material where the Pro model used CFR (Carbon Fibre Rubber) in the racket frame manufacturing process whilst the Tour and Game models used CSR (Core Shell Rubber) during their manufacturing process. I guess CSR is the more affordable variant of CFR in this instance and according to Yonex, the CFR and CSR materials are used to increase the shuttle hold time on the rackets whilst also trying to increase power transfer with that trampoline effect.
However, I do find the 88D Tour more demanding compared to the 88D Pro. Speed and power feel good on the Tour, but it’s just that bit more demanding to pull off the same shots as the Pro. On paper, both rackets have everything identically, but I just find the Tour that little bit harder to play with and I have to work a bit harder to get the shots I want or the ones I’m happy with. If we look at the 88D Game, I instantly felt it was more flexible compared to the other 2. The Game was also faster compared to the Tour and because of the reduction in stiffness, it also felt easier to play with, especially for those off-timing shots. I found my experience with the 88D Game really enjoyable and I found it quite forgiving, which is good for us all!
And since we’ve already looked at the 88D Game, let's now take a look at the 88 Play (UK here). You guys know I like the Play rackets, be it the Arcsaber 11 Play (UK here), Arcsaber 7 Play (UK here) or the other Astrox or Nanoflare Play rackets, I find that they have lots of great value.
A predictable response to an entry-level racket. Something good for any player who is looking for a consistent response from a racket and this 88 Play again delivers in that regard. I found it to be very steady, especially for a basic affordable racket. But after coming across the other Astrox 88 rackets during testing, I found the 88 Play racket to flex in a very linear fashion. What I mean is, modern high-end rackets are designed to flex differently at different parts of the racket. Just like a Formula 1 car’s wings. Some areas flex more than others. But for this 88 Play, it felt very linear meaning you get a very direct response. You might also say there’s less give in the response but you can adjust your strings to compensate for that. But because this is an entry-level racket with a fairly aggressive price point, it's unfair to compare and expect the same refined experience as the other higher-end rackets. Still, I really enjoyed playing with the 88 Play and do think it's a good value option!
Yonex Astrox 88S Series
Starting with the 88S Tour (UK here), again, it is almost identical to the Pro version but for some reason, felt like it had more head weight compared to the Pro. It also wasn’t as smooth or easy to play with as the Pro but it's close.
Being 5mm shorter, it does feel faster compared to the D models and this slightly shorter length and added speed is something really enjoyed by a lot of players. The 88S Game (UK here) again, like the D variant is noticeably more flexible compared to the Tour and Pro model. But the difference in head weight going from the 88S Tour to the 88S Game was different and slightly bigger than from the 88D Tour to the 88D Game. Either way, the 88S Game was more forgiving compared to the 88S Tour in my experience. And when you go back to the Pro model, you’ll certainly find it is the smoothest of them all with the best feel.
To see the swing weight measurements for all the rackets in this series, check out my YouTube video here.
So would I recommend these rackets?
Yes I would because they’re nice rackets but I do think there are too many rackets, especially when it all comes out at once. It feels like so many because in the last cycle, the Pros launched first and it was a while before the Tour, Game and Plays came along. Also, they looked very different in colours before.
This time, all looking almost identical, all at once felt a bit too much. I completely get the S and D, front court, rear court concept and I get the Pro, Tour, Game and Play price point concept. They are both great concepts but when you launch 7 or 8 rackets in a single window, I think many of us would find there are too many options and shut down. 4 options at 4 different price points is a great call. But 7 or 8, when they look almost identical, even though they’re technically different, is a bit scary!
With that said, go try them out for yourself and let me know which one is your favourite in the comments section, till then, I’ll see you in the next one!