Yonex Astrox 88 Pro 2024 Review
After more than half a year of buildup, Yonex launched new colours for the Astrox 88D Pro and 88S Pro. Test units were CH version, 4U G5 unless noted otherwise.…
Aspect
| 88S Pro new colour | 88D Pro new colour | |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-front rush / continuous attack | Stronger | Good but less flowing to some |
| Rear heavy smash | Capable, slightly behind D | Stronger |
| Downward pressure / smash arc | Short lever struggles; can frame first smash | Continuity strong; every shot borrows |
| Flat drive speed | Very fast; may frame in net rush | Strong chains |
Overview
After more than half a year of buildup, Yonex launched new colours for the Astrox 88D Pro and 88S Pro. Test units were CH version, 4U G5 unless noted otherwise. Appearance: versus Gen 2’s brighter camel gold and lake blue, Gen 3 uses understated black-and-silver. D Pro has black covering most of the frame; S Pro has silver covering most—S Pro carries hints of Duora 10 silver-blue DNA. This generation includes built-in power grommets; head heaviness feels stronger than the previous generation to me.
Astrox 88 lineage
Seven years ago Astrox debuted with only Astrox 77 — the line was not taken seriously until Astrox 88 S/D arrived in 2018 and truly challenged Voltric. Gideon and Sukamuljo's nine-title year on 88 S/D opened the front-court "S", rear-court "D" era. This review covers third-gen Astrox 88 S Pro and 88 D Pro (2024 silver/black) — not a new comparison URL; head-to-head S vs D lives on the sibling comparison slug.
Gen 3 S Pro: 76 holes and a surprise package
Gen 3 88S Pro returns to 76 holes, leaving the criticised 68-hole Gen 2 layout. Overall length 670 mm—5 mm shorter than standard 675 mm—restores some “88S soul” with a 7.0 mm bold shaft (slightly harder than same-spec 88D Pro new colour). Bare balance ~298 mm; face slightly larger than 88D Pro new colour. Short first-impression review: S Pro was the pleasant surprise—shuttle comes out crisp with no drag; flat drives and fast blocks feel excellent. 76 holes give better power transfer and higher forgiveness than Gen 2; stiffer, springier shaft adds real rear-court heavy-smash ability and more continuous attack than Gen 2—somewhat reminiscent of original 88S. First notice in hand: S Pro shaft feels harder than D Pro’s. Detailed video-style review: first sessions feel odd at 5 mm shorter stroke length; rear full smash often hits upper sweet or frame top until adapted. Restored 76-hole face is stiffer versus gen-one 88S—face and shaft both harder; 76-hole much easier than 68-hole. Front and mid court visibly fast; small-power contact short and direct. Denser string bed—hit feel more solid, stability better, but playability down versus sparse-hole gen-one 88S Pro some pros preferred.
Gen 3 D Pro: familiar mould, mixed reactions
D Pro design changed less from the prior generation—I found it scattered with sluggish offence, lacking S Pro’s flowing quality. Another long-term camel-gold 88D Pro user found new colour swings slightly lighter with stronger concentration, faster ball speed, more direct power transfer, connected grommets, and better stability on hard hits—similar smash effect but better chains and less stamina cost. Length advantage (“an inch longer, an inch stronger”): 88D Pro threshold and player-racket fit for clears and smashes feel unprecedentedly comfortable—longer body plus 6.8 mm shaft gives crisp bounce with whip-end toughness; friendlier than last 88D Pro; obvious shaft flex; ~296 mm head balance not too heavy; feedback burden negligible among high-end rackets.
Offence compared
Compared 4 rows across 88S Pro new colour, 88D Pro new colour.
Defence and passive play
Short review verdict: defence and passive handling—88S Pro > 88D Pro. S Pro wins on receiving smashes and lifting—find the shuttle and lift comfortably to opponent’s rear; D Pro less easy here. Passive handling roughly even. Detailed review: 88D Pro slice/drop control more silky—wrap on brush, drop, finish. 88S Pro 5 mm shorter = more speed but front-court trait obvious; rear offence demands high ability.
Versus red-white 88S and other frames
I compare new S Pro to old red-white 88S: red-white stiffer shaft, crisper contact, less dwell, faster ball, sharper front-court rush. New S Pro stronger wrap helps delicate net shots and tighter drops; back court more solid. Red-white smashes fast but not heavy—new S Pro back-court smashes surprised me: not extremely stiff head, clear dwell—but smashes work well, stronger than red-white 88S and Halbertec 9000; shuttle feels wrapped and catapulted; tail decay slower than most. New 88S Pro targets balanced rackets leaning speed—maybe slower swing than Halbertec 9000 at same positioning but more solid back court—somewhat Halbertec 8000 upgraded meets Arcsaber 11 Pro doubles edition. For mixed doubles versus 88D Pro new colour: S Pro sample bare 84.3 g, balance 301 after setup—feels light without obvious head weight; frame one size larger than D; handle and overall length shorter; shaft less stiff than D, slightly harder than 77 Pro—maybe similar to Nanoflare 800 Pro. Entry barrier not high. Soft contact favours control and rally organisation—excellent net spins, pushes, lifts; precise push-lift placement suits control doubles and mixed.
Who should buy
Personal short-review pick: recommend 88S Pro more overall; heavy smash specialists may still choose D Pro—D feels like a kill specialist, S feels all-round. Prices were high at launch—worth waiting. Long-form comparison pick: both safe buys; I recommend 88D Pro more for versatility and stability—too useful and stable to ignore. 88S Pro suits net-organising players—fast, agile, solid, accurate; needs adaptation time.
How my take evolved
88D Pro new colour felt scattered and sluggish on offence at first; more court time and prior 88D experience brought a lighter swing and better chains than camel gold. 88S Pro had the best overall feedback vs D early on; vs gen-one sparse-hole 88S Pro I eventually found it less fun — concentration vs manipulation preference. Recommendation shifted: 88S Pro for most at first, 88D Pro for versatility once smash style and singles/doubles role settled. Adaptation: S Pro felt easy to love quickly, but net rush at 670 mm length caused frequent frame hits early — stroke length takes time.