Yonex Astrox 88D Pro vs 88S Pro 2024: which 88 Pro fits your role
The 2024 third-generation 88 Pro twins share Namd Flex Force shafts but pull in opposite directions: 88D Pro for rear-court power, 88S Pro for front-court control. Here is how to pick.
Overview
Three years after camel-gold Astrox 88D Pro, Yonex released new-generation 88D Pro and 88S Pro. I was a camel-gold 88D Pro fan — four 4U and one 3U as mains for nearly a year. Then I sold all for Astrox 100ZZ after getting hooked. Regular readers know I later switched doubles mains to Arcsaber 100X SE. Over three years, as ability and doubles philosophy shifted, my picks moved: 3U Windstorm 9000C and Auraspeed 90K to 4U 88D Pro and Astrox 100ZZ, then Arcsaber 100X SE and 1000Z — continuously lowering swing weight, emphasising balanced offence with continuity. With that lens, here is my take on new-colour 88D Pro and 88S Pro. Two new-colour 88D Pros: 4U G6 91.1 g strung 26–28 lb BG80 without cap removal, balance 305. 4U G5 89.5 g after cap removal with 26–28 lb N65, balance 308. Opinions on differences versus camel gold vary — here is mine. Frame size differs: camel gold larger head. Different bed pressure and concentration at same tension. Large-head camel gold hits sweet spot easier with higher forgiveness. Small-head new colour stronger concentration — same string and tension may feel harder to drive. Bare weight differs too: among 10+ camel gold samples most ~85.5 g bare; among 10+ new colours most ~84 g — ~1.5 g gap. Swing weight tests from three I show new colour ~1 g lighter with faster swing. In play, camel gold's large sweet spot and weaker concentration give obvious dwell at contact plus stiff shaft. Short-force players may only deflect the bed without shaft flex — mostly face dwell without shaft rebound. Long-force or high-tension players get both bed and shaft deflection, or shorter dwell at high tension — smashes feel heavy and shaft feedback clears. New colour swings slightly lighter with stronger concentration. Second-gen rebound resin speeds shaft recovery — faster ball speed, more direct power transfer, less camel dwell. Small force can still flex the shaft. New colour adds connected grommets and extra weight at frame sides — less head shake on hard hits, better stability. Both generations strong head-heavy feel and easy downward pressure. Similar smash effect, but new colour chains better with less stamina cost. Defence and passive escape at same effort and sweet-spot contact: new colour reaches better. Camel gold forgives off-centre hits better when passive. New-colour 88D Pro upper frame resembles Astrox 100ZZ — both relatively narrow on top, slightly wider lower sides. Sweet spot size close. Large-head users may need adaptation. Versus Astrox 100ZZ, new 88D Pro head-heavier with easier borrowing — more stable back-court clears and drops. Both shafts elastic; new 88D Pro elasticity more linear. Astrox 100ZZ gives explosive shaft snap on active offence with clear acceleration assist — passive off-centre hits borrow less shaft with worse quality. New 88D Pro still borrows shaft elasticity when force is insufficient, returning to less bad positions regardless of active loading. Astrox 100ZZ sharper smash placement and more explosive small-force offence with higher ceiling but higher barrier. 88D Pro clears easier, drops more stable, passive escape success higher — decent floor when not at peak form. Frame one size larger than 88D Pro. Handle and overall length shorter. Shaft less stiff than 88D Pro new colour, less than my usual Arcsaber 100X SE and 1000Z, slightly harder than 77 Pro — maybe similar to Nanoflare 800 Pro. Entry barrier not high; most players including many women can handle it. Ball speed not very fast — even high-tension BG80 shows clear dwell. Front-court flat drives and net kills fast but lack speed-racket sharpness. Soft contact favours control and rally organisation — excellent for net spins, pushes, lifts to set partners. Precise push-lift placement suits control doubles and mixed. Versus 88D Pro, better mixed-doubles choice: free control, precise placement, large head for defence and passive play, plus decent smashes. I compare to old red-white 88S — I used it half a year. Stiffer shaft, crisper contact, less dwell, faster ball, sharper front-court rush. New S Pro stronger wrap helps delicate net shots and tighter drops with more precise placement. Back court more solid. Red-white 88S smashes fast but not heavy. New S Pro back-court smashes surprised me: shaft not extremely stiff, head not heavy, clear dwell — but smashes work well, stronger than red-white 88S and Halbertec 9000. Shuttle wrapped and catapulted. Initial speed not extreme but tail decay slower than most. New tech speeds shaft recovery — better offensive chains, better shaft elasticity helps defence and passive escape versus red-white 88S. Fast spring and excellent control cannot fully coexist — a little dwell gives pause for variation, not necessarily bad. 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 and Arcsaber 11 Pro doubles edition. Hard springy shaft, fast swing, excellent flat drives, very stable control, soft drop feel. But light head and overall swing weight — back court hard to borrow power, clears need more active force, smashes suit point/light kills, full smashes feel unloaded. Maybe soft frame? Some stringers mentioned this — soft frame plus stiff shaft may unload force before shaft fully flexes. Some called shaft "wooden" — often because they did not flex the shaft. I mains DriveX 10M without power issues but did not get shaft feedback. Versus Halbertec 8000, I do not see 9000 as full upgrade — different style orientations. 9000 tunes toward doubles speed: faster swing, stiffer shaft, better elasticity, faster ball, better precision. But 8000 clearly more solid back court; cap-removed full smashes first tier among balance rackets. Moderate shaft hardness — 8000 easy for most players, great value, strong recommendation. Sold many rackets but still keep two Halbertec 8000s. Even latest Halbertec 9000 shaft elasticity lags 1000Z, Nanoflare 800 Pro, and new 88D/88S Pro — no need to buy for slight elasticity upgrades alone.
88S Pro new colour
Sample bare 84.3 g, 26–28 lb BG80, 89.5 g after cap removal, balance 301. Feels light versus 88D Pro new colour without obvious head weight — among faster balanced rackets.
Additional 88D vs 88S new colour
Shaft hardness not vastly different but styles diverge. 88D Pro faster and springier, 88S Pro more dwell. 88D Pro's fast spring is not speed-racket crispness — feel thicker and more solid, better for doubles back court or singles. 88S Pro dwell is only relative to my stiff-shaft speed rackets; absolute speed still fast, less dwell than Arcsaber 11 Pro, but control clearly beats speed rackets.
Halbertec 9000
My 4U G5, 26–28 lb N65. Reviews subjective — personal impressions without brand bias. Forum hype made me doubt my less positive feel; I had different-level players test before writing. Most found it easy.